Challenge

Rowing Regatta LIVE

August 16, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

The competitive sport of rowing (‘crew’ in the US) is one of the oldest Olympic sports, and has a history dating back to early 10th century when races were held between professional watermen on the River Thames in London. At the end of the 18th century, amateur competition began with the organization of “boat clubs” at British public schools and universities. Inter-colonial racing began in Australia in 1833 when a Sydney crew raced against a Hobart crew in whalers. The first rowing club in the US was the Detroit Boat Club, founded in 1839, and the first American college rowing club was formed in 1843 at Yale University. Rowing in New Zealand has been a competitive sport since the 1850’s.

Competitive rowing events are divided into two disciplines: sweep rowing and sculling.

Rowers with two oars, one in each hand, are called ‘scullers’. There are three sculling events: the single – 1x (one person), the double – 2x (two), and the quad – 4x (four).

Rowers with just one oar are ‘sweep rowers’. Sweep boats sometimes include a ‘coxswain’ to steer the boat, and those without, are steered by one of the rowers moving the rudder with a foot. Sweep rowers come in pairs with a coxswain (2+) and without (2-), fours with a coxswain (4+) and without (4-), and the eight (8+) always have a coxswain. The eight is the fastest boat on the water, capable of moving almost 14 miles per hour.

When watching a race and the graceful rowing of the competitors, many of us don’t see the physical and mental demands of the sport. A 2,000-meter (approx 1.25 miles) rowing race, demands extraordinary athletic capabilities: “aerobic ability, technical talent, exceptional mental discipline, ability to utilize oxygen efficiently and in huge amounts, balance, pain tolerance, and the ability to continue to work when the body is demanding that you stop.” (US Rowing) Just try it sometime, and you’ll understand soon enough what it takes.

RACE WATCHING – What To Look For

While you’re watching, look for a continuous, fluid motion of the rowers, with no discernible end or beginning. The crew making it look easy will likely be the winner of the race.
Synchronization. Rowers strive for perfect synchronization in the boat.
Clean catches of the oarblade. If you see a lot of splash, the oarblades aren’t entering the water correctly. The ‘catch’ (oarblade is placed in water) should happen at the end of the recovery, when the hands are as far ahead of the rower as possible. Rowers who uncoil before they drop the oarblades do not get a complete drive, and that sacrifices speed.
Even oarblade feathering. When the blades are brought out of the water, they should all move horizontally close to the water and at the same height. It’s not easy, especially if the water is rough.
The most consistent speed. Shells are slowest at the catch (when oarblade is placed in the water) , quickest at the release (when oarblade is removed from water). Good crews time the catch at exactly the right moment to maintain speed.

RACE WATCHING TIPS

Race times vary depending upon the course and weather conditions. Tailwinds will improve times, while headwinds and crosswinds will slow down a boat.
If a crew “catches a crab,” it means the oarblade has entered the water at an angle instead of perpendicularly. The oarblade gets caught under the surface and will slow or even stop a shell.
A “Power 10” is a call by the coxswain for 10 of the crew’s best, most powerful strokes. Good coxswains read the course to know how many strokes remain for their crew to count down to the finish.
Crews are identified by their oarblade design. The USA blades are red on top and blue on the bottom, with a white triangle at the tip. List of national team oars
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve won an Olympic medal or don’t make the finals, each and every crew carries the boat back to the rack.
A worldwide tradition – coxswains from first-place boats are thrown into the water by their crews.
Coxswains don’t yell out “stroke! stroke!”, and probably never did. Their job is to steer the boat, implement the coach’s strategy during the race, and keep rowers aware of where they stand in the race and what they need to do to win.

Information/Resources:
Viewers Guide, US Rowing
Rowing 101, US Rowing (quick facts, glossary of terms, fundamentals, and equipment)
International Rowing Rule Book, World Rowing Federation (‘FISA’ from the French, Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron), governing body of the international sport of rowing
Rowing development projects and Training Camps, FISA website
Find a rowing club in US, (search tool and club information)
Rowing New Zealand, The New Zealand Rowing Association
Rowing Ireland (formerly Irish Amateur Rowing Union) is the governing body of rowing in Ireland. There are more than 100 affiliated clubs.

