Saturday, December 25, 2010

UFC 124 Post-fight press conference: Who's next for GSP?

-- For the first time, the UFC allowed the fans to vote for the Fight of the Night, and that $100,000 bonus was given to Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck by the fans. Mark Bocek and Jim Miller split the Submission of the Night bonus, each taking home an extra $50,000. Bocek's was for a triangle choke of Dustin Hazelett, while Miller won his bonus for slapping a kneebar on Charles Oliveira. Mac Danzig was awarded the $100,000 Knockout of the Night bonus for his quick KO of Joe Stevenson.

-- Dana White said he believed it was the Pierson/Riddle fight should have won the fight of the night, and the UFC will take care of those fighters. He also said that the fans blew their chance by voting in GSP/Koscheck, so they won't get another chance to vote in FOTN. Later, White told GSP that he owed Pierson, his training partner, $100,000 dollars.

-- Montreal delivered again, with 23,152 fans packing into the Bell Centre, bringing in one of the largest North American gates ever of $4.58 million. This was the fourth UFC event in Montreal.

-- The biggest winner of the night may have been Mike Dolce, the man behind the Dolce Diet, for helping Thiago Alves move past his weight problems. Alves said that getting on the Dolce Diet was not just a change in his diet, but a change in lifestyle, and that made the difference in how he fought against John Howard.

-- When asked about a possible GSP-Anderson Silva super fight, White was non-committal, saying "We'll see what happens." GSP said that he needs to check it out, because if he were to move up, he needs to gain muscle and stay up at middleweight. He pointed out how the weight class movement affected the timing of Roy Jones, Jr., and he doesn't want to move back and forth between weight classes.

-- GSP seemed open to fighting Jake Shields. "I like watching him fight, he's very meticulous, he beat up everyone at 170 and 185, I think he's amazing," GSP said about Shields. "He's probably the number one contender right now for my title."

-- GSP spoke about his post-fight embrace with Koscheck, saying that Kos apologized and said the trash was to hype up a fight. GSP thanked him for coming and fighting in Montreal. "In the end, we need a good guy, we need a bad guy, and it's a business," GSP said.

-- Jim Miller is often not regarded as one of the UFC's best lightweights, despite the fact that's he only lost to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, two men fighting for the lightweight title. He said it does bother him, because he believes he is the No. 3 guy.

"It does eat at me a little bit. It does bother me," he said. He hopes to get another chance at Edgar and Maynard. "I want revenge. I want to beat those guys. Even though Frankie and I are friends, it was fun when we fought the last time. It will be fun the second time."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-124-Post-fight-press-conference-Who-s-next-?urn=mma-294726

Julien Vanni Pekka Vehkonen Marc Velkeneers Jaak van Velthoven Kees van der Ven

WEC 53 Predictions

by Michael David Smith
World Extreme Cagefighting puts on its 53rd and final fight card Thursday night, and we'll say goodbye with what should be a very entertaining fight card, with one bout determining the first UFC bantamweight champion, and another determining the next UFC No. 1 contender.

What: WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis

Where: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona

When: Thursday, the non-televised undercard begins at 7 PM ET and the Versus TV card begins at 9.

Predictions on the five televised fights below.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/16/wec-53-predictions/

Ryan Hughes Georges Jobe Gunnar Johansson Peter Johansson Rick Johnson

Tito Ortiz confirms fight with lil nog; speaks on Dana White's comments on UFC cut - Tito Ortiz

Fight Hub TV's cameras caught up with former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz as we asked him how he felt with Dana White's recent comments on Ortiz being possibly cut if he loses his next UFC match. Ortiz counters that even if he is cut, he will continue to fight and addresses that he will fight little Nog.

Source: http://mmalice.com/tito-ortiz/tito-ortiz-confirms-fight-with-lil-nog-speaks-on-dana-whites-comments-on-ufc-cut-video_e823cdac0.html

Steven Frossard Eric Geboers Sylvain Geboers Broc Glover Rui Goncalves

Surf Artist - Robert Heeley

We've just added a new featured artist; Californian Robert Heeley. "Robert draws upon his surfing and sailing lifestyle to create inspired images of seascapes and ocean living. He captures the surfer's dream of spectacular waves at famous surf spots throughout California, Hawaii, Mexico and beyond." Enjoy…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/robert-heeley.php

Surf Art by Robert Heeley

- www.robertheeleyfineart.com
- www.facebook.com/robertheeleysurfart

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/XsO7Tc0mx-w/surf-artist-robert-heeley.html

Stefan Everts Jaroslav Falta Claudio Federici Tim Ferry Ashley Fiolek

Photography Workshop with Aaron Chang

Aaron Chang will lead a specially designed workshop focused on action surf photography during October 2010 in Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico. Click here for more information here…

If you didn't know… As senior photographer for Surfing magazine Aaron Chang has photographed some of the biggest names in the sport and traveled to more than 50 countries shooting cover stories for the magazine. Aaron has over 100 covers to his credit. In the commercial photography realm Aaron's photographic skills have landed him work with clients like Levi's, Macy's, Nike, Billabong, Yamaha, Polaris, ESPN and Sanuk. Chang also works with and supports the Surfrider Foundation and SurfAid International.

