Kelly Slater defeated Brazilian Adriano de Souza in the final round to win the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil.
Surfing 3- to 4-foot waves, reigning and nine-time world champion Slater found his form mid-heat, scoring a 9.27 out of a possible 10 and then an 8.67 in the final minutes to claim his 41st ASP World Tour victory and catapult from No. 25 to No. 9 in the rankings.
“There were much better waves in the final than there were for my
semifinal,” Slater said. “Adriano found a pretty good rhythm
early on and posted some pretty good scores, but I felt comfortable out
there and felt that the waves would come to me if I were patient.”
Brazilian fan favorite De Souza opened well in the final round with scores of 6.67 and an 8.00. Strong, but not enough to hold off Slater.
“I felt like I peaked in the final,” De Souza said. “I don’t think I
could have surfed any better. I thought I had him [Slater], but he’s
the nine-time world champ, and you have to be perfect to beat him.
In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday afternoon or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:
Question: I live in an association complex in San Clemente. The cottontail rabbit population has exploded and the rabbits are doing a lot of damage to lawns and vegetation. The association said they can do nothing because the rabbits are protected. What can be legally done by the association or me? Can I take them by spear? Thank you. (Gary A., San Clemente)
Answer: Because you are within city limits your best alternative will be to put up some type of exclusionary fencing to prevent further damage. Associate wildlife biologist Randy Botta suggests that a fence of two-foot-high chicken wire with the bottom buried a few inches in the soil should be sufficient to exclude rabbits from an area. Mesh size should be one inch or smaller.
To protect trees or landscape plants, construct a barrier around the plants in the form of a cylinder made of plastic tubing or 1/4-inch wire hardware cloth that extends higher than a rabbit's reach and stands far enough away from the trunk in such a way that rabbits cannot eat through the mesh. Mesh size from 1/2 to 3/4 inch can be used but hardware cloth will best guarantee protection.
Taste and odor repellents may also be used but are most effective when dealing with small numbers of rabbits and at the first sign of damage. These repellents usually have to be reapplied at regular intervals, especially following rains. In some cases, habitat manipulation to remove their living and hiding places may be effective but this may require official approvals and authorization from your association.
The humiliation of the eight-hour L.A. Marathon is now safely in the rear-view mirror. And it's time to get back to work.
I've basically been a total do-nothing since L.A., partly because of a foot injury -- my doctor told me to stop running for a few weeks to let it heal -- and partly because, well, we all know I am lazy. So the only "exercise" I did in the days and weeks after the marathon was tooling around the Internet looking for a new training program to follow when I decided to get up off the couch.
And then I found this article by triathlon god Mark Allen, who gives all kinds of kudos to Dr. Phil Maffetone and his unconventional training methods. (Complete and utter aside: In addition to my dream of one day qualifying for Boston, I have delusions of one day making my way down the Queen K Highway and competing in an Ironman.)
But back to Dr. Phil, author of "In Fitness and In Health." Dr. Phil's training philosophy is practically heretical to the no-pain, no-gain, Runners World-reading masses. He believes many of us mistakenly push ourselves too hard with workouts designed to push us to our anaerobic limits and beyond. Those workouts certainly have their place within a training program, said Dr. Phil. But we need to first lay a solid foundation of aerobic conditioning, and that means easing up just a bit and using heart-rate-monitored workouts. Best of all, these conditioning workouts have the added benefit of training our bodies to burn fat for energy, unlike the harder workouts that pull more heavily from our carb reserves. (Check out his website here for more details, as well as a look at Dr. Phil's newfound love in recent years: making music.)
As you might imagine, this was all music to my lazy ears.
Southern California hikers, campers and anglers will flock to local mountains and the Sierra Nevada during the first holiday weekend of summer. They ought to know that bears are no longer hibernating and many are hungry. So here are some tips for those bound for the forests and streams:
--Do not intentionally feed bears and do not leave garbage strewn about.
--Enjoy your favorite pastime in groups (this should not be a problem on the busy weekend).
--Keep the kids in sight at all times, and keep pets on a leash.
--Try not to get caught between a female bear and her cubs.
--If you encounter a bear and it does not see you, stay calm and continue facing it while slowly backing away. True, this is easier said than done.
--If a bear does spot you or strolls into your camp, yell and make other loud noises and bang pots or pans together. Black bears do not like confusing unfamiliar noises.
--Do not run from a bear unless it's dangerously close. Running can trigger an attack response and no human can outrun a bear.