⇒ ⇒ Recommended Reading: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown – It’s the poignant story of personal and physical struggles faced by a University of Washington eight-oared crew during the Depression, and triumph as the team made it to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Regardless of your experience or interest in rowing, it’s a compelling read and Zola favorite. Sure to inspire as well as give you some history and understanding of the commitment required in the sport of competitive rowing. [Editor’s Note: Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for the purchase of a book made via the Amazon link within this page. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.]

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Coastal rowing in Ireland is something you’ll see along coastlines as well as on some lakes. Equipment varies from area to area, from traditional boats which have been used for centuries to specifically designed racing boats. Crews race over different distances depending on the event. The Irish Coastal Rowing Federation Ltd. is the governing body of coastal rowing in Ireland, and there are seven affiliated associations.

The 2019 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships will take place on one of Ireland’s finest natural harbors, in Dingle, County Kerry, over the weekend of August 16-18, and it’s going to be a ‘feast of coastal rowing’ with an opportunity to see in competition some famous naomhógs & currachs boats of Ireland’s west coast, the All-Ireland One-Designs, Kerry Naomhógs, Kerry Four Oars, East Coast Skiffs, Slaney Cots, Kerry Seine Boats, Donegal Skiffs, St. Ayles Skiffs, and Celtic Longboats. Watch these unique & exciting championship races live starting Saturday, August 17 at 3am thru till Sunday, August 18 at 1:30pm EDT.

Programming Note: Sometimes it happens — scheduling changes, breaks in competition, or technical interruptions in the live broadcast. Please check back for live action updates, and take a look at the Live Stream Program Guide for more On2In2™ streaming info.

Southern California teams competed in the beautiful Newport Harbour at the 54th Annual Newport Regatta on Sunday, March 24, 2019. If you missed the live stream broadcast of the event, there’s still time to watch a video recording. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓

If you missed the big season opener on March 2 as teams from UC Irvine, Berkeley, Davis, UCLA, San Diego and Santa Barbara competed at the 2019 UC Challenge Cup, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the races. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below ↓

First organized in 1965, the Head Of The Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR, is a rowing head race* held each October on the Charles River, separating Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it’s the largest 2-day regatta in the world, with 11,000 athletes rowing in over 1,900 boats in 61 events.

A *head race is a time-trial competition in the sport of rowing. Rowers race against the clock where the crew or rower completing the course in the shortest time in their age, ability and boat-class category is deemed the winner.

The challenging 3-mile course (4,800 meters) of the HOCR starts at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse near the Charles River Basin and finishes just after the Eliot Bridge and before Northeastern University’s Henderson Boathouse.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2018 HOCR, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the races. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts on the media player below ↓

Watch as 8 paddlers set out to break the rafting speed record through the Grand Canyon on the wild and dangerous Colorado River in The Time Travelers video

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this article, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy (unless you’re a robot).

Feature sculling race photo, by Flickr user, Annie C, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Pro Tennis LIVE

August 2, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

In 1979, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit was formed to provide players an opportunity to earn professional ranking points needed to compete in major pro tours, and it’s become the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, with as many as 90 tournaments offering nearly $3 million in prize money. Fun 2 Watch and cheer on these champions!

It's free to watch live action USTA pro tennis tournaments via On2In2™️ — Photo courtesy of Zoe Reeve/Unsplash CC0

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” – Billie Jean King

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With $60,000 on the line and the last Pro Circuit stop before the US OPEN, competition was high stakes at the 2019 Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge. If you missed the live stream broadcast, there’s still time to watch video recordings of tournament play. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select matches from the video posts located in upper right corner of the media player below.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 Kentucky Bank Tennis Championship, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select matches from video posts located at the upper right corner of the media player below.

If you missed the live stream broadcasts of the 2019 Berkeley Tennis Club Women’s Challenge and the 2019 Braidy Industries Women’s Tennis Classsic, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located in right top corner of the media players below.

