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AfterWork: The District Lounge in Orange

The Orange County Register - News Headlines : After Work: Happy Hours in OC — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:55:29 +0000

If you asked me for a nightlife recommendation, and I suggested that you check out the post office in Orange, you might think that I had gone postal. But you would be assuming that I was talking about the current post office, and not the city’s…

Sourced from: The Orange County Register – News Headlines : After Work: Happy Hours in OC

Surf Shots: Newport River Jetties and Salt Creek showing fun south swell

OC Beach Blog — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:51:14 +0000

The south swell that showed up on Tuesday stuck around Wednesday, with some head-high waves lingering along the coast.Photog John Salanoa was out shooting River Jetties in Newport, while Jordan Anast shot down to Salt Creek to snap some shots.

CHECK OUT HOW THE WAVES WERE LOOKING WEDNESDAY:

River Jetties in Newport Beach was looking pretty fun today

Hope this guy got out in one piece!

Surf Shots: Newport River Jetties and Salt Creek showing fun south swell is a post from: OC Beach Blog

Sourced from: OC Beach Blog

Blotter: Dolphin Beaches Itself, Man Attempts to Drown Himself

Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:39:27 +0000

VANDALISM REPORT

05/07/2012 — 07:24 a.m. — Bolsa Avenue – Someone lit the soap dispenser on fire in a women’s restroom over the weekend.

COUNSELING

05/07/2012 — 4:38 p.m. — Sandpiper Drive —Someone dropped off a racist “white power” post card on a caller’s lawn.

FOUND PERSON

05/08/2012 — 7:52 a.m. —Anchor Way —A caller found an 18-month-old boy wearing a sweater around his waist and carrying a bag. When contacted, the boy’s mother said the baby had unlocked the door of her residence and walked out. Both parents went to pick up the child.

TRAFFIC COLLISION

05/08/2012 — 12:11 p.m. —Westminster Avenue — A tan sedan hit a pole at the post office. No injuries were reported.

ANIMAL

05/09/2012 — 6:41 p.m. —Ocean Avenue — A dolphin beached itself near Lifeguard Station No. 4.

TRAFFIC HAZARD

05/09/2012 — 12:39 p.m. — Seal Beach Boulevard and Westminster Ave — A white, broken down Nissan Sentra was sitting in the road and blocking traffic. The vehicle’s two elderly occupants eventually moved it out of the way.

LOBBY

05/10/2012 — 09:16 a.m. — Corsair Way — Sometime between 9 p.m. May 9 and 9 a.m. May 10, someone stole between $800 to $900 worth of plumbing tools from the bed of a Red F150, the truck’s owner reported.

RECKLESS DRIVER

05/10/2012 — 6:01 p.m. — 8th Street and Pacific Coast Highway — A white Mercedes, driven by a man with dark hair, was crossing over double-lines and weaving back and forth. The car was heading southbound on 8th Street.

POSSIBLE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

05/11/2012 — 6:24 a.m. — Ocean Avenue — After a jogger saw a man walk directly into the ocean and fall face down, the jogger pulled the man out of the water. The man, in his 70s, asked the jogger to take him home. The jogger called the police on a passerby’s cell phone.

IDENTITY THEFT

05/11/2012 — 1:37 p.m. — Elder Avenue — A caller said someone was using the caller’s Social Security number to file a tax return.

POSSIBLE OBSCENE PHONE CALL

05/12/2012 — 9:10 a.m. — Ocean Ave —A wife says her husband is being harassed via text by an unknown man who accuses the husband of texting his wife. The unknown man threatened to find out where the husband lived and “get him.” The caller does not desire any action by police.

SUSPICIOUS OCCUPIED VEHICLE

05/12/2012 — 12:03 p.m. — Old Ranch Road —The passenger of a black truck stole a bag of food intended for charity, a caller reported. The caller said that he and some neighbors had put bags of food on their mailboxes and that he was concerned the passenger may have stolen from other neighbors too.

NON-INJURY TRAFFIC COLLISION

05/13/2012 — 2:05 p.m. — Pacific Coast Highway and 10th Street. A silver VW Passat and white Chevy Impala collided. After the crash, one vehicle was on 10th and the other was on PCH. No injuries were reported.

