It's been hot, but there have been moments of relief. Australia's kind of like that. The talent showed up around Coolengatta early, before the Breaka Burrleigh Pro, and there were a few sessions over the hill at D-Bah and even Kirra had a couple waves.

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In two weeks time the surf world's attention will be turned to the Gold Coast of Australia, but things are already heating up. Gallery

Looks like people are ready to get their 2012 campaigns going. There have been the usual suspects, including Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson, and as you'd expect from the local crew, they're on it. But already you can see the youth factor coming into the equation. Kolohe Andino and Julian Wilson showed up early for no other reason than to surf. The Breaka Pro came and went, Wilson won, Andino made the quarters and maybe that's an indication of how the 2012 World Tour's going to start when the Quiksilver Pro gets underway on Feb. 25.

It's quieted down some. Everybody left town for Manly and the Australian Open. The Australian leg is long this year; five events if you count the Breaka Pro, the Aussie Open, the Quik Pro, the Margaret River contest and then the Rip Curl Pro at Bells. Lots of surfing ahead of us, but looks like the offseason's been well spent and everybody's pretty keyed up.