The Wetass Chronicles

Program Note (Final)...

Hate to say it, but after two-and-a-half years of trying to keep up with this website, I am burned out, cooked, done, finito. Well, not really, but I just don't have the time anymore to do this thing properly, and I'd rather not just mail it in. Plus, it's time to head in a new direction and develop other novel means of wasting time while amusing myself. Thanks to all the loyal readers and tipsters. There are plenty of other blogs out there now bringing you the latest in extreme adventure and video, so keep on clicking. It was fun while it lasted. Have a nice life...

"Ahh. Time to go surfing..."

Into The Air...

Kiteboarding is a sick, sick sport (in a good way...). Check out this nice trailer and see whether you can sit still...

"What are you looking at? Loser..."

Surfapalooza....

There are big swells throughout the Pacific, so let's fly out there courtesy of Surfline and check them out. First up, a report from the Monster Energy Pipeline Pro. Next, let's take a look at Waimea, with this nice video. And, finally, we've got to get back to rough riding Mavericks, where the big wave competition last week was hot and heavy. Click here to dive into a wicked day. Got to love the internet...

Pipe Bomb: KERBLAAAM...!

Annals Of Dubious Schemes...

Hmmm. Check out the Stena Arctica, a massive new oil tanker that is designed to ship oil from Russia to the UK. That means that it will be operating at times as an, err, ice breaker (in ice up to 1 meter thick). Here are the basic stats: 117,100 tons fully loaded, length of 250m, beam of 44m and draft of 15.4m. Hope the naval architects are a little more spot-on with their calculations than the Volvo 70 guys...

"Are you sure you want to go full speed ahead, Captain, umm, Hazelwood...?"

Mavericks: Irish Style...

Surfing has gone global, and it's no surprise to see tow-in action from the land of the shamrock and black beer. TWC's newly appointed Irish correspondent Markham Nolan just sent in this great trailer, shot off the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare on the west coast. So, if you are tired of the crowds at all the obvious places, get out your passport and head to Eire. Click here to read about surfing in Ireland. And click here to see what awaits...

Irish Surfing: Don't Forget Your Full Wetsuit...
(Photo: Peter Mayne)

Fossett To Fly?

If the weather holds, Steve Fossett will take off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning, and attempt the longest non-stop flight in aviation history. You can follow along on the impressive live tracking feed here. Fossett is a classic adventurer: creative, relentless, and incredibly patient. But this thing feels dangerous...

"Damn, if I could just lose a few pounds, I'd probably be able to fly an additional 1000 miles..."

Fossett To Fly?

If the weather holds, Steve Fossett will take off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning, and attempt the longest non-stop flight in aviation history. You can follow along on the impressive live tracking feed here. Fossett is a classic adventurer: creative, relentless, and incredibly patient. But this thing feels dangerous...

"Damn, if I could just lose a few pounds, I'd probably be able to fly an additional 1000 miles..."

Have A Wetass Weekend...

"Man, I really need to get out more..."

Winter(less) Wetassing...

Who needs snow to go snowmobiling? Who needs a ski boat to go waterskiing? Not these guys. Check it out here (courtesy of Skiing magazine and Wildass Warren Miller)...

"This is getting kinda boring. What I really need to spice things up is a barefoot waterskiier..."

Take A Quick trip To Valencia...

Just got back, and boy are my arms, I mean mouse clicking fingers, tired. Want to see what the America's Cup harbor looks like (and save a lot of airfare)? Well, just click here to get a panoramic view which allows you to do a 360 and click on "hot spots" (like the team bases). Very nice work from the 32nd America's Cup website. They also have an excellent video page, with tons of good racing clips, and some really nice picture galleries. And check out the shots below, to see what looks like a pretty sweet venue. Volvo? What Volvo...

(Photos: Thierry Martinez via Scuttlebutt)

The Steep Stuff...

It wouldn't be a Wetass week without at least one great surfing video. This one has some beautiful sequences and some of the best overheads I have ever seen...

Annals Of Ingenuity...

Or absurdity. I can't decide, when it comes to the M Ship (thanks to TWC reader Gary Joyce for the tip...). They claim all sorts of benefits ("The M-hull is a non-conventional captured air design which transitions automatically and efficiently through hydrostatic, hydrodynamic and aerostatic lift modes with increasing speeds." Uh, okay...). And that there are lots of commercial, military and sport applications. But it looks either very cool or very, umm, ridiculous. You decide (I need video!). Here's the military "Stilleto" version (Update: A TWC reader in uniform sends the following link, which explains what a sneaky, SEAL-team transporting, hit this bad boy is going to be)...

Ooops....

How not to dock a container ship. Because when it's bow versus jetty, guess what, the jetty wins. Nothing gets past the disaster vigilantes at Sailing Anarchy... "Hmmm. Bow On. Very unusual..." "On the plus side, there is no need for dock lines..." "I couldn't have done a cleaner job with a blow torch..." "I wonder if Maersk has any experience with submarines..."