Helicopter rescues Jet Ski destroyed by Giant Waves

 

As a big wave surfing legend, Kai Lenny sure must have seen some interesting things. Lenny has made big waves his passion, and this passion is not free of danger. If one wants to ride the big waves, one has to pay the price. This price might be broken bones, broken surfboards, or broken jet skis. The latter most happened with Kai Lenny, as he lost a beloved jet ski to the harsh tow at Jaws.  Fortunately, there are amazing Helicopter Pilots that can retrieve the carnage.

KIRA RACE #10 – SHAW AND PARTNERS MOLOKAI CHALLENGE 2023

 

Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association is proud to announce the

SHAW AND PARTNERS FINANCIAL SERVICES MOLOKAI CHALLENGE 2023.

COURSE: Molokai to Oahu. 32 miles (53 km) across the Ka’iwi channel.

START: Kaluakoi Beach on the west end of Molokai

FINISH:  Maunalua Beach Park, Hawaii Kai, Oahu (At the Keyhole on north side of the bridge).

DATE:  Sunday May 28, 2023

REGISTRATION: www.flpregister.com

By Design: Examining the Jet Ski’s Giant Impact on Big Wave Surfing

 

“Oh, it’s had a humungous affect on the progression of big wave surfing over the past 30 years. No question. ”

This from Frank Quirarte, the renowned surf photographer and heavy water safety expert from Half Moon Bay, California who, having recently returned from an epic strike mission to Cortes Bank, definitely knows what he’s talking about. He isn’t referencing any particular surfboard design, breath-holding training method or inflatable vest. He’s not talking about different GoPro mounts, either. What Quirarte is pointing to as having arguably the single most significant influence on big wave surfing over the past few decades is the Jet Ski.

Peahi, Teahupo’o, Aussie bommies and slabs, Mullaghmore, Cortes Bank and, of course, Nazarè — all tackled at size with a hand on the throttle, and in each case completely redefining the parameters of what is considered to be rideable surf. Then there’s the paradigm shift when it comes to safety, with the introduction of precise teamwork and coordinated rescue protocol. Yet although having become ubiquitous in big wave lineups around the world, and the topic of much discussion and even controversy since gaining popularity in the early 1990s, the wider surfing world has been told virtually nothing about how and why these machines work, or, in fact, anything about their performance and design evolution. So let’s fix that right now. Read More

Eddie Aikau Surf Contest Won By Local Lifeguard

 

Luke Shepardson is more accustomed to saving lives than winning international surf competitions, but on Monday the on-duty lifeguard saw off some of the biggest names in the sport to claim victory at the prestigious Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational in Hawaii.

 Shepardson had to get permission from his boss to take time out from his day job to compete in the elusive event, which throws professional and local surfers together in huge swells and this week ran for the first time in seven years. The competition, known simply as The Eddie, is held only when waves at Waimea Bay consistently reach 30ft or bigger.

 John John Florence, the two-time WSL champion, won the last edition in 2016 and went close to becoming the first two-time champion, but ultimately lost out to Shepardson, who claimed the title in between dashes to and from his lifeguard tower on the beach.

 “I told myself, ‘I’m in it because I can win it,” Shepardson said. “It was super scary. The waves were huge, and it was a dream come true just to be part of The Eddie, just to be on the alternate list. I can’t believe it – it’s crazy. I’ve got to get back to the tower to make sure everyone’s OK until the end of the day.”

Shepardson, 27, scored 89.1 points out of a possible 90 to claim the title and $10,000 prize money. As he joined Florence and other previous winners including Kelly Slater, Bruce Irons and Ross Clarke Jones, he was hoisted up in celebration on the beach – still clad in distinctive yellow and red life-savers attire.

The winner evoked memories of the man the event is named after; The Eddie is held in honour of the late Eddie Aikau, like Shepardson a Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard – the first one on Oahu’s North Shore.

 Aikau saved more than 500 people during his career but during a journey in 1978 re-enacting an ancient route of Polynesian migration between Hawaii and Tahiti, the voyaging canoe he was aboard capsized. Aikau paddled away on his surfboard to raise the alarm and the rest of the crew were later rescued. But Aikau disappeared and his body was never found.

The event was first run in celebration of his life in 1985 at Sunset Beach and has been held just nine times since. Eddie’s younger brother Clyde Aikau won two years after the inaugural competition when it was held on Oahu’s North Shore for the first time. Clyde now supervises the event, which for the first time this year saw a woman, Brazil’s Andrea Moller, catch a wave, six years after female surfers were first named as alternate competitors.

 Anticipation that The Eddie would run this year had been building for over a week, with the contest briefly given the go-ahead before being put on hold. Big wave surfers from as far afield as Portugal have been consulting forecasters who closely track the huge storms travelling across the north Pacific for signs they will translate into the 30ft clean waves that the contest requires.

 As each day passed, and as more data came in from buoys hundreds of kilometres north of Waimea Bay on the island of Oahu, the 40 surfers invited for The Eddie scrambled to get their equipment, support team and mindset ready.

 “It felt incredible to surf in this event,” Kai Lenny, a top big-wave surfer, who finished in fifth place. “I know we’ve all had the Eddie Aikau posters in our rooms growing up, so to have the opportunity to actually go out there for Eddie and his ohana [family], the Aikaus, was a dream come true for me.”

Post from The Guardian by Mike Hytner

The Adventure of a Lifetime with Dangerous Water Adventures!

