Text and Photo by Liz Clark



Here's is a bit of everything from the last two months on the Presqu'isle...between my engine woes, the WCT circus, my recent submersion in a writing assignment (check out the upcoming October issue of Surfer's Journal), a bout with Dengue fever (or Beamish flu?), a last minute haulout, and the Ahuna-Marotta wedding in Hawai'i...well, blogs have gone by the wayside...so here goes a brief recap:

Swell 'stuck' at George and Marika Riou's waiting for broken motor mounts: nightly dining French style, permanent dish and lawn-mowing duty, views from the tree house, life as Georges' favorite conversation piece. Yoga with Nina! Treat of all treats! Tahitian, Haere Williams, wins the trials for the one and only WCT wildcard...the local spirit is rich as lait coco: Marara Boys tailgate concerts, full moon and full voices to celebrate with traditional Tahitian songs and Hinanos. I shimmied with The Shimmies!! Chonny, Gideon, Andy, Josh and Indy, thanks for being the coolest 'yachties' ever , ha! Miss you guys!

Meet Prisca Aramu: The lovely 27 year old Moorean charger who conquered the reef and became the only girl of an 8 child family to love surfing, now she's best Tahitian surfer girl around, stylish and poised, smart, environmentally-concerned...I found a girl to surf with! Thanks for our adventures around the Presqe'isle and to the east side! Birthday dinner with Mick and Jon and Mark and Marika and Georges: thank you for being my family abroad!! Between the Riou's and the 'Quik Euro' dinners I forgot how to cook, Jasper's Quik Euro crew teaching baby pigs to swim for their next ad campaign? Jasper, Jerome reported you all for animal cruelty. Julien Wilson is as talented and humble as a radical young surfer could be. Good waves for 4 weeks straight, but the Billabong Teahupoo Pro waiting period begins, and it goes FLAT...Kelly certainly knew where to be...Me, 'dead in the water', still disabled at the Riou mooring waiting for my new motor mounts...Happy birthday, Mr. Knox! What a legend you are...Marika makes the best chocolate cake in the world, just ask Mick Fanning, go for the middle piece!...Dinner at Josh and Celeste's with the Transworld brothers and deep-diving, bomb-charging Healy, Prisca and I in the Ripple spectating and rubbin' elbows in the Teahupoo sunshine, Parko such a treat to watch.

Herve comes through with the motor mounts. Just go back in you stupid engine mount rubber foot thingy...uuuuuuuuuuuugh. Good idea, Georges, I'll use your car jack upside down against the ceiling to push the rubber boot back into the hole. Too much force...frustration...BAM!!! An eyeful of pressurized car jack while trying to realign the engine...OWWWWWWWWWWWW, blood is running down my sweaty stomach. A trip to see the nurse, 5 days out of the water and a bandaged black eye while the entire surf world is here. Had it been an inch higher I might have really had to wear a pirate patch!

Luckily, I found installation success with the help of Grillo before the eyebolt that attached the mooring line to the cement block decided to come unbolted. While hanging my laundry at the Riou compound, I look out... "Uh, where' my boat? No dinghy either...popped it the prior day and it's on the Riou lawn with the patch drying...there goes Swell drifting away across the lagoon again!? Mick Fanning and Taylor Knox leap into action...rescue delivery on the jet ski...That's it, I'm dropping my anchor in the bay around the corner...

Shucking pahua with Heinui and friends for Teioro, Sunday Tahitian meal. The WCT waits on a wave...and after all that...BOBBY wins!! My hometown hero!! Santa Barbara pride far from that curve of coast, Bobby Martinez smokes em' at the Billabong Teahupoo 2009!! Yeah yeah yeah! Anchored in my own sand patch after goodbyes, time to crawl into the writing cave...who's this? Natural Mystic? From S.B., too? Yeah, so you got a fancy catamaran, and a bigger dinghy, and a cooler torch, AND rosin core solder...but I got sauce! Natty Mystic, you boys serve up a fine meal and much more...pamplemousse raids, handstand contests, and barefoot dock slappin' in the Teahupoo Marina, thanks for watching out for me. Beamish flu or Dengue fever, still not sure...and then a mad dash to the haulout yard and the red-eye flight to Hawai'i for the Ahuna-Marotta wedding. Thank you to all of you who made this stretch of time unforgettable...now it's off to California to raise some Swell-fixing funds!! I will be giving a brief slide show at the Ventura premiere of the 'Dear and Yonder' surf film at the Ventura Patagonia store at 7pm on July 18th. Come and watch!

HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ALREADY CONTRIBUTED TO HELP HEAL SWELL!!!

Blogs will be intermittent until I get back to Tahiti...

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Liz Clark sails solo around the world on her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, in search of people, places and waves. She sends us travel updates, stories and photos several times a week.

More travel logs

More photos of the trip

Text by The Journal of Experimental Biology, Photo by NOAA



We can only marvel at the way that dolphins, whales and porpoises scythe through water. Their finlike flippers seem perfectly adapted for maximum aquatic agility. However, no one had ever analyzed how the animals' flippers interact with water; the hydrodynamic lift that they generate, the drag that they experience or their hydrodynamic efficiency. Laurens Howle and Paul Weber from Duke University teamed up with Mark Murray from the United States Naval Academy and Frank Fish from West Chester University, to find out more about the hydrodynamics of whale and dolphin flippers.

They publish their finding that some dolphins' fins generate lift in the same way as delta wing aircraft in The Journal of Experimental Biology.

Using Computer tomography scanning of the fins of seven different species ranging from the slow swimming Amazon River dolphin and pygmy sperm whale to the super-fast striped dolphin, the team made scaled models of the flippers of each species. Then they measured the lift and drag experienced by the flipper at inclinations ranging from -45deg. to +45deg. in a flow tunnel running at a speed that would have been the equivalent of 2m/s for the full scale fin.

Comparing the lift and drag coefficients that the team calculated for each flipper at different inclination angles, they found that the flippers behave like modern engineered aerofoils. Defining the flippers' shapes as triangular, swept pointed or swept rounded, the team used computer simulations of the fluid flows around the flippers and found that sweptback flippers generate lift like modern delta wing aircraft. Calculating the flippers' efficiencies, the team found that the bottle nose dolphin's triangular flippers are the most efficient while the harbour porpoise and Atlantic white-sided dolphin's fins were the least efficient.

Commenting that environmental and performance factors probably play a significant role in the evolution of dolphin and whale flipper shapes and their hydrodynamics, Howle and his colleagues are keen to find out more about the link between the flippers' performances and the environment that whales and dolphins negotiate on a daily basis.

Text and Photo by University of Miami



What do great white sharks have in common with serial killers? Refined hunting skills, according to a paper recently published in the Zoological Society of London's Journal of Zoology. Researchers have found that sharks hunt in a highly focused fashion, just like serial criminals.

Predation is one of the most fundamental and fascinating interactions in nature, and sharks are some of the fiercest predators on Earth. However, their hunting pattern is difficult to study because it is rarely observed in the wild. As a result, shark predatory behavior has remained much of a mystery. Now, researchers from the United States and Canada are using geographic profiling -- a criminal investigation tool used to track a connected series of crimes and locate where serial criminals live -- to examine the hunting patterns of white sharks in South Africa.

Using this tool, scientists looked at the predatory interactions between white sharks and Cape fur seals at Seal Island in False Bay, South Africa. They found that sharks possess a well-defined anchor point or search base for hunting, but not where the chances of prey interception were greatest. Instead the attacks seemed to take place at strategic locations that could offer a balance of prey detection, capture rates, and inter-shark competition. "The study expands our knowledge of how large predators hunt and offers a new scientific reference for studying other predator-prey systems," explained Neil Hammerschlag, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and co-principal investigator of the study.

"Sharks are apex predators, so studies of shark hunting behavior are important for understanding their ecology and role in structuring marine communities," said Hammerschlag. "Our need for more knowledge of these fascinating animals has become critical because of recent drastic declines in their populations globally."

In an awesome display of power and acrobatic prowess, white sharks attack prey with a sudden vertical rush that propels them out of the water. "They hunt solitary juvenile Cape fur seals when light levels are low, stalking them from near the ocean floor to remain undetected, before launching a vertical attack," Hammerschlag said. "This strategy maximizes a shark's chances of catching a seal unaware thus initiating a fatal first strike. Stealth and ambush are key elements in the white shark's predatory strategy."