Waimea Bay - Photo by Aaron Chang
Photo: Waimea Bay, Hawaii by Aaron Chang

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/YYX53sOy794/photography-workshop-with-aaron-chang.html

Rene Baeten David Bailey John Banks Mark Barnett Jonathan Barragan

Josh Koscheck Not Looking to Interact With Montrealers - UFC 124

Josh Koscheck Not Looking to Interact With Montrealers Video by UFC 124

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-124/josh-koscheck-not-looking-to-interact-with-montrealers-video_7979eda23.html

Ove Lundell Sten Lundin Jeremy Lusk Billy MacKenzie Corrado Maddii

Miller surprises Oliveira with first round sub at UFC 124

Charles Oliveira is a great prospect. The key word is prospect. The 21-year-old was facing a guy with seven UFC wins and a well-rounded game.

Oliveira took Miller lightly on the ground and paid for it.

The New Jersey-native, working from top control in a standing position, transitioned to an ankle lock. Oliveira didn't do much to extricate himself, and Miller cranked back with a kneebar. Oliveira tapped almost immediately giving Miller the win at 1:59 of the first round.

"When I stood up and the leg presented itself, I went for it," Miller said at the UFC 124 postfight press conference. "I really don't care where the fight ends up going. I started attacking the toe hold and he didn't worry about the knee."  

Update - Miller split the Submission of the Night award with Mark Bocek and received $50,000 for his efforts. 

Miller's appearance must fool people. At just 5-foot-7 with a red beard, he looks like the guy next door. There was heavy betting on Oliveira. By the time the fight went off, Miller was a plus-140 underdog in spite of entering the match with a six-fight win streak.

"Coming into the fight, I was trying to gain a little respect to be honest," Miller said. at the UFC 124 postfight press conference. "We went into that fight with him as the favorite, which I really didn't understand."

"He's got a big future ahead of him, but I knew I've fought a lot tougher guys than he has," Miller said. "I was trying to leave me mark and really get after him."   

Even Dana White had his doubts about Miller's chances on the ground with Oliveira.

"When he went for that foot, me and (UFC owner Lorenzo) Fertitta looked at each other and said 'that was stupid.' Then he pulls off that kneebar," White laughed. "Goes to show you what we know. That why he fights and we don't."

Miller (19-2, 8-1 UFC) is a tough nut to crack. His only loss came against Gray Maynard, who is unbeaten in the UFC and challenging UFC lightweight champ Frank Edgar for the title next month.  

Oliveira (14-1, 2-1 UFC) was the rage of the division after two dominant UFC wins since August.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Miller-surprises-Oliveira-with-first-round-sub-a?urn=mma-294720

Grant Langston Danny LaPorte Mike LaRocco Jason Lawrence Ron Lechien

Scary moment on WEC 53 preliminary card

Eddie Wineland and Ken Stone had a frightening moment during the preliminary card at WEC 53. From Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole, who was cageside:

Stone pulled guard and Wineland walked him across the cage and backed him to the fence. Then, he did a Rampage Japan-style slam and Stone was out cold immediately. Down for 5-10 minutes and then out on a stretcher.

Stone was taken from the arena in a stretcher, but he did not sustain any serious injuries, and was moving and breathing without trouble. 

Otherwise, the WEC 53 undercard was called by several on-site media the most exciting undercard they've seen. Only two fights went to the judges cards. 

Complete undercard results:

Renan Barao def. Chris Cariaso via submission via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:47

Yuri Alcantara def. Ricardo Lamas via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 3:26

Danny Castillo def. Will Kerr via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 1:25

Eddie Wineland def. Ken Stone via knockout (slam) - Round 1, 2:11

Brad Pickett def. Ivan Menjivar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Shane Roller def. Jamie Varner via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:55

Danny Downes def. Tiequan Zhang via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Scary-moment-on-WEC-53-preliminary-card?urn=mma-297105

Gautier Paulin David Philippaerts Mickael Pichon Jim Pomeroy Christophe Pourcel

Pettis steals UFC title shot: Henderson shocked by fifth round cage walking kick

If anyone thought the UFC would have trouble promoting a WEC-UFC lightweight title unification bout, think again. Anthony Pettis pulled the upset on former WEC champ Ben Henderson by using one of the craziest moves in MMA history.

Pettis landed a wacky head kick after he ran up the side of the cage. A stunned Henderson hit the deck with less than 90 seconds left in the fight. In a back and forth five rounder, that was pretty even inside the final two minutes, the stunning kick locked up the win for Pettis.

He took the title and earned himself a shot against the UFC lightweight champ with a unanimous decision win 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. Cagewriter scored it 48-47 for Pettis.

Frank Edgar, the current UFC 155-pound champ defends his title on Jan. 1 against Gray Maynard. Pettis gets the winner some time in 2011. That kick will be the centerpiece of the UFC's highlight reel heading into the title showdown.

"We practice that all the time in the cage," Pettis told WEC announcer Craig Hummer. " (Pettis' trainer) Duke Roufus says just have fun in the cage. I got 10 more of them kicks coming. How do you like that to end the WEC?"

Pettis (13-1, 6-1 WEC) goes down as the final lightweight champ in WEC history. Zuffa's smaller promotion is being folded into the much more popular UFC. Many of the fighters from the WEC's 135, 145 and 155 pound weight classes will be brought on board. UFC actually started mixing in some of the WEC's roster on two cards earlier this month. 

Henderson (12-2, 5-2 WEC) will be one of those guys. He was likely a good five minutes away from getting his shot at Edgar or Maynard. Henderson was the better grappler in the fight but had trouble finding his range on the feet. It was an even fight entering the final round. Pettis was effective most of the fight on the counter-strike and really got hot in the fifth.  

