Free Republic

Dale Velzy, surf pioneer who popularized the sport in California, dies at 77 Monday May 30, 2005 MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) Master surfboard designer Dale Velzy, who helped popularize surfing along the California coast and at one time was the world's largest maker of surfboards, has died. He was 77.Velzy died Thursday of lung cancer at the Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, hospital administrative supervisor Brian Noakes said Monday.``Velzy's lasting legacy is the billion-dollar surf industry,'' said Sam George, global editor for Surfer Magazine. ``He created the archetype and everyone has followed it: Get the hottest guys...

At first, Stacey Akerson did not know what they were - those oblong, shrouded objects that she first began spotting a couple of years ago, affixed to the tops of cars on the streets of Brooklyn. "You always wondered, what's that up there, covered up?" she said.

A BRITISH surfer who fought off a shark attack yesterday on South Africa’s coast is recovering with more than one hundred stitches to wounds on his hips, buttocks and arms. Jay Catherall, 32, a wildlife photographer from Worcester, was knocked from his board at Wackey Point, an outstanding but remote surfing spot near the mouth of the Kei River, north of East London, a city on the Indian Ocean coast. “Jay had just completed a ride on a huge barrel wave and was beginning to paddle in when I saw him give the shark warning symbol, an upturned hand to...

Out of Malibu, Calif., came one of the most influential literary works of modern times. And this spring,48 years after it was published, the whole town is reading it. I refer to the novella "Gidget," which Malibu recently picked for its "One City One Book" program. Laugh if you must, then ask yourself the following questions: Did "The Great Gatsby" change the world? How many people decided to move or quit their jobs after reading "Moby-Dick"? "Gidget," on the other hand, altered the course of American history, drawing legions to California beaches, spawning a lineage of movie and TV spinoffs...

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, Bush-Cheney '04 announced the release of the campaign's newest television advertisement, "Windsurfing."  The ad highlights John Kerry's tendency to go whichever way the wind blows on the most important issues facing our nation, including the War on Terror, education reform and health care.  The ad will rotate in on national cable and in select local markets.Script For "Windsurfing" President Bush: I'm George W. Bush and I approve this message.Voice Over: In which direction would John Kerry lead? Kerry voted for the Iraq war, opposed it, supported it, and now opposes it again. He bragged about...

Are there any other wave riders out there in FReeperland? I live in southern RI and surf year-round. Most people don't associate surfing with the Northeast, but we get some very good waves as long as you don't mind the cold weather.

<p>KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Teen surfer Bethany Hamilton returned to competition Saturday, just 10 weeks after losing her left arm in a shark attack.</p> <p>Hamilton, 13, placed fifth in her age group in the Open Women Division of a National Scholastic Surfing Association meet at Banyans.</p>

Surfrider Foundation is a non-partisan organization. This is why it is hard to address what seems to be a growing estrangement between our mission at Surfrider Foundation and the Grand Old Party. Surfrider Foundation is made up of members, volunteers, staff, and directors on our board who are registered Democrats and registered Republicans. Heck, we even have a few Greens and others in the mix. But, this isn’t about our Party registration, it’s about our respect for the environment; and the environment itself is non-partisan. So, we cannot stand by and watch the current Administration dismantle or weaken laws designed...

<p>Many of Trent Lott's defenders have been saying he's not a racist.</p> <p>Of course he's a racist -- if by "racist" you mean someone who believes the government should act differently toward each individual citizen based on that citizen's skin color.</p>

The battle between the sexes is being carried over to cyberspace, research shows. A survey conducted by search engine AltaVista found that male chauvinism is alive and well on the internet, with 80% of men claiming to be better surfers than their female partners. Men are also far more likely to be backseat drivers, interfering while their partners surf the web. And just as road rage is often the preserve of the male of the species so too net rage seems more likely to happen to men. Gender stereotypes Battle of sexes online 80% of men claim to be better...