Monday, April 25, 2011

Fat Kid Falls in Water

Ok, so this is old but I wanted to show how globalized and connected out society is today.

This is of a kid from a small town in Mexico. Everywhere I've been (Sweden, Hong Kong, and Spain to name a few places--also, I'm not trying to location drop, it just proves my point here) my friends and the people I have met have all seen this video.


Although embarrassing, what a way to internationally claim fame.

Is There Ever A Free Lunch Or In This Case Wi-Fi?



I'm a student and have no money for wireless internet or any type of internet for that matter. This entire semester when I have had a project to do, I would walk the two blocks to my neighborhood Starbucks. There is only one, but there is also a Coffee Bean right across the street.

It's great  because you can get free wireless internet. But are you supposed to buy something as well?

Obviously, I know it's the unspoken status quo to purchase something, otherwise I wouldn't have posted this but is this something I should feel guilty about?

Over 4 months, I think I've bought 3 cups of coffee and I'm here about 3 days a week. I don't even want to think of how much money I would have spent if I bought something everyday. It would definitely equate to a significantly smaller amount of consumed burritos and beer over the past 4 months.

While there is no sign and no one telling me to purchase anything; I've begun to wonder if what I am doing is wrong. Even as I write this, I'm inside me free wireless internet provider adding to my number of blog posts.

I don't think I'm doing anything wrong because I'm the only one here and not taking space away from anyone. But if I was the owner I guess I would be pist.

For all I know the employees are always giving me the evil eye and I'm just oblivious to it. That's how serious of a blogger I am, oblivious to my surroundings.

What do you guys think?

Kookmeyer


I had one of those boards. Weird......

Wilbur Kookmeyer

Surf Knowledge

My last post wasn't the only one that referenced Tetsuhiko Endo, surf editor of theintertia.com.



So who is this guy?

A professional surfer? Surfboard shaper? Legendary lifeguard? Paddleboard champion?

Nope, just a surfer and a good writer who grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He claims to be an average surfer, I'm sure he could kick my butt in the water but let us just say that he's no pro.

I just wanted to point out that when it comes to surfing, we all have an opinion and you don't have to be a professional, although experience does help.

So when you kookmeyers out there want to give up surfing, don't.

I've met a lot of people who have told me that they won't surf because they won't be good. That's stupid-- a lot of times beginners or people who didn't originally grow up at the beach have more fun than seasoned surfers. They can also find certain insights into the sport that people who have been surfing for decades might have forgotten.

Surf Pros

Do you still dream about meeting your sports hero?

Well, the article written by Tetsuhiko Endo today goes one step beyond that and brags about as surfers, we don't just have the chance to meet our suref idol (which is way easier than any other sport), but we actually get to surf with them.

Endo makes a point in saying that athletes that volunteer spending time playing ball or whatever sport they play with kids is not the same as actually practising with them.

First, meeting them is so much easier. In basketball for example, players have tight security, retreat back to their large houses, or if they do go out, go to expensive clubs that only other celebrities can get into.

In surfing, a fan can approach their surfing idol almost at anytime and ask for an autograph or photo. Plus these contests are held all over the world. I remember taking a photo with Kelly Slater in Bilbao, Spain when the surfing World Tour stopped just 10 minutes from my house. I was so excited when one of the photographers, a fellow San Diegan, told me to just walk up to Slater after he finished his heat.

No big deal right?

What about when I "saved" who I think was Slater's sister (or could have been girlfriend) when I brushed this crazy looking spider off her back. I know, I'm a little star-stuck just writing this post but you can call me a hero if you want.

Second, referring specifically to Endo's article, you can go out in San Diego, a relatively less star studded area unlike the North Shore or Todos Santos on a big day, and many times run into professional surfers.

I swear I see Joel Tudor, former ASP Longboard World Champion, out everytime I surf Blacks, which, granted isn't very often since I'm living in LA at the moment but still is cool everytime.



Joel Tudor
Yes, you can say this isn't that impressive since Joel Tudor is from Southern California but so are several of the baseball players that play for the San Diego Padres. And how many times do you get to throw a ball around with them?

This sport is awsome.

