Parkinson suffers rankings blow in Taiti

Australian surfer Joel Parkinson looks set to have surrendered his world number one ranking after he was dumped out in the second round of the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo in Tahiti.

It was a very poor day for Australia's big guns, with fifth-ranked Taj Burrow also eliminated from the competition.

Current number two Jordy Smith is now in the box seat to claim top spot following Parkinson's defeat, with the South African already into third-round action after his opening heat win.

Parkinson went for broke a couple of times on heavy waves but crucially faltered and, in the end, could only manage a 5.03 and a 5.30 for a combined score of 10.33.

Meanwhile, world number 25 Brett Simpson had a 7.67 and a 5.67 for a score of 13.34.

"I took one wave I probably shouldn't have and then I didn't make a really good one and that was it," Parkinson said.

"The wind makes it tough, it's been howling for a few days and there is a real slop on the ocean out there."

He added: "There are really good waves out there and I almost had one but it just cleaned me up at the end.

"It's that sort of place where sometimes you can be an inch away from perfection."

A swell of up to five metres has been forecast for Saturday, with organisers expected to put the competition on hold while big-wave surfers take over with a tow-in expression session.

Seven-metre waves hit Hawaii surf event

by Russell Jackson

Australia's world No.1 Joel Parkinson has described the scenes at Teahupoo on Saturday (Sunday AEST) as the "craziest" he's ever seen during his many years coming to the powerful Tahitian break.

The surf became so dangerous, the Tahitian government issued a 'code red', blocking day eight of the Billabong Pro from commencing as waves up to seven metres battered the tiny village.

"It feels like it's going to get bigger and bigger throughout the day," Parkinson told AAP.

"I would hate to go out there. I was enjoying watching but that was it. I saw three or four of the most hideous wipeouts that I've ever seen. Guaranteed, it's the craziest I've seen it."

One local surfer was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg while others have been smashed into the reef and suffered bad cuts.

The swell has been so fierce that waves have been rolling onto people's front lawns and members of the media have been warned their media hut could be flooded and to be ready to evacuate.

World tour veteran Chris Davidson, from North Narrabeen, has been coming to Teahupoo for 15 years and the scenes on Saturday have blown his mind.

"I haven't seen it like this before," he said.

"It's looking pretty rough and tough and even the local boys said then it's not ideal and they've found it a bit hard and nobody has made that many out there.

"It's not perfect like it gets, that swell is coming from a long way and it's looking a bit junky out there.

"If we had to go and surf today, whatever, we would, but they're not going to run in this stuff. Hopefully it settles down tomorrow."

© 2011 AAP

Irene: Surfs up!

Surfs up, Irene is right at your door. Florida lucked out and won't see landfall, looks like the eye is going to pass offshore. But the waves, wind and rip currents should be brutal.

Weather experts warn people away from the surf this weekend
By TOM BARTON

Emergency management and National Weather Service officials warned boaters in Beaufort County to stay off the water and swimmers to stay out of the water Friday and Saturday in preparation for Hurricane Irene’s passage this weekend.

Waves and rip currents were already increasing Thursday afternoon on the beaches of Hilton Head Island.

Meteorologists and the Coast Guard warn Hurricane Irene could bring gale force winds to the South Carolina coast and inland waters will be choppy.

The agency increased its alert level for the state’s coast and advised large vessels to make preparations to leave or to let the Coast Guard know they are staying the Irene approaches. Boaters should also make sure small boats are moored properly, and recommends those living on houseboats seek shelter on land.

The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for the coastal waters of Beaufort and Jasper counties.

A tropical storm watch means conditions with winds between 39 and 73 mph are expected within 48 hours.

“Mariners should not venture out Friday and Saturday,” said Steve Rowley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Charleston. “Cancel any plans you have for fishing expeditions. Let this thing pass by. By Saturday afternoon and evening things should start to improve. Things will deteriorate from here on out for coastal waters. Anyone heading into or out of Beaufort County by boat needs to rethink their plans.”

Swimmers, as well, should stay out of the water, Rowley said.

The weather service and Town of Hilton Head Island issued warnings Thursday saying wind and waves breaking in excess of five feet pose a high risk for strong rip currents, which could be life threatening.

Rip currents are narrow, powerful channels of water that drag swimmers away from shore. They happen most often at low spots or breaks in the sandbar and around structures such as groin, jetties and piers.

People should stay off those structures as well, Rowley said. High waves could easily break over them and wash people out to sea, he said.