These two videos cover Dangerous Water Adventures and their Alaska Tour by Jet Ski, including behind the scenes footage and an overview of everything required to take part on this epic journey. The team behind the Dangerous Waters expedition series now conducts week long guided Jet Ski tours of the beautiful inside passage between Seattle and Juneau, from June to October each year. No Jet Ski experience or Jet Ski license is required. Watermen News is looking at scheduling one of the trips this year to get firsthand knowledge. Learn more about Dangerous Water Adventures and be sure to visit the Watercraft Zone and all their great news and information.

Ocean Cup Sets Five-Event Itinerary for 2023

 

From; SpeedBoat.com Jan 3, 2023

For those wishing to have their boat racing abilities tested on all levels, Ocean Cup has five opportunities to set world records sanctioned by the APBA and UIM in 2023.

Success will be measured by the pilot’s navigational skills and ability to understand wind, waves and swells, as well as their vessel’s maintenance and seaworthiness. Courses are navigationally challenging crossing open ocean, out of the sight of land, and each is more than 100 miles.

Here's the 2023 Ocean Cup events calendar:

May 4–7 (to be confirmed)—Miami around the SS Sapona Shipwreck (Bimini Bahamas). 106 miles.

June 1-4—Palm Beach to West End (Bahamas) and back. 111 miles

Aug. 17–20—San Francisco around Farallon Islands. 138 miles.

Sept. 14–17—San Francisco to Marina del Ray to Long Beach. 435 miles.

Sept. 28–Oct. 1—Pacific Airshow, Huntington Beach around Catalina Island. 112 miles.

The Pacific Airshow is presented in a four-day format:

Day 1: Arrivals and VIP Pilot Dinner Party.

Day 2: Briefings, Inspections, Meet and Greet, and Media Opportunities.

Day 3: World Speed Record Attempts, Awards, and Closing Party.

Day 4: Departures.

Ocean Cup competitions are for the bold and adventurous, having the skills and desire for a man and his machine challenge in the open ocean. Every team must be prepared for any and all eventualities with regard to their own safety and be prepared to be effectively on their own until help, from whatever source, can arrive. Pilots are required to hold sea survival and first-aid certificates.

For more information, please contact:

Ronald Saja (561) 301-7283, email Ronald@OceanCup.com

Simon Trumper (949) 678-0138, email Simon@OceanCup.com

Traveling Around The World On A Jet Ski, Spanish Explorer Alvaro de Marichalar

 

Álvaro de Marichalar Sáenz de Tejada arrived in Belize as part of his world tour to circumnavigate the globe aboard the smallest craft in history. His tour commemorates the 500th anniversary of the World’s first circumnavigation and historic voyage by Ferdinand Magellan from 1519 – 1522. Having campaigned against plastic pollution for the past 40 years, Álvaro’s expedition is aimed at raising awareness about the importance of marine conservation. With support from the BTB, Alvaro arrived on Friday, December 2, in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. (www.FirstWorldTour.com)

World Explorer Alvaro Tejada arrives in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Having departed from the harbor in Chetumal, Mexico, Alvaro found his way to Belize as he arrived in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Mr. Álvaro de Marichalar Sáenz de Tejada, holder of 14 world records, is recreating this voyage around the world to raise awareness for marine conservation, fighting plastic pollution and illegal fishing.

He states, "Urgent action is needed to protect the ocean. Our future is directly linked to the ocean and we cannot continue to treat it as a rubbish dump whilst fishing species to extinction.”

To celebrate and promote the First Tour of the World, Álvaro de Marichalar set sail three years ago from Seville on the historical date, August 10, 2019-1519. After sailing around Spain, Portugal and France without any support vessel, he then crossed the Atlantic ocean from southern Spain (Gibraltar) to Guadeloupe Island with the support of the French exploration ship YERSIN.

From Guadeloupe he continued navigating alone without a support ship, calling at the Caribbean islands all the way to Miami where he arrived on March 16, 2020. The pandemic stopped his expedition until February 19, 2022, when he was able to restart his Challenge, sailing along the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Bacalar.

Follow Alvaro's Journey: Click Here  https://my.yb.tl/NUMANCIA

God willing, Alvaro will continue to Panama to cross to the Pacific ocean coast and travel up all the way to Alaska where he will then cross over to Russia to continue along Asia and finally into the Mediterranean before arriving in Seville.

He has two years of navigation ahead of him. Alvaro sails alone and always on his feet aboard his boat measuring just three meters long named NUMANCIA. Álvaro's small boat has a maximum range of 200 nautical miles thanks to its supplementary fuel tank, which allows Álvaro to sail without a support boat. Álvaro makes stops at islands and coastal ports to refuel, get food, rest and repair his boat; when he is unable to reach land, Álvaro sleeps at sea. As he has very little space, he can only carry water, nuts and honey on board his small vessel. He also gives motivational lectures at fishermen's guilds, town halls, universities, schools, sailing clubs, prisons, hospitals and Navy stations.

About Alvaro:

* He is an entrepreneur in the real estate and telecommunications sector since he was 21 years old who founded TeleSat in 1983, the first Spanish company of satellite dishes.

* His passion is sailing. He has made forty maritime expeditions achieving 14 world records of navigation.
* Among other achievements, he sailed from Rome to New York in 2002. From Barcelona to Odessa, Ukraine in 2004 or from Hong Kong to Tokyo in 2006.

* For the last 40 years he has campaigned against plastic pollution in the sea and illegal fishing.

* Lecturer, writer and political activist who founded the first pan-European political movement called OmniaEuropa.

* Álvaro is producing a documentary series about his current Solo sailing around the World in the SMALLEST CRAFT in History.

Shared from Amber Gris Today