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X Games 13

The 13th annual X Games are quickly approaching. Three new events will be featured this year: women's surfing, BMX freestyle big air and motocross racing.

While X Games 13 will take place August 2 to 5 in Los Angeles, California, the surfing competition is scheduled for July 3 to 6 at Puerto Escondido, also known as the Mexican Pipeline. In addition to women’s surfing, this year's competition will feature a "USA vs. the World" format that replaces the "East Coast vs. West Coast" approach from past years. This format pits surfers on opposing teams against one another as they compete for the highest score based on speed, control and power, all in support of a team victory.

The surfing competition is less than a week away. Until then, this video should hold you over.

Surfing 50 States

With Memorial Day weekend behind us and schools dismissing their classrooms, summer is (unofficially) here. The season for  vacations and road trips is upon us, and I’ve got a few trips lined up that I’m looking forward to. However, none of my plans are nearly as cool as the trip two Australians, Jonathan Durrant and Stefan Hunt, just completed.

Durrant and Hunt traveled for seven months to complete their mission to surf in all 50 states. When told that they couldn’t possibly surf the inland states, they found "waves" in irrigation ditches, snow and even in a potato field. Raised in St. Louis, I was curious to see where they chose to surf in Missouri and was expecting to find they took on the Mississippi River. I think they did one better in checking off Missouri by surfing down the steps at the Arch.

Their rules were simple: to surf all 50 states, “surf” was defined as being on a surfboard with some sort of momentum, and to document and share the experience with as many people as possible.

To top it all off, they had an ice cream truck donated to them by a sponsor to help minimize their costs. However, during the 20,000 miles they traveled, it seems the truck ended up being more trouble than it was worth. It needed two engines, two alternators, one muffler, one repaired fuel tank, one battery, one ignition coil, two rewiring repairs and three tows.

Judging by their stories and pictures, it looks like it was worth it.

(Photo provided by Getty Images)

How to Harness the Wind

Combining paragliding, wakeboarding and windsurfing, kiteboarding (also known as kitesurfing) is still a debutante in the athletic world -- yet to celebrate its tenth birthday. But the high-adrenaline sport, in which you can perform tricks more than 20 feet above the water and travel at speeds of more than 30 knots, is steadily gaining disciples.

Despite its reputation as an extreme sport, kiteboarding is also about balance, technique and finesse. Perhaps that's why the ranks of women riders increase every year, along with female instructors and women-specific kiting camps.

Kiteboarding classes -- an absolute must to get started in the sport -- are available around the country. Follow these tips to help you soar across the water.

Surf Year-Round

Whenever surfing comes up in conversation with non-surfing people, the matter of water temperature almost always surfaces. I've met several people who say, "I don't surf here (in Nor Cal) because the water is too cold!" Yes, the water temperature around Half Moon Bay, Calif. is typically in the 48 - 58 F range year-round, including in the dead of winter and summer. But, with new technology in wetsuits, this is no longer an excuse.

A wetsuit is a surfer's essential life-support system, especially for a starter who spends more time inside the water.

For more on new wetsuit technologies, accessories, and how to choose the right one for you - check out the full story here!

Whitewater Riverboarding

It is said that sometime in the late 70's, a group of Frenchmen navigated river rapids high up in the Alps with bags stuffed with lifejackets and polystyrene.  By 1981, this concept led way to the production of the first Riverboard which is now synonymous with Sledging or Hydrospeeding. Since its inception, this action packed activity has caught the attention of adrenaline junkies across the world and is now recognized as a professional sport in Europe with competitions organized every year.

The allure of white water Sledging is that operator’s intimate proximity to the river. The operator is equipped with a padded wetsuit, booties, life jacket, helmet and fins for kicking. The fins provide propulsion and steering as the operator’s chest rests on the plastic board while arms are neatly tucked inside for grip and control. No experience is necessary to learn all the skills from a competent instructor who will then guide a group down the river while negotiating the safest route through class IV rapids. As experienced as your guides claim to be, a serious degree of risk still exists when participating in such extreme activities. Be sure to thoroughly read liability waivers and be knowledgeable of your health coverage whenever traveling abroad and/or chasing your next adrenaline rush.

Check out this video which provides a closer look from a “Sledger’s” point of view:   

Stand up paddle surfing

Stand up paddle surfing is an aspect of surfing that has seen a recent resurgence. For those that are not familiar with the sport, it entails standing on a large longboard and propelling yourself with essentially a canoe paddle. Recently, it has been picked up as an alternative way to ride surf and as a means of staying in shape. The level of surfing on stand up paddle boards has sky rocketed in the last few years.

