Pete Thomas Outdoors

Laird Hamilton surfs through Malibu Pier on giant wave

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

Laird Hamilton, a legendary big-wave surfer, made headlines Wednesday by helping to rescue a surfer in distress in enormous surf at Surfrider State Beach in Malibu.

But it's what Hamilton did on Tuesday evening that has captured the attention of surfers  monitoring highlights during a powerful swell generated by Hurricane Marie, off Mexico about 1,000 miles away.

Hamilton shot the pier on one of the larger set waves, and the dangerous feat was captured on video.

Hamilton, who owns homes in Hawaii and Malibu, was on  the beach when he spotted a surfer who had lost his board and was in distress. Hamilton swam out and helped pull the man to shore, with the assistance of others.

“Oh, he was happy, he was thankful,” Hamilton told ABC News. “His eyes were big and he was appreciative that he was back on the land.”

As for shooting the pier, a feat that involves surfing between dense wooden pylons at wave speed, it's danger is obvious. But not so dangerous, perhaps, for someone of Hamilton’s stature (most people refer to him simply as Laird).

The footage shows Laird, who was on a standup-paddleboard, catching one of the larger set waves and riding it toward the pier. The wave was so large that it almost scraped the bottom of the pier.

“The guy’s nuts,” says the person videotaping, a moment before Laird shoots through the pylons without incident, drawing applause from the beach.

Hurricane Marie is weakening rapidly, but the largest swell to hit Southland beaches in years is expected to last into the weekend.

Surfer Kelly Slater photobombed by a shark? See the video

The world’s top-ranked surfers are in Western Australia participating in the Margaret River Pro.

Sharks a hot topic in the region because of a fairly recent spate of fatal attacks on surfers and swimmers, which led to a controversial government-sponsored ongoing shark cull.

 

So it’s understandable that when an odd-shaped object appeared in the face of a wave videotaped with a GoPro camera worn by Kelly Slater, some wondered whether the 11-time world champ had been photobombed by an apex predator.

We’ve attached the video and three screen grabs that basically prove only that something, or someone, was in the wave as Slater was getting barreled.

Writes Surfer magazine: “While there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the blob that appears at 0:17, the prevalence, and controversy, of sharks in Western Australia spreads paranoia like wildfire, prompting many to believe this is a shark photobomb of Kelly Slater’s wave at The Box.

“At first, we thought the surfer at 0:06 explained the blob, but upon further examination, there are no limbs or contrasting black wetsuit to what could be a white surfboard. What do you think the mysterious object in the face of the wave is?”

Any shark experts care to respond?

–Pete Thomas

Great white shark captured near site of Quiksilver, Roxy Pro surf contests on Australia's Gold Coast

An 11-foot great white shark was hooked and killed Wednesday on Australia’s Gold Coast, just yards from the site of the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro men’s and women’s surf contests.

Jeff Krause, the government’s Shark Control Program manager, was quick to use the contest to support the controversial killing of sharks as a tool to protect water users.

“The successful removal of this dangerous shark from a popular swimming beach was particularly important given the Quiksilver Pro surfing competition currently underway at nearby Snapper Rocks,” Krause told the Courier Mail, in a story posted Friday. “It was a pretty big shark.”

The drum-line capture at Greenmount Beach was reported several hours after eight Roxy Pro surfers, including Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore, had completed the quarterfinals of the ASP World Championship Tour event.

The Quiksilver Pro was not held Wednesday, because of poor conditions, but competitor Anthony Walsh was asked about the shark by Nine Network, on the Today Show (video posted above).

“If it was going to take a person, then it’s lucky that the hook got it,” Walsh replied. “But you never know if it was going to take a person. There’s probably one swimming up and down here all day, every day, and you wouldn’t even know it.” 

Drum lines are basically large floating drums with long chains and baited hooks. Australia has used them for years.

In Queensland, which includes the Gold Coast, about a dozen white sharks are killed annually. Most of the controversy, however, was generated by what’s occurring on the opposite side of the country, in Western Australia, where an aggressive shark cull was approved in December, 2013.

That program, involving professional hunters hired by the government, was developed in the aftermath of six fatal shark attacks in a two-year span.

Conservationists and marine biologists are among its many critics. They’ve stated that a large-scale shark cull only lends a perception that waters are safer, and that sharks play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

The Western Australia program has already removed 67 sharks, but not a single great white, according to the Courier Mail. As part of that program, more than 300 sharks send automatic messages to Twitter when they approach within a kilometer of a popular beach. Twitter followers can then decide whether to swim or surf that day.

