Transcendence

Meet a geriatric supercouple â€” Abe Cohen works out every day, and the workouts include at least a couple hundred crunches. Cohen is 92. His wife, Esther, who works out with him, is 86. Her daily ab exercise total is 400. â€” full story

In northern Minnesota by the headwaters of the Mississippi river in what is called the Lake country is a beautiful canoeing triathlon.... more

Atulya's race blog - more articles

About the author:

Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.

Staton-Carter, Laurie. "Thoroughly Enjoying Multi-Day Racing". Ultrarunning. March 1989. The following is reprinted by permission from the Publisher, John Medinger

Pippa Davis - Thoroughly Enjoying Multi-Day Racing by Laurie Staton-Carter

Have you ever wondered how multi-day runners can stand running the same loop - mile after mile, hour after hour, day after day - for six or seven days? Ask this question of rising multi-day star Pippa Davis and she will describe those very same aspects of a multi-day race in a positive way. 'The reason I enjoy runs on a set loop is because it takes mental concentration, (inner) peace, patience, and self-control not to get bored or upset by the same scene!' Pippa Davis, 41, ran a total of 509 miles in the Sri Chinmoy Inaugural Seven-Day Race held last October 14-21, with a six-day total of 450, good enough to put her in a solid place on the women's all-time six-day list. Formerly of Great Britain and currently a resident of Westford, Massachusetts, Pippa has been running ultras for six of her twelve years of running. Probably in part due to her dedication to variety in her training, in the past eight years she has been injury-free.

Pippa's regular training schedule is remarkably straightforward, and includes such a varied regimen that it seems more like regularly scheduled recreation rather than serious training. She averages about 40-50 miles per week of walking, 'plus one to two miles of swimming and three hours of aerobics per week all year round.' She also includes one to two hours a week of pool aerobics and four to five hours per week of cross-country skiing during the winter months. She does 'about four marathons each year and lots of short (under 13 miles) races for training.' Pippa emphatically states that including other sports as a part of her training is a critical part of her training.

In April of 1988, she ran the "JOGLE", the length of Great Britain (John O'Groats to Land's End) - 870 miles - in 14 days and four hours. The run served not only as a great "tune-up" for the Seven Day, but as a fundraiser for bone-marrow transplants in Great Britain. It was her only major ultradistance run this year preceding her Seven-Day performance. In 1988 she ran two ultras over five days in length, plus four or more marathons, and 'lots of other shorter events.'

Photo: The start of the 1988 Sri Chinmoy 7 Day Race, October 14-21, 1988. Pippa: standing, second from end on right.

Going into the Seven-Day, Pippa's plan was "to do a steady 20-hour day - about five-and-one-half miles per hour if possible, with a proper sleep the first three or four nights, then more short breaks" and only about four miles per hour the last two days, if necessary. "The goal was a 75-mile-per-day average - I did want to do 500 miles or more total. I did 90 the first day, 80 the second, and so on. The "worst" day was a 59 on the seventh day." She was able to run 73 miles on day three, 77 miles on day four, 60 miles on day five, and 70 miles on day six. Pippa was able to stick very closely to her original plan, even though she did more miles the first two days. She settled into a good rhythm and ended up with a 72.7 mile-per-day average. She did not alter her original plan much and even stuck to her pre-planned sleep schedule. Pippa was able to stick to her plan because, "(1) It was right for me; (2) The weather was perfect; and (3) I was confident that it would work."

Pippa considers "continuous, whole-body training" to be the most important aspect of training to run multi-day races. Her own training is an example of the varied workouts with upper-body strength equally combined with the aerobic fitness that she recommends. As far as racing goes, she emphasizes that attitude is the most important factor in actually running a multi-day event. "I always go into the race expecting to enjoy it - even through the bad times."

She describes her strongest attribute as her positive attitude, her ability to "stay happy whatever happens - the weather, injuries, and mileage cannot depress me." Sounds like the key to a satisfying life, not just a race. Pippa claims that "not being prepared to push myself to the breaking point - there's always another race!" as her weak point, but her attitude only illustrates a resilient and upbeat frame of mind.

Photo: The runners gather at the scoreboard after the completion of the Sri Chinmoy 7 Day Race, October 14-21, 1988. Pippa: sitting, second from right.

Pippa's recovery from the Seven-Day consisted of a 'soak in hot spa water two times a day for the first three days, aspirin, walking around, doing stretching exercises a little, but NO RUNNING! I wait until I feel fresh and relaxed before starting running again - usually I am back to normal training in one or two weeks. After the Seven-Day, I waited one week before running; two weeks later I ran 3:48 at the Cape Cod Marathon. The next weekend I ran the Boston Peace Marathon in 3:44, in pouring rain, felt excellent, and had no after-effects - I was running two days later!'

Pippa has a reputation at Flushing Meadows Park (in New York, where the Sri Chinmoy Races are held) for setting up a tent that is known as the “Hilton.” Her “home” for the races she runs there. 'I like to bring everything I can think of to a multi-day – whether it’s -10 degrees or 90 degrees, I want to have the appropriate clothes! – My “home” for the race has a table, chair, and bed and clothes – I become very attached to it and like seeing it there on every one-mile-loop! I have to add that without the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team I can do ultras (e.g. the JOGLE in Great Britain) but they make their races both enjoyable and professional. They give runners the 100% support needed to do the best race possible under any conditions.'

Pippa finished her course work to complete her master’s degree in December, 1988. She works as a Fitness Consultant, and feels that her 'running helps to show that fitness is very important to me but not the only thing that is important in my life. When I run, I do it for fun, fitness, and as a good example to others. I will always put my family first, when I have to do something with them instead. But, they know how important health depends on my doing the long distance races.'

Pippa has solid support for her sport through her close friends and family. Her husband, Richard, a VP of computer sales, is very supportive of her running. In addition "he likes me to be fit, race, and do ultras, and he accepts my need to be away from home to compete." ...

