Outdoors, action and adventure

Could be year of the 900 in X Games' Skateboard Big-Air

One of the defining moments in X Games history was in 1999, when Tony Hawk became the first skateboarder to successfully land a 900-degree rotation above the lip of a vert ramp.

That's 2-1/2 spins while airborne. The legendary Hawk stuck the landing on his 12th try.

Fast forward to 2010 and to a relatively new contraption called the Mega Ramp, which has delivered vert skating to daunting new heights.

Skateboarders speed 70 feet down one ramp, soar and perform a trick across a 70-foot gap to another downslope, which leads to a quarterpipe wall that sends them more than 40 feet above ground, where they perform a second trick.

Few people are brave enough to ride the Mega Ramp, let alone try a 900 above the quarterpipe wall, but that's the expected theme during tonight's Skateboard Big-Air final on the first day of X Games competition in Los Angeles.

"Obviously with Jake trying it last year he kind of opened the box a little bit," said Bob Burnquist, two-time Big-Air gold medalist, in reference to a failed 900 attempt by Jake Brown during last year's final.

"But at the same time it's pretty high. It's a whole different ballgame. It's different than regular vert skating -- it's straight hairball. You have to just go for it and try to keep yourself controlled and get out of it safely."

Burnquist has a Mega Ramp in the backyard of his home in Vista, Calif., and top riders have been practicing there, including Brown, who won the gold medal last year on a different run with a different trick.

Burnquist and Brown have spun 900s above the quarterpipe wall, but have always had to bail free of their boards and slide down the wall. The trick is that scary and difficult, and slamming awkwardly onto the lip and breaking bones, or free-falling to the flat surface below the ramp are among the consequences of holding on too long without being in perfect position.

Cam Sinclair to star at X Games a year after near-fatal crash

Cameron Sinclair is fortunate to be alive and able to walk, much less compete at a top level in the dangerous sport of freestyle motocross.

But the Australian FMX star, who experienced a near-fatal crash a year ago in Madrid, has climbed back onto his bike and expects to be standing on the podium after Friday night's X Games Moto X best-trick competition.

It's remarkable considering the horrific fall he endured during the 2009 Red Bull X-Fighters competition in Spain. He under-rotated a double backflip and landed chest-and-face-first.

He suffered severe head injuries, a ruptured liver, extensive internal bleeding, a broken shoulder and cheekbone. His situation was touch-and-go for days during what would become an extended hospital stay, followed by months of rehabilitation. Doctors predicted it could take two years for him to fully recover.

But Sinclair, 25, was back on his bike eight months later. He recently performed his first double backflip since the accident during an event in Australia (see video below). Last week he made an emotional return to the same X-Fighters competition in Madrid, where he did not feel up to trying a double flip and finished 10th.

Just showing up at the venue, he said, was important from a mental standpoint. "At the moment there are loads of tricks I would love to do, but I am not physically where I would like to be, so I don't want to risk getting hurt again," he said before the competition.

Sinclair, however, has implied that he'll bring a variation of the double flip to the X Games' best-trick competition. His run will be highly anticipated and preceded by several anxious moments for him and his many fans.

It's bon voyage for sailor Laura Dekker, 14, after court ruling

Abby Sunderland learned the hard way that sailing around the world alone is difficult and extremely dangerous.

Now will it be Laura Dekker's turn?

Sunderland's Indian Ocean saga, which included a violent rolling and crippling of her boat and a dramatic rescue, underscored the perils of open-ocean sailing and, since Sunderland is only 16, brought the issue of age to the forefront.

Six weeks later, the controversial age issue has shifted from Southern California to The Netherlands, where Dekker, 14, is planning anew to sail around the world by herself in a boat named Guppy. She hopes to leave within two weeks.

The Dutch teen on Tuesday was released by a court of state guardianship, meaning she's free, with both parents' blessings, to attempt to become the youngest sailor to solo-circumnavigate the planet.

"With this decision, the responsibility for Laura lies with her parents," Judge S. Kuypers said. "It is up to them to decide whether Laura can set off on her sail trip."
 
Dekker had hoped to begin her voyage last fall. But her mother objected, a child welfare agency got involved and a court made Dekker a ward of the state. (Dekker's parents are divorced.)

Apparently, though, the influence of a child on a parent is a powerful thing. Babs Mueller, Laura's mother, announced in an open letter published recently in a local newspaper that she had changed her mind and supports her daughter's dream voyage.

Mueller stated, "I know she can do it, she's a strong girl who does not give up easily. Of course no mother on earth likes it if her daughter goes to sea alone. I will have sleepless nights from the worry, but this is about Laura and how I can help her."

The court had deemed Laura  too inexperienced and underdeveloped. She responded by running away, briefly, to the Dutch Antilles.

'Cardiff Kook' rescued from fake shark, awaits next prank

That was a magnificent run for the enormous great white shark that tried for three days to devour the statue known throughout northern San Diego County as the "Cardiff Kook."

What might go down in history as the world's most drawn-out shark attack, albeit by a fake shark versus a bronze surfer, ended Tuesday morning when Encinitas work crews came to the rescue and removed a paper-made shark that had been poised in a vertical attack mode, with its jaws around the statue, since dawn Saturday.

