Watersports blog

A sixteen-year old teenager trying to break a solo sailing attempt around the world was reportedly missing in the Indian Ocean located about two thousand miles east of Madagascar. This development was reported by the family of 16-year old Abby Sunderland, a resident of Thousand Oaks, California.

The young sailor left her home alone last January 23 via her sailboat named “Wild Eyes.” On Thursday, she lost her satellite phone contact with her family. She did set off her emergency beacons which triggered rescue efforts from Australian, French and United States governments.

Sunderland was attempting to beat the world record as the youngest sailor to ever circumnavigate the world. This title was held her brother Zac, the one who clinched the title for a brief time last year.

Search efforts are being done by the authorities to find the young sailor. Her family is concerned but hopeful that Sunderland’s advanced training will put her through the ordeal.

A highly-extreme cliff diving competition has taken place at the edge of a ninety feet deep sinkhole in Mexico. Several competitors flocked to the remote part of this country to take part in the “Cliff Diving World Series.”

Participants performed their best stunts with others reaching speeds of forty miles per hour before plunging the dark waters of Cenote Ik Kil.

The champion of this high adrenaline event was Gary Hunt of Southampton. He pulled off a Triple Quad stunt, considered one of the most difficult dives in the world.

The event, sponsored by Red Bull, lasted for 2 days. It took longer for each competitor to try and get up the cliff for succeeding rounds.

Hunt scored 373.85 in total. He outperformed Silchenko by more than ten points. Coming in third place is defending champion Duque.

Missoula-based entrepreneur Cat Thordarson surprised everyone in the town when she ventured into an unlikely form of business – providing swimwear such as bikinis.

Thordarson designs sexy swimwear based on her clients’ preferences. The items come up in different shapes and sizes. She also welcomes custom made orders.

The decision paid off for the Entrepreneur because the editors of popular magazine Sports Illustrated is reportedly impressed with her designs and may likely avail of her services to dress up the models for the magazine’s next issue.

Thordarson said in the interview that the editors of the magazine were impressed by her design. She said that the meeting was initially about delivery of the bikinis but it turned out to be a long interview with promising results.

The young entrepreneur graduated with a degree in apparel merchandise, design and production from Iowa State University.

Stafford and Stone Canoe Club member Mark Proctor secured his place at the prestigious European and World Canoe Slalom Championships which will take place in Great Britain next month after placing runner up at the canoeing national trials held in Nottingham.

The canoeing star will be undergoing rigid training for a month in anticipation of the event in Bratislava. The top three players in the trials have secured their place in the championships.

Proctor has already signed up to become part of the World Championships in Slovenia in September this year. The young canoeing artist is excited to have gotten these opportunities along the way.

He said that he has always maintained his high standards in order to achieve quality results on his performances. He aims to finish in the world’s top ten so that he can take part in competitions in the big stages.

The Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the global policymaker on water sports, has laid out its plans for the near future. UIM President Raffaele Chiulli revealed these developments after the conclusion of the SportAccord International Convention in Dubai.

Part of the future projects includes youth development, alternate fuel and energy and proper marketing strategy. The officials also stated that it will enforce stricter anti-doping policies. Chiulli said that this ensures the longevity of the sport.

The Italian official said that the recognition they got from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a signal that they can continue developing water sports.

Chiulli secured an agreement with World Professional Powerboat Association (WPPA), a Dubai-based organization, to create the Offshore Professional Committee (OPC) for the development of the X-Cat and Class One World Powerboat Championships.

Water sports have been taken into consideration for inclusion in the Olympic Games. The decision will be made by 2013 in Buenos Aires.

So get your swimwear out and lets get practicing for the Olympic games

The highly anticipated Water Sports game for Nintendo Wii is now available for purchase. This was revealed by software developer Avanquest this week. Gamers can now use their Wii Balance Boards as they take on the challenge in wake boarding, kite surfing, water craft racing and windsurfing in great locations such as Australia, South Africa and California at the comfort of their living rooms.

Gamers can steer using the board and perform great tricks using the Wii remote. The adjustable difficulty settings make the transition easier for beginners and pros. The Wii Balance Board, as stated by the developers, is not a prerequisite because users can still play the Water Sports game without the board.

A multiplayer mode is set up for users who want more action and challenge. The boarder must concentrate in order to excel in the game and the high scores can definitely boost up the confidence.

The game can be bought in gaming retail stores.

The Central American country of Belize is a diverse society, with people speaking different kinds of languages. The great thing about this country is the numerous tourist destinations that can be visited, not to mention the adventure packages that can be availed off.

Unknown to many, Belize is a top snorkeling destination. Enthusiasts of this sport go to this country to experience the adrenaline rush of snorkeling. One of the top service providers is Seaduced By Belize.

Part of the tour provided by the company is the access to Hol Chan Marine Reserve where tourists can see a wide array of eels, sting rays, sea turtles and even barracudas. To check out the sharks, there’s Shark Ray Alley where adventure-seekers can swim with the nurse sharks. These smaller sharks are of little harm to the people because they usually stay at the bottom and mostly sleep, but just in case ladies don’t forget to wear your sports swimwear if you are in need of a swift escape.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently signed a new law that grants the Philippine Coast Guard additional powers in terms of law enforcement. One of the significant powers given is the Coast Guard’s prerogative to detain and stop substandard passenger and cargo vessels from sailing within the country’s waters.

The law is known as Republic Act 9993 or the “Philippine Coast Guard Act of 2009.” The new law aims to prevent sea tragedies especially since there is a growing incidence of such in the country for the past few years.

Some of the world’s worst maritime disasters occur in the Philippines. With this in mind, there’s a significant need to come up with a law that pinpoints clearer responsibility and accountability.

The law has been under legislative review for more than eight years and the signing definitely brings a breeze of fresh air to the commuters who constantly board shipping vessels in their daily operations.

The Dive Equipment and Marketing Association, considered to be the largest trade expo in the scuba diving and snorkeling industry was held earlier this month in Orlando, Florida. The exhibitors showed the must have snorkeling and scuba diving gears which can be useful in tropical vacations in islands. These gears are slated for wide release in the coming months. The items that got massive attention was the Hydroacoustics Inc. Diver Interdiction System which costs $60,000, the Proteus 500 ROV which costs $33,000.

Not to be missed was the Liquid Image Underwater Camera Mask which makes it easier for photographers to shoot videos of colorful fish and coral without having to schlep around a camera and strobes. This costs $150. The Liquid image works to up to 115 feet deep, enough to get those hard to get images of underwater creatures.

Active wear maker Lululemon Athletica is now attempting to enter the “tween” market in Canada through its Ivivva Athletic brand. Lululemon is known for providing outfits to mothers ranging from yoga outfits to gym clothes.

Lululemon Chief Executive Officer Christine Day said that they are confident about the prospects of the teenage market embracing their products, adding that they have the opportunity to give the younger women the option to upgrade their dress sense.
Ivivva targets girls aged six to twelve and the line is making a grand debut at Lululemon’s main store in Vancouver later this month followed by its launch in Calgary and Victory by December.
Day said Ivivva will soon be an independent store, but for now the products will be sold in Lululemon stores to properly introduce the line to the new market.

Lululemon ventured into the pre-teen market after positive revenues posted on its third quarter period and with the holiday season coming up, sales are expected to grow as well.