Will Pippa ever step off the roads and apply her talents to an ultra on the trails? 'Yes, but only short ones. I am not happy out in the middle of nowhere, usually alone and not sure if the trail is marked clearly! She then adds, 'I hope we get a race across America soon - that is my next major goal!' Pippa's positive attitude and high energy level is infectious. What does Pippa enjoy most about multi-day racing? 'The people! I love getting to know the runners - there is a very special bond between us by the end of the race. Also, the organizers and the helpers - I wish they were given trophies for their work.' She says she 'likes running with people who are proving to themselves that they can overcome illness, past unhealthy behavior, depression, or just low self-esteem - multi-days are the ultimate challenge.' "

View full article »

About the author:

Medur is our go-to person for many of the essential tasks involved in putting on our races: race setup, our lap counting system and our website. An enthusiastic runner himself, he has participated in many editions of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run in Canada and the US.

GUERET, France (AP) â€” Move over sprinters, time for climbers to shine. The charge for the Tour de France title intensifies Wednesday with the first mountain stage â€” a chance for five-time champion Lance Armstrong and other contenders to test their legs before mightier battles in the Pyrenees and Alps. (Related item: Stage 9 results)

"It will be hard, especially if the race starts aggressively like it did today," Armstrong said after Tuesday's ninth stage.

"A lot of people will be going home if it starts like that."

Armstrong remained in sixth place overall, finishing 44th Tuesday behind stage winner Robbie McEwen of Australia. The 32-year-old Texan is 9 minutes, 35 seconds behind leader Thomas Voeckler of France.

Wednesday's 147-mile trek through the Massif Central of central France is the longest of this Tour and has nine climbs, including the most difficult so far â€” 3 ½-mile ascent to 5,243 feet, which gets steeper as it goes up.

Armstrong is in the dark about the stage, having not checked it out like some of his rivals before the Tour started.

"It's going to be tough ... up and down all day," Armstrong said. "Unfortunately, it's a stage we haven't seen. It's a hard day ahead."

He acknowledged that his teammates are "a little anxious" but insisted "they will be ready."

"The team is great and healthy," he added. "Everyone's recovered from their small crashes."

Sprinters who have dominated the mostly flat early stages will struggle. Such speedsters include McEwen. Climbers and all-arounders like Armstrong will move to the fore â€” possibly offering an early look at how strong the main contenders are.

"The Tour starts now," American Tyler Hamilton, a former teammate and rival of Armstrong's, on Monday's rest day. "The upcoming stages will really show who is here to win."

Even with one bad leg, McEwen was still the quickest rider of the first half of the three-week Tour.

Head down, the Australian put on a burst of speed to win Tuesday's ninth stage, racing along the barriers and pushing his wheel over the line just ahead of Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd.

Armstrong, who has been saving his strength for the tough and likely decisive last week, finished comfortably in the main pack. Jan Ullrich, his main rival, was 25th. Both finished in the same time as McEwen's 3 hours, 32 minutes, 55 seconds.

Armstrong's other main objective has been to avoid crashes like the one that took down Spain's Mikel Pradera, who plowed into a road sign and cartwheeled into the path of another rider. Both went on to finish.

"We just sat on the wheel, took it easy," said Armstrong. The ride "was fine, didn't really surprise me at all."

The hilly 99 ½-mile stage, the shortest this year except for time trial courses, started in Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat in central France, the hometown of retired Tour great Raymond Poulidor. He is loved by fans even though he never won the showcase race â€” finishing either second or third a record eight times between 1962 and 1976.

McEwen became the first rider to win two stages at this Tour. But when he set out Tuesday, he wasn't even sure he'd make it to the finish. Banged up in a mass crash on Friday, he rode with a sore back and knee and said he started the day thinking, "I just hope I survive."

"It's a beautiful victory," the 32-year-old McEwen said. "I gave all of my energy to that sprint."

Spain's Inigo Landaluze and Italian rider Filippo Simeoni had the win snatched away. They pedaled way out in front of the main pack for much of the race, but were gradually reeled in and overtaken by McEwen, Hushovd and other sprinters in the mass dash to the line.

Voeckler retained the overall lead, meaning he will wear the leader's yellow jersey on Bastille Day, the national holiday on Wednesday. Armstrong is 55 seconds ahead of Ullrich.

Armstrong thinks Voeckler could hold the lead at least into the Pyrenees, which start Friday. But the French champion isn't so sure.

On Wednesday, "if the favorites decide to fight right from the start ... it could get difficult for me," Voeckler said.

McEwen said his knee hurt so much he had to stop six times during a training ride on Monday's rest day. But he has plenty of determination.

He also won a sprint finish in stage two to Namur in Belgium, and took the green jersey as best sprinter at the 2002 Tour. He now has five stage victories in seven Tours. He currently holds the green jersey and hopes to win it at the finish in Paris on July 25.

"I don't want to sound like I'm a one-legged man," he said. "After today, I feel like I've been â€” at least in the first half of the Tour â€” the best sprinter."

Stage 9 results

99.73 miles from Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat to Gueret