PETTY THEFT REPORT

05/13/2012 — 9:35 p.m. — Seal Beach Boulevard — A caller said her husband put her laptop in the bushes, so that he didn’t have to carry it around. When he came back the laptop, worth about $500, was gone.

Sourced from: Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

Former Anaheim Duck to Coach Los Alamitos High School Hockey

Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:47:33 +0000

A National Hockey League veteran and former Anaheim Duck will take the reins of Los Alamitos High School’s new hockey team.

At information meeting at a Westminster ice rink Monday night, a crowd of parents and students gasped after hearing that David Karpa – who also played for the Quebec Nordiques, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers – would be the head coach that would lead the team through its inaugural 2012-13 season.

Though the team is new, when it comes to coaching, Karpa is certainly not.

As former head coach of the JSerra Catholic High School varsity hockey program, Karpa pushed his athletes to two championship victories.

And he plans to bring that same success to the LAHS team, the Griffins, in their battle to become top dogs in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League.

“We’ll have clinics where we can start with the basics,” Karpa said. “The first thing we’ve got to do is see what talent level we’ve got.”

At the May 14 meeting at the Rinks Westminster Ice, Matt Blanchart, team manager for JSerra’s hockey team, gave a presentation about how the league works, how much it costs and, of course, who the coach would be.

Blanchart also talked about the contrast between high school play and club play.

“High school is a different and unique experience,” Blanchart said to the crowd. “I’ve seen guys, hockey players, cry when they play their final game together because they’ve been playing with each other for so long.”

Blanchart added, “You don’t get that bouncing around from club to club.”

LAHS sophomore Jack Surdin says he’s been waiting for the upcoming season.

“I’ve played for clubs like LA Hockey, Junior Ducks and Junior Kings,” said Surdin, who has played hockey since he was five-years-old. “But I’m looking forward to representing my school.”

Until now, many LAHS students played hockey but didn’t have a local place, or even local games, where classmates could cheer them on, according to Mark Johnson, District assistant superintendent of educational services.

And the Los Alamitos School District is “very excited” about the prospect of a hockey team, Johnson said.

However, he adds, the program will face challenges.

One of the biggest? Money.

“Costs are obviously a factor,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of injuries in hockey –that is something we have to consider. It would be a challenge, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.”

“The district will have to decide: can it cover that much of a cost?” Johnson added. “Because it’s probably one of the most expensive sports out there.”

Most of the money for the first few years will come from the Anaheim Ducks, players’ parents and Hockey Tron, a hockey equipment wholesale company that will sponsor the team.

The Griffins are the 14th team in the Anaheim Duck’s High School Hockey League, which began in 2008 with just three teams. This year, the league is adding Los Alamitos, Corona del Mar, Huntington Beach and Corona-Norco teams.

About David Karpa

Born in Canada in 1971, Karpa played 557 regular season games in the NHL from 1993 to 2003, scoring 18 goals and 80 assists for 98 points and collecting 1374 penalty minutes.

Source: hockeydatabase.com

Sourced from: Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

Rents soar as foreclosure victims, young workers seek housing

L.A. Times - Real Estate News — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:25:42 +0000

Few new units and tight standards for home loans add to the pressure. The average monthly U.S. rent is at an all-time high, and a 10% jump in Los Angeles County over the next two years is forecast. A nation still struggling to clear up one housing debacle has run smack into another — soaring rents.

Sourced from: L.A. Times – Real Estate News

O.C. surfers shine at WSA championships

OC Beach Blog — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:14:33 +0000

Orange County surfers represented the county well Sunday at the Western Surfing Association’s 2012 West Coast Surfing Championships – they took first place in 15 of 25 divisions.

OC Register reporter Fred Swegles was down catching all the action, SEE A SLIDESHOW HERE.

Meah Collins winning the 14 and under division.

Here’s more from Swegles:

This was the 10th and final contest of a season that began in August 2011. The two-day contest, held at San Onofre’s Church Beach, crowned season champions as well, and Orange County surfers claimed 13 West Coast titles based on season points.

Look for total results and ratings to be posted at surfwsa.org.