On the Gold Coast, ASP World Championship Tour surfers are largely unfazed by the possibility of shark sightings. Surfers and sharks for years have shared the same realm.

Said World Championship Tour spokesman Dave Prodan: "The safety and well-being of our athletes is a priority for the ASP. However, we work in and love an environment that deserves and requires a healthy, balanced ecosystem. 

"The surfers and administration understand that there are inherent risks involved every time you enter the water."

The Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro, as of Friday morning, were in Day 8 of a 12-day competition window.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Surf

–Photos are screen grabs

Shaun White withdraws from snowboard slopestyle at Sochi Olympics; does he deserve the criticism?

News item: Shaun White will miss the Olympics debut of snowboard slopestyle at the Sochi Games in Russia. White, 27, withdrew from the event Wednesday, a day after falling and jamming his wrist on a practice run. Many have criticized the course as being too dangerous and White implied on his Facebook page that he doesn’t want to risk his chance of winning a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe competition. (No American man has won the same event at three consecutive Winter Olympics.)

Reaction: This is an unpopular decision, but it’s Shaun White’s decision and one he obviously thought out carefully. It’s unfortunate because it diminishes the event, especially after so much hype, leaving it without snowboarding’s biggest star, and seemingly providing Canada’s Mark McMorris with a much easier path to victory.

White on Wedesday morning was being bashed on social media by other snowboarders and fans. Example (since deleted from Twitter), from snowboarder Sebastien Toutant: "Mr. White... It's easy to find excuses to pull out of a contest when you think you can't win..."

Is the criticism warranted? Probably to an extent. When an athlete commits to something of this magnitude, he or she should stay committed. Other snowboarders would have loved to have been in White's boots.

However, this course has fallen under criticism and White, who arrived in Sochi with plenty of dings, clearly is not comfortable trying to negotiate its daunting layout. If an athlete is not confident on a fast course with monstrous kickers, that’s a recipe for disaster. (See a POV run-through on the course, posted below.)

However, if White is pulling out just because he thinks he can't make the podium, he ought to be criticized for being selfish at the very least.

Veteran X Games commentator Sal Masekela tweeted, “Not surprised that Shaun White has dropped from Slopestyle. In my opinion, a successful 3rd gold medal in pipe cements his legacy.”

It will cement his legacy, but pulling out without a perfectly good reason–and only he knows the real reason–gives Shaun White critics more reason to dislike him.

To be sure, in hindsight, it would have been better for everyone if White had just skipped slopestyle in the first place.

–Top image shows part of a slopestyle course that has been criticized by some snowboarders as being too dangerous. Credit: FIS Freestyle Skiing. Video is a POV showing a run-through on the slopestyle course

Video shows Torstein Horgmo's crash on controversial Olympic slopestyle course at Sochi, Russia

Torstein Horgmo will sit out the Sochi Winter Games with a broken collarbone as snowboard slopestyle makes its Olympics debut later this week. But his training crash on Monday figures to get significant air time between now and the end of the men’s final on Saturday.

Video footage of the crash, on the rail section of a challenging and controversial course at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, surfaced Tuesday on YouTube.

It was captured via cellphone camera and viewers can not only see but hear the slam as the Norwegian star missed his landing on a rail feature and fell hard on his shoulder and side.

Many have been critical of the course, while others have said it’s not as dangerous as some are saying.

On Tuesday, after some alterations, Shaun White fell after going errant after a steep jump. The two-time Olympic half pipe gold medalist jammed his wrist but is otherwise OK.

After that, Finnish snowboarder Marika Enne fell hard and suffered a concussion.

To be sure, the injuries and the headlines they have generated have set the sage for what promises to be very exciting finals.

The women's final is scheduled for Friday.

–Pete Thomas

Giant swell slams Hawaii; up next is California and Mavericks big-wave surf contest

An enormous north swell is arriving in California and expected to build Thursday night into Friday morning, signaling a green light for the much anticipated Mavericks Invitational surf contest at notorious Mavericks near Half Moon Bay.

How powerful the swell turns out to be, and what type of conditions prevail remain to be seen. But it's the same swell that slammed parts of the Hawaiian islands on Wednesday and Thursday, luring throngs of spectators to the shores.

Hawaii News Now described it as "the largest swell in decades" and published a slide show showing massive waves breaking on Oahu's North Shore, near the fabled Waimea Bay.

A headline atop a Honolulu Star Advertiser story on Wednesday screamed, "Surf up to 40 feet expected to roll in today."