Pettis blasted Henderson on a combination with 3:50 left. He also landed a brutal knee as Henderson charged in for a takedown with 2:53 left. Henderson scored a takedown with 2:20 left and got Pettis' back but he got a little impatient going for the choke and he allowed his opponent to escape with 1:28 left. The fighters circled for a while and then Pettis attempted his running kick with 1:04 left. He nailed Henderson, who fell to his back. Pettis got off 41 unanswered punches and hammer fists, while Henderson clutched at his leg on the ground. The kick and final minute sealed the victory.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Pettis-steals-UFC-title-shot-Henderson-shocked-?urn=mma-297147

Jonathan Barragan Andrea Bartolini Willy Bauer Jean Michel Bayle Pit Beirer

Sunday 2 May 2010

Source: http://nedsurfshots.blogspot.com/2010/05/sunday-2-may-2010.html

Jaromir Cizek Guy Cooper Paul Cooper Josh Coppins Cody Copper

Andy Irons - "You will never be forgotten"

On November 2nd 2010 the surfing world lost a dear friend, hero and champion; Andy Irons. Surf photographer Brian Bielmann with the help of Scott Mortensen has put together a touching photo tribute in memory of AI

Brian said: "I have so many memories of Andy and this is my way of sharing them with family and friends all over the world. I hope you guys enjoy this and never forget a great man, a great friend."


Click the image above to watch video


Image credit: Billabong

www.brianbielmann.com

Source: http://surfingartculture.blogspot.com/2010/11/andy-irons-you-will-never-be-forgotten.html

Jeff Smith Marty Smith Steve Stackable Jeff Stanton Rex Staten

Serie Waves by Tom Veiga

Hope you're all enjoying the new website!? :) With all the chaos we haven't fully thanked our latest contributor Tom Veiga for his new exhibit on the website. A beautiful and stylish set of illustrations of surf breaks around the world…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-art/exhibit-tom-veiga.php

Surf art by Tom Veiga

www.seriewaves.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/szJ0V2lS0BM/serie-waves-by-tom-veiga.html

Ivan Tedesco David Thorpe Rich Thorwaldson Rolf Tibblin Sebastien Tortelli

Friday, December 24, 2010

Berlin Leftovers

Anzeige Berlin has a nice montage of leftovers from the hot skate city of Berlin. Sorry no direct link.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/XxDWjd9q218/berlin-leftovers.html

Gaston Rahier Steve Ramon Tyla Rattray Chad Reed Warren Reid

Dana White fires the fans for Fight of the Night fail

The UFC tried something neat tonight by allowing the fans to hand out some bonus money. There was a lot on line. With a near-record gate of $4.586 million, the UFC was handing out $100,000 each to the fighters that the fans said put on the Fight of the Night.

Slap Cagewriter on the back, we called it.

When the news first emerged shortly before the start of UFC 124, we asked if the fans would judge objectively or turn it into a popularity contest?

We got our answer. Georges St. Pierre's destruction of Josh Koscheck (50-45 on all cards) was given the fan's nod as the best fight.

"The reporters aren't happy with it," Dana White joked at the postfight press conference. "It's one of the hazards. (The fans) are always chirping about how we mess it up and here we are."

White thought the real Fight of the Night was on the preliminary card. Sean Pierson and Matt Riddle beat the living hell out of each for three rounds.

The UFC and White even tried to give the fans a gentle nudge by showing the fight on the pay-per-view.

If you cast a vote at UFCvote.com, hope you enjoyed the chance to be the boss, now you're fired. 

"They blew their chance," White said. "That's it. It's over."

White said he'd take care of Pierson and Riddle. White also joked with St. Pierre telling him that he owes $100,000 to his buddy Pierson. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Dana-White-fires-the-fans-for-Fight-of-the-Night?urn=mma-294769

Gerrit Wolsink Velky Zdenek Bengt Ã…berg Greg Albertyn Jeff Alessi

Dana White UFC 124 Video Blog Day 4 - Dana White

Dana White UFC 124 Video Blog Day 4 Video by Dana White

Source: http://mmalice.com/dana-white/dana-white-ufc-124-video-blog-day-4-video_df3617457.html

Tim Ferry Ashley Fiolek Ernesto Fonseca Lauris Freibergs Paul Friedrichs

Photography Workshop with Aaron Chang

Aaron Chang will lead a specially designed workshop focused on action surf photography during October 2010 in Todos Santos, Baja, Mexico. Click here for more information here…

If you didn't know… As senior photographer for Surfing magazine Aaron Chang has photographed some of the biggest names in the sport and traveled to more than 50 countries shooting cover stories for the magazine. Aaron has over 100 covers to his credit. In the commercial photography realm Aaron's photographic skills have landed him work with clients like Levi's, Macy's, Nike, Billabong, Yamaha, Polaris, ESPN and Sanuk. Chang also works with and supports the Surfrider Foundation and SurfAid International.

Waimea Bay - Photo by Aaron Chang
Photo: Waimea Bay, Hawaii by Aaron Chang

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/YYX53sOy794/photography-workshop-with-aaron-chang.html

Andrew Short Shaun Simpson Joël Smets Jeff Smith Marty Smith

WEC 53: Donald Cerrone Submits Chris Horodecki

by Michael David SmithDonald Cerrone showed off a great display of fighting from his back Thursday at WEC 53, spending most of the second round controlling Chris Horodecki from the bottom before eventually getting him to tap out to a triangle choke.

Cerrone thanked his coach afterward.

"Thanks to Greg Jackson," Cerrone said. "Always pushing, always giving us words of wisdom to keep us motivated. I've got to give it all to Greg Jackson."