Hammerschlag and his collaborators from the University of British Columbia and Texas State University collected data on 340 natural predatory attacks by sharks on seals in False Bay. They were able to observe natural predation by great white sharks because attacks occur at the water's surface where they can be seen from a distance. The researchers found that spatial patterns of shark predation at this site were nonrandom and that smaller sharks had more dispersed prey search patterns and lower kill success rates than larger sharks.

This could mean that white sharks refine their search patterns with experience, and learn to concentrate hunting efforts in locations with the highest probability of successful prey capture. It might also suggest that larger sharks competitively exclude smaller sharks from the prime hunting areas.

The findings will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Zoology and is now available as an advance online publication of the journal.The study uses geographic profiling for the first time in the marine environment. The technology was originally developed by study co-author Dr. Kim Rossmo of Texas State University to determine the most probable area for a criminal offender's residence or anchor point, and has been used in a number of high-profile police investigations internationally.

In addition to applications in law enforcement, geographic profiling has also been applied to studies of the foraging behavior of bats and bumblebees, the spread of infectious diseases in Africa, and the structure of terrorist cells in the Middle East.

Text and Photo by Universit Joseph Fourier



Zero CO2 is the world's first-hydrogen powered yacht with a fully integrated laboratory to study pollution in the Mediterranean.

The objective of the Zero CO2 project is to sail around the Mediterranean using a clean carbon-free auxiliary motor (gasoline powered motors are commonly used in yachts for all port maneuvers). The yacht will be presented for the first time at the Paris Boat Show in December 2009. A 12m craft built by the RM shipyard of La Rochelle, the yacht will be equipped with an electric motor driven by a hydrogen fuel cell, developed by CEA Liten of Grenoble.

Test pollution levels in the Mediterranean using a built-in laboratory

A scientific platform installed on the yacht by the University Joseph Fourier (UJF) and its technology transfer subsidiary, Floralis, will be used to collect scientific data on man-made pollution throughout the length of the 10 month trip. The yacht will travel around the Mediterranean coast as far as Turkey on a journey that will commence in March, 2010.

The "Grenelle de la Mer" a major French maritime event that promotes key environmental issues will signal the beginning of the project. The Zero CO2 journey should open up amateur and professional sailors to new ways of enjoying the sea, using cutting-edge technologies that are both more respectful of the environment and more economic in terms of energy consumption.

A key aim of the project is to develop and promote new energy sources that will replace fossil fuels and consequently lead to a reduction in carbon emissions and an improvement with regards to the greenhouse effect. Throughout the journey around the Mediterranean, the Zero CO2 crew will also carry out research into the possibility of producing "green hydrogen" produced through the installation of solar panels and wind turbines on the roofs of port-side buildings. It is through such initiatives that the long-term objective of achieving truly carbon neutral power sources could become achievable.

The Zero CO2 project will test an environmentally-friendly boat powered by hydrogen and renewable energies.

The Zero CO2 journey around the Mediterranean will enable the project owners to:

• demonstrate the efficiency of the combined energy types that power the RM 1200, an environmentally-friendly craft that uses clean energies in place of petrol. These include a hydrogen fuel cell that powers an auxiliary electric motor and renewable energies (solar, wind, hydro power sources) for onboard power requirements.

• analyze data obtained from the air, sea and port sediments using the boats integrated onboard laboratory in order to evaluate pollution from the sea and coastline, especially pollution originating from fossil fuels.

• raise awareness of climatic change, pollution and the importance of alternative energies to the Mediterranean population and professional/amateur sailors.

• promote a culture based on respecting maritime environments through the adoption of self-sustainable energies in port and coastal areas in place of traditional fossil fuels. The project will also aim at increasing the uptake of carbon-neutral renewable energies that do not contribute to the greenhouse effect

The Zero CO2 project team has developed an internet site http://www.zeroCO2sailing.com which will feature a wide range of information on the progress of the project including the various stages of the yacht's development. The site will also give details of the boat's journey around the Mediterranean as well as give regular updates on the data that has been collected and analysed by the onboard laboratory. ZeroCO2sailing.com is also an important means of communicating key information about the project to an audience that includes researchers, schoolchildren and the general public.