As a result of all the publicity, nightmare traffic jams ensued on the highway leading from Oahu's south side to the north shore. One of the more compelling pieces of footage was a video clip showing an enormous wave breaking in slow motion at Shark's Cove just north of Waimea Bay.

The footage, shot with a high-speed camera, was captured by Tyler Rock of Hawaii-based Freesurf Magazine. The wave face measured perhaps 40 feet. In a 24-hour period, the clip was shared more than 6,000 times on Freesurf's Facebook page.

"If you could compare these waves to an animal, what kind of animal would it be and what would it eat for lunch?" Freesurf asked Facebook users.

 

Mike Latronic of Manulele Incorporated, which owns Freesurf, said that although the people in the foreground appear to be too close for comfort, they were not in danger.

However, sea level is usually 30 feet below the road on which the bystanders are parked and standing. The tide and surge from the swell, and the towering waves, placed this surreal scene at eye-level.

"I've lived here for 35 years and have never seen a wave go over those rocks," Latronic said. "But [Wednesday] they were about 10 feet from going over the road."

The high surf advisory is in effect through Friday morning, just about the time many of the world's best surfers will be paddling out at Mavericks, which is an offshore break infamous for its cold, green water, an occasional great white shark sighting, and ominous-looking breakers that inspire a deep respect–also known as fear–among even the world's best.

The Mavericks contest is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., with the finals set for about 1:30 p.m. The event will air live via webcast at Universalsports.com.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Surf

Sibling snowboarders set new Gold standard; both qualify for Winter Olympics

When the Gold family clears space in the trophy room before next month's Winter Olympics, they had better clear two spaces—just in case.

That's because Taylor and Arielle Gold, brother and sister, are Russia-bound for the Sochi Games as members of the U.S. Olympic snowboard team.

Both Colorado athletes qualified during a marathon series of Sprint Grand Prix events over the weekend at Mammoth Mountain in California.

The Golds are not the first siblings to qualify for the Olympics, and will not be the only relatives participating at Sochi.

But this probably is the first time two Golds from the same family will be going for gold on the world's grandest sporting stage.

On Sunday, before learning she had made the team, 17-year-old Arielle declared, via Twitter, that it was an important day for two reasons: "Big day today … Broncos vs Patriots. Oh, and they're announcing the U.S. Olympic team. #BroncosNation"

The NFL's Denver Broncos then dispatched the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, and the Golds began making travel plans.

Arielle will join fellow first-time Olympian Kaitlyn Farrington, as well as veteran gold medalists Kelly Clark and Hannah Teter, on the women's halfpipe team.

Taylor, 20, qualified Friday with a third-place finish in the third qualifier at Mammoth. Afterward he tweeted, "I am officially qualified for the Olympics. Beyond stoked! Thanks everyone who has helped me along the way."

He'll join Shaun White, Greg Bretz, and Danny Davis on the men's halfpipe team. It'll be the first participation in the Olympics for the Gold siblings.

Neither will be favored to win a gold medal in events that figure to be dominated by athletes from the U.S. Clark is the favorite among the women, and White is favored to win his third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

However, anything is possible.

Arielle, who is known for taking chances and nailing big tricks, enjoyed a breakout year in 2012, when she won silver medals in the halfpipe and slopestyle disciplines at the World Junior Olympic Games in Austria.

Last year she won a bronze at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, not far from the family home in Steamboat Springs. She also posted first-place finishes at the European Open and FIS World Championships.

Taylor, who posted a victory at the 2013 U.S. Revolution Tour and qualified for the Olympic team with consistent elite-level performances, seems to be coming into his own this winter. To be sure, the world will get to know both Golds a lot better in the coming weeks.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Snow

–Photos: Top image showing Taylor Gold is by Sarah Brunson/U.S. Snowboarding. Arielle Gold and Taylor Gold mug shots are via Facebook

Father of missing surfer Kirk Passmore wants son's last ride to be watched

 

Less than two days after Kirk Passmore went missing after a wipeout in large surf Wednesday on Oahu's North Shore, his father expressed a wish that his son's final ride be shared with as many people as possible.

Passmore, 32, a passionate big-wave surfing veteran and Hawaii resident, is presumed to have drowned and as of Friday his body had not been found.

Larry Haynes, a cinematographer who was capturing footage of surfers riding 20- to 30-foot waves at an outer reef known as Alligator Rock, complied with Passmore's father by sharing Kirk's final ride footage with Hawaii's KITV News. (Video posted above.) 

It shows Passmore, on the white surfboard, negotiating a steep drop before digging the nose of his board slightly into the water, catapulting him forward. The wave broke on top of the surfer and moments after the whitewater swept over him, his feet could be seen in the froth.