--If a bear attacks fight back with whatever means you can muster. This doesn't work against larger and far more powerful grizzlies, but there are no grizzlies in California.
Lastly, do not let any of this spoil your mood or prevent you from visiting the woods. Your chances of seeing a bear might be fair, but your chances of getting injured by one are extremely slim. Happy Fourth and stay safe!
--Pete Thomas
Photo: A black bear hunts for fish along Taylor Creek near South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Credit: Associated Press
It's news because Slater, the most dominant competitive surfer of all time and the reigning and nine-time world champion, had not gotten beyond the second round in the first three ASP World Tour contests.
He came into the fourth contest ranked No. 25 in the world but has looked like the Slater of old despite experimenting with equipment during competition.
He defeated Australia's Ben Dunn today in 3- to 4-foot waves, and will face Australia's Tom Whitaker in the fourth round.
In the second round, Slater, 37, used a self-shaped, asymmetrical quad-fin, raising eyebrows among his rivals. “I seem to be riding a new board every time I go for a surf,” Slater said. “This one I just rode was an epoxy swallow-tail and seemed to go really well in these conditions. I’ve pretty much just been cruising and testing out some equipment.”
It's doubtful Slater will win a 10th world title this year. Counting the Brazil contest there are only seven remaining. He'd have to register a string of victories to have a chance. But if anyone can do that -- and if anyone can win a contest while experimenting with new equipment -- it's Slater.
“I obviously haven’t had the results I desired this season, so a lot has to happen for me to even be in the running for the world title,” he said. “But I guess that takes the pressure off for me at these events. I go into heats and I’m more looking to play the spoiler than net a result myself. I’m stoked to be getting through heats though. This is my best result of the year already and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
It's too early to get excited about snowboarding, but the Grand Prix season has been announced and one of the stops is Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
The Grand Prix series will decide which U.S. halfpipe riders will qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics Feb. 12-28 in Vancouver, Canada.
Copper is the first stop on Dec. 11 and 12. Mammoth, the home mountain for many top snowboarders, will host two qualifying competitions Jan. 8-10, 2010. Mammoth has not played a qualifying role since 1998.
Park City, site of the halfpipe competition for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, will be the final stop Jan. 22-23. That competition will determine who will represent the United States at the Vancouver Games.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Shaun White celebrates winning the Olympic halfpipe gold medal in 2006 at the Turin Games in Italy. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
The first of two annual free fishing days in California will be this Saturday, July 4.
The Department of Fish and Game will waive sportfishing license requirements for the day and citizens will be allowed to fish all public waters in the state, both freshwater and saltwater.
"There are fish in many California waterways and urban lakes that can make a very fun day for beginning anglers and experienced hands alike," said Dave Moore, DFG interpretive services supervisor said. "Free Fishing Days offers a great opportunity for families to enjoy a hands-on experience with nature."
All other angling regulations, such as catch limits, gear restrictions and stream closures, remain in effect. Report cards for certain species will also still be required.
The second free day this year will be Labor Day, Sept. 7.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Auguste Ackerman reaches for the mackerel he caught on a fishing
trip off Catalina Island. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times
Zac Sunderland was on ABC's "Nightline" on Wednesday night, and he'll be profiled in the L.A. Times well before his scheduled arrival in Marina del Rey on or before July 14, which will mark the end of his around-the-world sailing odyssey aboard a 36-foot boat named Intrepid.
He'll continue to receive media attention from other sources too as he gets closer to becoming the youngest person, at 17, to have solo-circumnavigated the planet.
But what about Mike Perham (pictured below)? The English teen has not received much attention in the United States, yet at the end of the month, he figures to steal the record for himself.
Perham is also 17 but a few months younger than Sunderland and sailing in a larger, much faster racing yacht. The two sailors, on different courses, crossed paths in Cape Town, South Africa, and were cordial. But it's no secret Zac thinks the situation stinks.
Perham's 50-foot boat, Totallymoney.com, is nearing the Panama Canal and due back in England on July 28. That's exactly two weeks after Sunderland's scheduled return, although Sunderland is less than 600 miles out and could arrive much sooner. Of course, Perham still has to cross the Atlantic, and as both sailors know, a lot can go wrong at sea.
And both are aware of what's happening Down Under. Jessica Watson is planning a late-summer departure from Australia and will attempt to sail around the world alone and unassisted, nonstop, in a 34-foot boat. Jessica is only 15.
