Posted by: site admin @ 10:20 pm
Edison High School 17-year old Catherine Vasquez, put together a surfing contest benefiting research and treatment for those with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The high school student and surfer said she’d get extra credit from the project to help her grades and from what we saw at the event, it was an A+. Starting from scratch, she went around to friends, shops and organizations in the community to help her raise money and sponsorship for an event that raised approx. $10,000. She selected the cause because her friend’s mom was recently diagnosed, and a relative is becoming paralyzed from the disease.
On hand was world class surfer Holly Beck, who spoke about the efforts of Vasquez and the event, itself. “What an inspiration!” Beck said. “I just feel humbled that someone in high school would do this for others instead of thinking of herself.” Trophies were awarded for top surfers in an event called Salsa Surfing Contest. Vasquez was so pleased with the success of the new event that she hopes to put one together annually.
Posted by: site admin @ 3:18 pm
Quiksilver, once the darling of Huntington Beach industries, ranking just under Boeing for popularity in the city’s attempt to keep their corporate offices in town, has dropped on the S&P to ‘B-’ from B+. What does that mean? Standard & Poor’s (great name, “poor”), ranks companies and their stocks for buying and selling status to consumers and investors. B- rating indicates that Quiksilver Inc. is sinking deeper into junk status (not good). Quiksilver said it extended the maturity of its 55 million
euros ($71) line of credit to June 30 from March 14 to give the company
more time to complete a strategic or refinancing deal.
The clothing and sporting equipment company is striving toward a deal to improve its liquidity and capital structure to meet near-term debt obligations, maintain adequate liquidity, and improve its operating business trends and financial metrics. As of Jan. 31, 2009, the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company had about $1.4 billion in adjusted debt, S&P said.
Among its notable company investments was the acquisition of Rosignol, which Quiksilver later sold. It also hoped to relocate its corporate offices which it was outgrowing into new digs in Irvine. That move has been tabled, as far as we’ve heard. Even though Irvine sought to gain Quicksilver’s business and offer a better price on space, the move itself would be costly. More to come.
Posted by: site admin @ 12:35 pm
In a recent attack in downtown Huntington Beach leading to a young man fighting for his life, witnesses have helped create a sketch of a suspect in the attack that happened near the bars in downtown Huntington Beach, Calif. The 21-year-old man remains in critical condition, and the man accused of
stabbing him is being sought. The public is asked to help out by calling the Huntington Beach Police Department at 714-375-5066 if you recognize anyone who looks like this sketch.
The attack happened early Sunday morning just as the downtown bars were closing. A group of youg men waited for a ride from a friend near IHOP, when they were confronted by hecklers. Trying to move away from the aggressors, the group went by the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum and houses on Sixth Street and Olive Avenue, when an attacker caught and stabbed one of the friends.
Posted by: site admin @ 12:25 pm
What killed the sea lion found on Huntington Beach’s Bolsa Chica State Beach? That’s the mystery for those who discovered the dead sea lion with a missing head and partially eaten flipper. While HB lifeguards say sea lion deaths are typical for this time of year, it’s still a shock for children and adults to see sea lions on the beach, alive or dead. The juvenile (as opposed to adult) California sea lion was discovered by a beach-goer who found the sea lion while walking near Tower 22 at the beach on Mar. 16, 2009. The100+ pounds animal had several large bites on its abdomen and appeared to be killed recently, as ther was no smell of decay and blood was still present in its wounds, according the the witness who also saw a pod of dolphins about 100 yards offshore.
“It is not to see sea lion carcasses washed ashore in the spring, according to Huntington Beach Marine Safety Chief Kyle Lindo said. Meanwhile, over at Seal Beach fishermen have recently caught a number of small sharks, though nothing large enough to kill a sea lion. Still, Huntington Beach and the entire Pacific does contain many sharks, some big, some small. While a relatively small number of humans have been killed by sharks in California, the sea lion attacks are much more prevalent and often go unnoticed. Who’s going to report their missing sea lion relative? Sharks reportedly prefer sea lions as a food to humans. Rich with fat, the sea lion offers a great source of nourishment for sharks. And when a woman was killed by a shark in Avila Beach a few years ago, she was swimming toward or with the sea lions, reportedly, and her black wetsuit may have looked to a shark like sea lion.
All in all, thousands of surfers and swimmers go to the beach to swim and surf in Huntington Beach and attacks are extremely rare.
Posted by: site admin @ 12:15 pm
LifeLine Entertainment is an independent film
production and distribution company formed in 2000 and based in Huntington Beach. The company has produced five feature-length films, two of which were
distributed through its own home video label. The Surf City, California, film firm, LifeLine Entertainment prefers cutting edge, indie films with titles targeted to niche audiences who appreciate
smaller-budget art house films. Return to Innocence, a film
noir, court drama; Hallowed, a horror flick; Almost Beautiful, a documentary; Amhurst, a true thriller and the latest, 11:11, which is a coming-of-age crime
drama, all brought interest and acclaim to this small firm bucking the trend of big budget film expenses.
Completing the production of a 7-year project, “11:11;” writer/ director, Rocky Costanzo said the cameras are currently rolling once again in its original setting of Huntington Beach, California, and Rocky is seeing light at the end of the tunnel of a crazy journey.
Filming began in 2004 but backers pulled out and the film was shelved in 2005 till funding could be secured. Finally, in December of 2008 the film’s producer called a meeting “to finish this thing.” Actors were called back and the film got back on track, even during a recession. Storyboarding began and casting took place at LifeLine’s studio in Huntington Beach. The five original actors returning are Myles Jeffrey (The Ant Bully, Face/Off, Hoodlum & Son, various network televesion appearances), Darian Weiss (Miracle at Sage Creek, Better Luck Tomorrow, various network television appearances) Rachel Thorp (Thank You for Smoking, Popstar, Keith), Theresa San-Nicholas (From Justin to Kelly: With Love), and Katelyn Ann Clark (The Conrad Boys).