1. Robbie McEwen, Australia, Lotto-Domo, 3 hours, 32 minutes, 55 seconds.

2. Thor Hushovd, Norway, Credit Agricole, same time.

3. Stuart O'Grady, Australia, Cofidis Credit Par Telephone, same time.

4. Jerome Pineau, France, Brioches La Boulangere, same time.

5. Erik Zabel, Germany, T-Mobile Team, same time.

6. Janeck Tombak, Estonia, Cofidis Credit Par Telephone, same time.

7. Tom Boonen, Belgium, Quick Step-Davitamon, same time.

8. Danilo Hondo, Germany, Gerolsteiner, same time.

9. Sergio Marinangeli, Italy, Domina Vacanze, same time.

10. Inigo Landaluze, Spain, Euskaltel-Euskadi, same time.

11. Jean-Patrick Nazon, France, AG2R Prevoyance, same time.

12. Baden Cooke, Australia, fdjeux.com, same time.

13. Scott Sunderland, Australia, Alessio-Bianchi, same time.

14. Allan Davis, Australia, Liberty Seguros, same time.

15. Bram De Groot, Netherlands, Rabobank, same time.

16. Kim Kirchen, Luxemburg, Fassa Bortolo, same time.

17. Filippo Simeoni, Italy, Domina Vacanze, same time.

18. Laurent Brochard, France, AG2R Prevoyance, same time.

19. Peter Wrolich, Austria, Gerolsteiner, same time.

20. Fabian Cancellara, Switzerland, Fassa Bortolo, same time.

Also

25. Jan Ullrich, Germany, T-Mobile Team, same time.

29. Thomas Voeckler, France, Brioches La Boulangere, same time.

43. George Hincapie, United States, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

44. Lance Armstrong, United States, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

46. Ivan Basso, Italy, Team CSC, same time.

49. Levi Leipheimer, United States, Rabobank, same time.

61. Tyler Hamilton, United States, Phonak Hearing Systems, same time.

62. Gilberto Simoni, Italy, Saeco, same time.

65. Jose Azevedo, Portugal, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

75. Manuel Beltran, Spain, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

82. Floyd Landis, United States, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

87. Roberto Heras, Spain, Liberty Seguros, same time.

88. Viatceslav Ekimov, Russia, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

105. Pavel Padrnos, Czech Republic, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

106. Benjamin Noval Gonzalez, Spain, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

110. Christian Vandevelde, United States, Liberty Seguros, same time.

142. Jose Luis Rubiera, Spain, US Postal-Berry Floor, same time.

Overall standings thru Stage 9

1. Thomas Voeckler, France, Brioches La Boulangere, 36 hours, 36 minutes, 31 seconds.

2. Stuart O'Grady, Australia, Cofidis Credit Par Telephone, 2 minutes, 53 seconds behind.

3. Sandy Casar, France, fdjeux.com, 4:06.

4. Magnus Backstedt, Sweden, Alessio-Bianchi, 6:27.

5. Jakob Piil, Denmark, Team CSC, 7:09.

6. Lance Armstrong, United States, US Postal-Berry Floor, 9:35.

7. George Hincapie, United States, US Postal-Berry Floor, 9:45.

8. Jose Azevedo, Portugal, US Postal-Berry Floor, 9:57.

9. Jose Enrique Gutierrez, Spain, Phonak Hearing Systems, 10:02.

10. Erik Zabel, Germany, T-Mobile Team, 10:06.

View full article »

About the author:

Merritt is just 18 years old

Teenager LaShawn Merritt ran the third fastest indoor 400m of all time at the Fayetteville Invitational meeting.

The world junior champion clocked 44.93 seconds to finish well clear of fellow American Bershawn Jackson in Arkansas.

Only Michael Johnson has gone quicker, setting the world record of 44.63secs in 1995 and running 44.66secs in 1996.

Kenyan Bernard Lagat missed out on the world record by 1.45secs as he ran the third quickest indoor mile ever to beat Canada's Nate Brannen by almost 10secs.

The Olympic silver medallist's time of three minutes 49.89secs was inferior only to the 1997 world record of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj and former world record holder Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland's 3:49.78.

Lagat was on course to break El Guerrouj's record through 1200m but could not maintain the pace over the final 400m.

Ireland's Alistair Cragg continued his excellent form by winning a tight 3,000m in 7:40.53.

Cragg, who recently defeated Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele in Boston, held off Bekele's Ethiopian colleague Markos Geneti by only 0.19secs to secure his victory.

Mark Carroll, who will join Cragg in the European Indoor Championships next month, finished a solid third in 7:46.78.

Olympic 200m gold medallist Veronica Campbell of Jamaica ran the fastest women's 60m in the world this year as she equalled her personal best of 7.09secs.

World indoor 60m hurdles champion Allen Johnson also won, improving his season-leading time to 7.51secs.

View full article »

About the author:

Tergat is in fine form ahead of London

Kenyan Paul Tergat delivered the perfect warm-up to his London Marathon title bid by storming to victory in the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.

The marathon world record holder clocked 59 minutes, 0.9 seconds - a performance only he has bettered over the distance.

Tergat aims to surpass his best result in London when he finished as runner-up to Khalid Khannouchi in 2002.

Compatriot Susan Chepkemei looked good for London as she won the women's race.

The Kenyan was back in action after Athletics Kenya reversed a one-year ban it imposed on the 29-year-old runner-up for failing to turn up to a cross-country team training camp.

Chepkemei raced to victory in 68 mins 49 secs, with fellow Kenyan Margaret Okayo 30 seconds behind and Asha Gigi of Ethiopia third in 69mins 59secs.

View full article »

About the author:

Daigle shed tears after her victory

Little-known American Angela Daigle equalled the fastest time in the world this year over 60m at the US indoor championships in Boston on Sunday.

The 28-year-old clocked 7.09 seconds, the same time Jamaican Veronica Campbell set earlier in February.

Daigle received $25,000 for taking the overall title on the US indoor circuit and $2,500 for Sunday's win.

"This is the most I've ever made at a single event," said Daigle, who doubled her victories at professional level.

Most US Olympians skipped the event because there are no world indoor championships this year.

View full article »

About the author:

Gatlin won the 100m and 200m at the World Championships

Gatlin clocked 10.04 seconds to defeat Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria and Christopher Williams of Jamaica who both clocked 10.13.

World 200m champion Felix won the 100m in 11.05, beating compatriot Me'Lisa Barber into second.

But pole vault world champion Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia failed three times to clear 4.50m.

Tatiana Grigorieva of Australia won the event with a relatively modest mark of 4.10m.

World champion Dwight Phillips leapt 6.06m to win the long jump and fellow American Bershawn Jackson repeated his Helsinki victory to win the 400m hurdles in 48.24.

China's world silver medallist Liu Xiang clocked 13.08 to win the 110m hurdles.

View full article »

About the author:

The Ethiopian Olympic 10,000m champion went stride-for-stride with Eliud Kipchoge for much of the race in France before breaking away on the final lap.

Bekele clocked 35 minutes, 08 seconds ahead of Zersenay Tadesse, with Kipchoge run out of the places.

Bekele, 22, has now won both titles for a record fourth straight year.