Four consecutive USTA women’s clay-court tournaments (Dothan, AL, Charlottesville, VA, Charleston, SC and Bonita Springs, FL) were part of the 2019 Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge, which awarded Lauren Davis and Tommy Paul USTA wild cards to compete in the main draws of the 2019 French Open.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of these wild card challenge tournaments, there’s still time to watch video recordings. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select matches from video posts located top right corner of the media players below.

Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Cutting Horse LIVE

July 24, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

The equestrian sport of ‘cutting’ emerged from the open ranges of the American West. Ranchers hired cowboys to work their cattle herds, and the job included separating from a herd (‘cutting’ from the herd) cows that were in need of branding or veterinary care or that had wandered and become mingled in a herd of neighboring ranches. The cowboys used their best ‘cow smart’ horses for the task, a western cross-breed descendant from the horses brought to North America by Conquistadors with an instinctive ability to anticipate a cow’s movement.

In 1898, the first cutting horse competition was held in Haskell, Texas, and it’s become an international sport with sanctioned professional, amateur and open events offering prize money and awards. In competition, a horse and rider work as a team to demonstrate the horse’s skills during a 2½ minute performance, called a “run”. The horse/rider contestant must make at least two cuts of cows from the herd during a run, one from deep inside the herd while others can be peeled from the edges. After the selected cow has been separated from the herd, it’s up to the horse to defend and hold the cow, except that a rider may use leg cues to prevent the cow from returning to the herd. Judges score a run on a scale from 60 to 80, with 70 being an average score. Cutting horse competition is primarily governed by the rules and regulations established by the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA), founded in 1948. ‘Limited Age Events (LAE)’ are restricted to young horses in a specific age group. A ‘futurity’ is for late 3-year or early 4-year old horses; a ‘derby’ is for mid to late 4-year olds; and a ‘classic’, or classic/challenge, is for 5 and 6-year old horses. (See Spectator’s Guide→ HERE and 2017 NCHA Rule Book Here)

Information/Resources:
National Cutting Horse Association
Wikipedia: Cutting (sport)

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It’s a chance to see the world’s best compete! If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 NCHA SUMMER SPECTACULAR, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from video posts located in right top corner of the media player below.

FREE To WATCH Horse Reining competition – live action and video recordings

How to Beat the Bull – A champion bull rider reveals his secrets to success

Feature photo is courtesy of Flickr user, WM Rine, CC BY NC-ND

Darts Matchplay LIVE

July 20, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Super, Smashing – Bullseye! Darts is a competitive throwing sport as well as traditional pub game played by people of all ages and skill level.

There are lots of different games played using a dartboard, but playing a game of darts usually involves two players, with one player at a time throwing three darts per turn. The throwing player must stand so that no portion of a foot extends past the ‘oche’ (aka throw line or toe line), but can lean over it and stand anywhere else in the playing area.

The most common objective of darts is to reduce a score from a starting total (e.g., 301 or 501) to zero (called “checking out”) as the score for each thrower’s turn is deducted from the total; however, the final dart must land in either the bullseye or a double segment in order to win. When two teams play, the starting score is sometimes increased to 701 or 1001, but basic rules remain the same. Most professional matches are a simple game called “501 up”. See Darts Regulation Authority Rule Book → Here

Expert thrower, Darren Parzow, explains how to play 301 and 501 in an instructional video from the series ‘How to Play Darts’ → Here

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The 2019 Australian Open Darts Tournament was open to amateurs as well as elite professional players, providing an amazing opportunity for amateur dart players to take on the world’s best.

If you missed the live stream broadcast, you can watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select matches from video posts located in upper right corner of the media player below.

If you missed the darts competition at the 2017 Arnold Classic Australia competition darts, there’s still time tow watch a video recording. Just Click/Tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below. Also available is arm wrestling competition finals.

Before WWI, pubs in the UK installed dartboards made from solid blocks of wood, but it wasn’t an ideal target as the boards had to be soaked in water to keep the wood soft, and the darts damaged the surface causing holes to develop. In mid-1930’s, a pub owner and chemist came up with the idea of bundling and compressing plant fibers to make dartboards, and this successfully solved the problems of durability and maintenance.