Thousands of tourists took in the sight and many signed petitions hoping to "save the shark" and keep it up a little longer, despite the embarrassment this must have generated for the sculptor of the statue, whose pose is definitely kooky and somewhat effeminate.

But three full days is a long time for desecration of city artwork to be allowed to stand, so Tuesday was a good day to kill the shark and put this story to rest.

The full identity of the prankster, however, remains unclear, but a waiter named Eric has come forward to claim responsibility, according to NBC San Diego. 

"I'm glad that people are having a good time with it," he told reporter Artie Ojeda, without revealing his last name. "I'm really happy. I've heard people say, 'We're taking pictures for our Christmas card.' It's great."

Eric said the covert mission was accomplished at 4 a.m. Saturday and that it required 13 people to get the giant, two-piece shark around the statue.

"We were laughing so hard. I couldn't stop laughing once I put it in," Eric recalled. "We were just in hysterics. Everybody was just in such a good mood. It was so funny."

Probably not amused is Matthew Antichevich of Hemet, Calif. He was commissioned to produce the statue in 2007. But then, he's probably used to pranks being played at the expense of his creation, which has worn bikinis, skirts, goofy hats and women's bras and panties.

Now the statue appears naked to the world, with the shark having been removed, like an open canvass, awaiting the next prankster to come along and grace it with his or her handiwork.

Whenever that occurs it's unlikely to top the great white shark, which was crude but nonetheless awe-inspiring and, thus, a piece of art in its own right; and one that made the Cardiff Kook famous beyond his wildest dreams. Now if only he knew how to surf.

-- Pete Thomas

'Cardiff Kook' statue remains in jaws of giant fake shark

An enormous great white shark that was erected in the predawn darkness Saturday, depicting a "Jaws"-like attack on the controversial statue of a surfer in the northern San Diego County community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, was still in place late Monday afternoon.

This might seem an insult to the artist commissioned to build the statue, entitled "Magic Carpet Ride," three years ago. But it strongly implies that the city of Encinitas -- to which Cardiff belongs -- knows a popular tourist attraction when it sees one.

Since the paper-mache creation of a 20-foot-tall shark was somehow placed around the statue in a busy coastal intersection without the culprits being nabbed by police, it has lured a steady stream of passersby. Many have stopped to gawk and snap photos. Many also have signed petitions plastered to the side of the shark, asking community leaders to spare an apex predator that ought to be perceived as a hero for the choice of its victim.

This was by far the most dramatic prank played on a statue that many in Cardiff and surrounding communities believe does not adequately represent surfers, in a region in which surfing has such a rich history and is perceived as a way of life.

The statue, commissioned by the Cardiff Botanical Society, has from the outset been dubbed the "Cardiff Kook" by local waver riders.

Tony Hawk takes a pounding, keeps on Tweeting

Tony Hawk, whose crash landing during a Quiksilver demo on Saturday resulted in a painful pelvis injury that will require lots of rest and rehab, did not break any fingers so he's as busy as ever on Twitter.

The legendary skateboarder, who fell hard to the ramp's bottom platform but eventually rose to thank the crowd and excuse himself from the event, Tweeted about the failed 540 attempt the same day:

"Did a tailbone 5 & my foot was a little off, sent me into b/s revert (chicken-neck) to flat. Hit my back & head HARD. Waiting for CT results."

On Sunday he Tweeted his understanding of the diagnosis: " 'Pelvic vertical sheer injury' & a hematoma in a pear tree is the semi-official diagnosis. All I know is: I can't lift my legs & it sucks."

Then this plug for the hospital: "My deepest gratitude to the staff at UC Irvine Trauma Center. If you are going to get seriously hurt, I recommend being near there."

It's good to see that Hawk, one of the all-time great athletes and a master at making his point in 140 characters or less, has not lost his sense of humor. Hope he's feeling better soon.

-- Pete Thomas

Endangered sea turtles killed by boats off Massachusetts

Sad news from the East Coast: At least four large and endangered sea turtles have been killed off Massachusetts as a likely result of boat strikes during the past three weeks.

Three were loggerheads and one was a leatherback. All four turtles washed ashore with broken flippers and severe lacerations, according to a story in the Boston Globe.

Robert Prescott, director of the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, said the turtles appeared to have been healthy before being struck.

Loggerheads can weigh 300 pounds but leatherbacks, which feed primarily on jellyfish, are the world's largest sea turtle and can weigh 1,200 pounds. All sea turtles are vulnerable to boat strikes.

The Globe reports that this news comes only days after jellyfish had stung as many as 150 beachgoers off New Hampshire.

Prescott said sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem, adding: "With every dead leatherback, we're depleting jellyfish-eaters throughout the world's oceans."

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of healthy leatherback sea turtle release courtesy of Connie Merigo / New England Aquarium

Plastiki completes Pacific crossing, environmental mission

 A message on the bottles has been delivered.

The crew of Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran made of 12,500 recycled plastic bottles, sailed into Australia's Sydney Harbor on Monday to complete an 8,000-mile transpacific journey many predicted would prove too difficult for the 10-person crew.