-- Pete Thomas
Top photo: Zac Sunderland holds over in Puerto Valllarta during a recent tropical storm. Credit: Pete Thomas / Los Angeles Times
Bottom photo: Mike Perham nestles in the cabin of his 50-foot yacht during his around-the-world journey. Credit: Totallymoney.com
Check out the white shark video to try to determine the location: (a) Guadalupe Island; (b) South Africa; (c) South Australia; (d) Farallon Islands; or (e) none of the above?
The answer is "e."
It's a newly discovered white shark aggregation site and news of its existence is sure to pique the interest of scientists and documentary teams.
An announcement regarding the site will be made this weekend by Shark Divers, a company that used to be in the commercial cage-diving business but now specializes in working with film and television crews.
For now, its code name is Oceana and Shark Divers CEO Patric Douglas, who labels it the most exciting white shark site discovery since Mexico's Guadalupe Island in 2001, would only confirm that it's a very remote island in the Southern Ocean.
Douglas said a limited number of crews will begin visiting the location early next year and that it remains unclear whether a commercial cage-diving operation will be established.
Cage-diving operations are beneficial in that they allow the general public to develop a better understanding and appreciation of the embattled apex predators. But they can also be harmful to sharks--especially those that accidentally get caught between cage bars--and some charge that chumming habituates the sharks.
Because aggregation sites are so few, they do need to be protected and diving operations need to be regulated. "These sites need to be protected with everything we've got," Douglas said. "Now that the site is known, we've got to get the public behind it so the local government can say 'Yes, we need to turn this into a special place.' "
Sarah Palin might not be faster in a sprint but tells Runner's World magazine, "I betcha I have more endurance" than President Obama.
So consider this a challenge. Both politicians are into fitness, though the one who emerged victorious in the marathon known as the presidential election is a smoker who admittedly has had trouble quitting.
(Huge advantage to Palin.)
One resides in the White House, where he also works out, far removed from the pristine Hawaiian paradise where he grew up. The other still lives in Alaska, where the air is clean and pure.
(Another advantage to Alaska's governor, who failed in her bid to become vice president on the Republican ticket, but not for lack of effort.)
Palin, in fact, is an avid jogger and a hunter and angler. But she might not be as coordinated as Obama, who plays basketball and golf.
In Runner's World, she recalled stumbling and falling during a downhill jog at Sen. John McCain's ranch. "I was so stinkin' embarrassed that a golf cart full of Secret Service guys had to pull up beside me," she said. "My hands just got torn up and I was dripping blood."
(Advantage, Obama, who has yet to noticeably stumble.)
So that's the tale of the tape in a nutshell. Who do you believe would win in a 10K or marathon? Because of the smoking factor and a president's workload, I betcha Palin would claim the triumph -- if she could avoid tripping.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Sarah Palin
in a yoga pose near her home in Wasilla, Alaska. Credit: Brian Adams / Runner's World
Thanks to a team effort, chinook salmon stranded in warming waters during their spring-run spawning migration were able to continue their journey Tuesday.
The fish were trapped in Butte Creek near Chico in a pool of water that was warmer than the surrounding area. This thermal block caused the salmon to dive to the bottom in search of cooler waters and halted their forward movement.
"Without human intervention to capture and move these fish, we would
have seen a high mortality rate," DFG fishery manager Joe Johnson said in a release.
Biologists also implanted the chinook with radio transmitters prior to release.
"The radio transmitters will enable us to track where the
salmon go and determine what the results ultimately are for this type
of rescue," said Johnson.
Chinook salmon are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Though changes in habitat and water management have helped the Central Valley chinook population rebound somewhat, recent surveys indicate a lower number returning to the region than in years past. Because of this, salmon fishing is off-limits in most of the area.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: An NOAA biologist releases one of the Butte Creek spring-run chinook salmon
with an implanted radio tracking device. Credit: Harry Morse / DFG
News item: Japan requests that Australia prevent the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin from leaving port this December to harass its whalers in the Antarctic.
Reaction: Isn't a similar request made every year, to no avail? Japan may not like it, but Capt. Paul Watson and his ragtag band of whale-loving vegans will remain a proverbial thorn in Japan's side as long as it has funding and, thanks to the popularity of Animal Planet's "Whale Wars," there appears to be no shortage for next season's campaign.