Qatar's Hassan Abdullah Ahmad completed the podium places as he ran on for bronze.

Bekele's performance over the weekend answered many question marks about his fitness and ambition after the tragic death of his fiancee Alem in January.

The 22-year-old had lost two high-profile indoor races this season and his management admitted he was not in peak shape.

But Bekele cast all doubts aside at the St Galmier racecourse and blew kisses to the crowd as he crossed the line to rousing applause.

"I am very, very happy," he said "Thanks to the crowd who supported me throughout the race."

Congratulations Bekele from the SCMT!

View full article »

About the author:

Tirunesh Dibaba unleashed a sprint finish to win the women's 8k title at the World Cross Country Championships.

Tirunesh Dibaba wins the world cross country long course title

The world 5,000m champion moved away to win in 26 minutes, 34 seconds ahead of Kenyan Alice Timbilili.

Ethiopia's Werknesh Kidane was third with defending champion Benita Johnson from Australia coming home seventh.

Team GB finished a disappointing sixth spot overall, with Mara Yamauchi clocking 28:55.21 to be the top-finishing Briton in 27th place.

Dibaba, who smashed the indoor 5,000m record this season, trailed Timbilili and compatriot Isabella Ochichi into the final lap but strode to the front inside the final kilometre.

In the women's junior 6km race, Britain's Emily Pidgeon continued to show her promise by finishing as the top European.

The 15-year-old ran 22:00.15 to place 20th overall in a race won by Ethiopian Gelete Bati.

Congratulations Tirunesh from the SCMT!

BBC Sports

View full article »

About the author:

Clement has already won world junior championship medals

Trinidad-born teenager Kerron Clement has broken Michael Johnson's decade-old indoor world record for the 400m.

The 19-year-old was competing for the University of Florida at the National Collegiate Athletic Association indoor championships in Arkansas.

Clement, who is the world junior 400m hurdles champion, clocked a time of 44.57 seconds, as opposed to Johnson's time of 44.63 seconds.

University of Arkansas' Terry Gatson came second in 45.29 seconds.

It was the second big success in a week for the teenager, who had helped his university team set a new NCAA 4x400m relay record the previous weekend.

"I can't describe how I feel," he said aftewards.

"When I crossed the line, I wanted to cry, that was my first reaction" he said. "It was so overwhelming - breaking Michael Johnson's record. I guess it's mine now."

Congratulations Kerron from SCMT!

View full article »

About the author:

O'Neill World Cup of Surfing

ASP 6 Star WQS Mens Event
Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
26 November - 7 December 2004

Scores/Results/Photos etc.

Day 8: Andy Irons clinches elusive jewel at O'Neill World Cup of Surfing.
Patacchia and Reyes Qualify for 2005 World Championship Tour.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 03 December 2004: - - Three-time world champion Andy Irons (Kauai) today clinched the one jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing that has eluded him for five years, rounding out a sensational season by winning the 30th annual O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach. Joining an illustrious list of legendary past winners that was in the making before he was born, 26-year-old Irons is now back on track for a third consecutive Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Series title.

The 35-minute final featured a four-man lineup of past, present and future surfing champions with Irons pitted against 22-year-old North Shore local Fred Patacchia Jr., 23-year-old Joel Parkinson (Australia), and pro surfing's veteran Mark Occhilupo (Australia), 38. But age had nothing to do with the quality of surfing on offer as all four surfers closely matched each others scores through three rounds of competition today en-route to the final.

Scores remained tight for the first half of the final, but Irons hit a strong rhythm at the half-way point to steal away with the lead. His score of 16.17 points out of 20 for his best two rides earned him $15,000. Second place was Occhilupo (13.8 points and $8,000), third was Patacchia (12.87 points for $6,000), and fourth was Joel Parkinson (10.5 points and $4,000).

Andy Irons : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

"I've gotten second here before," said Irons. "I knew I'd have to play it smart against those guys."

After a shocking first round loss in the first event two weeks ago, the Vans Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, Irons had written off the likelihood of regrouping his results to be able to challenge Series leader Sunny Garcia (Hawaii). But his win today takes him within 150 points of Garcia, who dropped to second on the Triple Crown ratings after losing in one round prior to the quarter finals this-morning. Australian Phillip MacDonald, runner-up at Haleiwa and semi-finalist today, has taken a 122 point lead on the Series. MacDonald sits on 1764 Triple Crown points, Garcia has 1632, and Irons 1488 points.

"This is such a prestigious spot," continued Irons. "To have a win here is very special. I'm really bummed now that I did bad at Haleiwa. I'm fiending for (the Triple Crown title). But I think Sunny's going to have to have the wheels fall off for me to beat him."

With a smaller than usual winter swell on offer today, just 4-6 foot faces, two distinctly different styles of surfing emerged between the regular foot surfers (those who ride facing the wave) and the goofy-footers (those who surf with their back to the wave). In the final, goofy-footers Occhilupo and Patacchia amassed large numbers of maneuvers with their tight, driving top-to-bottom turns, while regular-footers Irons and Parkinson honed into every possible tubing ride to counter the scores. Ironically, it was a rare left-breaking wave that offered Irons a high-scoring back-side tube ride that turned the tables in the heat - the best ride of the final at 8.67 points out of a possible 10. Association of Surfing Professionals (A.S.P.) Head Judge Perry Hatchett called the wave the highest scoring left ever ridden at Sunset during Triple Crown competition.

Marc Occhilupo : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

"I think it looked like I was a little deeper than it really was," Irons said of the left. "But I'll take it and I'll run with it."

Second placed Occhilupo won over another generation of surfing spectators with a youthful, effervescent string of heats today. By far the heaviest surfer in the final and the oldest surfer in the event, Occhilupo didn't miss a beat and surfed with the same speed, flair and enthusiasm as his far younger rivals.

Third placed Patacchia received as huge a welcome as Irons upon his return to shore, securing a berth on the A.S.P.'s elite World Championship Tour (W.C.T.) for 2005 with his performance today. His promotion to the top ranks of pro surfing was four years in the making and came as a huge relief and motivation to the Haleiwa surfer.