Supporting cast members includes Jose Yenque a list of talented actors energized and ready to take part in a new adventue, or finish to a long-anticipated project that surrounds the them of coming-of-age. The three-act screenplay consists of two completely different storylines that come together in the end.
Posted by: site admin @ 11:52 am
It’s that time of year again when Aaron Pai announces the newest inductees to the surfing Hall of Fame, fashioned after the Grauman’s Chinese Hall of Fame in Hollywood. Surfers’ Hall of Fame 2009 will pay tribute to 3 generations of surfers with the induction of Jeff Hakman, Bruce Brown and Pat O’Connell. This year’s big three include a Pipeline Masters champion and Quiksilver USA co-founder, Jeff Hakman. Co-star of Endless Summer II and former World Tour champ Pat O’Connell; and documentary film director and early pioneer of surf films Bruce Brown were chosen to have their hand and footprints, plus their signatures put into the red clay tiles in front of the big Duke statue at the HSS store on PCH & Main.
The 12th annual Surfers’ Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 24 in front of Huntington Surf & Sport (corner of PCH and Main).
Super-stoked is how Aaron Pai feels. He’s the owner of Huntington Surf & Sport. He surfs, his kids are award-winning surfers, and he supports many surf teams through sponsorship. Aaron represents the heart and sould of surfing as much as any dude. He looks for major influence on the Sport of Surfing when selecting honorees.
An estimated million plus people walk past the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in downtown Surf City, HB. Legends commemorated include: Robert August, Greg Noll, Jericho Poppler, Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen, Laird Hamilton, Mike Doyle, Jack O’Neill, Shaun Tomson, Rob Machado and many more. Founded in 1997, Surfers’ Hall of Fame celebrated its first induction inside of specialty retailer Huntington Surf & Sport where several slabs remain. Four years later a bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku served as the backdrop for a ceremony outdoors overlooking Huntington Beach Pier, site of the U.S. Open of Surfing. Surfers’ Hall of Fame is a permanent public showcase for the achievements of those who have shaped and revolutionized the sport.
Posted by: site admin @ 11:40 am
The city of Huntington Beach has many surf dudes, but none express themselves as poignantly as Corky. Corky, the surfing columnist who has won more awards than you can shape a board at, says the city’s look has changed. He goes on to add that its soul hasn’t. In honor of the 100th year anniversary of Huntington Beach Corky reflects about Surf City and draws some interesting conclusions, and has some great observations. He began his search in the 60’s, a boom time for surfing in HB, a time that he believes the city grew to become “Surf City”. No, the name is not officially changed to Surf City, but maybe it should. People have a difficult time spelling “Huntington”, and they confuse it with the Huntington Library & Gardens in Pasadena.
United States Surfing Championships was born in 1972 during concerns over the Vietnam War, and surfing was on a national decline, says the spokesperson for California Beaches and surfing lifestyle. Dewey Weber and Hobie, the big surfboard shapers at the time, were slipping in sales to the “underground” brands and the likes of Corky Carroll, himself. Corky observes that the surfing scene in California took a dive off that wave of previous success which peaked in the late 60’s, then nose-dived into the 70s. Hawaii and Australia became the center of focus, and locals were glad to have their surfing spots back without the fanfare of the media, and all the posers coming to town.
Corky dropped out to ski in another state and to improve his musical talent. He couldn’t leave his surfing forever, so he came back and even played the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach. But mostly he sold ads for South County’s Surfer magazine. He also taught tennis, one of his many talents. He managed surf shops such as Windansea and Huntington Surf n Sport and watched the surfing vibe pick back up as Hilton and a huge Hyatt Convention Center were built, and Maxwells was torn down, replaced by Duke’s, where Corky performed as a musician at a tiki bar.
In conclusion, the surf kahuna is glad to see gone what he considered a surf ghetto, and he pays homage to the surf icons and hang-outs of the past, plus the people fondly remembered: David Nuuhiwa, Golden Bear, Lindborg Tennis Club, the Bread Crumb, and still standing–Sugar Shack and Huntington Beach High School. The three-time international and five-time U.S. surfing champion is a cool dude with an HB attitude.
Posted by: site admin @ 11:06 am
Huntington Beach residents are caught up in the excitement of a Town Hall meeting this Wednesday with the new President of the USA. No, he’s not coming to Surf City, U.S.A, but he’ll be close by in Costa Mesa. Line began to form for tickets to Obama event in which he will address a town hall Wednesday at the fairgrounds. Over 20 people were lined up by Monday evening as the sun went down at the Orange County Fair & Event Center, hoping to secure their place to see President Barack Obama town hall event Wednesday. Among those in line was a 19-year old from Huntington Beach who will camp out with friends.
Barack Obama fever caught on with the election of the first African American president in 2009 when Legoland California created an innaugural display in its U.S. Capitol Lego section. So popular was the display, complete with the then-to-be president’s wife and children made of Lego bricks, that it received national attention from international press even picked up the story and exhibition.
Now you can see the real live man in person, and find out what his vision is for getting Americans back to work, and keeping AIG execs that we bailed out from receiving their multi-million dollar bonuses for their bad performance. In California, the unemployment is under-reported at around 10 to 11 percent. In reality, those who don’t qualify for unemployment that are out of work would push the figures to well over 15% if reported accurately.