Outdoors, action and adventure

Teen sailor Laura Dekker lashes out against media

Laura Dekker, the 15-year-old Dutch adventurer who is preparing to cross the Pacific as part of an effort to become the youngest sailor to solo-circumnavigate the planet, seems intent on turning even the most supportive of journalists against her.

It was clear before now that Dekker, who has spent the past several weeks in the Caribbean after an Atlantic crossing, is jaded toward the media. That's somewhat understandable, given the many critical news reports before and since her departure from Gibraltar last August.

But her latest blog entry might be perceived as the handiwork of a spoiled brat, not a courageous adventurer. Here are Dekker's comments, after a night crossing from San Blas Islands to Shelter Bay Marina in Panama:

"Early this morning I arrived in Panama, right into the thick of crowds of people and cargo ships. I have been
 busy non-stop since. The press people stood immediately in front of my nose, and because the Shelter Bay Marina sponsors me, I could not ignore them.

"They always ask me the same questions over and over again and are often clueless about me. This time, I even was asked my name... ! She really did
not know, and I was so perplexed it took me a while before I could utter that my name is Laura.

"Sure I was tired after the night crossing, and now I really 
felt very tired of all the people around me pretending to be interested and
 knowledgeable about me. My good mood slowly faded to an inner anger that I
 always feel when people treat me like a celebrity. And then they often come 
up with the most mind-boggling or stupid questions."

One could chalk this up to Dekker simply being irritable after a night of sailing, but it's not the first time she has used her blog to level criticism toward reporters.

Maybe she just needs to get on with her odyssey. An important question, whether she can safely pilot her 38-foot twin-masted sailboat across the Pacific, will be answered over the next few months.

That will be a true test of her maturity and, despite what she thinks of journalists, most will be pulling for her.

-- Pete Thomas

Mako shark leaps into fishing boat, becomes accidental trophy

Jason Kresse and the two fishermen who were on his boat when an eight-foot mako shark leaped aboard early Monday morning off Texas were helpless to assist the dangerous predator, so they watched it thrash about until it eventually perished.

The commercial fishermen had hauled 2,400 pounds of snapper from the Gulf of Mexico depths -- and had just dumped two large buckets of snapper guts overboard -- and were preparing to return to port when the incident occurred at about 3:30 a.m.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Kreese called the incident "crazy" and described the media frenzy in the aftermath as being "unreal."

The 375-pound shark is on display in Freeport, Texas, at Captain Mark's Seafood, which Kresse manages.

Kresse, Steven Prejean and Jonathan Stohr first heard the shark slam into the side of the 25-foot boat. Then they saw it launch from the water.

"I looked up and 15 feet up in the air is a big-old shark," Kresse said. "It ended up landing in the back of my boat."

It remains unclear what caused the shark to jump. The fishermen were not armed and unsure what to do, so they just watched as it began to thrash on the deck, breaking two reels, a fishing rod and a gaff.

The shark then vaulted to the front of the boat. "And it just sat there, thrashing, for the next three or four hours until it finally died," Kresse said. "It was thrashing so hard it sounded like someone was hitting the boat with a sledge hammer. We weren't going to go near it."

Kresse said he has done several interviews and that even his parents were interviewed by a local news crew. The fisherman has contacted a taxidermist and will have the shark mounted, an accidental trophy, proof an almost unbelievable fish story.

-- Pete Thomas

Image shows Jason Kresse posing with 375-pound mako shark that leaped into his fishing boat. Courtesy of Jason Kresse

Twitter: @Pete_Thomas

Angler bitten by captured shark while posing for video

Shark attacks on humans occur in various degrees of severity.

Rarely are they humorous but even the victim of a recent painful encounter with a small blacktip shark (see video below) was laughing after the incident, which apparently took place after some kayak fishing off Texas.

As stated on The Dorsal Fin blog, "While the blacktip shark is generally viewed as harmless toward humans, this video shows that even small wild animals can inflict quick damage on a person, given certain circumstances."

 

Mako shark, large eagle ray jump into boats off Florida, Texas

This must be a good time to wet a line because big fish literally are jumping into boats.

The first bizarre incident involved a large spotted eagle ray that leaped into a boat within the Florida Keys (pictured at right). The winged ray slammed into a woman inside the boat but she was uninjured.

"The last thing I remember is taking pictures, and then this thing is on top of me and I'm trying to push it off," Jenny Hausch, a visitor from Illinois, told the Key West Citizen.

She was with her husband and three children in the 26-foot chartered vessel when the ray, estimated to weigh 150-200 pounds, flew from the water and landed in the boat. The ray ultimately was set free by state fish and wildlife officials who happened to be in the area.

On Monday off Freeport, Texas, an eight-foot, 375-pound mako shark jumped into a 25-foot fishing boat operated by Jason Kreese.

Kreese, who was fishing for red snapper with two others, described the event to the Associated Press as "unreal."

The shark wasn't as fortunate as the ray. It was taken to port and put on display at a seafood company.

-- Pete Thomas

-- Image shows a spotted eagle ray in the wild 

Twitter: @Pete_Thomas

James "Bubba" Stewart charged with impersonating a cop

James "Bubba" Stewart, a supercross icon in the midst of a post-injury comeback, was arrested Monday in his home state of Florida and charged with impersonating an officer.