Adding to the fun, electronic dartboards were introduced in the 1970’s, offering a wide variety of programmed scoring and games.

♦ Inspired to give the game a go? → Use this Amazon link to shop for your dartboard and darts. Then, start throwing! (Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a purchase you make via the link. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.)

Feature photo courtesy of FreeImages9/Pexels CC0

Show Jumping LIVE

July 16, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Horses didn’t do a lot of jumping until fences began appearing in previously open fields as a result of the adoption of a series of laws creating property rights and boundaries.

The sport of show jumping developed from challenges created by this new obstacle, and fences started showing up in sport arenas during 19^th century equestrian competitions in Europe (known at the time as ‘Lepping’ or ‘horse leaping’). An early form of show jumping competition was included at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games. The sport was then included in its current format at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, and has continued to evolve and gain in popularity as a spectator sport.

Courage, Control and Technique

Grand Prix is the highest level of show jumping competition, and one of the most exciting sports to watch. Held under International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) jumping rules, the horse must jump a course of 10 to 16 obstacles, with heights up to 1.6 meters (5’3”) spread out up to 2 meters (6’7”).

A horse must have courage to jump fences as well as athletic ability and skillful technique to handle the sharp turns and bursts of speed necessary to navigate difficult show jumping courses. Different breeds of horses have been successful show jumpers, and while most are tall (over 16 hands, 145cm/57in), there’s no correlation between size and athletic ability, and tall horses don’t necessarily have an advantage in jumping competitions. In fact, pony-sized horses may sometimes compete in open competition with adult riders. The most famous example is Stroller (1950-1986), a cross-bred who was only 14.1 hands, but won 61 international competitions and an individual silver medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics, jumping one of the only two clear rounds in the individual competition.

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2019 Grand Prix competitions at Hunter Farms North, New Jersey USA are LIVE — Sundays, July 21, July 28, and August 4, 12-2pm EDT.

Programming Notes:

If you miss a Grand Prix live stream broadcast, you can watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media players below.

Sometimes it happens — scheduling changes, breaks in competition, or technical interruptions in the live broadcast. Please check back for live action updates, and take a look at the Live Stream Program Guide for more On2In2™ streaming info.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 Liftmaster Grand Prix, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located on the media player below ↓

We’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to comment on this post, join the conversation, or share your inspiration, and you have not yet registered as an On2In2™ playmaker, please sign up via the ‘Engage page’. Don’t worry, it’s pretty quick and easy.

Feature photo is courtesy of Pixabay/Pexels CC0

Windsurfing Comp LIVE

July 12, 2019 By Zola Zeester 1 Comment

Windsurfing (also known as ‘sailboarding’) is a dynamic, challenging water sport, sometimes described as a cross between surfing and sailing, but the experience of riding a board powered by wind feels more like flying.

It’s fun to watch, too. Experienced windsurfers can perform jumps, inverted loops, spins, and other “freestyle” moves as well as ride the world’s ‘Big Waves’ in lightening fast speeds.

There are 5 main disciplines of competitive windsurfing events held by the Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA): Wave, Freestyle, Racing, Super X and Indoor. Freestyle and Wave are judged competitions. Olympic Boardsailing, Formula windsurfing, Slalom and SuperX are group races on a course, and Speed Racing is an individual timed race on a straight 500 meter course.

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On the island of Gran Canaria, located in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the northwestern coast of Africa, is a special place that’s all about windsurfing — Pozo Izquierdo. It’s one of the best natural areas in the world for windsurfing with strong winds and 1-3 meter waves, and every June-July, the best surfers in the world head there to test their skills and compete in the Gran Canaria Winds and Waves Windsurf World Cup.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of 2019 Gran Canaria Winds and Waves Windsurf World Cup, there’s still time to watch a video recording of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button located on the media player below.