"The dream first started in high school, but it's definitely been strong the last four years," said Patacchia. "The second I made the quarters, I felt a lot better. By the final, my thought was, You're job's done.

"I always love surfing events out here. Some guys would kill just to shake these guys hands and I got to muck around with them out there."

Winners podium : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

As the final World Qualifying Series (W.Q.S.) event of the 2004 A.S.P. World Tour, the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing played a major hand in deciding the lineup for next year's W.C.T. tour. Along with Patacchia, Californian Tim Reyes, 22, (Huntington Beach) qualified for the W.C.T. tour today. While the performance of W.C.T. surfers at Pipeline will cast the final dice, W.Q.S. qualifiers currently include the top 20 W.Q.S. ranked surfers, with Brazil's Bernardo Pigmeu the last at this point, rated 20th (see WQS rankings www.worldtour.com)

Reyes, an O'Neill team rider, had his greatest day in pro surfing today, posting the highest heat score of the entire competition in the quarter finals, 18.07 points out of a possible 20, before losing in the semi-finals to Occhilupo and Irons. His 5th place finish overall was enough to earn him the 2004 Nose Guard Rookie of the Year award, that goes to the best newcomer to the Triple Crown.

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing next moves to Pipeline for the third and final men's event, the Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters - the final W.C.T. event of the year. The holding period begins Wednesday, December 8, and runs through the 20th. The second and final event of the women's Triple Crown Series, the Billabong Pro Maui, runs through the same period as Pipeline.

FINAL:
1st=$15,000, 2nd=$8,000, 3rd=$6,000, 4th=$4,000
1st. Andy Irons (Hawaii) 16.17
2nd. Mark Occhilupo (Australia) 13.8
3rd. Fred Patacchia (Hawaii) 12.87
4th. Joel Parkinson (Australia) 10.5

Semi Finals:
1st & 2nd to final. 3rd=5th, 4th=7th
H1: Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 15.73; Andy Irons (Haw) 15.33; Tim Reyes (USA) 14.13; Nathan Carroll (Haw) 10.16
H2: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 17.53; Fred Patacchia (Haw) 14.16; Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 12.2; Cory Lopez (USA) 12.17

Quarter Finals:
1st & 2nd to Semi Finals. 3rd=9th, 4th=13th
H1: Tim Reyes (USA) 18.07; Nathan Carroll (Haw) 12.17; Michael Lowe (Aus) 11.07; Kalani Robb (Haw) 9.77
H2: Andy Irons (Haw) 14.17; Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 13.43; Daniel Jones (Aus) 10.0; Renan Rocha (Brz) 8.74
H3: Fred Patacchia (Haw) 16.1; Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 15.33; Neco Padaratz (Brz) 13.83; Kelly Slater (USA) 12.36
H4: Joel Parkinson (Aus) 13.07; Cory Lopez (USA) 12.83; Leonardo Neves (Brz) 9.67; Raoni Monteiro (Brz) 9.43

Round 5
1st & 2nd to Quarter Finals. 3rd-17th, 4th-25th
H1: Kalani Robb (Haw) 15.0; Tim Reyes (USA) 11.93; Marcus Hickman (Haw) 10.83; CJ Hobgood (USA) 7.2
H2: Nathan Carroll (Haw) 12.53; Michael Lowe (Aus) 11.34; Paulo Maura (Brz) 10.0; Sunny Garcia (Haw) 9.77
H3: Renan Rocha (Brz) 13.43; Mark Occhilupo (Aus) 11.5; Pablo Gutierrez (BRz) 8.23; Ben Bourgeois (USA) 6.73
H4: Daniel Jones (Haw) 13.77; Andy Irons (Haw) 13.56; Greg Emslie (SAfr) 11.67; Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 8.53
H5: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.84; Neco Padaratz (Brz) 13.23; Pancho Sullivan (Haw) 11.16; Chris Ward (USA) 10.07
H6: Fred Patacchia (Haw) 13.0; Phillip MacDonald (Aus) 11.5; Ian Walsh (Maui) 9.66; Masatoshi Ohno (Jpn) 3.6
H7: Cory Lopez (USA) 14.17; Leonardo Neves (Brz) 12.5; Daniel Ross (Aus) 12.27; Brian Pacheco (Haw) 12.0
H8: Raoni Monteiro (Brz) 13.17; Joel Parkinson (Aus) 12.5; Bruce Irons (Haw) 9.57; Kieren Perrow (Aus) 3.17

Joel Parkinson : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com
WQS rankings
After event #40 O'Neill World Cup,Sunset Beach,Oahu-Hawaii
1 Padaratz,Neco BRA 11785
2 MacDonald,Phillip AUS 10728
3 Stedman,Luke AUS 10322
4 Emslie,Greg ZAF 10206
5 Monteiro,Raoni BRA 9853
6 Reyes,Tim USA 9536
7 Ward,Chris USA 9518
8 Patacchia,Frederick HAW 9413
9 Lovett,Richard AUS 9396
10 Martin,Toby AUS 9213
11 Logie,Travis ZAF 9185
12 Brooks,Troy AUS 8990
13 Munro,Trent AUS 8908
14 Durbidge,Bede AUS 8820
15 Flintoff,Kirk AUS 8788
16 Moura,Paulo BRA 8781
17 Nunes,Marcelo BRA 8715
18 Rocha,Renan BRA 8493
19 Whitaker,Tom AUS 7931
20 Pigmeu,Bernardo BRA 7876
21 Daltro,Armando BRA 7840
22 O'Rafferty,Darren AUS 7806
23 Bourgeois,Ben USA 7790
23 Irons,Andy HAW 7790
25 Rebiere,Eric FRA 7778
26 Lopez,Cory USA 7719
27 Powers,Roy HAW 7600
28 Webster,Nathan AUS 7575
29 Davidson,Chris AUS 7566
30 Pires,Tiago PRT 7515
31 Buchan,Adrian AUS 7418
32 Costa,Danilo BRA 7243
33 Rosa,Peterson BRA 7225
34 Dornelles,Rodrigo BRA 7090
35 Howse,Jarrad AUS 6908
36 Gouveia,Fabio BRA 6848
37 Cansdell,Shaun AUS 6745
38 Ribas,Victor BRA 6685
39 Herdy,Guilherme BRA 6678
40 Acero,Eneko ESP 6630
41 Winter,Russell GBR 6485
42 Neves,Leonardo BRA 6445
43 Trekinho,Marcelo BRA 6340
44 Burrow,Taj AUS 6320
45 Souza,Adriano de BRA 6252
46 Weare,David ZAF 6165
47 Harrison,Zane AUS 6085
48 Hobgood,Damien USA 6073
49 Hall,Glenn AUS 6010
50 Otton,Kai AUS 5960