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/16/wec-53-donald-cerrone-submits-chris-horodecki/

Rene Baeten David Bailey John Banks Mark Barnett Jonathan Barragan

Geoff Lawton Talks Soil (video)

In this informative short exert from Geoff Lawton’s new DVD “Soils” , join Geoff at Zaytuna farm as he guides us through the world of Permaculture Soil Science.�Profits from these DVD’s help to continue the world changing work of the … Continue reading

Source: http://www.prana.com/blog/2010/12/20/geoff-lawton-talks-soil-video/

Andrew Short Shaun Simpson Joël Smets Jeff Smith Marty Smith

Queens Birthday Weekend

Source: http://nedsurfshots.blogspot.com/2010/06/queens-birthday-weekend.html

Jaroslav Falta Claudio Federici Tim Ferry Ashley Fiolek Ernesto Fonseca

Dana White post UFC 124 talks whats next for GSP and Disses Strikeforce - Dana White

Dana White post UFC 124 talks whats next for GSP and Disses Strikeforce Video by Dana White

Source: http://mmalice.com/dana-white/dana-white-post-ufc-124-talks-whats-next-for-gsp-and-disses-strikeforce-video_d020eb33d.html

Gary Semics Andrew Short Shaun Simpson Joël Smets Jeff Smith

Kirby found guilty of manslaughter in death of Tapout's Mask

Jeffrey David Kirby, 53, was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in the death of Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr., one of the founders of the popular MMA brand Tapout, the Los Angeles Times reported. Kirby was found to be under the influence of alcohol when he lost control of his Porsche and slammed it into Lewis' Ferrari on March 11, 2009. He also left the scene of the accident, and was later tracked down by police.

Mask's friends, business partners and fellow members of the Tapout crew used Twitter to keep people aware on the details of the trial. After the verdict, "PunkASS" Tweeted, "Confusing feelings when I think about the guilty verdict! Just more bad [expletive]! Nothing is ganna bring him back!"

Skyskrape thanked everyone who remembered his friend, but also asked people to turn out in support of Mask when Kirby is sentenced. "Sentencing is February 4th @ 9:00am. I'd love for EVERYONE who can make to come our!! Tell EVERYONE you know to come show love for Charles!"

The support for Mask has been palpable in the MMA community. At WEC 40, one of the first MMA events after his death, a large contingent of fans and fighters wore shirts to honor him. His name was printed on the top bar of the WEC cage, and he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

He was so loved in the MMA community because of the support he showed the sport from early on, both in sponsoring fighters and in the television show that he, Skyskrape and PunkASS produced, which shined a spotlight on up-and-coming fighters and gyms.

Kirby will be sentenced on Feb. 4 and can face up to 13 years in prison. Anyone wishing to submit a victim impact statement can find the information here.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Kirby-found-guilty-of-manslaughter-in-death-of-T?urn=mma-293780

Jeff Leisk Victor Leloup Aigar Leok Tanel Leok Billy Liles

Patagonia Adventure: Class IV-V Rafting

There is still room on our annual trek to South America–join us this January on the fabulous Fu! The Futaleufu is truly a world-class river trip: turquoise, high-volumne water, an alpine canyon, and astonishing mountain views.�� Add to that free-flowin’ local wine, tasty food, a relaxing post-river soak in a wood-fired hot tub and open-air [...]

Source: http://blog.aorafting.com/patagonia-adventure-class-iv-v-rafting/

Ken De Dycker Yves Demaria Gilbert De Roover Clement Desalle John DeSoto

Surf Artist - Dominique Amendola

Introducing French artist (now living in India, which is a new location for COTW's artist base); Dominique Amendola. Dominique paints a vast array of subject matter, but her 'surf art' is particularly interesting and something 'new'… She takes famous paintings from great artists (e.g. Van Gogh) and gives them a surfing twist! She calls this the "Amadeus series" and she tells us there are more on the way, so watch this space…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-artist/dominique-amendola.php

The great wave as it is by Dominique Amendola
Artist's rendition of The Great Wave off Kanagawa

www.dominiqueamendola.com/collections/amadeus-series

Source: http://surfingartculture.blogspot.com/2010/11/surf-artist-dominique-amendola.html

Mark Jones Ake Jonsson Julien Bill Pierre Karsmakers Vladimir Kavinov

New Alien Workshop Website

Alien Workshop has rebuilt their website from the ground up with all kinds of new stuff including video and a new archive known as the Black Hole.

Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/templeton-elliott/2010/12/22/new-alien-workshop-website-2/

Lauris Freibergs Paul Friedrichs Steven Frossard Eric Geboers Sylvain Geboers

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The view from below - Big Hill Beach - January 2010

Source: http://nedsurfshots.blogspot.com/2010/01/view-from-below-big-hill-beach-january.html

Rick Johnson Gary Jones Mark Jones Ake Jonsson Julien Bill

GSP: 'Never been so excited for a fight in my life'

The UFC released the opening video for Saturday night's UFC 124, something that, according to Dana White, they have never done. Why release this one? Probably because Georges St. Pierre looked so amped that he was about to jump through the screen.

This is a top-heavy fight card, but with the animosity built up over the taping of "The Ultimate Fighter," Josh Koscheck and GSP seem ready to deliver. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/GSP-Never-been-so-excited-for-a-fight-in-my-li?urn=mma-294621

Lauris Freibergs Paul Friedrichs Steven Frossard Eric Geboers Sylvain Geboers

Sean McCorkle Felt Like He Couldn't Breathe at UFC 124

Filed under:

It didn't seem like a bad situation for Sean McCorkle at first. Minutes into his UFC 124 fight, McCorkle had already secured himself a kimura against favorite Stefan Struve.

But to McCorkle's disbelief, Struve wouldn't tap.

