tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:42:39 +0000Created and Edited by Tim Zimmermann http://www.wetasschronicles.com/noreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)Blogger1260125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113985909739381885Mon, 13 Feb 2006 19:17:00 +00002007-04-17T19:55:19.043-04:00Hate 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/program-note-final.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)104tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113933096398212250Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:46:00 +00002006-02-07T11:49:23.983-05:00Kiteboarding 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..."http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/into-air.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113933047016534552Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:30:00 +00002006-02-07T11:42:43.230-05:00There 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 thehttp://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/surfapalooza.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113924381000679741Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:30:00 +00002006-02-06T11:38:31.040-05:00Hmmm. 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/annals-of-dubious-schemes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113924290272921016Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:10:00 +00002006-08-19T08:50:25.743-04:00Surfing 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/mavericks-irish-style.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113924217905156448Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:01:00 +00002006-02-06T11:09:39.126-05:00If 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/fossett-to-fly_06.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113924215622654138Mon, 06 Feb 2006 16:01:00 +00002006-02-06T11:09:17.456-05:00If 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/fossett-to-fly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113898550558155862Fri, 03 Feb 2006 16:46:00 +00002006-10-05T02:13:45.443-04:00"Man, I really need to get out more..."http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/have-wetass-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113898506872795695Fri, 03 Feb 2006 16:37:00 +00002006-02-03T11:44:28.730-05:00Who 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..."http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/winterless-wetassing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113898464348507436Fri, 03 Feb 2006 16:22:00 +00002006-02-03T11:37:23.626-05:00Just 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/take-quick-trip-to-valencia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113889707453001395Thu, 02 Feb 2006 16:10:00 +00002006-02-02T11:20:16.276-05:00It 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...http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/steep-stuff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113889605524490579Thu, 02 Feb 2006 15:51:00 +00002006-09-28T19:49:37.573-04:00Or 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 http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/annals-of-ingenuity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113889532464516336Thu, 02 Feb 2006 15:32:00 +00002006-04-12T17:12:31.943-04:00How 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..."http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/ooops.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113881139779846033Wed, 01 Feb 2006 16:23:00 +00002006-02-01T11:29:57.800-05:00Another winnner from Uncle Bob. Click here to paraglide to an excellent soundtrack..."I am the Eggman..."http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/wetass-video-of-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113881066118805329Wed, 01 Feb 2006 15:45:00 +00002006-02-01T11:17:41.210-05:00It's always annoying when your outboard won't start. But it's heart-pounding when it won't start while you're inside the surfline. So maybe it's not too suprising that when it DOES start you hit the throttle and try to get the hell out of there...with somewhat predictable results. Watch--end cringe--by clicking here. And pay close attention to the guy in front...This Is How It's Really Done...http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/02/surf-toy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113872505144922325Tue, 31 Jan 2006 16:10:00 +00002006-01-31T11:30:51.570-05:00Every once in a while you come across someone whom you'd happily trade lives with. Howard Hall, probably the best underwater cinematographer ever, is one of them. He's been in the business for decades, he's made award-winning films (both standard and IMAX), he's written books, and if it's interesting he's dived there. Just a few minutes on his website will reveal an incredible life. And just likehttp://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/wetass-hall-of-fame-howard-hall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113872366334205099Tue, 31 Jan 2006 15:55:00 +00002006-10-17T05:46:57.210-04:00Windsurfing whiz Finian Maynard is the King Of All Speedsailing, and owner of the outright speed sailing record at 48.70 knots. But there are plenty of pretenders to his crown, and they are organizing a little record-breaking session at one of the world's great speed sailing venues: Walvis Bay in Namibia. Go here to check it all out. And make sure you hit this video (Warning: Very Strange Music http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/speed-and-envy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113863805061569155Mon, 30 Jan 2006 16:15:00 +00002006-01-30T11:20:50.620-05:00It doesn't matter what your ride is, as long as you get out on the water...http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/annals-of-ingenuity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113863758912992963Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:55:00 +00002006-01-30T11:13:09.260-05:00Speaking of octopii (see below, and no, this is not what you think), there is an entire website devoted to all things Octopudinal. It's called Tonmo.com, and it's got everything (Mission statement: "We're committed to being the best resource available for all things cephalopod, in terms of both community and content"). We're talking Discussion forums, Octopodcasts, galleries, and, or course, http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/octopus-orgy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113863628115495359Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:42:00 +00002006-01-30T10:51:21.236-05:00Here's a wild story (courtesy of TWC reader Dominique Labrosse) about a giant Pacific Octopus that didn't take kindly to a visit from a remotely-piloted sub. Even better, the sub had video, and you can watch it here. Here's the gist:The giant Pacific octopus weighs about 45 kilograms, powerful enough to damage Mike Wood's remote-controlled submarine. Wood's first reaction was to panic, knowing http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/when-octopii-attack.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113840442399512207Fri, 27 Jan 2006 23:25:00 +00002006-01-27T18:29:44.873-05:00"Whaddaya mean I can't join your yacht club? It's the perfect pin boat..."http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/have-wetass-weekend_27.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113837757803792709Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:43:00 +00002006-01-27T10:59:38.146-05:00This is an age-old debate. But when it comes to visuals, the mono argument gets owned. We've previously featured the notorious Gunboat video. Now have a look at AC cat Stars & Stripes running wild through a mono fleet (click here). For your edification, here's a brief summary of this cool cat from the Morrelli and Melvin website: Stars and Stripes is occasionally raced in the Newport to Ensenada http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/multi-versus-mono.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113837660972790794Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:33:00 +00002006-01-27T10:43:29.730-05:00What is it with frigid swimming? Suddenly everyone wants to be paddling around the frozen stuff. Well, meet Simone Arrigoni. His wrinkle is that he wants to set the record for swimming under the ice. You can read about this insane bid, I mean bold attempt, here. But basically Arrigone plans to cut two holes in a frozen lake, 30 meters (yes, 30 meters) apart. Wearing nothing but a 5 mil wetsuit (http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/ice-is-new-black.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113837574833250792Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:19:00 +00002006-01-27T10:29:08.406-05:00Get me a smoke. The visual alchemists at Teton Gravity Research have put together an amazing trailer for this XXX Ski Porn DVD. Great photography, nice cuts, a few jawdropping scenes, and perfect soundtrack music (which kicks in about halfway through). Here's the promo copy:The Tangerine Dream is a film that represents 10 years of broken down trucks, whiskey bottles, wanderlust and the most down http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/tangerine-dream.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5729690.post-113829248484873802Thu, 26 Jan 2006 16:13:00 +00002006-01-26T11:21:24.850-05:00Speaking of getting out and about (see below), it's time to turn to the Daily Sail's peripatetic James Boyd, who recently took a ride with Alex Thompson onboard his Open 60 Hugo Boss. Boyd, as far as I can tell, is almost never at his desk, and armed with his video and voice recorder travels the world ceaselessly. All for us (and for a price; the Daily Sail is a subscription site and well worth http://www.wetasschronicles.com/2006/01/sailing-hugo-boss.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Tim Zimmermann)4