Swimmers were already being cautioned at the beaches on Hilton Head Thursday afternoon, as currents and waves began to pick up.

“We’ve been tossing flags up constantly today,” said Mike Wagner, manager of operations for Shore Beach Service. “The waves are definitely stronger than usual. We’ve called people in if they’re any farther out than waste-deep water. If you’re not a good swimmer, you should stay out of the water all together.”

The high surf could also cause some minor flooding at high tide in shallow areas along the coast and beach erosion, Rowley said.

Scott Liggett, director of public facilities and projects for Hilton Head, said residents and visitors should expect changes on the beach, including the island’s heel.

Work is slated to begin in early October to pump about a million cubic yards of sand onto a mile-long stretch of beach at Port Royal Plantation to combat a decade of erosion that has claimed about 100 feet of beachfront per year.

“Whether we replace sand lost from high waves caused by Irene will be driven based on need and budgetary concerns and constraints,” Liggett said. “We will see some erosion and sand moved around with the passage of the storm, but it’s hard to quantify what that will be.”

Irene is projected to be about 250 miles out to sea when it passes by the area Friday night into Saturday morning before possibly making landfall near North Carolina’s Outer Banks on Saturday afternoon, with winds around 115 mph.

The storm pounded the Bahamas early Thursday with widespread damage reported on at least two southern islands. It was a powerful Category 3 hurricane with winds at 115 mph. Forecasters said winds will ramp up quickly over the next day and Irene was expected to blow into a Category 4 with winds at least 131 mph.

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's youngest son expected to make full recovery after surfing accident

Christopher Schwarzenegger, the youngest of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's children, was boogie boarding on Escondido Beach, Malibu, when he had the mishap. He suffered a collapsed lung, broken bones and broken ribs.

His mother Marioa Shriver, who was with him on the beach, called emegency services.“What’s the emergency, ma’am?” asked the 911 operator.

“It was a boogie boarding accident” replied Shriver, who is fighting her estranged husband for financial support. "He can’t move off the beach… broken ribs or something like that.”

Shriver told the operator it was her son, Christopher, 13, who was hurt. She described his fragile condition: “He’s awake and breathing. He can’t move. He’s having trouble breathing.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger has visited Christopher in the intensive care unit and Maria Shriver has been at his bedside throughout. They issued the following statement:

“While it has been a very scary week, Christopher is surrounded by his family and friends. He is a brave boy and is expected to make a full recovery.”

The couple’s oldest son, Patrick, tweeted “this kid is strongest kid I have ever seen … keep praying.”

And his sister, Katherine, also posted a message on Twitter: "Thank you guys for ur concern and prayers for my baby brother!" she wrote. "He's a tough little guy and getting better! Please keep praying for him!"

Schwarzenegger and Shriver have beguan court proceedings to end their 25-year marriage after it was revealed that Schwarzenegger fathered a child with an employee, Mildred Baena.

'Soul Surfer' is heart, grit and inspiration

Movie Review:
By CONNIE OGLE, McClatchy Newspapers
The real story of surfer Bethany Hamilton is so remarkable that it makes the film version seem embroidered by Hollywood's heavy hand, even though it's not.

AnnaSophia Robb plays Bethany Hamilton in “Soul Surfer,” a dramatization about a real shark attack that forced Hamilton to deal with the many challenges of losing her arm when she was 13 years old.

"SOUL SURFER," starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood and Kevin Sorbo. Directed by Sean McNamara. Rated PG for intense action sequence, thematic material. Running time: 1:46

At 13, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing with friends off Kauai's North Shore. Her arm was severed, and, though she lost 60 percent of her blood, she survived. Even more surprising, she never lost her drive to compete or her irrepressible spirit: A month after the attack, she was back in the water, training for her goal of becoming a professional surfer. A little more than a year later, she won her first national title. Two years after that, she turned pro.

"Soul Surfer" is a feel-good dramatization of Bethany's story, and while it may not be perfect in moviemaking terms, everyone comes away from it feeling hopeful and more than a little of ashamed of their comparatively petty complaints. It's a good, solid family film, too; if there ever was a better movie to pass along a message about perseverance, courage and faith and also highlight the sheer glory of riding a wave, I can't imagine it. (Perhaps unintentionally, the movie also does some nice pro-bono visual work on behalf of the Hawaii tourism board.)