Key dates and destinations

March to December 2009: construction of the boat, integration of the hydrogen fuel cell and onboard laboratory, planning for the ship's course around the Mediterranean, and preparation of all logistics for the Zero CO2 expedition.

5th to 13th December 2009: presentation of the Zero CO2 yacht equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell and fully integrated onboard laboratory, for use in environmental experiments at the Paris Boat Show.

January to February 2010: launch and first tests of the yacht on the "Lac du Bourget" in Savoie, Rhones-Alpes, France with the support of the Savoie Local Government and INES (National Institute for Solar Energy).

March to December 2010: first tests of the yacht on the Mediterranean followed by the start of the Zero CO2 trip. This period will see the start of the scientific phase of the trip: environmental data on man-made pollution will be captured and analysed onboard the yacht. Studies will commence regarding the feasibility for the production of "green hydrogen" through the installation of solar panels and wind turbines in suitable port-side locations. Public relations activity (presentations) on the project will take place demonstrating the importance of the project in relation to climate change in selected Mediterranean ports.

Geographic Areas covered by the scientific expedition

After initial tests on the Lac du Bourget in Savoie, France, the boat will be tested again in the Mediterranean before following the Southern French coast and heading for Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Tunisia, Crete, Turkey, the Greek coast, Montenegro, Croatia, the Italian coast, Spain, and the Balearic Islands before sailing back to Marseille in late 2010.

Major Research and Development themes covered by the Zero CO2 around the Mediterranean project

Clean propulsion systems for boats

For the first time, a yacht (an RM 1200 built in La Rochelle) will be equipped with a scientific research and development platform:

• The yacht will be entirely self-sufficient in terms of energy production

• The hydrogen fuel cell and the integration of hydrogen storage systems will be managed by the CEA Liten Institute in Grenoble.

Understanding boats and their environment

The integrated onboard laboratory is made up of two key innovative analytic devices developed by Floralis's business units, Sara and Ecometrix. These devices will enable the accurate testing of atmospheric pollutants linked to human, urban and industrial activity. These pollutants include carbon monoxide, ammonia and methane, but the team will also collate data on more complex compounds such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the water and sediments of ports.

Coastal Environments

Key areas of focus for the project will include:

• Potential means of producing self-sustaining "green hydrogen" using solar panels and wind turbines, strategically placed on portside buildings, in order to reduce fuel consumption

• This "green hydrogen" study will be carried out by the University Joseph Fourier and its laboratories.

Text by Carnegie Institution, Photo by NASA



Emergency plans to counteract global warming by artificially shading the Earth from incoming sunlight might lower the planet's temperature a few degrees, but such "geoengineering" solutions would do little to stop the acidification of the world oceans that threatens coral reefs and other marine life, report the authors of a new study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The culprit is atmospheric carbon dioxide, which even in a cooler globe will continue to be absorbed by seawater, creating acidic conditions.

"There would be a slight reduction in this problem, because land plants would be expected to be able to grow more vigorously in a high CO2, but cool world," says Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology, a co-author of the study with lead author Damon Matthews of Concordia University, Canada, and Carnegie geochemist Long Cao. Land plants and soils would hold onto more carbon in this scenario, so less would find its way into the oceans. "However this expansion of the land biosphere, while it's a slight help to ocean acidification is not enough to make a big difference."

A widely-discussed proposal for countering warming with geoengineering involves injecting small, reflective particles into the upper atmosphere. This would partially block incoming sunlight before it reached the Earth's surface, lowering global temperatures just as volcanic ash from the Mount Pinatubo did following its eruption in 1991. But critics have warned that such a scheme might also alter rainfall patterns, damage the planet's ozone layer, or have other unexpected effects.

Until the current study, which used a computer model of the Earth's climate system and biosphere to simulate the effect of geoengineering on climate and the ocean's chemistry, the potential impact of such a scheme on ocean acidification had never been calculated. In the simulations, reduced sunlight cooled the planet as expected,,and it also slightly slowed the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, as more carbon was absorbed by natural sinks. But this slight change was not enough to significantly mitigate ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification rivals global warming as a threat to marine ecosystems, especially coral reefs, which need to be surrounded with mineral-saturated water in order to grow. Rising levels of carbon dioxide make seawater more acidic, leading to lower mineral saturation. Recent research has indicated that continued carbon dioxide emissions will cause coral reefs to begin dissolving within a few decades, putting the survival of these ecosystems at extreme risk.