But while I agree with Endo, I think he is wrong in saying that surfing is the only sport you can hang out with the pros. While a little more difficult, you have snowboarding and skiing, rockclimbing, kyacking, and probably the easiest out of these sports, skating. I'm ignoring skimboarding because it's close enough to surfing but obviously it's different (just go to Newport and Laguna-- are these the same place?).


skimming


Sunday, April 24, 2011

Scripps Going Off


I love this place.

Sunscreen Protection

I just came across this very interesting article written by Brian Guadagno about sunscreen. As a lifeguard during the summers this is extremely important and I'd thought you'd ought to know this information as well.

What I didn't know was that UVA protection is not regulated by the FDA, only UVB protection. UVA is the SPF number on the bottle. That means that the SPF and UVA protection could potentially be misleading to consumers.

I usually use a mixture of regular sunscreen (Nuetrogena) and zinc products (usually Headhunter). Works well everytime, although when you're in the sun as much as I am, you still get burned because you don't always remember to apply more sunscreen.
When you start using zinc, it's funny becuase you can start "painting your face."


Exerpt from the sunscreen article I found:

"How To Choose Sunscreen Effectively
1. Choose Broad Spectrum UVA Protection. Don’t let the term “Broad Spectrum” on the label make the sale. Look deeper. There are 18 FDA approved active ingredients in sunscreen that provide protection. While many of these offer UVB protection, only four offer UVA protection. Look for UVA active ingredients: Avobenzone (Parsol), Mexoryl SX, Titanium Dioxide, and Zinc Oxide. Of these four, Zinc Oxide is the only single, broad spectrum active. Zinc Oxide physically blocks the entire range of UVA & UVB. Look for Zinc Oxide percentages to be over 18%.
2. Use SPF 30(+), beware lower or higher numbers. It is a widely accepted that SPF 30 is the benchmark needed to provide adequate UVB protection. In controlled testing, SPF 30 sunscreens filter 97% of UVB rays while SPF 50 only filters 1% more at 98% and SPF 100 would only offer 2% more at 99%. In real life applications, it is very unlikely that filtering more than 97% of UVB rays is plausible. Furthermore, extremely high SPF claims may provide a false sense of security while possibly doubling the amount of chemicals needed in the formulas.
3. Choose “Very Water Resistant,” a proven track record, and use caution with spray on products. The term Very Water Resistant is regulated by the FDA. It represents a sunscreen’s ability to remain effective after 80 minutes exposed to water, while Water Resistant refers to 40 minutes. Waterproof and All Day Protection claims are misleading. A product that is Very Water Resistant will likely offer better sweat resistance. Ultimately, a Very Water Resistant sunscreen that has performed well for you in the past is a wise choice in the future. Use caution with spray or powder sunscreens, the applicators expel excess amounts of chemical ingredients which may be inhaled and pose a potential safety hazard."

There it still a lot more useful information in this article so check it out.

Too Much Violence (Long Blog Post #2 Suckaaaaaaas)



On February 15th in San Luis Potosi, Mexico there was an attack—believed to be by Mexican cartel members—on two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents. This is one of many drug-related violent attacks in the last 5 years.

In 2006, the Mexican government, under the direction of President Felipe Calderón, declared war on the Mexican drug cartels that had previously been left alone—these cartels deal with drugs, arms, and human trafficking, a multi-billion dollar industry. Also, those involved in the drug trade, police officers, as well as innocent by-standers have been blackmailed, terrorized, kidnapped, tortured, and brutally murdered. It is estimated that about 35,000 people have been murdered since the Drug War began.

Is what being done by the U.S. and Mexico effective in combatting these drug cartels? How many people must die before we win this “war”? The legalization and regulation of the drug trade is definitely a way to reduce drug related violence occurring in Mexico, but unfortunately it is still not considered a viable option by those in power.

Currently the U.S. has contributed to the Mexican war on drugs through the Merida Initiative, spending $1.5 billion for equipment and training of Mexican forces. The New York Times stated that in 2010 a new strategy was developed that focused more on training than on providing equipment. This initiative expired at the end of last year but is likely to be continued by the Obama administration with a reduced budget.

The Mexican government is focusing on a new law enforcement structure that began to eliminate local police forces that tended to be controlled by these drug cartels.

Today in Mexico there is rampant police corruption, people are being murdered every day, and the drug cartels have more weapons than those working for the government. You just have to look at the news. Last August, the Mexican government had to fire 10% of their federal police force due to corruption.