"I cannot believe I'm about to win two fights and be undefeated in the UFC as soon I wrapped his arm," McCorkle told Ariel Helwani Monday on The MMA Hour. "I was really excited about it and when it didn't happen, I didn't believe it."

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/20/sean-mccorkle-i-felt-like-i-couldnt-breathe/

Carl Nunn Johnny O Mara Zach Osborne Trampas Parker Travis Pastrana

Bjorn Rebney on Bellator's MTV2 Deal, Alvarez-Melendez, Brookins Litigation

Filed under: , ,

Describing Bellator's recently announced deal with MTV2 as a "perfect alliance," company CEO Bjorn Rebney hailed the union as a proper evolutionary step for the young promotion.

Speaking on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, Rebney said that the new deal with the national cable platform positively addressed most of the issues and problems that plagued Bellator's recent deal with FSN.

Most notably, its events would be broadcast live around the country, at a consistent start time.

"There are no preemptions, there are no delays," he told host Ariel Helwani. "It was problematic for me as the CEO of the company. It was problematic for fans who wanted to watch over the last two seasons."

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/21/bjorn-rebney-on-bellators-mtv2-deal-alvarez-melendez-brookins/

Marty Tripes Vlastimil Valek Julien Vanni Pekka Vehkonen Marc Velkeneers

Serie Waves by Tom Veiga

Hope you're all enjoying the new website!? :) With all the chaos we haven't fully thanked our latest contributor Tom Veiga for his new exhibit on the website. A beautiful and stylish set of illustrations of surf breaks around the world…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-art/exhibit-tom-veiga.php

Surf art by Tom Veiga

www.seriewaves.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/szJ0V2lS0BM/serie-waves-by-tom-veiga.html

Torsten Hallman Bob Hannah Donnie Hansen Torlief Hansen Marcus Hansson

Danzig knocks out Joe "Daddy" at UFC 124

Mac Danzig made quick work of Joe Stevenson at UFC 124 in Montreal, knocking Joe "Daddy" out midway through the first round.

The two were still feeling each other out in the first round when Stevenson charged in to punch Danzig with an uppercut, but Danzig caught him on the jaw with a left hook. Stevenson stiffened and fell straight to the ground. Danzig pounced on Stevenson but referee Dan Miragliotta jumped in quickly, stopping the bout at 1:54 in the first round.

Both men are "The Ultimate Fighter" winners, and this bout was thought to be a "win-or-go-home" bout. This is Stevenson's second loss in a row, as he lost to another TUF alum, George Sotiropoulos, in February. Danzig has had a rough run, battling both losses and injuries to get to this bout. Before this fight, he was 3-4 in the UFC, and one of his wins was in the TUF final.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Danzig-knocks-out-Joe-Daddy-at-UFC-124?urn=mma-294708

Sebastien Pourcel Wyman Priddy Alessandro Puzar Gaston Rahier Steve Ramon

Interview an artist: Heather Brown

If you weren't already aware… A couple of weeks back we started a new feature on Club Of The Waves whereby YOU can interview your favourite surf artist or photographer! So far we've had a great response! Going through fans' suggestions we noticed we had two for surf artist Heather Brown, so we thought that would be a good place to start… Visit the site to see what Samantha (Hawaii) and Chris (England) asked her…

www.clubofthewaves.com/surf-art/interview-an-artist.php

Surf Art by Heather Brown

http://www.heatherbrownart.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cotw/~3/oZw__ZbrLFg/interview-artist-heather-brown.html

Kurt Nicoll Bill Nilsson Jorgen Nilsson Graham Noyce Carl Nunn

Stevenson vs. Danzig loser could be done with UFC

Joe Stevenson and Mac Danzig are two of the best guys in the UFC. They're both former "Ultimate Fighter" champs as well. That may not mean much for the loser of tomorrow's UFC 124 fight in Montreal. According to Yahoo! Sports' lead MMA writer Kevin Iole, someone's spot in the UFC could be gone after the fight.

There are less roster spots available now that the WEC's fighters have been added to the mix. Stevenson (31-11, 8-5 UFC) is coming off a loss to George Sotiropoulos and has lost two of three fights while Danzig (19-8, 3-4 UFC) has lost four of five. Both could try to drop down 10 pounds and make the featherweight limit, but that option may not be offered. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Stevenson-vs-Danzig-loser-could-be-done-with-UF?urn=mma-294377

Jorgen Nilsson Graham Noyce Carl Nunn Johnny O Mara Zach Osborne

GSP: 'Never been so excited for a fight in my life'

The UFC released the opening video for Saturday night's UFC 124, something that, according to Dana White, they have never done. Why release this one? Probably because Georges St. Pierre looked so amped that he was about to jump through the screen.

This is a top-heavy fight card, but with the animosity built up over the taping of "The Ultimate Fighter," Josh Koscheck and GSP seem ready to deliver. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/GSP-Never-been-so-excited-for-a-fight-in-my-li?urn=mma-294621

Rolf Tibblin Sebastien Tortelli Ben Townley Pedro Tragter Marty Tripes

Renzo Gracie Wants to Fight in UFC's Return to Brazil

Filed under: , ,

Renzo Gracie's camp wants you to know that his MMA career isn't close over and that he wants to fight on the UFC card in Brazil on Aug. 27.

MMA Fighting recently spoke to Gracie's manager, Ali Abdel Aziz of Dominance MMA Management, about the 43-year-old's desire to fight on what will be the first UFC card in Gracie's home country since October 1998.

"It's Renzo's dream to fight in a UFC in Brazil," Abdel Aziz said, "but it's up to the UFC and Dana [White] to make it happen."