View full article »

About the author:

Claire Karabatsos : photo Dimulle/ASPEurope.com

Nokia Biarritz Surf Festival

Voodoo Dolls Women Longboard
EPSA 2 star womens event
Cote des Basques, Biarritz, France
10 - 18 July 2004

Claire Karabatsos wins Voodoo Dolls Womens Longboard Championship .

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 18 July 2004: - - After the last heat of the round of 32 could be ran for the International Champioships, the Voodoo Dolls Women Longboard Contest** Final was held in unexpected conditions offering the girls all they needed to express their surf.

After a week of bad or flat waves, it was a real pleasure to watch all the surfers in the evening. The amazed crowd enjoyed the show encouraging the four european finalists before the heat during the presentation on the main podium.

Claire Karabatsos (Fra), EPSA Champion '03, paddled into the first wave from the far outside, but her wave shut down and even if she managed to pass the closed section nothing more than 3.00 pts appeared on the speaker's screen.

The first fifteen minutes brang nothing spectacular as the girls scored really low scores despite the waves could be exploited a lot more. Deanne Ashmore led the heat with a 5.50 pointer until Estitxu Estremo (Euk) finally got a 7.25 pointer changing the situation.

Estitxu Estrimo : photo Dimulle/ASPEurope.com

Nina Blake (Jey) missed her final; she had shown good skills during the week but she just didn't get the connecting righthanders whereas Claire Karabatsos rushed-up to the last fifty seconds scoring an 8.25 pts wave grabbing the European crown at the end of the 25-minute decider.

Official results
1. Claire Karabatsos (Fra) 11.95 pts
2. Estitxu Estremo (Euk) 11.50 pts
3. Deanne Ashmore (GB) 10.35 pts
4. Nina Blake (Jey) 9.80 pts

The new European Champion is Claire Karabatsos from France, and luckuly the finals were held in good 3-4 ft conditions. Congratulations to our winner and see you next year for some more action with the best Europeans.

View full article »

Winners podium : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

Turtle Bay Resort Womens Pro

ASP 4 star WQS Womens event
Turtle Bay,Oahu-Hawaii, Oahu
24 November - 7 December 2003

Kennelly shows versatility to win Turtle Bay Resort Womens Pro

Mulanovich Leads Women ´s Vans Triple Crown Series Ratings

Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - (Sunset Beach, Oahu, HAWAII) -- Hawaii ´s Keala Kennelly proved she is a contender in all conditions today, winning the 4-star World Qualifying Series (WQS) Turtle Bay Resort Women ´s Pro, held in highly difficult waves. Better known for her tube-riding skills and ability to charge fearlessly on giant waves, the 25-year-old from Kauai proved to be untouchable in strong on-shore, 2-4 foot surf at the 5-star Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu.

Advancing in first place through four rounds today, Kennelly posted her first ever Vans Triple Crown of Surfing event win to earn $3,500 and has moved to second on the Triple Crown Series ratings, behind Sofia Mulanovich (Peru). The final WQS event of 2003, the Turtle Bay Resort Women ´s Pro was not part of the elite Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT) and therefore had no baring on the world title race that Kennelly currently leads.

In the 30-minute four-woman final with Kennelly today were Megan Abubo (Hawaii), Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) - winner of last week ´s Roxy Pro at Haleiwa, and Rebecca Woods (Australia), who finished second through fourth respectively. Kennelly posted a two-wave total of 16.06 points out of a possible 20, Abubo scored 11.7, Mulanovich scored 11.43 and Woods trailed all with 9.84. Kennelly ´s closest rival Abubo required a score of 8.39 to win.

Keala Kennelly : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

Early morning glassy conditions fast gave way strong on-shore winds and a shredded lineup that tested even the most seasoned professionals. A sample of those who fell victim to the unpredictable waves today included world champion Layne Beachley, who only posted a two-wave total of 4.67, current world No.3 Chelsea Georgeson (Australia), and world No.4 Heather Clark (South Africa), all of whom were eliminated in their opening heats this-morning.

For Kennelly, her performance today bodes well for the upcoming Billabong Pro on Maui, December 8-20, where she hopes to clinch her first ASP world title. Her strategy was strong, her wave selection good, and her maneuvers sharp and vertical.

"Turtle Bay is a really tough wave to surf," said Kennelly, after clinching the event. "If anyone thinks they can go out there and find a winning place in the lineup, they ´re dead wrong. It ´s impossible to read the lineup because there is no defined lineup. The swells just come in and peak up all over the place. My strategy was to just go out there and catch a million waves and hope that some of them would turn out. Thankfully they did and I had a few that linked up all the way and scored well.

Sofia Mulanovich : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

"To be honest, I ´ve been surfing like a bit of a kook in the WQS events this year," laughed Kennelly. "I don ´t think I ´ve done any good in any of them. I ´ve been leading the WCT, but I ´ve had nothing on the WQS, so it ´s pretty cool to do something like this now.

"Heading to Maui, I think that any one of the girls in contention for the world title is good enough to win it. It ´s pretty much going to come down to the day, the heat, the moment. I just want to be the highest placing finisher. I ´ve never been in the lead heading into the last event. I ´ve always been somewhere down near fourth, needing to do something drastic to win, so I haven ´t really developed a strategy yet. But I have to wonder if Layne ´s developed a strategy yet either, because she ´s used to being the one in the lead and now she ´s not."