Stewart, a former champion who is widely regarded as the sport's fastest rider, was behind the wheel of a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup and, according state troopers, tried pulling over another vehicle by using police lights placed on the dashboard. This occurred at about 5 p.m.

Inside the other vehicle were two off-duty Florida Highway Patrol troopers. They identified themselves when Stewart pulled alongside their vehicle, and dialed "911" after Stewart sped away.

Stewart, 25, who is in fourth place in the race for this year's AMA Supercross Series championship, was pulled over by police and a deputy sheriff at Orlando International Airport.

Stewart and his passenger, Quinault Thames Jehrrod, were subsequently booked. Jehrrod, who is from California, was charged with tampering with evidence after stashing the red-and-blue lights in his luggage, troopers said.

 According to the Orlando Sentinel, Stewart was released at about 2:50 a.m. He was greeted by several people and whisked away in a white Ranger Rover. It remains unclear why the incident occurred. A spokesman for Red Bull, which is Stewart's primary sponsor, declined to comment.

Stewart in 2002 was named AMA Supercross and Motocross Rookie of the Year in his debut pro season. He won back-to-back supercross and motocross titles in 2004 and through his career claimed a combined seven titles. In 2008 he became only the second motocross racer to enjoy a perfect season, winning every moto, in claiming the AMA Motocross championship.

Stewart was sidelined most of last season because of various injuries. There are five competitions remaining on this year's supercross circuit. The next event is Saturday in Arlington, Texas. Stewart this year also has starred in the FuelTv reality series, "Bubba's World."

-- Pete Thomas

Top image is courtesy of Red Bull. Bottom image is police mug shot

Mammoth Mountain could keep lifts open well into summer

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area has received its most snow on record -- 605 inches so far; well past the previous high of 578 inches in 2005-06. But will this also become the longest season for the Eastern Sierra resort?

That will depend on the weather. The longest Mammoth has stayed open was in 1994-95, when it closed its lifts on August 13. That season, Mammoth received 540 inches of snow. The resort opened on Oct. 8 and closed for a brief period in July before it was decided to reopen for as long as conditions allowed.

Mammoth, long a favorite destination for Southern California skiers and snowboarders, currently boasts a base depth of up to 27 feet. A resort spokeswoman said lifts will remain open "as long as possible" and added that the earliest an announcement will be made regarding a possible closing date is mid-April. View conditions here:

 

Storms create big danger on slopes: snow-covered tree wells

With snowfall totals near or above record levels at resorts throughout the western United States, skiers and snowboarders are being urged to exercise caution, especially while skiing in wooded areas, where partially-covered tree wells can (and have) become death traps.

The following video was shot at Crystal Mountain Resort in Washington state. It smartly advises resort visitors to ski or ride with a buddy, in case either person should disappear into the soft snow that gathers around the bases of trees.

The video serves as a perfect -- and scary -- example of how quickly this can happen, and how suddenly a skier or rider can be knocking on heaven's door:

 

Mountain-biking McCaul brothers star in stylish new video

Mountain bikers Cam and Tyler McCaul have produced their first video edit together, and as fans of the Fox team riders might expect, two freeriding McCauls are better than one.

The McCauls -- referred to by Bike Magazine as the sport's "most stylish brothers" -- were filmed for a few days masterfully ripping up a course they built near their home in Santa Cruz, Calif.

The riders have made mountain biking into an artform. Check out the video and see if you agree:

McCaul x 2 from FoxHeadInc on Vimeo.

Snowboarder Trevor Jacob soars over a moving train

Snowboarder Trevor Jacob is making headlines for jumping a moving train recently as it passed by a gap in the trees near Lake Tahoe (he actually jumped four trains in making the video, posted below).

Jacob was repeating a feat first accomplished, nearly 20 years ago, by Temple Cummins and Andy Hetzel.

Cummins narrowly escaped injury while practicing for that jump. Jacob cleared the train easily, but you can see the relief on his face after he lands. The horn (see ending) shook him  up a little, too.

Yosemite National Park reopens with limited services

Yosemite National Park reopened with limited services Thursday morning, four days after the majestic western Sierra destination had been rendered inaccessible by heavy snow, fallen trees and power lines.

Highways 120 and 140, leading into Yosemite, were opened Thursday morning. Highway 41 was expected to open early Thursday afternoon. Hetch Hetchy Road and Badger Pass Road remain closed.

The park is open to day visitors until 7 p.m. Room reservations for overnight visitors will be honored. 

The park plans to expand services Friday, if conditions warrant. The park remains without electrical power, but that's expected to be restored by the weekend. Generator power will be available in lodging facilities beginning Friday night. Heated tent cabins will be available at Curry Village.

Badger Pass Ski Area and Yosemite Valley campgrounds will remain closed through the weekend. The campgrounds are expected to open at noon Monday.

A winter storm warning is in effect through Friday morning so prospective visitors should call (209) 372-0200 for updated road conditions within the park. The number for recorded conditions outside of Yosemite is (800) 427-7623.

The Merced River Plan Recreation Workshop, which had been scheduled for Friday, has been postponed indefinitely.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Upper Yosemite Fall in Yosemite National Park during a break in stormy weather that had shut down the area since Sunday. Credit: Kari Cobb