Located just off the French coastline of the Mediterranean, Le Jaï, Marignane is a renowned location for slalom windsurfing, and the perfect venue for PWA Tour events. If you missed the 2019 Marignane PWA Windsurfing World Cup live stream broadcast, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located in the upper right corner of the media player below ↓

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 PWA World Cup freestyle competition hosted on the Dutch Caribbean island, Bonaire, April 9-13, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the event. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from video posts in the top right corner located on the media player below ↓

Watch more great surfing and personal stories on the “Cranking Surf” video channel, a collection of On2In2™ favorite short videos FREE 2 WATCH, On-Demand

FREE To WATCH big wave surfing videos, including the amazing world record Big Wave towed-in ride on an 80′ (24m) wave by Rodrigo Koxa (Guaruja, São Paulo, Brazil) at Nazaré, Portugal on November 8, 2017.

Photo is courtesy of George Desipris/Unsplash CC0

Why Not Now?

July 11, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Vivian Stancil was 50 years old, blind, weighed more than 300 pounds, and was terrified of water when she decided she would try swimming lessons.

Learning to swim will change your life, and it's never to late to start swimming lessons. — Dad’s two star swimmers at Landa Park pool

I was lucky. I grew up around water — lakes, rivers, streams and a large, spring-fed community pool. The summer I learned to swim I had just turned 7 years old. My dad (a former lifeguard) considered swimming an important life skill as well as a recreational activity. So important, in fact, he took two weeks vacation time from work to give me and my sister an intense course of daily swim instruction after he determined we had not learned enough taking beginner classes.

I did become a confident swimmer after dad’s training, later working as a life guard and swim instructor during summer breaks just as he had done and enjoying water skiing and scuba diving. Even tried windsurfing, but struggled with directional control, resulting in too many wild one-way rides. Boating was a favorite family pastime (also the family business), and some of my best childhood memories are summer vacations at the beach with family and friends.

But, more important than water sports and recreation, I learned from dad to love and respect the water. It wasn’t until leaving my water-centric childhood home that I began to understand not everyone has the same opportunity to learn to swim and so many people have absolutely no experience in or around water.

Somber Stats

A 2014 Red Cross survey found that 54% American adults either can’t swim or don’t have basic swimming skills, and only 56% of those claiming to know how to swim can perform all five basic water safety/competency skills: 1) the ability to step or jump into the water over your head; 2) return to the surface and float or tread water for one minute; 3) turn around in a full circle and find an exit; 4) swim 25 yards to the exit; and 5) exit from the water without using a ladder.

The Red Cross survey also revealed that nearly half of Americans say they have had an experience in the water where they were afraid they might drown, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 10 people die every day in the US from unintentional drowning. Twenty percent (20%) of those deaths are children aged 14 or younger, making drowning the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and sixth for people of all ages.

There are similarly grim statistics reported throughout the world. In both Hong Kong and England (each surrounded by water) – one in five can’t swim. According to government statistics, approximately 60,000 people drown in China every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Africa (a region where children are taught to avoid the water, not how to swim) as having the highest rate of drowning deaths in the world (8 drownings for every 100,000 people), and Lake Victoria is considered one of the most dangerous spots with an estimated 5,000 drownings each year.

FACE YOUR FEAR – CHANGE YOUR LIFE

For non-swimming adults, fear and access were the main barriers to learning to swim as a child. That fear then carries on through adulthood and develops more issues of embarrassment and disinterest, causing serious risk to personal safety and an inability to enjoy the water. But, these things can be conquered with some inspiration, determination and swim lessons from a certified instructor.

Why not now? It’s a great question, and Vivian Stancil reminds us all that it’s never too late to learn to swim or take on any challenge.

Information/Resources:

Recommended Reading → *Swimming Lessons: Life Lessons from the Pool, from Diving In to Treading Water” by Penelope Niven. [At age 44, Penelope needed a change, and decided to learn to swim.] *Zeester Media LLC may receive a small commission for a book purchase you make via this link. This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Find local Red Cross ‘Learn-to-Swim’ providers
Adult learn-to-swim instructors – US Masters Swimming search tool
Vivian Stancil Olympian Foundation – Drown-Proof/Swim Clinic (April 28, 2018, Riverside, California)
2014 Red Cross Water Safety Survey Results – study conducted using a representative sample of American adults
Learn to Swim England The Amateur Swimming Association found that 20% of men and 22% of women over the age of 14 in England can’t swim.
Why do so many Africans drown? by Julian Hattem (April 27, 2017) NPR Goats and Soda
8 Health Benefits of Swimming + 5 Tips to Help You Swim Better by Jesse Miller, Jen Reviews (July 9, 2017)
When Death Rocks Your World, Maybe You Jump Out of a Plane by Hanna Rosin, NPR Health (March 9, 2018) – A personal essay on facing “one single deep, visceral, nausea-inducing fear of heights” when her mother asked her to jump out of an airplane.

