Legendary Waterman, Mark Cunningham - Lifeguard, Body Surfer Extraordinaire, and Environmentalist

Mark Cunningham image - Honolulu Star-Bulletin

I had the pleasure of recently meeting legendary waterman and bodysurfer Mark Cunningham at Surf Expo in Orlando while in the DaFin booth. A soft spoken, tall and fit man, Mark ended his stellar 30-year Hawaiian lifeguard career in 2005, most of which was spent on the North Shore of Oahu with a very special breed of watermen. His list of former work colleagues is a veritable “who’s who” of Hawaiian surfing lore: Buffalo Keaulana, Eddie Aikau, Darrick Doerner, Rell Sunn and Tiger Espere. And while Cunningham himself has achieved legendary status, he’s done so in quite a different way. Aside from being the man who spent most of his days on the tower at Ehukai Beach Park, a.k.a. Pipeline, he’s earned a solid reputation as one of the world’s extraordinaire bodysurfers.

Now he has committed himself to promoting the “Keep the Country Country” and other causes such as “Defend Oahu Coalition” A man well respected throughout Hawaii for being a true waterman!

Be sure to check out Mark's amazing new movie about bodysurfing “Come Hell or High Water” with awesome scenes filmed at The Wedge, Pipeline, Teahupoo, Waimea Bay and more.

Looking back on 2011-2012 America's Cup World Series - 73 AC Discovered

This week on America's Cup Discovered we take a look back on a momentous 2012 America's Cup World Series. There were highs, lows, intense rivalries, shut out starts, thrilling finishes, and epic capsizes.

Vendee Globe Ocean Race, Closest finish in Vendée Globe history possible

Top Story

Le Cléac’h closes on Gabart in Azores
Finish could be closer than 2004-05

Fleet News:

Thomson cannot see route to third
Jean-Pierre Dick still looking ahead and behind
Two Britons in the top five
Di Benedetto recovering

Top Story:

Armel Le Cléac’h (Banque Populaire) continues to close on Francois Gabart (MACIF) as they slow in the Azores high. If the race continues as forecast, always easier on paper, Gabart will cross the line first late on January 26 or in the early hours of January 27 and could be as little as six hours ahead of Le Cléac’h, which would be the closest finish in Vendée history. It would beat the finish to the 2004-05 Vendée Globe when Vincent Riou beat Jean Le Cam by 6 hours and 33 minutes.
The low-pressure system, bringing 25-30 knots westerlies, looks stable from the Bay of Biscay to the finish, but Gabart may well decide to stay close and mark Le Cléac’h rather than simply take the fastest route. It promises to be a tense finish either way and if they or Le Cléach, particularly, is delayed until the evening of January 27, a storm could make the finish one of the most torrid ever.

At the 1500 UTC ranking Le Cléac’h was 117.7 miles behind Gabart, but the gains will continue as Gabart is into the Azores high first. Gabart was still averaging 9.6 knots in the last hour, but Le Cléach was making 13 knots. The memory of the Doldrums, where Gabart’s stumbled for one of the few times in the whole race, will be fresh in the memory. Le Cléac’h managed to make up around 150 miles on Gabart and although the Azores are far more predictable, luck may still play a part.

Chattahoochee Write Up For 2013

Jackson Kayak - Posted by Hunter Katich, 20/01/2013

For an optimal training and learning environment, no matter what your skill level, come paddle with me here at the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, GA. There is something for everyone! I’ve paddled the Chattahoochee for many years, and the changes that are being made are incredible! During the past year, this amazing river has been under construction to become the longest urban 2.5mile whitewater course in the world. If you’re a play boater then this river is a paradise for you! A normal day for me on the water includes an awesome feature, great for every hole trick in the book. When the bottom pool fills up and the feature washes, I go up above the biggest rapid on the river, Cutbait, where two big waves stand. These back to back waves, “Clicket-or-Ticket” and “Interstate” are about 6 to 10 foot standing waves (depending on the flow) and are perfect for almost every trick performed on a wave! To top it all off you can go big and take your chances on punching one of the biggest holes in the South East, “Cutbait hole”. The rapid is named Cutbait for a reason, so scout it out before charging down blindly.