Runner-up to Kennelly today was Hawaiian Megan Abubo, who could finally breathe a deep sigh of relief having faced possible elimination from the WCT tour if she didn ´t post a strong result here. She is now the last definite qualifier for next year ´s WCT lineup.

Rebecca Woods : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

"It ´s such a relief!" said Abubo, 25. "I ´m just stoked to be able to go to Maui with no pressure. It ´s been pretty stressful this last couple of weeks, but now I ´m looking forward to having some fun in the last event of the Triple Crown."

At this time, four WQS surfers have definitely qualified for next year ´s WCT tour: Melanie Bartels, Pauline Menczer (Aus), Maria Tita Tavares (Brazil), and Abubo. Australian pair Prue Jeffries and Melanie Redman-Carr are also in line to qualify but must technically await the final ratings outcome of the Billabong Pro WCT in two week ´s time.

On hand to present the awards today was Jericho Poplar, one of the pioneering female professionals who dominated pro competition during the 70 ´s. Jericho brought her five children to the Turtle Bay Resort from their home in Long Beach, California, to witness first hand the current state of women ´s surfing.

Melanie Bartels : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

The Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach, Nov.24-Dec.7. and the Turtle Bay Resort Women ´s Pro are the second stop of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The third and final stop is Pipeline, for the Xbox Gerry Lopez Pipeline Masters (Dec. 8-20) for the men, and Honolua Bay, Maui, for the women ´s Billabong Pro (Dec. 8-20)

RESULTS: TURTLE BAY RESORT WOMEN ´S PRO

FINAL:
1st. Keala Kennelly (Haw) 16.06 - $3,500
2nd. Megan Abubo (Haw) 11.7 - $2,200
3rd. Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) 11.43 - $1,800
4th. Rebecca Woods (Aus) 9.84 - $1,300

Semi-Finals:
1st & 2nd advance, 3rd=5th, 4th=7th
H1: R. Woods 15.83, S. Mulanovich 11.83, Pauline Menczer (aus) 11.07, Melanie Bartels (Haw) 6.33
H2: K. Kennelly 16.0, M. Abubo 12.5, Prue Jeffries (aus) 10.13, Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) 9.9

Quarter Finals:
1st & 2nd advance, 3rd=9th, 4th=13th
H1: S. Mulanovich 13.84, P. Menczer 11.07, Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 9.2, Ellen Black (Aus) 7.74
H2: M. Bartels 16.17, R. Woods 14.73, Anastasia Ashley (USA) 10.84, Samantha Cornish (Aus) 4.4
H3: K. Kennelly 15.4, M. Abubo 13.17, Silvana Lima (Brz) 9.17, Marie Pierre Abgrall (Fra) 7.8
H4: P. Jeffries 12.26, L. MacKenzie 12.0, Serena Brooke (Aus) 9.7, Julia Christian (USA) 8.67

Round 4:
1st & 2nd advance, 3rd=17th, 4th=25th
H1: (scores not available) S. Mulanovich, J. Silva, Sacha Moller (SAfr), E. Joly-Thomas
H2: E. Black 13.0, P. Menczer 8.6, Laurina McGrath (Aus) 5.9, Heather Clark (SAfr) 5.6
H3: A. Ashley 12.83, S. Cornish 10.47, Melanie Redman-Carr 7.13, Kim Wooldridge (Aus) 5.0
H4: M. Bartels 15.84, R. Woods 10.83, Erica Hosseini (USA) 6.67, Layne Beachley (Aus) 4.67
H5: K. Kennelly 14.33, M. Pierre Abgrall 12.3, Jessi Miley-Dyer (SAfr) 5.77, Lauren Ringer (Aus) 5.66
H6: S. Lima 16.34, M. Abubo 13.94, Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 8.4, Claire Bevilacqua (Aus) 6.24
H7: S. Brooke 8.6, J. Christian 8.34, Carly Smith (Aus) 7.4, Chelsea Georgeson (Aus) 6.16
H8: L. MacKenzie (Aus) 14.33, P. Jeffries 7.4, Dara Penfold (Aus) 4.16, Kyla Langen (USA) 2.94

Turtle Bay : photo Carol Cunningham/Cunninghamphotos.com

TOP 5 VANS TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING SERIES RATINGS

1. Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) 2076
2. Keala Kennelly (Haw) 1800
3. Megan Abubo (Haw) 1764
4. Melanie Bartels (Haw) 1698
5. Samantha Cornish (Aus) 1344

TOP 12 ASP FINAL WQS RANKINGS:

1. Melanie Bartels (Haw) 8383
2. Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) 7450
3. Chelsea Georgeson (Aus) 7358 - requalifies through WCT
4. Heather Clark (SAfr) 6930 - requalifies through WCT
5. Pauline Menczer (Aus) 6630
6. Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 6515
7. Maria Tita Tavares (Brz) 6365
8. Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) - currently requalifying through WCT
9. Megan Abubo (Haw) 6300 - last definite WQS qualifier
10. Prue Jeffries (Aus) 6293 - possible WQS qualifier, dependant upon Maui results
11. Melanie Redman-Carr (aus) 6205 - last possible WQS qualifier, dependant upon Maui results
12. Rochelle Ballard (Haw) - cannot requalify through WQS, needs very good result in WCT to stay on tour.

Previous reports:-
# 1 : Serena Brooke survives another day of re-qualifying at Turtle Bay Pro.

More information is available at www.triplecrownofsurfing.com

Check the latest Hawaii Surf Reports and Forecasts
More Hawaiian & USA Surfing News available here

View full article »

About the author:

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 09 July 2004: - - Skool's out for summer and the O'Neill Rat team are loving it! With Stuart Campbell sweeping the board at the Quiksilver Grommets tournament taking the under 15's title in Newquay, England and Spaniard Hector Menendez claiming the crown of â€˜O'Neill King of the Pier' in Blankenberge, Belgium at the weekend. It's one heck of a start to vacation time.