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/22/renzo-gracie-wants-to-fight-on-ufcs-return-to-brazil/

Gautier Paulin David Philippaerts Mickael Pichon Jim Pomeroy Christophe Pourcel

Legends on the Colorado

The first time I ever laid eyes on a whitewater dory was during a road trip across northern Arizona, when I dropped by the offices of a river outfitter in Flagstaff that runs boating expeditions through the Grand Canyon. It was early March of 2003 and a blizzard had roared out of the north the [...]

Source: http://whitewaterraftingblog.oars.com/post/legends-on-the-colorado

Johnny O Mara Zach Osborne Trampas Parker Travis Pastrana Gautier Paulin

Roxy Hawaiian Bikini ? Pink

Roxy Hawaiian Bikini – Pink Buy This Online Roxy Hawaiian Bikini – Pink Roxy Women’s Bikinis are hard to beat. Fact! This summer Roxy have added even more to the collection for you, and one won’t suffice! The Roxy Hawaiian Bikini will have you looking your best on the beach this summer! Buy This Online

Source: http://snowboardaction.net/roxy-hawaiian-bikini-pink/

Andrew Short Shaun Simpson Joël Smets Jeff Smith Marty Smith

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Cure of the Wild: Rafting the Salmon River and the Restorative Power of Wilderness

Every once in a while I have a William Wordsworth moment. Wordsworth is the immortal English poet who penned, among many masterpieces, a sonnet entitled “The World Is Too Much with Us,” which begins: The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see [...]

Source: http://whitewaterraftingblog.oars.com/post/the-cure-of-the-wild-rafting-the-salmon-river-and-the-restorative-power-of-wilderness

Torlief Hansen Marcus Hansson Doug Henry Broc Hepler Rob Herring

Overeem does it! The massive MMA star crosses over to win K-1 WGP 2010 title

Alistair Overeem passed up on some big MMA fights this year to add the label of kickboxing champ to his resume. It paid off.

He suffered some rough moments last year in K-1, but with more dedication to his striking training in 2010, Overeem was a powerhouse in Tokyo this morning.

The Dutchman got better as the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 went along. He won three fights in one night to take the WGP title and did so by beating out several K-1 legends. 

By the time, he reached the final without a mark on his face, Peter Aerts was in big trouble. A fellow Dutchman, Aerts traded shots with the beast for about 35 seconds before Overeem overwhelmed him.

"The Reem" trapped Aerts in a corner and drilled him with a right hand followed by a body shot. Aerts fells to his knees. The referee jumped in to give Aerts a ten count, but the 40-year-old legend said he couldn't go any longer. Overeem won the tournament as a plus-205 choice.

The 6-foot-5, 261-pound, Overeem is unofficially the first heavyweight fighter to hold a major MMA belt and win a K-1 WGP title. He's also the Strikeforce MMA champ. The K-1 accolades only add to his reputation as an MMA star.

One downside of the win is the fact that Overeem is a virtual lock to try and defend his K-1 honor in 2011, meaning he'll be locked up for most of the November and December prepping if he can get out of the first round.

Overeem's toughest fight this morning actually came in the opening round.

Overeem is far from slick. He walks straight forward, willing to eat big shots so he can land his own bombs. That approach almost cost him against Tyrone Spong.

Early in the fight, the 231-pound Spong was too fast. Spong caught Overeem with a great counter left hook as the big guy tried a flying knee. It put the Dutchman on queer street. Spong wailed away and landed four or five more huge left hands, and got Overeem on the ropes with 1:45 left in the first. Overeem survived and his power just sapped Spong the rest of the way.

That career-high 231 pounds may have cost Spong in the long run. 

Gohkan Saki was the opponent in the semis, but much like Aerts, the Turkish born fighter had to fight a war in his previous bout. Saki and Daniel Ghita kicked the hell out of each for four rounds. Saki won but his body was brutalized.

Overeem looked slow and was easy to hit, but he just waited for the smaller fighter to slow down, then he unleashed two vicious body kicks. The second got Saki to quit. HDNet's Michael Schiavello reported that Saki had broken his elbow and his right hand. 

Aerts was looking to become a four-time WGP champ. Unfortunately, the old guy was also a mess by the time he faced Overeem. He ate way too many punches from 6-11, 292-pound Semmy Schilt in the semifinals. Aerts outlasted Schilt in that fight, but the damage had been done. There were actually thoughts he may not be able to fight in the final. Bettors pushed the line  minus-450 to minus-645 on Overeem by the opening bell. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Overeem-does-it-The-massive-MMA-star-crosses-ov?urn=mma-294577

Tim Ferry Ashley Fiolek Ernesto Fonseca Lauris Freibergs Paul Friedrichs

Dana White fires the fans for Fight of the Night fail

The UFC tried something neat tonight by allowing the fans to hand out some bonus money. There was a lot on line. With a near-record gate of $4.586 million, the UFC was handing out $100,000 each to the fighters that the fans said put on the Fight of the Night.

Slap Cagewriter on the back, we called it.

When the news first emerged shortly before the start of UFC 124, we asked if the fans would judge objectively or turn it into a popularity contest?

We got our answer. Georges St. Pierre's destruction of Josh Koscheck (50-45 on all cards) was given the fan's nod as the best fight.

"The reporters aren't happy with it," Dana White joked at the postfight press conference. "It's one of the hazards. (The fans) are always chirping about how we mess it up and here we are."

White thought the real Fight of the Night was on the preliminary card. Sean Pierson and Matt Riddle beat the living hell out of each for three rounds.

The UFC and White even tried to give the fans a gentle nudge by showing the fight on the pay-per-view.