Synchronized swimming is like watching ballet in the water, but watch closely. You’ll discover it looks much easier than it is.

Feature photo is courtesy of Unsplash CC0

Synchronized Swimming

July 7, 2019 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Don’t be fooled by the showy costuming, heavy makeup and incessant smiles. Originally known as ‘water ballet’, synchronized swimming is an aquatic sport and art form requiring a combination of exceptional water skills, strength, endurance, flexibility, artistry and precise timing, as well as extraordinary breath control.

In 1891, the first recorded synchronized swimming competition was held in Berlin, Germany (at the time, a male-only event). The sport began to breakthrough in Europe and North America in the early 20th century when it became a women’s sport and popular entertainment at large halls and theaters equipped with big water tanks on stage. Katherine Curtis, an American synchronized swimming pioneer and educator, organized and trained the ‘Kay Curtis Modern Mermaids’, a water ballet act that performed at the Chicago ‘Century of Progress’ World’s Fair (1933-1934), and during the 40’s and 50’s, Hollywood movies starring swimming sensation, Esther Williams, boosted the interest in synchronized swimming with elaborately produced routines.

Six decades following those big synchronized swimming movie productions, the film, Breathless, presents a very different approach with a dramatic story shot entirely underwater. Totally captivating.

Depending on the level of competition, synchronized swimming includes solo, duet and team events, and begins with a “technical” routine or “figures” with predetermined elements performed in a specific order without touching the bottom of the pool. Then, swimmers perform a longer “free” routine, requiring no specific technical elements and allowing more creative choreography (but, again– no touching the bottom). Routines are scored on a scale of 100, with points for artistic impression, execution, and difficulty.

The first Olympic demonstration of the sport was at the 1952 Olympic Games, but synchronized swimming did not gain acceptance as an Olympic sport until the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In 2017, FINA, the international governing body for aquatic disciplines, renamed the sport of synchronized swimming to ‘artistic swimming’ for the stated purpose of clarifying the nature of the sport and enhancing its popularity; however, the decision has been criticized by some swimmers and coaches.

Not For Women Only?

It’s a bit ironic that synchronized swimming started out as a male-only swimming competition, and now the sport excludes men.

Pau Ribes, a professional artistic swimmer from Barcelona, Spain, first saw a synchronized swimming show when he was a child, and was immediately hooked on the sport. But, there was a problem. Synchronized swimming was, and still is, considered a sport for women, and men have been excluded from amateur and professional competitions.

It was only after Pau discovered Panteres Grogues (Yellow Panthers) [a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping LGBT community members succeed in sports] that he found acceptance and was able to train. In 2015, Pau made history by participating in an international competition that included male swimmers for the first time. But, his dreams and goals didn’t end with that accomplishment. Watch him tell his story in this short video Synch or Swim by Great Big Story.

Synchronized swimming, however, is not just about competition these days. It’s a sport that can be enjoyed by everyone at any age.

Information/Resources:
Synchronized Swimming Lessons For Adults, Swim England Synchro
The Los Angeles Synchronized Swim Club offers free monthly “Synchro Basic Clinics” and other programs
Why Doesn’t the US Have a Synchronized Swimming Team in Rio? by Vicki Valsik, The Atlantic (August 19, 2016) [Americans once dominated the sport, but things changed after 1996, and you guessed it — money is a big factor]
Synchronized Swimming Has a History that Dates Back to Ancient Rome, by Vicki Valosik, Smithsonian.com (August 12, 2016) – Before it reached the Olympics, the sport was a spectacle of the circus and vaudeville
Wikipedia: Synchronized Swimming

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Canada Artistic Swimming is on a mission — to pioneer the sport of synchronized swimming…. “transform what is expected, what is possible, and what people around the world think about artistic swimming”.