Geoengineering's minimal effect on ocean acidification adds another factor to the debate over the advisability of intentionally tampering with the climate system. Some see geoengineering as a possibly necessary response to the prospect of devastating climate change caused by increased human emission of greenhouse gases. Others see it as reckless tinkering with the planet's complex and finely tuned climate system that could do more harm than good.

"Geoengineering approaches come with all sorts of risks," says Caldiera. "It is important we learn about the the full set of these risks and all of their implications." He considers deep cuts in human emissions of carbon dioxide to be the most effective safeguard against a global environmental crisis. "One of the good reasons to prefer CO2 emissions reductions over geoengineering is that CO2 emissions reductions will protect the oceans from the threat of ocean acidification, whereas these geoengineering options will not."

Text and Photo by Durham University



The secret of a successful sandcastle could aid the revival of an ancient eco-friendly building technique, according to research led by Durham University.

Researchers, led by experts at Durham's School of Engineering, have carried out a study into the strength of rammed earth, which is growing in popularity as a sustainable building method.

Just as a sandcastle needs a little water to stand up, the Durham engineers found that the strength of rammed earth was heavily dependent on its water content.

Rammed earth is a manufactured material made up of sand, gravel and clay which is moistened and then compacted between forms to build walls. Sometimes stabilizers such as cement are added but the Durham research focused on unstabilized materials.

The research, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and published in the journal Geotechnique, showed that a major component of the strength of rammed earth was due to the small amount of water present.

Small cylindrical samples of rammed earth underwent "triaxial testing" - where external pressures are applied to model behaviour of the material in a wall. The researchers found that the suction created between soil particles at very low water contents was a source of strength in unstabilized rammed earth.

They showed that rammed earth walls left to dry after construction, in a suitable climate, could be expected to dry but not lose all their water. The small amount of water remaining provided considerable strength over time.

The researchers say their work could have implications for the future design of buildings using rammed earth as the link between strength and water content becomes clearer.

There is increasing interest in using the technique as it may help reduce reliance on cement in building materials (cement production being responsible for five per cent of man's CO2 output (1)). Rammed earth materials can usually also be sourced locally, thereby reducing transport needs.

As well as informing new build designs the team hopes their findings could also aid the conservation of ancient rammed earth buildings by putting methods in place to protect against too much water entering a structure, which would reduce its strength. Paul Jaquin, a researcher on the project is now working for an engineering consultancy (Ramboll, UK) on new earth building projects around the world, using this research to better engineer buildings.

Research project leader, Dr Charles Augarde, of Durham University's School of Engineering, said: "We know that rammed earth can stand the test of time but the source of its strength has not been understood properly to date.

"Without this understanding we cannot effectively conserve old rammed earth or make economic designs for new build.

"Our initial tests point to its main source of strength being linked to its water content.

"By understanding more about this we can begin to look at the implications for using rammed earth as a green material in the design of new buildings and in the conservation of ancient buildings that were constructed using the technique."

Rammed earth was developed in ancient China around 2,000 years before Christ, when people used the technique to build walls around their settlements and the technique spread throughout the world - as documented in another recent publication by the researchers linking up with Dr Chris Gerrard, of the Department of Archaeology, at Durham University (*).

Parts of the Great Wall of China and the Alhambra at Granada in Spain were built using rammed earth.

In the UK the technique was used to build experimental low cost housing, in Amesbury, Wiltshire, following the end of the First World War, and it is a recognized building method in parts of Australia and the USA.

The popularity of eco-friendly homes showcased on television programmes such as Grand Designs has also brought the technique to people's attention.

Dr Augarde is a co-director of Earth Building UK (EBUK), a new association established this year to foster the conservation, understanding and development of building with earth in the United Kingdom.

EBUK brings together builders, academics, researchers, architects, engineers, manufacturers and many more to work in areas of common interest at a national and local level.

Tom Morton, Secretary of Earth Building UK, said: "This kind of research is very valuable as the construction industry analyzes environmentally sound, traditional ways of building and adapts them for sustainable construction in the 21st century.

