On August 26th, University of Kentucky’s Christian Student Fellowship went to break the world record for the World’s Largest Water Balloon Fight set in 2010 by students at Brigham Young University. 8957 people threw 175,141 water ballons in the fight, compared to a mere 3927 people in 2010. A record surely begging to be broken, again and again. Via Laughing Squid.
-
-
Garrett Weber-Gale on “Staging” at Noma
A good read here on athleticfoodie.com, by Olympic gold medalist and food enthusiast Garrett Weber-Gale:On August 7th, I traveled to Copenhagen to apprentice at Noma. I had little notion of what I’d be doing, or what I’d be learning. Of course, I read up a bunch regarding their ‘Nordic Cuisine’, and some of the plates they serve. I really had no idea what to expect. What I soon came to realize, was that I was about to have my mind blown. Everything is done with precision and love for perfection. The extremes they go to, to use the best ingredients found in the surrounding Scandinavian region, the care they take in preserving everything they have by not taking short cuts. They prepare everything to exemplify it’s natural beauty and flavor, I was literally on a constant high from new information.
-
Walliams battling on the Thames despite of diarhhea
News here and here on the Sun, about Little Britain star David Walliams swimming from the source of The Thames to Big Ben in London. About 140 miles of Britain’s longest river over the course of eight days, navigating busy river traffic, a cocktail of bacteria in the water, and avoiding the 39 million cubic meters of raw sewage that fill the Thames each year. So his navigation is a bit off, luckily not hitting traffic, but now suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhea, on the third day of the swim.
-
‘Swimmer Buddy’ aims to make open-water swimming safer
Long-distance swimmer Jim Zinger says he created the Swimmer Buddy after his wife expressed concerns about him swimming in open water. It is a belt connected by a 6-foot-long leash to a body board, on which you can attach colourful “noodles” and flags. To be seen and to be able to rest upon if you get tired. Not so stupid, I think maybe even a radar reflector and some GPS transmitter to be completely safe. See www.swimmerbuddy.com, via Burbank Reader.
-
Maui swimmer lost an arm and most of his other hand
Correction to this story from yesterday, about 41-year-old John Caughlin who was badly hurt after being hit by a boat during the Maui Channel swim on Saturday. He had a lot more than just a hand ‘nearly severed’, read The Daily News of Open Water Swimming:
John was taken by Jet ski to shore and underwent surgery for eight hours at Maui Memorial Hospital. According to the latest reports from the hospital, the attending physician said John’s right arm just above the elbow had to be amputated due to severe vascular damage and his left hand was reattached, but his thumb and index finger are gone.
There is an interesting article here on the same blog with recommendations about what to do when and if you happen to get too close to swimmers with your boat. Always good to know, even though I still think that boats at open water swims ought to have that prop guard solution:
When a boater is caught in a pack with swimmers all around (left, right, front, rear), do not panic. Take the boat out of gear, turn the motor off, wait until the swimmers are safely clear, and then resume operations. Because the prop may still turn with the boat our of gear and the motor off, consider putting the boat back in gear (with the motor off) to stop the prop.
-
Luca Marin on how Federica Pellegrini split up with him
Ouch, a hard moment in Shanghai this summer: “On the day when [Pellegrini] won the 400 freestyle, I rushed to her to talk to her and compliment her. We met in her room, but from her mouth came less than I expected – ‘Luca, I do not love you anymore’. She spoke to me, asking me how to tell the media about our break, but I did not listen. The pain was too great.”And then, “The night they kissed, Federica and Filippo, in public at Cafe Rouge in Shanghai I was there. It was strange to feel how such a thing can change your body, your mind, in certain situations. Anger clouded my vision. Close friends dragged me away. I want Federica to be taken seriously. I wish her happiness. Magnini? No. He is interested in the media circus that surrounds Federica. Nothing else. And I will say no more than that.”
Tomorrow, Magnini will take on a dolphin in a race at Zoomarine near Rome. “The smart money is on the porpoise.” Read more here on SwimNews.com -
Call for prop guards after swimmer’s hand nearly severed
A northern California man’s left hand was partially severed after being struck by an escort boat during the Maui Channel swim last Saturday. There is a call for mandatory propeller guards in the US as in Australia and Singapore, which critics again say slow down a boat’s performance. Read more here on khon2.com.
-
Bovell pulls out of the Pan American Games
George Bovell III wil not represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico next month, due to his ongoing recovery from head injuries sustained in a car crash last month.
First day back from George Bovell on Vimeo.
Bovell was heading to Mayaro to go spear-fishing following a training session on August 19 when he lost control of his car. The BMW collided with an oncoming truck, but evasive action saved Bovell from severe injury, although he sustained a concussion and a wound to his forehead.
The 2004 Olympics bronze medalist has resumed light training but is still suffering some lingering effects of the accident. HIs stitches have been removed, but his short-term memory and cognitive ability are still slightly affected.
Read more here on trinidadexpress.com.