More Orange County beach news:

O.C. surfers shine at WSA championships is a post from: OC Beach Blog

Sourced from: OC Beach Blog

World’s best skaters compete in O.C. at Vans Pro Tec Pool Party

OC Beach Blog — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:19:50 +0000

The crowds showed up to pack the Vans Skatepark in Orange for the Pro-tec Pool Party, where some of the best skaters on the planet battled on Saturday.Brazilian Pedro Barros, 17, took home the top prize of $28,000 for the pro division win, and skate legend Steve Caballero won the Master’s division and a check for $14,000. Just behind Caballero were old-school skaters Tony Hawk, the runner-up, Lance Mountain in third and Mike McGill in fourth. It was the first time that those four had competed in the same contest since the early ’90s, and Stacy Peralta and George Powell were there to witness the reunion, according to Vans.

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE BEST SKATERS IN THE WORLD AT THE PRO TEC POOL PARTY:

Tony Hawk always draws a crowd. Click on image for more shots by Philip Mendoza.

Here’s more results:

Name (Hometown)         Purse
1. Steve Caballero (San Jose, CA)     $14,000
2. Tony Hawk (San Diego, CA)         $7,000
3. Lance Mountain (Arcadia, CA)        $4,000

Pros
Name (Hometown)        Purse
1. Pedro Barros (Florianopolis, BRA)   $28,000
2. Rune Glifberg (Copenhagen, DEN)   $14,000
3. Bucky Lasek (Baltimore, MD)        $7,000

World’s best skaters compete in O.C. at Vans Pro Tec Pool Party is a post from: OC Beach Blog

Sourced from: OC Beach Blog

Teen Rescues Swimmer Who Has Seizure

Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:12:06 +0000

For years, Los Alamitos High School sophomore Celeste Infante trained to be a lifeguard. Over five summers as a Seal Beach Junior Lifeguard and member of their leadership squad, the captain’s corpse, Infante learned the basics of life-saving: how to spot a struggling swimmer, how to guide the person to shore, how to resuscitate a drowning victim. But until she faced her first life-threatening situation, there was no way of knowing whether her training would hold up under pressure.

It did.

A teenage girl is alive today thanks to Infante’s help.

On a family trip to the beach May 7, Infante helped rescue a girl who suffered a seizure while swimming.

“Once I heard she was having a seizure, I kind of just went into autopilot mode,” said Infante. “I had never dealt with any kind of seizure before, so it was kind of scary.

“I was with my dad and little brother, and there was this girl, and she kept shouting at this girl in the water,” Infante said. “I had my surfboard with me, and I just went out there. The other girl helped me get the girl on the surfboard, and we started bringing her in.”

The girl had inhaled water and began to cough it up once she was safely on shore. As the on-duty lifeguards began to treat her, she suffered another seizure. Today, the swimmer is recovering, and Infante will be honored by the Seal Beach City Council for her heroism.

“It feels kind of strange to me,” said Infante. “I usually don’t get honored for anything.”

The honor is well earned, said Seal Beach Marine Safety Chief Joe Bailey.

“It’s definitely important that she acted so quickly. She did a good job,” Bailey said. “She did exactly what she is supposed to do

Sourced from: Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

Surf City Recording Artist Wins Prestigious Award

Surf City News — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:08:05 +0000

Thoughtsarizen wins an IMA award for Best Hip Hop 2011. Huntington Beach based artist Thoughtsarizen was named a Winner of The 11th Independent Music Awards, the influential awards program for independent bands and fans. Talent culled from 6 continents by Music Resource Group (MRG) determined Winners of The 11th Annual Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential international awards program comprised of more than 70 Song, Album, Music Video and Design categories. Artists and music industry pros including Keith Richards, Ozzy Osbourne, Joshua Redman, Shelby Lynne and many more selected the winners.

Thoughtsarizen (thoughtsone.com) won Best Hip Hop Song. Thoughtsarizen has been touring and doing shows for over 7 years. Congratulations!

Sourced from: Surf City News

Seal Beach residents, commission critical of waterfront plan

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:26:47 +0000

SEAL BEACH—A controversial plan that would pave the way for 48 new homes near the beach continues to draw fire. This time, it came from the Planning Commission. Commissioners on Wednesday night said they were troubled with various aspects of the…

Sourced from: The Orange County Register – News Headlines : Los Alamitos-Rossmoor-Seal Beach-Sunset Beach-Surfside

14 free things for Mother’s Day

OC Deals — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:53:29 +0000

“A mother іѕ a person whο, seeing thеrе аrе οnƖу four pieces οf pie fοr five people, promptly announces ѕhе never did care fοr pie.” ~Tenneva Jordan

Maybe you’re broke, maybe you’re cheap or maybe you just want to give Mom something special that didn’t come from a store.