And that Southern Ocean campaign, which will launch Dec. 1, figures to resemble something out of this world, thanks to a swift new boat that looks like a space vessel, can travel at 40 knots and plow through waves and deflect harpoons.
The boat is named Earthrace and its New Zealand owner/skipper, Pete Bethune, told the Sydney Morning Herald he was lending his support because he can't stand the thought of whales being slaughtered in "my backyard."
When I talked to Watson recently he said he had something special up his sleeve and was planning a seasonlong, rather than partial campaign against Japan, which annually targets about 1,000 minke whales in what it claims is a research effort.
With the extra boat (Sea Shepherd plans on using three vessels for the campaign) the group does not have to worry about leaving the whalers on their own while returning to Australia for a lengthy refueling process. Of course, the escalation might be dangerous because Japan is weary of what it refers to as acts of piracy against its fleet.
At a recent International Whaling Commission meeting, Japanese delegation member Jun Yamashita said, "It can only be described as a miracle that there has been no death or large-scale accident to date."
Yamashita added: "We cannot tolerate such audacity. We ask for all appropriate measures, including a ban on the ship from leaving port, so that we can prevent these acts from being repeated."
In case you're wondering, a film crew from "Whale Wars" will be with Sea Shepherd shooting for Season Three of the series.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Earthrace, which is powered by biodiesel and can reach speeds of 40 knots and deflect harpoons, will be used in Sea Shepherd's campaign against Japanese whalers next season in the Antarctic. Credit: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Zac Sunderland, 17, is finally in the home stretch. He made his final stop (if the sailing gods comply) last week in the Puerto Vallarta area, where the 36-foot Intrepid underwent extensive repairs.
His return to Marina del Rey, from which he departed on June 14, 2008, on a quest to become the youngest person to solo-circumnavigate the planet, probably will occur toward the end of next week.
I had the pleasure of visiting Zac and his dad and grandmother in Mexico and will share more information in the coming days. One observation I'm compelled to share now is that Zac, as adept a sailor as he has become, would not be where he is if it weren't for the help of his parents -- perhaps most notably from his shipbuilder dad.
I witnessed Laurence Sunderland perform a minor miracle in Paradise Village Marina. He somehow was able to remove and rebuild almost an entire bulkhead, in sweltering conditions inside the vessel's tiny cabin, in less than two days. It was more remarkable considering the location and time spent scouring the region for parts.
The following is a list of Southern California and Eastern Sierra waters, listed by county, that will be stocked throughout the week of June 29 with rainbow trout by the Department of Fish and Game:
LOS ANGELES: Bouquet Canyon Creek and Jackson Lake.
ORANGE: Trabuco Creek.
RIVERSIDE: Fulmor Lake and Hemet Lake.
SAN BERNARDINO: Big Bear Lake, Green Valley Lake, Gregory Lake, Jenks Lake, Lytle Creek (Middle & North Forks), Miller Canyon Creek, Mojave Narrows Regional Park Lake, Santa Ana River and Santa Ana River South Fork.
SAN DIEGO: Cuyamaca Lake and Doane Pond.
INYO: Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek Intake II, Bishop Creek Lower, Bishop Creek (Middle & South Forks), Cottonwood Creek, Georges Creek, Goodale Creek, Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (below Tinnemaha), Owens River (Section 2), Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Rock Creek Lake, Sabrina Lake, Sheperds Creek, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek and Tuttle Creek.
MONO: Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, George Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Gull Lake, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek, Lee Vining Creek South Fork, Little Walker Lake, Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, Mary Lake, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Owens River (Section 3), Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Sections I & II), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Tioga Lake, Trumble Lake, Twin Lake Bridgeport (Lower & Upper), Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lake (Lower & Upper) and West Walker River (Sections 2 & 3).
Norwegian whalers have suspended this year's hunt of minke whales, citing lack of product demand.
According to an Agence France-Presse article, industry officials state that the suspension is due to capacity problems at processing plants.
"The number of whales killed so far is enough to meet the known demand," Willy Godtliebsen, head of sales at the Norwegian Fishermen's Sales Organization said. "They may resume the hunt later if new buyers turn up."
The environmental group Greenpeace, however, claims that it is proof of a growing disinterest for whale meat among consumers and that the meat is being shunned.
Norway's whaling season, which defies an international ban on commercial whaling, begins in spring and usually runs until fall. With a quota of 885 minke whales, approximately 350 have been harpooned thus far.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Minke whale. Credit: Eric Martin / For The Times
Two Yosemite park visitors rescued from a burning vehicle returned to thank the park ranger whom they credit with saving their lives.