"Such low-carbon technologies are most likely to succeed by marrying the expertise of our research universities, such as Durham, with the commercial understanding of the wider industry and we are seeing a number of very exciting developments in this area.

Text by CSIRO Photo by Lisa Gershwin, Reef HQ



Early action could be crucial to addressing the problem of major increases in jellyfish numbers, which appears to be the result of human activities.

New research led by CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship and University of Queensland scientist, Dr Anthony Richardson, presents convincing evidence that this 'jellyfish joyride' is associated with over-fishing and excess nutrients from fertilizers and sewage.

"Dense jellyfish aggregations can be a natural feature of healthy ocean ecosystems, but a clear picture is now emerging of more severe and frequent jellyfish outbreaks worldwide," Dr Richardson says.

"In recent years, jellyfish blooms have been recorded in the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Black and Caspian Seas, the Northeast US coast, and particularly in Far East coastal waters.

"The most dramatic have been the outbreaks in the Sea of Japan involving the gargantuan Nomura jellyfish which can grow up to 2 m in diameter and weigh 200 kg."

The new research, by Dr Richardson and colleagues at the University of Miami, Swansea University and the University of the Western Cape, has been published in the international journal; Trends in Ecology and Evolution, in time for World Oceans Day on 8 June.

"Fish normally keep jellyfish in check through competition and predation but overfishing can destroy that balance," Dr Richardson says. "For example, off Namibia intense fishing has decimated sardine stocks and jellyfish have replaced them as the dominant species."

Climate change may favour some jellyfish species by increasing the availability of flagellates in surface waters - a key jellyfish food source. Warmer oceans could also extend the distribution of many jellyfish species.

"Mounting evidence suggests that open-ocean ecosystems can flip from being dominated by fish, to being dominated by jellyfish," Dr Richardson says "This would have lasting ecological, economic and social consequences.

"We need to start managing the marine environment in a holistic and precautionary way to prevent more examples of what could be termed a 'jellyfish joyride'."

Downhome OC

A ecelctic look at our OC backyard. Photos By Shawn Parkin

I was raised in Orange County, CA, where I developed a love for the ocean and surfing early on. After studying Graphic Design in college, a series of knee injuries forced me to put surfing on hold, which is when I picked up a camera. I basically lived on the beach at the time, and although I couldn't surf anymore due to the bum knee, I would still drink my morning coffee on the beach and watch the waves. It only made sense to shoot a few photos and show my friends when it got good. I ended up getting a few good lineup shots that winter, which I got excited about, so I continued. Now almost 2 years into photography, and completely self-taught, I am finding stoke in creating unique images. Photography has completely changed the course of my life in these 2 short years, so although I've been through hell with these injuries, blowing out my knee is quite possibly one of the best things to ever happen to me.

Last year I was recognized as a finalist for the Follow the Light Foundation Grant for up-and-coming surf photographers, in honor of the late Larry "Flame" Moore. It was a huge honor for me to be part of that group, which included winner and now Surfer staff photog, Todd Glaser, Zak Noyle (now a Transworld staffer), Ryan Craig, and Patrick Ruddy. I felt a little out of place amongst these talented and more experienced photographers, but apparently someone felt I belonged there.

Living in "the OC", most of my local breaks are far from secret spots, so making unique images in these highly photographed locations is my goal for now. And in the long term, the goal is to make a career out of creating striking photographs, and experience life to the fullest by doing so.

Click pic for Shawns Gallery

I was raised in Orange County, CA, where I developed a love for the ocean and surfing early on. After studying Graphic Design in college, a series of knee injuries forced me to put surfing on hold, which is when I picked up a camera. I basically lived on the beach at the time, and although I couldn't surf anymore due to the bum knee, I would still drink my morning coffee on the beach and watch the waves. It only made sense to shoot a few photos and show my friends when it got good. I ended up getting a few good lineup shots that winter, which I got excited about, so I continued. Now almost 2 years into photography, and completely self-taught, I am finding stoke in creating unique images. Photography has completely changed the course of my life in these 2 short years, so although I've been through hell with these injuries, blowing out my knee is quite possibly one of the best things to ever happen to me.