Such an inspirational story runs the risk of making its heroine into something of a saint, but as played by AnnaSophia Robb ("Bridge to Terabithia"), Bethany seems to be a normal kid. Born into a family of surfers, she goes to church and has a close relationship with her youth counselor (singer Carrie Underwood) but sneaks out with her best friend to a party late at night. She has a jokey, one-of-the-boys relationship with her brothers and dad (Dennis Quaid) but isn't above trying to weasel out of studying with her home-schooling mom (Helen Hunt). Quaid and Hunt surf a little in the movie; Robb surfs a lot, and the competitive scenes of girls riding waves is as much fun as anything you saw in "Blue Crush."

Director Sean McNamara and his team of writers wisely underplay the shark attack; in the compelling immediate aftermath, Bethany bobs on her board in shock, and a family friend (Kevin Sorbo) grimly sets about the crucial task of getting her out of the water before she bleeds to death. The effects that show Robb minus an arm are realistic, and nothing quite displays the measure of Bethany's mettle as her steely reaction to her first good look at her stump.


Sure, peppered as it is with hokey lines ("Let's let the surfing do the talking!"), the dialogue isn't terribly compelling, and Underwood's presence may seem merely a device to pile on the Christian message. But the real Bethany, the closing credits show us, is religious and had a close relationship with her youth minister. She even traveled with a group to Thailand in the wake of the tsunami to help with relief efforts. The film's portrait of a loving, quietly devout family will doubtless put off more cynical viewers, but even they would be hard-pressed to disdain such a recovery -- and such a life.

For more information visit:

http://www.heartofasoulsurfer.com/ 

bethanyhamilton.com/

AUSTRALIA WINS BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

Argentina, France and the USA win individual gold

Australia took the overall team gold medal. It's the fifth time in 10 attempts the Aussies have won the title.

Team Australia has won the overall Teams Title at the 2011 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games, finishing ahead of 26 other nations at the annual week-long event which concluded today in two- to three-foot waves at Playa Venao in Panama.
The title is Australia's fifth team gold in 10 outings and further cements the green n' golds history of dominance at the ISA level. Australia's last win was in Portugal in 2008.

Five Australian surfers made finals today and were rewarded individual medals, including Open Men's competitors Mick Campbell and Thomas Woods, Women's representatives Jessi Miley-Dyer and Dimity Stoyle, and Longboarder Harley Ingelby.

Along with team members Drew Courtney, Nathan Hedge and Dane Pioli (who were eliminated late in the repercharge rounds), Australia's combined individual placings put them into an unbeatable position, with Brazil finishing second, France finishing third and Argentina finishing fourth.

The USA once again failed to impress, finishing eighth.

Individual gold medals in the three divisions were awarded to Argentinean Santiago Muniz, Frenchwoman Canelle Bulard and American Longboarder Tony Silvagni.

Underdog Muniz made history for Argentina by capturing the country's first-ever ISA gold against a host of international rivals.

Less than a point separated the top three on the final buzzer with Muniz finishing on 17.00 points to Campbell, 2nd (16.77 points), with Woods third (16.23 points) and Brazilian Ian Gouveia fourth.
"The USA once again failed to impress, finishing eighth."


Former 2004 ISA World Surfing Games gold medalist, Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, entered the water the favorite in the women's final versus Jesse Miley-Dyer and Bulard and the Peruvian held the lead until the last five minutes.

 Bulard rallied in the dying stages, however, and posted two big scores to put all three of her opponents on the ropes in a combination situation, each surfer requiring two waves to catch the French runaway.

Bulard's final two-wave combined heat total was 16.43 out of a possible 20, and the Open Title makes it an international double for her after she swept the field in the ISA junior division in Peru last year.

The USA claimed its first World Surfing Games gold longboard medal in 15 years with a strong performance from North Carolina's Silvagni. Silvagni did not drop a heat the entire event, winning every time he pulled on the colored jersey.

 In the 30-minute final, Silvagni was up to his feet early, locking in two excellent scores from the judges, including an 8.17 and an 8.73. With five minutes remaining, Australian favorite, Harley Ingleby challenged, posting an 8.37, but it proved too little too late to steal Silvagni's lead.

2010 defending ISA World Surfing Games champions, Peru, placed fifth overall.

Top 10 team placings (from 27 starting nations)
1) AUSTRALIA 15,000
2) BRAZIL 12,132
3) FRANCE 11,816
4) ARGENTINA 11,312
5) PERU 10,930
6) VENEZUELA 10,342
7) SOUTH AFRICA 10,008
8) USA 9676
9) NEW ZEALAND 7816
10) ECUADOR