Here are groovy Mother’s Day gifts that that cost nothing or almost nothing:

Free 8×10 photo enlargement If you upload a photo to Walgreens photo site, you can use the promo code to get a free 8×10 photo enlargement. Then beg, borrow or steal a frame, and you’ve got a nice free gift that’s actually personal, too. You have until Sat. May 12 to do this and if you pick up in the store, you don’t have to pay for shipping.
Make a keepsake Make a free cute “cupcake” refrigerator magnet for mom Saturday at JoAnn Fabric and Craft stores. This is a great activity for kids from 11 a.m. to noon at all JoAnn stores.
Free Redbox rental Redbox is rewarding moms everywhere with a Facebook fan freebie for a free rental on Sunday, May 13. Visit Redbox’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/redbox and click on the app icon for “Mother’s Day.” Once there, you can send a card to anyone who is a mom, or has a mom
Printable coloring pages that kids can decorate for mom. These are cute pictures that even the smallest kid can color and give to mom
Personalized “I’ll do this” coupons Maybe Mom needs babysitting, or grocery shopping, or her garden weeded, or her dog walked. Maybe she would like a coupon good for chores done without complaints, or a back rub, or the promise to dump the boyfriend she doesn’t like. Just write it up, put a colored border around it, and wrap it in a box. She’ll like it. Really. Click here to see some free Mother’s Day coupon templates you can download from Microsoft Office and here are some more cute IOU coupon templates good for gifts
Free Mother’s Day fest at the Orange County Museum of Art On Sunday, the OC Museum of Art in Newport Beach is having a special Mother’s Day event. Admission and parking are both free. There will be live entertainment, too. Even if you don’t like art museums, this might be a nice special thing to do with your mom or wife and kids.
Free meal for Mom Free Mother’s Day meal at Mama’s on 39 in Huntington Beach. Mom can get a free meal at Mama’s. I suggest making reservations.
Free Knott’s Berry Farm ticket If you bring Mom to Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park on Mother’s Day and feed her brunch at Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner Restaurant, you can get free admission to the theme park that day. And other members of the party can get in for $25, if they also enjoy the brunch. The Knott’s all you can eat Mother’s Day champagne buffet brunch is $29.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors, $16.95 for kids.
Write a Mother’s Day poem I am a mom, and I can absolutely guarantee that this gift will be carefully saved as a treasured memory, while other presents are used up and discarded. It doesn’t have to be a good poem, it only has to be from the heart. And, yes, you have to say something nice, even if the last time you saw your mom, she threw you out of the trailer park while she was drunk. Here are some ideas to get you started. And here are Mother’s Day poems for kids.
Give Mom a spa day at home Turn a room into your home into a mini-day spa. Put on some soothing music. Take a white sheet and cover up the couch, put her there in a bathrobe. Mix oatmeal and honey for a cleansing facial mask, with cucumbers or tea bags on her eyes. If any of your neighbors has a foot bath, maybe they’ll lend it to you, otherwise just take a deep pan and soak her feet in hot water. Then, give her a manicure and pedicure, brush her hair and give her a massage if she’ll let you.
Make Mom a slide show, starring her There are some easy programs these days where you can upload your photos and make a digital slideshow with Mom as the star of the show! You can check out this special Mother’s Day free slideshow template at Smilebox or Snapfish, but there are a whole lot of others out there, too, where you can upload your photos, put them into a virtual album and add music to make a slide show.
Email greeting cards you can send Here’s a large selection of Mother’s Day cards you can send by email from 1-2-3 Greetings, including “From daughter to Mother,” “Missing You, Mom,” “For Someone Special” and more.
Printable card templates you can personalize and print out If you don’t want to send an e-greeting, here are dozens of printable cards that you can customize and then print out for Mom. Some are pretty funny. They have some cute designs, also from 1-2-3 Greetings.
Download some free tunes, put them on your mom’s MP3 player or burn them onto a CD. Click here to go to free Amazon.com downloads. You can choose from 1,700 songs!

Do you have other ideas for free gifts for Mom? Let us know in the comments below.