Teaching their fellow competitors humbling lessons in radical, and progressive competition surfing, Stuart and Hector were both surfing with determination and confidence above their years; dominating the respective contests to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Both chalked up meaty scores en route to the finals before issuing the final, devastating blows in the finals to claim the titles.

Surfing at one of Britain's most renowned beaches, Fistral Beach, Newquay, 13 year old Stuart Campbell was fully charged with confidence, and yet again treated his fellow competitors to a jaw dropping display of his exceptional skill and ability.

Surfing brilliantly in the preliminary heats Stuart saved his energy for the final where he scored 17.5 in the last ten minutes, with a stonking, near prefect 9 and 8.5. "I am stoked with my performance today, you can ´t always say you caught the best waves and truly did your best but today I think I can!" said Stuart as he came from the waters' edge.

"I know I have really improved since I have been having coaching with the O ´Neill team in Spain - some of the guys I was out there with today even mentioned it and said they could do with some coaching too"

Stuart will now travel to Capbreton in the SW of France for the European finals of the Quiksilver Grommets so keep an eye on O'Neill's super groms. We home the Euro scene is ready for our prodigies!

www.oneilleurope.com

View full article »

About the author:

Peniche, Portugal
ASP WQS 1 star mens event
23 - 25 April 2004

Day 3: Tim Boal wins Rip Curl Pro Peniche

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 25 April 2004: - - Conditions: mean and hollow 7-8 ft beach break barrels at Supertubes. Exceptional day of surfing, with some of the most impressive tube rides of the European professional tour in the last year.

Tim Boal (Fra) won the Rip Curl Pro Peniche with wave scores of 9.43 and 8.80 for a total 18.23, leaving second place Ruben Gonzalez (Port) trailing with a 16,13 score. Iker Fuentes (Euk) placed third with 13.87 and 2003 European Champion Patrick Bevan placed fourth with 11.16.

Tim Boal was on Fire today scoring a 9.8 and a 9.9 in his semi final heat. He won all his heats throughout the event, as well as highest wave score, best heat score, and 3 of the top five heat scores of the event. He was definitely the man to beat, as he accomplished half a dozen waves over 9,5 points. A stunning performance.

Tim Boal : photo Dimulle/ASPEurope.com

Quarter-finals started with high expectations for Portugal. Ruben took an early lead, and secure it half way with a tremendous backside barrel, on a set wave, he came out clean and very cool, so the judges rewarded him with a 9.5 score. Jonathan Gonzalez broke his board, and lost is concentration. Justin Mujica did just enough to move into semis.

Patrick Bevan and Pablo Gutierrez provided a real show for the audience during the 2nd heat. Patrick got 9.93 and 9.17 points on his best rides, and Pablo was close sitting on a 10 and 8 points rides, just too good for Abdel's 7 points scores. Negative remarks for premature eliminations of Pablo Solar and Eneko Acero in the last quarter.

The semi-finals took advantage of the best conditions of the whole contest, and competitors chased the barrels as the horn sounded. Patrick Bevan was on fire, posting several top scores, as Ruben tried to follow. Pablo Gutierrez wasn't satisfied with his first score, and tried to move things into his favor puling into the heaviest barrel of the contest. The result came just opposite of his expectations, as he only earned a serious injury- torn knee ligaments. Justin Mujica also felt the power of Supertubos sets on his head. Confused and desperate, he dropped in on his good friend Ruben, on the best wave of the heat.

Tim Boal : photo Dimulle/ASPEurope.com

The second semi, was even more dramatic. Iker went into the lead with 17.03 points, but Tim Boal was less that a point away. While Picon was desperate in 4th, Tim found one 9.8 points barrel, and then Hugo Savalli got a perfect 10, and Tim again answer with 9.9 points. Hugo score left a bitter taste as he still lost a place in the final by 0.03 points. The french surfer deserved more.

Later, Boris Letexier took the"expression session" with a huge barrel on a â€˜St Leu' look-alike, and paid a visit to the podium for the Playstation2 award.

The 35 minute final offered smaller but cleaner off-shore barrels. The spectator crowd was behind Portuguese surfer Ruben Gonzalez who responded, surfing everything that moved, despite speaker's Nuno Jonet warnings. He went into the lead, but the Irish/Frenchman Tim Boal sat down and waited for a good one that came and earned him the lead with an excellent 9.43 point tube ride.

Reuben Gonzalez : photo Dimulle/ASPEurope.com

Patrick Bevan was lost in the lineup, as conditions changed a lot during the 35 minute final. Iker Fuentes also found difficulties to get good barrels, but his trouble was few scores. Ruben Gonzalez with 5 minutes to go, took a long and clean deep backside barrel, scoring him an excellent 8.8 points, and moved into the lead again, but he was forced to wait on the beach for the remaining time of the heat as he had completed his 12th ride.

Tim Boal with some pressure on his back, chose a good right to guarantee a magic front side barrel and two snaps, securing his first win with 2 minutes still to go. Always calm and shy, Tim came out of the water with a good smile, and more relaxed than ever confessed:"I just feel very happy, the waves were great, this is such a good place to surf, I will be back next year to defend the title".

Congratulations to Tim Boal for his 1st WQS victory, the reward he needed after an unlucky 2003 finish were he was leading the Junior European rankings, and due to an injury at the two final 2 Star junior events could not defend his 1st place.

Pablo Gutierrez : photo Dimulle/ASPEurope.com

Rip Curl's sports marketing director, Gerard d'Avezac, had the happiest face of all as he stated this was the best example of Rip Curl politics, to hold contests on prime locations, and promised a better and bigger event for 2005.

The Rip Curl Pro Peniche is proud of having City Hall as a partner, and lots of support from Nokia, Redbull, Triudus, Buondi, Playstation2, Panrico, FPS e PPSC. The Rip Curl Pro, the longest running Surf event in Portugal history, also has the following"Media Partners": Correio da ManhÃ£, Record, Onfire, Surf Portugal, Sem Stress- Antena3, Surf Total, Surf Action, NotÃcias do Mar, BeachCam, SurfersVillage and Surf Europe. See you next year.

View full article »

More articles under Atulya's race blog »