If you cast a vote at UFCvote.com, hope you enjoyed the chance to be the boss, now you're fired. 

"They blew their chance," White said. "That's it. It's over."

White said he'd take care of Pierson and Riddle. White also joked with St. Pierre telling him that he owes $100,000 to his buddy Pierson. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Dana-White-fires-the-fans-for-Fight-of-the-Night?urn=mma-294769

Brad Lackey Arthur Lampkin Steve Lamson Grant Langston Danny LaPorte

UFC Signs Duane Ludwig and TJ Grant to New Four-Fight Deals

Welterweights Duane "Bang" Ludwig and TJ Grant have signed new four-fight deals to stay with the UFC following their latest fights inside the Octagon.

Ludwig bounced back with a November win over Nick Osipczak, while Grant fell to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 124.

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/16940/ufc-signs-duane-ludwig-and-tj-grant-to-new-four-fight-deals/

Julien Vanni Pekka Vehkonen Marc Velkeneers Jaak van Velthoven Kees van der Ven

Get off the Computer, get on the Trail

The constant stream of information we get through mobile and hand-held devices is changing the way we think. This�New York Times article explains how the use of digital technology is altering our brains, and how retreating into nature can reverse the effects: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129384107

Source: http://www.hikingcamping.com/blog/2010/08/get-off-the-computer-get-on-the-trail/

Doug Henry Broc Hepler Rob Herring George Holland Jeremy van Horebeek

Simon Gruber: 2010-11 Edit

An edit with Italian Smith Optics team rider Simon Gruber. Sure he can do double corks, but check out the front 7 cross rocket...

Source: http://www.frqncy.com/news/2010/12/22/simon-gruber-2010-11-edit

Marcus Hansson Doug Henry Broc Hepler Rob Herring George Holland

Live MMA Coming to MTV2 With New Bellator Deal

by Michael David SmithThe latest channel to venture into televising live mixed martial arts fights is a network few had expected: MTV2.

Bellator Fighting Championships announced today that it has reached a three-year deal to air live fights on MTV2, starting in 2011. Bellator will continue with its seasonal format of 12-week, eight-fighter tournaments, with the next tournament beginning in March.

At first blush, MMA and MTV might seem like strange bedfellows. For that matter, MTV and any sport would seem to be a strange pairing -- isn't MTV supposed to be music television?

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/14/live-mma-coming-to-mtv2-with-new-bellator-deal/

Bengt Ã…berg Greg Albertyn Jeff Alessi Mike Alessi Thomas Allier

i-Forest Service Gets Fancy With New Tree Value Software

Source: http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/4018-i-Forest-Service-Gets-Fancy-With-New-Tree-Value-Software.html

Damon Bradshaw Goat Breker Sven Breugelmans Larry Brooks Mike Brown

All 80s All Day Returns

Quiksilver skateboarding is hosting their second ?ALL ?80?s ALL DAY? Vert Challenge at the Surf Expo in Orlando, FL on January 7th. The event is free and open to the public. The biggest names in skateboarding from the 1980?s such as Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Mike McGill and many others are getting ready to relive their days of spandex, plywood, and handplants for a chance at a $1980 first place prize! If you missed some tricks in the ?80?s, or just want to see them again now, this is your chance!

Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/templeton-elliott/2010/12/21/all-80s-all-day-returns/

Andrew Short Shaun Simpson Joël Smets Jeff Smith Marty Smith

Sequences

Source: http://nedsurfshots.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post.html

Sylvain Geboers Broc Glover Rui Goncalves Josh Grant Billy Grossi

Tyra McCart-Swanson Interview

After a year of around-the-world travel, Tyra McCart-Swanson returned to California and found a home at the O.A.R.S. headquarters in Angels Camp. She's worked here for over five years now, and currently resides as the adventure consultant for Utah & Wyoming. Her favorite snack is chips & salsa, and she listens to a solid amount [...]

Source: http://whitewaterraftingblog.oars.com/post/tyra-mccart-swanson-interview

Marnicq Bervoets Fritz Betzlbacher Dave Bickers Anthony Boissiere Frederic Bolley

Curtis Rapp Part for DQM

DQM brings us a sick Curtis Rapp part. Via: These Video Days.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/z0hTG7sofCg/curtis-rapp-part-for-dqm.html

Jeff Stanton Rex Staten James Stewart Jr Brian Stonebridge David Strijbos

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide: 50 Year Old Swiss Army Axes $36

Source: http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/4005-Holiday-Gift-Guide-50-Year-Old-Swiss-Army-Axes-36.html

Heikki Mikkola Auguste Mingels Marty Moates Guennady Moisseev Bobby Moore

20kms of coast - 17 September 2010

Source: http://nedsurfshots.blogspot.com/2010/09/20kms-of-coast-17-september-2010.html

Steven Frossard Eric Geboers Sylvain Geboers Broc Glover Rui Goncalves

WEC 53 post-fight: Coaching TUF, bonuses and more

"What a great way to finish that up!" Reed Harris, general manager of the WEC, said to start the final press conference for the WEC, following a blockbuster fight between Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson. Harris was referring to the gravity-defying kick from Pettis that secured his win over Henderson and the WEC lightweight title. Other notes from the WEC 53 press conference:

-- The fight of the night bonus was given to Henderson/Pettis for their five-round bout, knockout of the night to Eddie Wineland for knocking out Ken Stone with a slam, and submission of the night was to Shane Roller for his rear naked choke of former champion Jamie Varner. The bonuses were for $10,000.

-- Henderson was emotional after the fight, thanking the WEC and his home crowd of Glendale, Ariz. He said he didn't remember the kick, but that he knows it will be on the highlight reel for a while.