I don’t believe that encouraging this war is beneficial. Gil Kerlikowske, of the Office of National Drug Control Policy admitted last May that the war on drugs as been going on for 40 years and not much progress has occurred.

But the U.S. government still naively supports this war.

Hilary Clinton gave an interview with Mexican journalist, Denise Maerker, on Jan 31, 2011 about the Mexican war on drugs. I found this excerpt especially interesting and would like to point out some flaws in her viewpoint.

QUESTION: In Mexico, there are those who propose not keeping going with this battle and legalize drug trafficking and consumption. What is your opinion?
SECRETARY CLINTON: I don't think that will work. I mean, I hear the same debate. I hear it in my country. It is not likely to work. There is just too much money in it, and I don't think that – you can legalize small amounts for possession, but those who are making so much money selling, they have to be stopped. They can’t be given an even easier road to take, because they will then find it in their interest to addict even more young people. Mexico didn’t have much of a drug problem before the last 10 years, and you want to keep it that way. So you don’t want to give any excuse to the drug traffickers to be able legally to addict young people.

There are a few things I see wrong with her answer.

First I would have to agree with Reason Magazine that Clinton clearly misses the idea that drug traffickers make all the money that they do because the selling of drugs is illegal. With regulation they would be forced to find another means of revenue. A study by the Rand Corporation shows that the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. could “eliminate all of the profits the Mexican drug cartels currently make,” which would be a 15-26% reduction in their revenue.

Second, the idea that legalization will increase incentives to addict young people sounds far-fetched. One would think that those selling drugs would have the same level of incentives as long as there is “so much money in it.”

In fact, if drugs were legalized I believe that drug use would increase very little. From my experience, although I have never done so, it is fairly easy to get a hold of drugs whether they are legal or not, hence legalization won’t increase the number of users significantly.

Now there is some change of opinion in Mexico and there are those in favor of drug legalization.

Former Mexican President, Vicente Fox, argues that drug legalization is a good thing. He says:

"We have to take all the production chain out of the hands of criminals and into the hands of producers… I believe that violence against violence doesn't work. It only unleashes more violence and a conflict of the size we have in Mexico… It is not only in people's income, in investment, but also in the collective psychology.”

Fox refers to legalization in both Mexico and the U.S. This former Mexican official brings up a very important point. “Violence against violence doesn’t work” and the 35,000 deaths so far is too high. Something else needs to be done.

But what does the recent attack on the U.S. immigration officers have to do with these overall decisions (besides the fact that any death should be a cause for concern)?

The motives for the attack are still unknown, but if it was a planned attack, one of the motives might have been to escalate the current Mexican war on drugs even further.

Janet Napolitano, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, said, “let me be clear: any act of violence against our ICE personnel or any DHS personnel is an attack against all those who serve our nation and put their lives at risk for our safety…We remain committed in our broader support for Mexico's efforts to combat violence within its borders." I think the last time we heard a patriotic statement like this, was when U.S. forces went into Afghanistan; they still haven’t left.

I find it ironic that the continuation of this war on drugs and the anti-legalization sentiment benefits the drug cartels themselves; it keeps them in business.

With the deaths, the corruption, and the continuous drug trade, not to mention the human trafficking, I think Mexico and the United States need to take another course of action. It would seem that those in power, like Hilary Clinton, do not understand the reasoning behind legalization and it is definitely an option that these people need to reconsider.

Despite my views, I will admit that legalization will not solve our societal problems of drug abuse nor will it completely wipe out the existing drug cartels. But it would make an impact and reduce the drug related violence that has been devastating Mexico since 2006.


Rip Curl Search

The next contest for the Rip Curl Search in 2011 is.........

Ocean Beach, San Francisco!

This is going to be sic because the conditions are hopefully going to be big and cold. This is definitely one of, if not the coldest places these surfers will compete in this year. I hope I can go and watch.
Surfline offers more details about the event but basically, it will be held in November and it seems to be very minimalistic."There will be no PWC assist. (At least as of right now, PWC will be on hand for rescue only.) No skatepark. No music festival. No local trials. No backup venues."