Last year I was recognized as a finalist for the Follow the Light Foundation Grant for up-and-coming surf photographers, in honor of the late Larry "Flame" Moore. It was a huge honor for me to be part of that group, which included winner and now Surfer staff photog, Todd Glaser, Zak Noyle (now a Transworld staffer), Ryan Craig, and Patrick Ruddy. I felt a little out of place amongst these talented and more experienced photographers, but apparently someone felt I belonged there.

Living in "the OC", most of my local breaks are far from secret spots, so making unique images in these highly photographed locations is my goal for now. And in the long term, the goal is to make a career out of creating striking photographs, and experience life to the fullest by doing so.

Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction launches in July

Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction Presented by Quiksilver Premium Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction launches this July Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 June, 2009 : - - Honolulu -- The vault of surf collectibles for the Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction, presented by Quiksilver Premium is ready for auction. A stunning collection has been amassed, and is set to go under the hammer at the Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, on July 17 & 18, 2009. Event producer Randy Rarick has been tracking down leads from as far away as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Gold Coast of Australia; the shores of Lima, Peru; the coasts of the Americas; and, of course, right here in his backyard of the Hawaiian Islands. Beyond wood surfboards from the early 20th century, Rarick has uncovered hollow Blake paddleboards from the '30s, laminated wood boards of the '40s, classic balsas from the '50s, North Shore guns of the '60s, and pro boards from the '70s and '80s. New items continue to flow in. "The response to the call for consignment items has been phenomenal", noted Rarick. One of the best collections has come from none other than James Arness of 'Marshall Dillon' fame from the "Gunsmoke" TV series of the '60s. The father of 1970 World Surfing Champion Rolf Arness, James and his family spent winters on the west side at Makaha for close to a decade. The list of items from the Arness collection includes a 1940's Pete Peterson paddleboard; a 1950 Bob Simmons balsa board; a 13-foot Surfboards Hawaii Dick Brewer Makaha Point gun from the early '60s; and a 12-foot version of son Rolf's Bing Maui Foil. There's also a studio artist rendition of Fred Hemmings' famous ride from the Don James photo at the Makaha Bowl. "To say the least, these five items alone could make up the auction itself, yet they represent only five per cent of the total items that will be up for bid," said Rarick. Surf decals, posters, art work, and a variety of printed material dating from the missionary era right up to the heyday golden '60s will be available. A fun grouping of silent auction items will also be available offering low priced deals in addition to the high-end quality items. Last Call for Consignment Items: Auction staff are still on the hunt for consignment items. Ninety per cent of the sale price of items will go back to the owners. The remaining 10% will be allocated to the auction's beneficiaries that include: the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation; the Surfrider Foundation; and the Surfing Heritage Foundation. So, if you have any old surf treasures in the attic, under your house or stashed away in the garage, pull them out and see if they're worth consigning to the auction and a good cause. This is the last call for consignment items. The final list of items selected from those submitted will be announced mid-May. Feature items that have already made the cut are currently being shown on the popular "Peek of the Week" at hawaiiansurfauction.com which features a new item each Monday right up until auction day. Free Appraisals In Person, or on the Internet: Even if you don't want to sell it, if you are in Honolulu bring your surf collectible along for a free valuation at the Antiques Roadshow-style appraisal that will take place on day one - July 17th. A panel of six expert appraisers will be on hand to let you know what your item is worth. If you can't make it to Hawaii, go online at: hawaiiansurfauction.com and event staff will give you a free appraisal over the internet. The auction will also be streamed live on the internet. Pre-Registration Opens to Bidders May 1st: Pre-registration will commence May 1st for those planning to attend in person and those who want to lodge Absentee Proxy Bids. Please go to: hawaiiansurfauction.com for complete registration and auction information. Over the past four auctions more than $1,500,000 of the finest vintage surfboards and surf memorabilia have changed hands and over $75,000 has been donated to various charitable causes and foundations. DETAILS: Friday July 17: Viewing from noon to 6pm, including Antiques Roadshow-style appraisals. Saturday July 18: Doors open for viewing at 10am. Silent auction 2:00-4:30pm. Main Auction 5-9pm. Free viewing. Bidders must purchase a bidding number. Pre-registration begins May 1st, 2009. www.hawaiiansurfauction.com