More Mother’s Day deals from the Deals Diva:

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Recent OC Deals:

14 free things for Mother’s Day is a post from: OC Deals

Sourced from: OC Deals

Guinness World Records recognizes biggest wave ever ridden at 78 feet

OC Beach Blog — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:35:51 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara accepted the Biggest Wave Award last Friday at the Grove in Anaheim during the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, and now Guinness World Records is putting his wave in the books as the largest wave ever ridden.

The massive wave he took in Portugal last November clocked in at 78-feet, beating out the record held by OC’s Mike Parsons’ wave in 2008 by 1 foot, a record unveiled at the awards party in O.C.

CHECK OUT BIG-WAVE PHOTOS AND THE AWARDS PARTY LAST WEEK IN OC:

Garrett McNamara’s record breaking wave

Click on image for more from the Billabong XXL Big Wave Party.

McNamara nabbed two awards at the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, the Biggest Wave and the Wipeout of the Year. Orange County’s Nathan Fletcher won the big prize, $50,000 for the Ride of the Year, with the same wave in Tahiti nabbing him the Men’s Performance Award and the Monster Tube Award.

But until a wave greater than 78-feet is ridden, McNamara will go down in the books.

The Associated Press caught up with McNamara, who said the ride of his life was a fluke. Here’s more from the AP story:
He said he originally didn’t want to attempt the waves that day after wiping out numerous times on even bigger swells in the same spot, above an undersea canyon known as one of the biggest wave-generators on the planet.

“I was really beat-up that morning,” he said. “This day, I did not want to get out of bed.”

He changed his mind at the urging of friends, once they got into the ocean and he helped others catch a few waves.

“Everything came together,” McNamara said Thursday. “Everything felt right.”

Video of the run shows a minuscule 5-foot-10-inch McNamara against a wall of water as he lets go of a tow rope and begins riding down the wave at Praia do Norte. He briefly disappears into the break about 10 seconds into the run, then speeds up and remerges from the wave’s tube as the swell quickly dissipates.

“I knew it was big, but I didn’t know how big,” he said.

McNamara said he didn’t care at first about whether the wave was a record, but was urged by the townspeople in Nazare, Portugal, to get some kind of confirmation. He said he sent the footage and pictures to surfing legend and Billabong judge Sean Collins, who guessed the wave was 85 to 90 feet tall. Collins died in December.

The official record comes after McNamara was awarded $15,000 for the ride at the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards in California last week.

Judges for the awards, considered the official arbiters of big-wave surfing, pored over footage and high-resolution still images from several angles to calculate a more accurate estimate, event director Bill Sharp told the AP.

They used McNamara’s height in a crouch and the length of his shin bone to help compare it to the wave’s top and bottom, Sharp said.
“You can’t deny how big it was for that moment,” Sharp said.

Sharp said surfers don’t often get a chance to catch waves so big. He put the achievement on par with other infrequent athletic feats like four home runs in a game — which Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton achieved this week — or a perfect game.

“But add to that the fact that the stadium could collapse on you at any second,” he said.

McNamara, who began surfing at age 11 and went pro at 17, said the achievement became more important to him when he realized it could help him urge more people to follow their passions.

“The world would be a much better place if everyone was doing what they wanted to do,” he said.

More Orange County beach news:

Guinness World Records recognizes biggest wave ever ridden at 78 feet is a post from: OC Beach Blog

Sourced from: OC Beach Blog

Crowds Turn Out for Rossmoor Community Festival

Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:18:20 +0000

The family-oriented Rossmoor Community Festival kicked off May 6 with a helicopter landing by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. An Orange County Harbor Patrol boat and a K-9 Team were also provided for attendees to view and photograph.

The inaugural “We Care High Heel Dash” created a spectacle, with men and women running down Rossmoor’s Chianti Road in 2-inch high heels. Many of the participants also wore costumes, which made for a colorful and entertaining race. Winners were awarded miniature high-heel trophies.

The event also featured a car show, dog parade, live band and magician. Popular with the children were pony rides, a trackless train and an obstacle-course bouncer.

Other activities throughout the day included martial arts and women’s self-defense demonstrations and voting registration booths.

Twice as many vendors joined this year’s event, including local real estate agents, artists, photographers, jewelers and crafters, along with booths from RCSD, the Rossmoor Homeowner’s Association, Rossmoor Women’s Club, Alert OC, Emergency Preparedness, Los Alamitos Medical Center, and Stanley Pest Control.