I guess they're predicting that it's going to be so cold, that no one is going to want to stick around any longer than they have too.
Anyways, it's nothing unusual but I like how the contest organizers are working with the local surf community in SF. I guess they're going to employ all of the locals' businesses to carry out the event (catering, security, etc.).

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

No more Mavericks Surf Contest?

 
Big Mavericks
Surfline reported two days ago that the primary sponsor, Barracuda Networks, just pulled out of The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational. On top of this the family of Jay Moriarity, for whom the contest is named after, is requesting to remove his name from the title as well.

Many people, including Cyrus Saatsaz from Inertia.com, believe that the future of the contest is “uncertain” and that there may be no sponsor willing to step in.

I agree that it may be hard to find a sponsor because of the slow economy and the fact that the contest will no longer officially be dedicated to Jay—giving it more importance than a regular contest. But I don’t think there is anything to worry about. There are enough eyes and attention on that place, as well as a group of very dedicated surfers that live there and will make it happen.

I wish the contest would still be dedicated to Jay because I think it is important to remember the few who do pass away while surfing or doing a related activity. I never knew him, but I remember reading about his death in 2001, my very first Surfer Magazine, and I am sure that I knew someone that knew him. I am absolutely convinced that in the surfing world, the theory of 6 degrees of separation is completely true, but that's an entirely different conversation.

Background
For those who don’t know, Mavericks is a surf spot located in Half Moon Bay, California and is known for its huge, insane, and cold conditions during the winter. And when I say huge conditions, I mean 30-50 foot waves. This spot as been influential in surfing innovation because this is where surfers pushed the limits of paddle-in surfing, in relation to the size of the wave, after years of big wave tow-in surfing.
 
Paddle-in Surfing


Paddle-in surfing is where a surfer catches a wave by paddling, while tow-in surfing is where a surfer is towed into a wave by a personal water craft (PWC).

 
Jay Moriarity, the surfer who the contest is dedicated to, was a surfer from Santa Cruz who was known for charging Mavericks at a young; at 16 years old, Jay made the cover of Surfer Magazine for a wipeout he had there. At a young age he was a respected surfer at Mavericks.



Tow-in Surfing
In 2001 Jay drowned while in the Maldives, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, and later The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitation came about. This contest consists of 24 surfers invited to participate along with 17 alternates. These surfers are from around the world and are known for riding large surf. The contest is not held every year, only when the surf is big enough.

Jay Moriarity



 

Out of the Boat Swim

I am the treasurer of the non-profit organization Out of the Boat Swim.

 
It reaches out to an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico and kids in Peru with the goal of making every home a "safe place to play and grow and… build[ing] a strong foundation of water men and women.”

We were founded by San Diego Beach Lifeguards and also work on developing a relationship with the Tijuana Lifeguards as well. I have been involved, in Tijuana, as a surf instructor and raising money to put these kids through swim lessons. It’s an amazing experience.

I encourage anyone and everyone to get involved by contacting me (on this blog) and by checking out our website: outoftheboatswim.org

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Procrastinating and Science Fiction

So I'm a dork when it comes to television shows. I just started watching Stargate Universe and it's pretty good. I think I'm addicted to it, especially when I can watch it for free on Megavideo.

Basically 30 or 40 people get stranded on an alien spaceship that is travelling billions of light-years away from Earth and we get to see what happens.


Check it out here or the trailer

If you have ever seen the original series, Stargate SG1, Stargate Universe is a little darker and focuses more on character development. I also don't think it's as corny or cheesy as the original or the 1994 movie but that always added to the entertainment. So I don't know if it is an improvement.

Good for Her 2

Cori Schumacher, Longboard champion, has written about why she is boycotting the Women’s World Longboard Tour:

My decision to boycott this and other World Longboard Tour events this year, is an attempt to use the platform I have to focus attention on the significant movements of the ASP World Tour, surf companies who are currently doing business in China, and those who are in the process of moving their manufacturing there.

She goes on to discuss China’s One-Child Policy and “‘single-minded pursuit of economic growth’” that has created large inequalities specifically for women as well as censorship, low labor standards, and oppression of its citizens.

While her intentions are good I think she’s going about this the wrong way. And by boycotting the World Tour, she is doing nothing but hurting herself. I’m all about taking a stand for what you believe in and she is definitely in a position to be heard, but she can be so much more affective while still competing.