That was an indication, perhaps, that he might have ruptured his eardrums and had become disoriented, and did not know which direction was up or down. Another large wave broke, snapping his surfboard in two, and breaking the leash attaching the tail-end of the board to the surfer's leg.

By then rescuers had swept into the impact zone on personal watercraft, but could not get to Passmore before he disappeared.

Unfortunately, the surfer's fatal mistake might have been not wearing a floatation vest. "They were trying to grab him but they had nothing to hold on to," local surfer Chris Owens told Hawaii News Now. "What would have saved him is if he had a float vest on. Everybody wears float vests nowadays."

Fatalities are rare in big-wave surfing, despite the raw power of enormous swells generated by faraway storms.

That's because surfers, by and large, are a close-knit group and watch out for one another. It's also because most of them train vigorously, to be able to withstand being held under for long periods, and because water patrol staff on personal watercraft are almost always on vigil during these large-surf events.

(There have been great strides in water safety on the North Shore since Todd Chesser, a famous surfer, died at Alligator Rock in 1997.)

Additionally, most surfers have come to realize the importance of floatation vests, which help them attain the surface faster after a wipeout, and keep their heads upright.

Passmore's wipeout comes only two weeks after Maya Gabeira, a rare female athlete in this adrenaline-fueled sport, endured a beating in enormous surf off Portugal.

Gabeira, who was pulled to safety during a frantic rescue effort by her Jet Ski-riding partner, Carlos Burle, was wearing a vest and credits the device for helping to save her life.

It's hoped that Passmore's tragic accident will underscore their value, and serve as a reminder that despite great strides in water safety, nothing is guaranteed.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv

Big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira saved from drowning after wipeout on massive wave at Nazaré, Portugal

 

Big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira was pulled from the water unconscious Monday after falling while attempting the drop on an enormous wave at Nazaré, Portugal.

The wave buried her for several seconds initially, and she was overcome several times afterward by surging whitewater. Were it not for a relentless rescue effort by her tow-surfing partner, Carlos Burle, Gabeira almost certainly would have drowned.

Instead, she's recovering with only a broken ankle, presumably  somewhat humbled by the experience.

"Thank you for caring… a broken ankle, but nothing more!" she wrote Monday on her Facebook page. "I'm recovering well. Please continue cheering."
 
The top footage shows the wipeout on a wave with a face of perhaps 70 feet. The drop was simply too fast and the wave face was too bumpy for Gabeira to be able to maintain balance.

A Portuguese news report (posted below) shows the wipeout and the prolonged rescue effort, during which Gabeira grabs onto the rescue rope and is dragged through the water, when another surge of whitewater overcomes her and causes her to let go of the rope.

It's remarkable that she survived given the amount of time she spent being dragged through the churning water, face-down.

Ultimately, she was hauled onto the beach unconscious, and rushed to a nearby hospital.

The massive swell attracted several of the world's top big-wave surfers. Wave faces measured 60 to 80 feet.

 

Gabeira is one of only a few woman brave enough–some might say foolish enough–to attempt to ride such large and dangerous surf.

Bill Sharp, director of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards, described Gabeira's wave as "easily the biggest wave any woman has tried to ride."

Yes, she will be a finalist, and probably a sure winner, in the XXL's Wipeout-of-the-Year category.

–Photo of Maya Gabeira is via her Facebook page

–To see more clips from the massive swell at Navare, visit the Billabong XXL Facebook page

Freeskier Aymar Navarro survives powerful avalanche with the help of airbag

Aymar Navarro is fortunate to be alive after being swept up by a massive avalanche that he triggered during a film shoot in the Spanish Pyrenees. The slide was so vast and swift that Navarro was skiing on top of it briefly before tumbling head over heels and becoming enveloped by snow.

 

The freeskier was fortunate because he was wearing an avalanche airbag. These devices inflate when activated to help prevent victims from becoming buried too deeply.

While the footage might appear to some to be a commercial for airbags–one of the YouTube comments was an inquiry about this–it almost certainly was not and, in fact, ABS Avalanche Airbags replied to the comment with this:

"For sure not: Avalanches are dangerous and always potentially life-threatening. This happened during a production for a TV commercial for a car brand."

To be sure, airbags do not guarantee survival, even with film crews on site.

The incident occurred shortly after Navarro began his descent from the Tuc de Barloguera peak. The run was filmed from the air and with a helmet-cam worn by Navarro, under the direction of Nil Torremocha of Bumpyfilms.com.

–Note: This post also appears at GrindTv Action Sports

–Hat tip to Adventure Journal