Windsurfers note: May 15th is the kickoff for the 2005
Professional Windsurfers Association Freestyle tour in
Bonaire. This is one of the biggest events of the year for windsurfers and used to be held in December. The
Tour is frequented by some of the world’s best freestylers out there, who are going after a $70,000 prize
purse. Could be a great trip as you can pair the event with some
killer diving.
The $68,000 Wave
Back when I was working at ABC News, I pitched a story about big wave surfers and the Billabong contest which offers
a cash award for the largest wave surfed in a year. They turned it down. Who’s interested in surfing, they said.
Ah, the East Coast-centric media mind-set. Well, sort of. 60 Minutes did the piece and it was one of the best pieces
I’ve seen them do. They focused on Laird Hamilton, which was a good idea since he is pretty much the preeminent pioneer
of the tow-in/big wave movement.
Well, the contest still continues, and recently
$68,000 went to Dan Moore, a 48-year-old surf veteran from Oahu’s Sunset Beach. Moore picked up the 2005 Biggest
Wave Award for the 68-foot monster he caught on December 15, 2004, a wave just two feet shy of the world record
captured last year by surfer Pete Cabrinha.
Surf’s Up, Grandude
Surfing is one of those sports that seems to get into your bloodstream, your spirit, the fiber of your being, and it
just doesn’t let go. So it’s no surprise to see surfers still hanging ten into their latter years. And
so it goes in this
article about surfing septuagenarians. These guys still get out there and ride waves, despite more brittle bones.
Is it harder to surf when you’re a fogey? One guy notes that his hips and knees can get weaker, which prevents him from
popping up on his board as fast, but for the most part, it’s the same deal.
Full Bore
Speaking of bore
tides, I found this piece in Paddler that lists several of the major places the where the biggest bores can be
found (no, not Capitol Hill…ba dum bum). What are they? Tidal
bores are moving waves or holes that rise from the ocean, appearing at full or new moons, their size depending on
weather, swell and season.
Some of the places where the bores rage and can actually make for good surfing are the Severn River in
Glouchestershire, England; Turnagain, Alaska; Shubenacadie, Canada; Pororoca, Brazil, and The Dragon, China.
Photo of the Day: (4/17/05)
Today’s POTD is a great one of a guy
surfing the bore tide on
the Amazon River. This is amazing stuff to watch, sometimes they show it on ESPN.
They do it in several places around the world where the bore tides rip, but as you can see, the waves get rather big
on the Amazon. Amazing, really.