-- "It still doesn't feel real," Pettis said about his title. He said he has done that amazing kick in practice before, but felt the pressure to do something big going into the final round of the fight. Henderson admitted that he was woozy after the kick, but conscious.

-- Cruz continued to push for a rematch with Urijah Faber, and pointed out how different he is as a fighter. "I'm a completely different fighter. My stand-up's better, my wrestling's better, my ground game's better. I'm on a whole different level than Urijah," Cruz said.

-- After the final WEC fights, Harris spoke of his fighters like a proud father. "All these guys are going to make a mark in the UFC, and I couldn't be prouder," Harris said.

-- "When it first happened, I was happy because I got the knockout, but then when he wasn't moving, I was worried," Eddie Wineland said about the frightening knockout of Ken Stone. He said that he made sure he got word Stone's health after the fight.

-- Though there were plenty of UFC stars on hand in Arizona, Harris was happiest about having a Bear in attendance. Harris, a native of suburban Chicago, said that he was excited to see Jim McMahon at the fights, the quarterback of the Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears.

-- Pettis' first fight in the UFC will be for the UFC lightweight title with the winner of the Jan. 1 bout between champ Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, but he doesn't care who it is. "I haven't had time to think about Edgar/Maynard yet," Pettis said. "I was fighting Ben Henderson, and it's all I cared about."

-- Cruz said he'd happily accept a coaching gig on "The Ultimate Fighter" against Urijah Faber. "I would accept it, and I would be stoked. It would be awesome, because I'd get my loss back."

-- Harris said that several of the unaired preliminary fights will be available for free  on UFC.com, and the Brad Pickett-Ivan Menjivar decision will be on Versus.com on Friday. More fights will be released over the weekend.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/WEC-53-post-fight-Coaching-TUF-bonuses-and-mor?urn=mma-297153

Rich Thorwaldson Rolf Tibblin Sebastien Tortelli Ben Townley Pedro Tragter

The Voice vs. Alistair Overeem Video Preview - Alistair Overeem

The Voice vs. Alistair Overeem 12/10/10

Source: http://mmalice.com/alistair-overeem/the-voice-vs-alistair-overeem-video-preview-video_7bf98baeb.html

Paul Cooper Josh Coppins Cody Copper Gordon Crockard Craig Dack

'Showtime' kick gives Pettis perfect launching point into the UFC

It was a little sad to see the WEC close its doors last night. The card was representative of everything that hardcore fans liked about the promotion. In the main event, Anthony Pettis served as a prime example of what made the WEC so much fun.

The promotion featured lots of young fighters with well-rounded games and endless stamina. Because the money wasn't great and jobs are hard to come by in MMA, most of the guys fought their asses off. You rarely saw a match with a guy trying to cruise to a victory or playing it safe.

Last night at WEC 53, when the Pettis-Ben Henderson fight was tied going into the final round, the 23-year-old Milwaukee native didn't come off his stool looking to eek out the win. He was aggressive and nailed one of the best moves in MMA history to seal the victory - "The Showtime" kick.

With just over a minute left in the fight, Pettis ran up the side of the cage and landed a kick right Henderson's kisser (0:24 mark). He got the win, grabbing the final WEC lightweight belt and the first shot at the winner of Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard in the UFC.  

The first time I saw Anthony Pettis in a WEC cage was back at WEC 41 in Sacramento. He took apart Mike Campbell that night and I remember thinking why did Zuffa put this kid in the WEC? He's absolutely good enough to fight right now in the bigger UFC.

Pettis also had an unreal back story. As a teen, he came home to discover his father had been murdered. Pettis then turned to fighting and training MMA. He went pro at 20 and debuted with WEC at 22. Less than 18 months later, he's locked up a shot at the UFC's lightweight title.

Pettis is exactly what people were talking about five years ago when they said, watch what happens to this sport when the young kids who are training in MMA gyms now arrive. Most of the future stars won't come from a specific discipline. From a young age, they'll have trained in jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing and kickboxing.

That's Pettis. We called it back in November at the time of the merger, tabbing Pettis the No. 4 fighter on a list of WEC stars moving over to the UFC. That was four spots ahead of Henderson who actually had the strap.

Pettis came through last night but took it to another level with that kick. There were countless fighters on Twitter saying they'd never seen anything like it and further admitting they couldn't do it. That's high praise. The kid deserves it and may have a big future on the bigger stage.  

Listen here to hear Cofield and Adam Hill from the Las Vegas Review-Journal on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas as talk about the victories by Pettis and Dominick Cruz.  

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-Showtime-kick-gives-Pettis-perfect-launching-p?urn=mma-297505

Jorgen Nilsson Graham Noyce Carl Nunn Johnny O Mara Zach Osborne

Canadian John Makdessi 'Blessed' to Make Octagon Debut - UFC 124

Canadian John Makdessi 'Blessed' to Make Octagon Debut Video by UFC 124

Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-124/canadian-john-makdessi-blessed-to-make-octagon-debut-video_88079d66e.html

Chuck Sun Torao Suzuki Gareth Swanepoel Ivan Tedesco David Thorpe

Surf Trip Map

Check out this really cool illustrated world map of surfing spots called the Surf Trip Map. In their words: "A Surf Trip Poster to put on your wall with all Surf Spots, beautiful Art, and lots of Surf Information"

Illustrated surfing map

www.surftripmap.com

Source: http://surfingartculture.blogspot.com/2010/07/surf-trip-map.html

Jeff Emig Harry Everts Stefan Everts Jaroslav Falta Claudio Federici