Here are two reasons why what she is doing will not be that affective:

First, if these surf companies want to competitively survive in today’s market, they have to move their manufacturing to countries that provide lower costs. If they don’t, competitors from these exact countries can come in and wipe them out with cheaper products. I don’t think the U.S. Government will be in a hurry to be protecting the U.S. surf industry anytime soon.

Second, this issue is obviously bigger than just the surf industry.  There are many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fighting to make changes in China and in other countries as well. They are making improvements but very slowly.

The problem is money. Almost every policy enacted by a government is influenced by it; without money there is very little support. There are labor standards in the WTO, but they are not always upheld because it hurts the end economic goal.

As I said in my previous post, Good for Her, women’s surfing is relatively small and I don’t think her boycotting will gain much support from surf companies. If anything, she should be working with them (sponsoring, competing, etc.) to make the sport even better. The key to influencing these large surf corporations are the consumers not the surfers. Short of Kelly Slater and a few others, many of these guys can just be replaced. There are so many unknown talented surfers out there. Plus, she can donate her winnings to organizations that have more power.

All that aside, I respect her a lot for standing up for what she believes in. If we all did that than there really would be change.

Friday, April 1, 2011

More on Artificial Waves

If you don't remember I wrote about an artificial wave that was created in Spain a couple months ago.


Now there is something even cooler being developed. The First Continuous Circular Wave Pool has been completed, in Poland.

The implications are huge. If you surf, think about a wave that goes on forever!

And I couldn't even tell you about the even greater non-surfing benefits from something like this. I'm assuming this could lead to another source of clean, efficient energy for the world.

Sex on the Roof and the Consequences

How can I not comment on this?

In case you live under a rock and don’t know what I’m talking about or haven’t seen the photos, go here. I have no idea what they were thinking. If you’re going to have sex on the roof, do it at night when you won’t get caught. And if they wanted to get caught, I don’t know how anyone could believe that it would end any way but horribly.

I’m more interested in the consequences and what happened afterwards. Not for that Kappa Sig or for that particular house (they are slowly destroying themselves), but for the Greek system at USC. From what I have heard from various sources is that the Row is on an unofficial social probation. DPS will be cracking down significantly on any social function held on weekdays, more so than ever before.

Many are saying that this afternoon delight that occurred last week was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” and was among many other Greek related problems going on—that’s why the entire Row is being punished.

I think that this is ridiculous. The entire Greek community should not be punished for the actions of a few individuals, especially when being Greek had nothing to do with this recent situation- nor did Kappa Sigma endorse what happened. In this same way, one could ask, why isn’t the administration punishing all USC students with brown hair because this individual also has brown hair? Obviously this is an exaggeration, but it proves my point.

It’s not fair and the USC administration is using the Greek system as an escape-goat to deter worse publicity. I definitely don’t condone the other things that have happened lately-- especially that email from Kappa Sigma which was very messed up—but it’s not right to punish those of us who are proud of our school, behave respectively, and just want to have fun during the week.


Good for Her

There was an article in The New York Times about the current Women's World Longboard Champion, Cori Schumacher.

Cori is taking a stand for women. Currently, she's "boycotting" the Women's World Tour because a contest on the Tour is being held in China where women don't have many rights. But that's only part of what she's done. For years she has competed without sponsors. She's done this to create an image for herself that she feels comfortable with and that promotes women's professional surfing in a good light.

Some of the complaints about the Women's World Tour is the low salary and poor contest locations. It's hard for women to make a living from professional surfing. Also in general, there is still a lack of respect for women in the water.

First I think that it's super cool that an article about surfing was in the New York Times. Surfing is definitely a sport that doesn't receive the publicity it deserves. Although some would argue that less publicity is better; the beaches are crowded enough.

Second, its always good to see star athletes willing to risk their success and careers to fight for something bigger than themselves. I think in almost every sport, surfing included, women have to fight for equal respect and credibility when compared to men. It's been a problem in our society for a long time but I think that  we're making strides to change this.

One of the problems is that at the moment, there is just not as much money in women's surfing as in men's. It's unfortunate for these large surf companies because in fact, there is a lot of money to be made. People need to be more exposed to the sport and given opportunities to learn how to surf.