Read More; Chattahoochee Write Up For 2013

Vendee Globe Ocean Race, Up The Mast Again

Top Story:

- Di Benedetto forced into second dangerous climb after spinnaker loss

Fleet News:
- Virbac-Paprec on the charge
- The Unfortunate Five
- Best at the back

Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac-Paprec 3) remained the fastest in the fleet, drawing closer to the leading two, whilst being tailed closely by Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss). But there was a reminder at the back of how sudden damage can change the picture as Alessandro Di Benedetto (Team Plastique) was forced into a second trip up the mast in as many days following the loss of a new headsail.

Di Benedetto had already lost the use of his gennaker, after going up the mast over the weekend to assess the halyard failure, when  last night he ripped his spinnaker. It will have been enough to test  even the bright spirit of the indomitable Franco-Italian skipper. It meant another dangerous climb 100ft in air on a heaving mast, in unsavoury wind and sea conditions for this kind of exercise – never savoury, especially alone. 500 miles northeast of the Falklands Islands, with 20-22 knot southwesterlies behind him, he spent two hours in the air to release the spinnaker halyard.

Di Benedetto said he was knocked around a lot during his climb but is fortunately not injured. His speeds may be for some time though without his two big sails and he was making just seven knots in the last hour.

Peter Mel wins 2013 Mavericks Invitational Big-Wave Surf Championship

Peter Mel, of Santa Cruz, celebrates winning the 2012-2013 Mavericks Invitational

Lars Howlett / Mavericks Invitational

 

20 January, Half Moon Bay, CA —Peter Mel celebrated a long awaited victory on Sunday: A Mavericks big-wave championship title.

The La Selva Beach native and veteran Santa Cruz surfer was emotional while holding up his surfboard trophy and soaking in the realization that he had just won the final round of the 2013 Mavericks Invitational.

Alex Martins shredded into 2nd place while smooth, mechanicaly-flawless rider Greg Long clinched 3rd. Santa Cruz' Zach Wormhoudt placed 4th, Mark Healey came in 5th, and Shawn Dollar of Santa Cruz placed 6th.

Mel was won of the oldest surfers in the lineup and one of 10 surfers from Santa Cruz that competed.

Thousands of spectators flocked to a festival outside the Oceano Hotel in Half Moon Bay to watch 24 of the world’s most elite big-wave surfers compete. Tickets were already sold-out by 9 a.m.

More; http://mavericksinvitational.com/

Vendee Globe Ocean Race, Day 71 - “Worst South Atlantic ever” sees Golding Facing Power Pressure

 

Top Story  - Golding says five-day delay has put the squeeze on

Fleet News:
Left hook to Les Sables
Earlier finish on January 26 predicted
Gabart and Le Cléac’h – no more chit-chat
Wavre extends over Sansó
Di Benedetto loses gennaker

Top Story:

The toughest South Atlantic that any of the skippers stuck in it can remember is beginning to turn the screw on supplies. Being dropped by a fickle wind or battered by a north one is one thing, but sixth-placed Mike Golding (Gamesa) has revealed that just having enough to run his auto-pilots in the busy shipping lanes for the finish is increasingly becoming a worry.

“We are looking at 5 days added to the route, potentially, by the problems in the South Atlantic,” Golding, who has 4310 miles to the finish, told Vendee Globe TV. “That puts extra pressure on everything – fuel, food, and this has been a very hard period for the boat as well; going upwind in strong breeze, fully ballasted puts extra pressure on the boat.

“Things have not been easy as we have not had hydro generators since the Southern Ocean. While we did load some fuel, we had a plan that covered a lot of bases – we have hydro, solar and fuel – we tried to cover our options. However, trying to predict our fuel usage from the beginning of Southern Ocean to the current point has been very difficult and now we are very low on fuel. So yes, pretty nerve-racking.”