James Bachman and Dorothy Hovland, both from Huntington Beach, returned to Yosemite National Park Thursday to give their thanks to Ranger Dan Abbe and present him with a plaque to show their appreciation.
"If it wasn't for Dan, we wouldn't have been able to get out of the vehicle. The engine started on fire while we were still inside," Bachman said during the presentation. "He is a very special person, and we are alive because of him."
In late May, Abbe was flagged down while on his way to work in Yosemite Valley and told of a pickup truck and trailer that had gone over the side of the highway and was resting 40 feet down a steep hillside.
While attempting to free the two passengers, he noticed a fire in the engine compartment.
In addition to the vert, dirt and park disciplines, the BMX Open will include a street specialty competition with Garrett Reynolds, Sean Sexton and Van Homan.
Saturday's action will be televised live at 11 a.m. on NBC.
The five-city tour also visits Boston, Portland, Ore., and Salt Lake City, culminating with the final in Orlando, Fla.
Competitors are vying for part of a $2.5-million purse based on overall tour standings.
The complete 2009 Dew Tour schedule:
June 26-27 Nike 6.0 BMX Open Chicago
July 24-25 Skate Open/ISF Skateboarding World Championships Boston
Aug. 13-16 Wendy's Invitational Portland, Ore.
Sept. 17-20 Toyota Challenge Salt Lake City
Oct. 15-18 PlayStation Pro Orlando, Fla.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: Cameron White competes in the BMX dirt finals during the 2008 Dew Tour. Credit: Bo Bridges / For the Dew Tour
In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday afternoon or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:
Question: I live in Modesto and occasionally dive for abalone with friends from the Bay Area. It's a long drive though and ends up being a long day, sometimes barely worth the set-up time and effort for just three abalone. Occasionally, I would prefer to just give my three abalone to the others in my dive group (so they can enjoy six abalone) while I drive back to Modesto and catch up on my sleep. How can I legally do this? (Carl W., Modesto)
Answer: You must tag your abalone and fill out your report card immediately upon exiting the water. Then you must keep your abalone in your possession until you officially give or “gift” them to someone else. Keep in mind that whoever you give them to is also allowed to possess only three tagged abalone, whether they have a fishing license or not. Therefore, you may not give them to your dive buddies if your abalone combined with their own puts the gift recipient over their limit of three in possession.
To make sure there are no misunderstandings along the way should your friends be asked, it's also a good idea to write a note for them to keep with your gifted abalone while the abs are in their possession or are being transported home. The note should be dated and include your name, address, telephone and fishing license number so that the abalone can be traced back to you, if necessary.
Question: For the past 25 years I have been weaving rugs using wool and hair from a variety of animals and then selling those rugs. I can obtain some bear hair from a wildlife researcher working out of state and want to know if it would be legal for me to use this in my weavings. (Barbara S.)
To mark the first day of sale Friday for the 2009-10 federal and junior duck stamps, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host a ceremony at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store in Nashville.
Attending will be the winning artists whose work will grace this year's stamps. Watertown, S.D. resident Joshua Spies' painting of a long-tail duck and decoy (above) was chosen from 270 entries for the federal stamp, and 16-year-old Lily Spang from Toledo, Ohio won the junior stamp contest with her design featuring a wood duck (below).
To continue the 75-year tradition of a postmaster selling the first stamp to the Fish and Wildlife Service director, Nashville postmaster Dave Vale will be at the ceremony to sell the first stamps to USFWS Acting Director Rowan Gould.
Outdoor enthusiasts now have another local activity available with the opening of a zip line course in the Big Bear Lake area.
One of the first zip lining courses available in Southern California, Flying Bear Zip Lines offers five courses that cross over canyons and through forests on lines as long as 600 feet and as high as 90 feet above ground.
All courses were created to flow with nature and the natural surroundings, with features such as launch platforms on granite rocks and landing platforms on pine trees.
"The one thing we had in mind when designing the course was to make sure our guests experience the sensation of flying through the forest," said Adam Bondeson, owner of Flying Bear Zip Lines. "More importantly, we not only meet but exceed all national standards set for the zip line industry."
Open daily, prices range from $65-$85 for three to five runs. Though reservations are not required, they are recommended.
"Adventure seekers will no longer need to travel to faraway exotic places like Costa Rica or Hawaii to get a zip fix," added Bondeson.
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