This type of surfing involves using a massive longboard — generally 12 feet long, 30 inches wide and 4-5 inches thick — with a canoe-style paddle that should be about six inches taller than you. You throw the board in the water, paddle out past the shorebreak with the paddle tucked under you, then pop to your feet with the paddle in your hand. With your feet parallel, you can then balance on the board and paddle around. Once you get the feel of it, the next goal is to propel yourself into waves.

Stand-up paddle surfers have found they can have fun even in small, mushy waves because the paddle and the massive boards add entirely new abilities and dimensions. It wouldn't be ideal for crowded conditions, because of the size of the board. But on a marginal day or during a swamped-out high tide, stand-up can make surfing possible and really fun.

Women Surfers Want Equal Pay Too

In surfing, the participation and performance of women have been surging, boosting industry profits. But going on 50 years since Kathy Kohner Zuckerman (nicknamed Gidget), earned grudging respect from the guys — and two weeks after Wimbledon pledged to pay equal prize money to women — gender equity for the sport remains a point of contention.

The Association of Surfing Professionals men’s and women’s world tour seasons began last week on Australia’s Gold Coast, near Brisbane, with the men’s Quiksilver Pro and the women’s Roxy Pro. The contrast is stark.

On the men’s tour, 45 surfers compete in 10 events, with the Quiksilver Pro offering $300,000 in prize money. The women’s tour consists of 17 surfers in seven events. The Roxy Pro, which was won by Chelsea Hedges on Monday, paid a total of $80,000 in winnings. Layne Beachley, the seven-time and defending women’s world champion, said the surf industry needed to do more.

“There is always room for improvement, both at the elite level and at grass roots,” Beachley, 34, said in an e-mail message from Australia. “And considering the industry have made an enormous amount of money through its representation of this lifestyle, I feel that the disparity between the incomes of the men and women still have a long way to go to become ‘equal.’ ”

Women's Surfing added to X Games

ESPN announced the full lineup of events for X Games 13 to be held in August. The major change to the event slate is the addition of Women's Surfing.

"In the tradition of progression, adding Women's Surfing is a perfect fit and will highlight the best athletes in the world competing on the biggest stage in the world," said Ron Semiao, senior vice president, ESPN Original Entertainment.

Surfing's seven-time defending Women's World Champion, Layne Beachley, commented on the addition from her hometown in Australia. "The talent of women's surfing coming through the ranks from all over the world is definitely justified now as it is included into the X Games," said Beachley. "I am really excited that finally the world of action sports acknowledges the existence of women's professional surfing, and I think it is going to be a great environment for our sport to be exposed to."

The X Games is the premier action sports event in the world, featuring athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: BMX Freestyle, Moto X, Skateboard, Surfing and Rally Car Racing. Last year for X Games 12, more than 138,000 fans attended the competition while another 35.6 million fans tuned in on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. Now, X Games 13 is shaping up to be the biggest one ever!

(Photo provided by Getty Image/Rebecca Woods)

Surf's Up!

Have you ever wondered why surfing seems to be so much easier for kids than adults? This is because people of different ages learn surfing in different ways. Here's some tips on learning to surf for children, teenagers, and adults:

Children

Young children are usually eager to learn all sorts of things and learn it quickly. Children learn gross motor skills like "jumping to their feet" easier than the fine motor skills. When instructing or learning, spend more time on style, body positioning, where to look and foot positioning across the stringer than other skills.

Whitewater Kayaking

Whitewater kayaking is a lifelong pursuit of fun and challenge. If you’re looking for a new outdoor sport, now might be the time to check it out.

If you are completely new to whitewater kayaking, two things you will need to familiarize yourself with are river safety procedures and basic river-reading skills. Other skills--like boat handling, eddy hopping, ferrying and rolling--will come with time.

Whether or not you take formal lessons, you will definitely need some instruction on how to roll. Instruction will help you develop proper technique instead of just survival skills--and ensure your safety. Instruction should start on dry land, move into a pond or pool, and then into the river. Formal instruction will also provide you with all the right equipment and a shuttle. Here are a few important aspects of kayaking to keep in mind:

Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding is a mixture between windsurfing, surfing and wakeboarding. Compared to windsurfing and surfing, kiteboarding is a relatively easy sport to learn. Most students are able to get up on their board after two or three lessons from a certified kiteboarding instructor, and with a bit of practice you can do your first jump in a few days. Once you get more experienced you can catch some huge air. The pros can easily jump 10 meters or higher.

The sport is becoming safer due to innovations in kite design, safety release systems, and instruction. Many riding styles have evolved to suit different types of riders and conditions, such as wake style, wave riding, freestyle, jumping, and cruising.

The sport is still in its infancy, but is rapidly growing in popularity. In 2006, the number of kitesurfers has been estimated at around 150,000 to 200,000.