The 2012 Title Sponsor for the event was Dr. Avani Patel from Alamitos Eye Care.

For more information or to sees photos of the day’s activities which will soon be available on the district website, visit www.rossmoor-csd.org.

Sourced from: Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

Slump ends for O.C. property index

The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Real Estate News — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:04:24 +0000

One marker of the local real estate market’s health rose a touch in the first quarter — after two previous dips. Here’s a sneak peak 0f my Big Orange Index that tracks roughly three dozen benchmarks for the local business climate. We’ll publish the…

Sourced from: The Orange County Register – News Headlines : Real Estate News

11 new O.C. restaurants

The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Food — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:58:34 +0000

The latest restaurants open or coming soon in Orange County: Pei Wei is moving into the space where Cedar Creek Inn used to operate in Laguna Niguel on La Paz Road. The fast-casual Asian eatery is expected to open in September.

Paninoteca Maggio,…

Sourced from: The Orange County Register – News Headlines : Food

Win tickets to Vans Pro-tec Pool Party this Saturday in Orange

OC Beach Blog — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:20:32 +0000

The eighth annual Vans Pro-tec Pool Party is going down this Saturday, an event that will bring some of the world’s best skaters to the Block at Orange. The event draws pros such as Omar Hassan, Bucky Lasek and Rune Glifberg, as well as legends such as Steve Caballero, Chris Miller – who has won the master’s division six times – and Tony Hawk, who last year came out of retirement to join the party. The event draws 45 top pros and masters who are hoping to grab a piece of the $113,000 in prize money.

It’s a private party, and only ticket holders can get to the event, but we’re doing a giveaway on OrangeCounty.com starting today each day through Friday.

Here’s how you win: Tell us who you’d be most excited to watch at the event and why below in the comments area.

The bowl is in the historic replica Combi Bowl at Vans Skatepark, a recreation of the bowl at Pipeline Skate Park in Upland that was torn down in the late ‘80s.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR’S EVENT:

“The Pro-tec Pool Party is one of those events in skateboarding that fans have come to look forward to each year. No other contest brings such a mix of legends, current pros and tomorrow’s stars together in a setting such as the replica Combi pool at the Vans Skatepark,” said Chris Overholser, marketing and public relations manager. “The Combi itself brings back a ton of memories for longtime skate fans who saw many of these legends skate the original back in the ‘80s. The energy that fills up the skatepark during the contest really is amazing.”

Check out this video OrangeCounty.com’s Kris Heineman pulled together of a practice session some of the pros had last week:

If you don’t score tickets, make sure to check out the live HD webcast starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, when the Masters’ Pool Jam kicks off. That runs until about 5 p.m., when the pros pool jam starts and goes through 7 p.m. The Masters’ final goes down from 8 p.m. to 8:40 p.m., and the pro finals from 8:40 to 9:15. Awards happen at 9:20 p.m.

A winner for the ticket giveaway will be picked by 3 p.m. each day. You’ll also a get VIP food wrist band to eat Wahoo’s during the Pool Party!

And don’t worry – if you aren’t picked today, we’re holding a contest tomorrow and Friday. Good luck!

Watch it all live at: vans.com/poolparty

Win tickets to Vans Pro-tec Pool Party this Saturday in Orange is a post from: OC Beach Blog

Sourced from: OC Beach Blog

Los Alamitos High School to Get Ice Hockey Team

Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:56:33 +0000

Because it’s never too early to start planning a Stanley Cup run, a group of Los Alamitos parents have successfully lobbied to get Los Alamitos High School an ice hockey team, starting next year.

Leading the charge are the parents of a Lee Elementary fifth-grader whose love for hockey made them realize that they’d better start planning where he would play come high school.

“Hockey is his passion, and he wants to play high school hockey. I saw there are some schools in south Orange County that play hockey, but do we really want to drive all the way down to south O.C.,” said Daren de Leon. “We had to find a way to make it happen here. We’ve been working on this for a year with the district and the Ducks, and we finally got the go-ahead this week.”

