According to NPR, the Natural Resources committe of San Deigo’s City Council unanimously approved a resolution, drafted by the Surfrider Foundation, that opposes the construction of a toll road through San Onofre State Park, home to one of San Diego’s finest surf breaks. Environmentalists say that building the road according to the current plan would [...]
Archive for June, 2006
Save Trestles . . . !
Published by June 29th, 2006 in Environmentalism & Politics and The Ocean. 0 CommentsAloha, Mr. Bush.
Published by June 28th, 2006 in Environmentalism & Politics and The Ocean. 0 CommentsOn June 15, in a majestic display of compassionate conservatism, George Bush used his executive authority to create the world’s largest marine wildlife sanctuary by declaring a chain of ten islands and their surrounding waters a national monument. Roughly the same size as the State of California, the new reserve covers 140,000 square miles of [...]
At one point or another, most surfers feel inclined to try a hand at shaping a surfboard. And I’d wager that most of us have never actually shaped a board because getting all the supplies and equipment together just isn’t economical.
Well, some folks in Huntington Beach, CA are making it fairly easy to realize [...]
This is kinda funny . . . like a heart attack.
Published by June 26th, 2006 in Science & Technology and The Ocean. 0 Commentslalatimes.com has a funny article about a fictional company, BuyAWave.com, that tracks ocean waves and sells them online. Fortunately, the idea is a little far-fetched, but not so much that we won’t ever have to worry about some miserable bastards actually trying it, if they figure out how to track ocean waves in greater detail. [...]
SurfParks is looking to make some serious waves
Published by June 26th, 2006 in Culture, Science & Technology and The Ocean. 0 CommentsSet to open their first location in Orlando, FL later this year, SurfParks plans on making some tasty waves, specifically for surfing, in wave pools all over the country. We’re talking waves made by surfers for surfers.
If the idea takes off, it could bring big change to the sport of surfing. Imagine, instead of [...]
FireWire turns surfboard construction inside-out
Published by June 26th, 2006 in Gear and Science & Technology. 0 CommentsAustralians will try anything at least twice. One of their recent developments, the FireWire design, is starting to hit the market.
FireWire combines epoxy resin, a parabolic stringer and vacuum sandwich construction to form a surfboard that is inordinately light and durable. I watched Bird (down at the SouthCoast Surf Shop in Pacific Beach) set [...]
Chasing sophisticated tail
Published by June 26th, 2006 in Gear and Science & Technology. 0 CommentsThe folks at Surf Syndicate are taking tail configuration to the next level with their TinklerTail technology, a variable-flex tail configuration that you adjust while you’re in the water. Inspired by the thrust that dolphins generate with their tails, supposedly, the TinklerTail can generate more thrust than a conventional surfboard tail . . . and [...]
Gravitational waves . . . . sounds heavy.
Published by June 26th, 2006 in Science & Technology. 0 CommentsThis week’s issue of The Economist has an article about scientists trying to catch gravitational waves. They’re not trying to ride the waves (yet) - they’re really just trying to detect the waves and prove that they actually exist.
The basic idea is to use laser interferometry to detect gravity waves. If they can pull [...]
A machine that simulates a hurricane
Published by June 26th, 2006 in Science & Technology. 0 CommentsIn order to gain a better understanding of how and why hurricane force winds destroy buildings, scientists intend to destroy an actual building with a machine that simulates the force of a 200 mph wind.
When they’re done blowing down houses, I wonder if this magical machine could be commissioned to kick up some waves.
Rip currents are often misunderstood.
When it rains all the filth and muck that’s accumlated on land gets washed into the ocean. If you think about all the crap that you see on the streets in your town, it’s pretty nasty. Paddling out after a rain puts you at risk of getting sick. Exactly how and when you get sick [...]
Any surfer will tell you that it’s a jungle out there in the water. It’s an incredibly dynamic environment, and you must be in constant command of yourself and your board as you navigate through rip currents, oncoming waves, other surfers, flotsam & jetsam and all the natural flora & fauna.
The more I reflect on [...]
Native Hawaiians use the term "kulana nalu" for the place where a surfer paddles to catch a wave; usually the most distant line of breakers. Learn this and some other Hawaiian surf speak at this site.