The mission, designed to raise awareness about plastic and the threat it poses to the environment, began four months ago in San Francisco.

The crew, led by environmentalist David de Rothschild, endured severe storms and sweltering heat and survived in cramped quarters like castaways aboard a boat that held up remarkably well.

Afterward, de Rothschild, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, said on the NG website:

"The story has been told to us about plastic is that it's cheap, it's valueless, it's non-toxic, it's easy to use, and don't worry about throwing it out because we can just make more.

"The reality is it's not cheap, it's not non-toxic, it's not valueless. It's valuable, it uses a lot of resources... We need to start taking a serious look at the way we produce and design every product we use in our lives."

A blog post on the Plastiki website states that the vessel's crew "were met by a welcome flotilla of boats and helicopters as they sailed through Sydney Harbor on their way to Sydney's Australian National Maritime Museum, where the arrival ceremony was held in front of a bustling audience of friends, families, press and supporters."

The vessel's name was inspired by Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 Kon-Tiki voyage from South America to Tahiti. Olav Heyerdahl, Thor's grandson, was a crewman aboard Plastiki.

Fans of Plastki followed the odyssey via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the photo website Flickr.

-- Pete Thomas

Image courtesy of Plastiki website

Seabass, albacore keeping Southern California anglers busy

There has not been much good news to report on the Southern California saltwater fishing front lately, but that changed over the weekend, as white seabass became active at Santa Catalina and Santa Rosa islands; albacore began breezing about tantalizingly close to overnight range, and became easy pickings for those aboard double-overnight boats; and yellowtail went into a feeding frenzy at San Clemente Island. Here's a Sunday afternoon recap from Philip Friedman of 976-TUNA:

Several areas that have been dormant for the past week have come to life in the past 48 hours. Anglers are hoping that the slow fishing is a thing of the past and that the fishing light-switch is going to stay on for a while.

At Catalina Island, four anglers aboard the six-pack Liquid Coast Highway had three-fish limits of white seabass Sunday morning. The croakers were caught on live squid and also provided action for several private boaters in the area. The three-quarter-day Coroloma out of Redondo Sportfishing arrived at the island at 7:30 am. It was instant hookups with three fat seabass coming quickly to gaff. Unfortunately, the Coroloma had to leave the seabass because of a medical emergency involving a passenger.

There is a full moon Sunday night. White seabass have shown a tendency to go on feeding frenzies when the moon is full.

Farther offshore, albacore are the primary target. The Tracer out of H & M Landing in San Diego had only one fish aboard Saturday at 4 p.m. when Captain Tommy Scherl came across a new area of albacore 85 miles from San Diego. By sunset, Scherl's passengers had boated more than 100 albacore in the 25- to 35-pound class.

The Condor from Fisherman’s Landing had 70 albacore while the Prowler, from the same landing, had 40 longfin tuna. The fish have been biting best in the afternoons so its best to be on at least 1.5-day trip.

For months, captains have been reporting seeing lots of yellowtail at San Clemente Island, but catching very few. On Saturday, 15 anglers aboard the Toronado out of Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach caught 17 yellowtail, 73 calico bass, 40 bonito, one white seabass and one halibut. On Sunday morning, the Toronado was at it again, with 18 yellowtail on the deck and several others hooked and lost. 

Expect more good news soon as the summer big-game season appears to have finally materialized.

-- Philip Friedman

Photo: Bob Alvarez of Torrance displays two white seabass caught Sunday at Catalina

Diver spears massive grouper to win Florida tournament

For John Ciulla, winning the "biggest grouper" award in a recent spearfishing tournament off West Palm Beach, Fla., was a team effort and the culmination of a fish story he'll not soon forget.

Ciulla and dive partner Louis Devaliex were competing in the third annual Big Bang Open and the former was watching as the latter struggled to reign in a 20-pound amberjack he had speared at a depth of about 140 feet.

The amberjack dove for the cover of a nearby reef but hidden within the reef was a massive grouper, which darted out and devoured the jack.

"It was insane," Ciulla recalled in a story on the TC Palm website. "To see how big the grouper was, it was huge."

Though Ciulla was already near a depth-limit he considered to be safe, he could not resist pulling the trigger when the grouper presented a broadside target.

It was a perfect shot, behind the gill-plate. The grouper peeled line from Ciulla's reel as it dove. Ciulla, who was pulled downward to about 175 feet, could not stop his reel handle from spinning so he wrapped the line around his right wrist and tried motoring upward with his underwater scooter.

But he went nowhere.

"He was so strong. We were both at a standstill in the water column for about three minutes," Ciulla said.

Daveliex was ready to offer assistance but finally the grouper succumbed and the divers began their slow ascent and decompression maneuvers.

The grouper weighed 82.625 pounds, gutted, so it was much larger as a whole specimen.

Ciulla, who also set a tournament record for heaviest fish speared, called his catch "the fish of a lifetime." He plans to have it made into a mount and displayed prominently on the wall of a restaurant he's close to opening.

Presumably, it's a seafood restaurant.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of John Ciulla with his prized catch provided to TC Palm by Ciulla