The program will not be funded by the Los Alamitos Unified School District. Rather, most of the money for the first few years will come from the Anaheim Ducks with players’ parents funding some and Hockey Tron providing sponsorship. The high school team will play in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League as the 14^th team in a league that started in 2008 with just three teams. This year, the league is adding Los Alamitos, Corona del Mar, Huntington Beach and Corona-Norco teams.

The Los Al Griffins team will hold a player and parent meeting at 7 p.m. May 14 at The Rinks’ Westminster Ice for students interested in trying out for the team. The program is currently in the process of hiring a coaching staff from a list of candidates provided by the Ducks, including former NHL players. If enough players try out next week, the high school will be able to field a varsity and junior varsity squad, said de Leon.

“Southern California is really becoming a hotbed for hockey,” said Art Trottier, vice president for the Ducks’ community hockey program The Rinks. “Division 1 clubs and colleges are starting to recruit heavily in Southern California.”

Already, there are several Southern California players in the NHL, including Ducks’ rookie and Long Beach native Emerson Etem and star forward Bobby Ryan. There are already two players drafted by the NHL from Seal Beach (Mitch Wahl) and Rossmoor (Rocco Grimaldi drafted 33^rd overall last year).

Many local hockey players quit when they get to high school because they don’t have a school team to play for, said Trottier.

“We find that a lot of kids are leaving hockey to play sports like lacrosse for their school,” added Trottier. “The main point [of the program] is to grow hockey in Southern California.”

Correction: An early version of this story mistated the orientation meeting as a tryout.

Sourced from: Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

News that may shake housing next week

The Orange County Register - News Headlines : Real Estate News — Sun, 06 May 2012 07:08:17 +0000

Here’s a look a calendar of business news events for the week of May 7 that will fuel the recovery-or-not debate about the spring house-shopping season and housing’s future. Click for our day-to-day guide! Sourced from: The Orange County Register – News Headlines : Real Estate News

Paddleboarders break Guiness World Record for Susan B. Komen fundraiser

OC Beach Blog — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:37:13 +0000

Stand Up Paddlers by the hundreds launched out of the Newport Dunes on Saturday for a fun fundraiser to benefit the Susan B. Komen for the Cure.The event – dubbed the “2012 Standup for the Cure,” brought out a record 414 people wearing pink shirts for the largest stand-up paddleboard lesson in history, setting a Guinness World Record.

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Here’s more from the OC Register:

Proceeds from the event, the 2012 Standup for the Cure, will go to the Orange County affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a group that supports breast-cancer research. Every $125 raised funds a mammogram, according to a release from the event organizers.

Check out this amazing site in this video from SUP Connect:

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Follow reporter Laylan Connelly on Twitter @ ocbeaches, or at facebook.com/ocbeaches.

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Paddleboarders break Guiness World Record for Susan B. Komen fundraiser is a post from: OC Beach Blog

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Big crowds show at Lowers Pro; Brazilian takes win

OC Beach Blog — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:04:27 +0000

The chants of the Brazilian national anthem, sung in Portuguese, echoed proudly along the cobblestoned beach, as supporters held their countryman high above the crowd.Wearing a yellow jersey, young Brazilian Gabriel Medina was lifted on the shoulders of supporters – surrounded by family who traveled from Bra zil to watch as he surfed his way to the finals of the Nike Lowers Pro – the green-and-yellow flag waving over his shoulders as he was brought from the water to the podium after victory. His win came after beating Irish surfer Glenn Hall, allowing him to claim a check for $40,000 and a gold spike valued at $30,000.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE SURF AND SAND ON SATURDAY:

Gabriel Medina, 18, of Brazil, was throwing big airs throughout the entire contest to make it to the finals. Click image to check out photos from the event

“I feel better than ever. I’m so stoked to make the final against Glenn. He was surfing really good,” he said. “I’m so stoked, I don’t have words.”

It was the second year in a row that a Brazilian has won the ASP Prime event at Trestles, and it was no surprise after five days of impressing pretty much everyone on the sand with his near-perfect aerial attacks that the 18-year-old would clinch the win over some of the best surfers on the planet.

The final day of the Nike Lowers Pro kicked off with a new swell filling in and bringing 3-5 foot waves, but with big lulls between sets that would frustrate surfers through the day. As the sun started to burn through the clouds, surf fans filled into the beach and found a front-row seat to the action.