If you missed the live stream broadcast of the 2019 Canadian Championships, there’s still time to watch video recordings of the competition. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located right top corner of the media player below ↓

More than 225 athletes from across Canada competed in the 2018 Artistic Swimming Canadian Championships (April 24-28) at the state-of-the-art Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre, Windsor, Ontario, all vying for national titles in over 18 events. If you missed the live stream broadcast of the competition, there’s still time to watch video recordings. Just click/tap the “Watch Again” button or select from the video posts located on the media player below ↓

Don’t know how to swim?
It’s never too late to learn this life-saving skill.

Feature photo by Flickr user, Voxsports Voxer, CC BY-NC 2.0

How To Beat the Bull

July 5, 2019 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

“No matter what your problems are —it’s just like going out and facing that bull every day: Look at what you’re up against, and figure out a way to make it work.” —Gary Leffew, Champion Bull Rider

We face many life challenges, big and small; consequently, there are many advisors, coaches, experts and various motivational guides offering advice on how to make a success of it all. You may have noticed, social media is full of it. But, really nothing beats the shared wisdom gained from personal experience, and sometimes the very best advice comes from an unexpected source, like a skateboarder, shipyard welder, yo-yoer, or rodeo cowboy. Spend less than 10 minutes with Gary Leffew and learn what it takes to be a success in bull riding and all other endeavors. (Hint: It’s a mental game.)

“The Bull Rider”, is a short film from “I Am Los Angeles”, directed by Joris Debeij, featuring Gary Leffew, PRCA World Champion Bull Rider and member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

The taming of bulls has ancient roots that have been traced to a Bronze Age civilization of the Aegean islands (2600 BC – 1100 BC), and bull riding developed from a 16th century ranch skill competition known as ‘Jaripeo’ among the haciendas of Central and Southern Mexico where a rider rode a bull to death much like is done in bull fighting. It eventually changed to the traditional charreada sporting event, ‘Jineteo de Toro’, where the rider attempts to ride the bull until it tires and stops bucking.

The Arti of Bullfighting — Νο. 24: El mismo Ceballos montado sobre otro toro quiebra rejones en la plaza de Madrid (1816), Public Domain, Francisco Goya (1746 -1828), via Wikimedia Commons

No. 24 (The Same Ceballos Mounted on Another Bull Breaks Short Spears in the Ring at Madrid) is from a series of 33 prints “La Tauromaquia” (The Bullfight) created by Francisco Goya using techniques of etching and aquatint. The scenes depicted in the series focus on the violence, rituals and styles of 19th century bullfighting. A portfolio of these works of art is currently located at the National Gallery of Art.

The Most Dangerous 8 Seconds in Sports

“Everything’s in slow motion. He’s floating in the air, and it’s just weightless.” — Cody Campbell

The modern rodeo sport of bull riding requires a rider to stay mounted on a bucking bull for a specific period of time. In the ‘American style’, both rider and bull are scored by judges, and the rider must hold onto the bull rope (fiber rope wrapped around the chest of the bull) with one hand for eight seconds and not touch the bull with the free hand. It’s been referred to as the most dangerous eight seconds in sports.

Information/Resources:
Gary Leffew’s Bull Riding School – for all ages and levels of bull riders
Professional Bull Riders, Inc. Touring Schedule
Event Schedule, Bull Riders Canada, Inc.
Professional Bull Riders – Australia Schedule
Charreada Event Schedule, Asociacion de Charros de San Antonio
“Facing the Bull: The Most Dangerous Eight Seconds in Sports”, by Zoltan Istvan, National Geographic News (February 25, 2004)
American Veterinary Medical Association News, The Bovine Athlete by R. Scott Nolan (July 18, 2012)
The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo by Christian Wallace, Texas Monthly (July 2018) – Fifty years ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived.

Cutting Horse Competition
Horse & rider teams compete in a rodeo sport that began in the American West
Watch LIVE & FREE, but OK if you miss the live stream broadcast because there are video recordings of the competition to watch.

You’ll find more inspiration from the stories told by this diverse group of pathfinders on the video bio- documentary channel “Life Inspired“.

“How to Beat the Bull” is an edited version of an article originally published on the “Zblog” by Zeester Media LLC.

Feature photo is courtesy of Adam Morse/Unsplash CC0

The California Brown Pelican

July 4, 2019 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) can be found on both coasts of the Americas and are quite common along the coast of California, but it is a very unique pelican and its survival was at one time threatened.

A close-up photo of California Brown Pelican in flight — Frank Schulenburg CC BY-SA 4.0

While it’s a large bird, the brown pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, and one of only three found in the Western Hemisphere. It’s also one of only two pelican species that feeds by diving into the water—a spectacular sight to see as it power-dives, bill-first, submerging underwater for a few moments before surfacing and swallowing its catch. Amazingly, they can spot a fish up to 60-70 feet above the surface of the water, and that height makes for some high diving and big splash-down.

Brown pelicans are also social and gregarious birds, living in flocks of both sexes and nesting in colonies on offshore islands. They are extraordinarily buoyant in the water as well as beautifully graceful in flight, flying in single file or “V” formation often low over the surface of the water.

Watching the skillful performance of brown pelicans is some of the best entertainment on the beach!

The brown pelican is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. In the early 1970’s, scientists discovered pesticides threatened the brown pelican by causing its eggshells to be too thin to support an embryo, which led to its listing under the Endangered Species Act, a ban on the use of the pesticide DDT in the United States, and curtailed, controlled the use of toxic insecticide. As a result of those protective government actions and other conservation efforts, the brown pelican made an eventual recovery. In a 2008 US Fish & Wildlife report, the brown pelican population in southern California was estimated at more than 11,000 breeding pairs, and it was officially removed from the endangered and threatened species list in 2009.

It’s a happy story of a great recovery and an example of how wildlife conservation efforts can help save endangered species, but brown pelicans still need some protection. There’s concern they are highly susceptible to climate change and destructive human activity, and the only breeding colonies in the western US are located within Channel Islands National Park on the West Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands. Consequently, preservation of this vital habitat along with continued monitoring are critical to the health and survival of the California Brown Pelican.

The Brown Pelican Survey project is a biannual citizen science-based survey organized and initiated in 2016 with the joint efforts of the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird), state agencies, Conservacion de Islas and the National Audubon Society in order to better understand the abundance and distribution of Brown Pelicans in California, Oregon, and Washington and track shifts in population. To see the May and October 2016 survey results, and for information on how you can participate in the survey, click/tap ⇒ HERE A total of 1,976 brown pelicans were counted across 18 sites along the Oregon coast in the fall of 2017 (reported by the Audubon Society of Portland ⇒ The Oregon Fall 2017 Survey Results)

It's a happy day when you meet up with a California Brown Pelican on a beach in Malibu, California — California Brown Pelican, Big Rock Beach, Malibu CA

It’s a happy day when a big, beautiful California Brown Pelican
comes along during a walk on the beach.

References/Information Sources:

California Brown Pelican, Channel Islands National Park
Brown Pelican, National Audubon Society Field Guide
All About Birds – Brown Pelican Life History, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 “makes it illegal for anyone to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of such a bird except under the terms of a valid permit issued pursuant to US federal regulations”. The US Fish & Wildlife Service has statutory authority and responsibility to enforce the Act.

If you’d like to see and learn more about the birds of the world,
you’ll find helpful info and links to resources as well as brilliant
photos of birds here ⇒ Bird ID Challenge

Audubon's The Birds of America includes an illustration of the Brown Pelican — Brown Pelican, Audubon’s “The Birds of America” Plate 251

This image of the Brown Pelican (plate 251) is taken from The Birds of America by John James Audubon courtesy of the National Audubon Society, John James Audubon Center and Montgomery County Audubon Collection. The full series of Audubon’s illustrations of birds is available for viewing and downloading free of charge.

Feature photo of Brown Pelicans in flight at Big Rock Beach, Malibu, California is courtesy of Zeester Media LLC, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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