At the start of the day, the remaining two Orange County surfers were Tanner and Pat Gudauskas, two San Clemente brothers who know the Trestles surf break better than anyone. Both suffered painfully close defeats.

Tanner Gudauskas – the younger of the two – went up first against an on-fire John John Florence, who had been surfing strong the entire event. Gudauskas scored a 13.00, losing by just .20 points to the young Hawaiian.

Pat was up against Adrian Buchan, and the San Clemente surfer tried early on to pull big airs to put points on the board, but he just couldn’t seem to stick them. There was a last-second effort and he went big on a wave to earn the score he needed – but fell short by just .30 points, earning a total heat score of 13.53 to Buchan’s 13.83.

“I really left the door open, not finishing my last ride. I kind of had to go – it wasn’t a great wave,” Buchan said. “Pat has been surfing better than I’ve ever seen him. They are full of passion and I love to see that. (Pat) and Tanner have been so fun to watch all week.”

San Clemente resident Julie Little is a supporter of the local surfers and came down to watch, cheering on Pat Gudauskas when he got scores on the board.

“We came down to watch some of the local guys. Him and his brothers have been hometown heroes for years, since they were little surfing,” she said. “The power tricks they do now, it’s amazing.”

Gudauskas said he had a bit of trouble getting his groove out in the water.

“I kind of started pretty wobbly. It was tough because it was pretty slow out there, but there’s good waves coming in,” he said. “I felt like I got my rhythm a bit late in the heat.”

He said he’s taking his brother’s lead and trying to just enjoy the surfing.

“I’m not worrying about points, just surfing, having fun,” he said. “It hopefully kick start my year and to go places I like surfing like Fiji and Brazil. I’m excited, I’m in a good space right now and just having a good time.”

As the semifinals got under way, it was clear who was in it to win the event. Hall took out Florence in a close heat to make it to the finals. But it was Medina’s semifinal performance against Buchan that had the beach buzzing.

Medina gracefully and effortlessly took to the air for a big boost that landed him the event’s only 10-point ride, then went and backed it up with another near perfect 9.80 for the event’s highest heat total of 19.80 out of 20, using a combination of big airs and big rail turns to earn the high points.

San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino, who was an early upset in the event, called Gabriel’s win.

“This day – it’s his day. He’s not going to fall this day, I don’t think,” Andino said. “He must have some good vibes happening in his house, he has all his family here.”

The buzz from the Brazilians was strong, and you could feel the pulse grow through the day as crowds started flocking to Medina for photo ops and autographs.

“He’s a freak, you know. He’s very good, great airs, great maneuvers. I’m very excited because he’s from Brazil. I’m very happy and excited about this,” said Wize Leitao, a Brazilian living in Costa Mesa who came to the contest to support Medina. “I come here just to surf, but today is a special day so I leave the board in the car and watch. I’m feeling excited and proud. I don’t know him, you know, but he’s from Brazil and representing my country.”

The start of the final as Hall and Medina paddled for their first wave looked as if it was going to be a big battle from the beginning. Medina was on the inside and was in the right spot to go left on the wave, and Hall took off for it as well – he pulled back, but not quick enough and caused their boards to collide.

But what most thought would be an epic battle turned into a lackluster final. The waves died with the low-tide draining out, and they sat still waiting for waves for much of the 35-minute heat. Medina would take mediocre waves to put points on the board – a tactic that helped him build his points through the final and eventually win with a score of 15.67 over Hall’s 10. 87.

The excitement once again escalated as the clock wound down and it was clear Medina would take the win, with the crowds on the beach cheering, whistling and chanting as he made his way to shore.

Hall walked away with $20,000 and a silver spike. The finale wrapped up five days of surfing, with more than 100 surfers in 72 heats who would surf 1,382 waves, according to announcers.

“That was a fun competition. Everyone was surfing really well,” Medina said. “I don’t know, I just try to go big and I got a couple lefts, and that was pretty fun… Glenn surfed really well today and I want to thank him, and thank all my family who came here to Trestles, and all the Brazilian people.”

More info: nikelowerspro.com

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Follow reporter Laylan Connelly on Twitter @ ocbeaches, or at facebook.com/ocbeaches.

If you have shots of your own, share them at myoc.com

For more Orange County beach news:

Big crowds show at Lowers Pro; Brazilian takes win is a post from: OC Beach Blog

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