Professional World Surf League (WSL) Supergirl Pro Women’s Qualifying Series surfer rides the foam in Oceanside, California.
Today I headed up the coast from San Diego to watch the 2015 Supergirl Pro surfing competition, which is held every year just south of the pier in Oceanside, California. Wow! The event is bigger than ever and simply incredible!
Supergirl Pro is the only World Surf League 6-Star Female Surfing Competition in the United States. It’s the largest women’s surfing event of its kind in the entire world. And this year there were a record 108 contestants! The ones I saw today, during the Quarterfinals, were almost superhuman. Surfing must be their superpower!
I got so many photos, I’ll break things up into two blog posts. This first post is my modest camera’s photos of the cool surfing action. I had to sharpen and alter the contrast on most images, but I’m surprised how decently many came out. I kept notes on the names of the surfers competing in each heat, but once I looked at my photos I wasn’t too sure who was who. So please excuse the fact that I don’t include the names of contestants in most captions.
Each pairing of surfers is given 25 minutes. Whoever achieves the highest score moves on in the competition, avoiding elimination.Amazing athlete in Sunday’s competition at the 2015 Supergirl Pro, the largest female surfing event of its kind in the world.Cool photo of superhuman surfing action at 2015 Supergirl Pro. This year a record 108 contestants entered the huge three day competitive event.Riding a wave, hoping for glory. Supergirl Pro is the only WSL 6-Star Female Surfing Competition in the U.S.Tatiana Weston-Webb, professional WSL surfer from the island of Kaua’i, competes at 2015 Supergirl Pro event in Oceanside, California. She eventually went on to win the final!Tatiana plunges down the face of a Pacific Ocean breaker like Supergirl!Cool photo of today’s surfing champion shredding the crest of a wave.Tatiana has classic form on a relatively smooth curler in choppy conditions.Two competitors duel, trying their best to advance in the 2015 Supergirl Pro in the surfing-friendly Southern California city of Oceanside.Supergirl is flying on a surfboard! (The Silver Surfer doesn’t get to have all the fun!)2015 Supergirl Pro is a super cool event where every competitor is an absolutely amazing world-class athlete.
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San Diego County Credit Union and Shred-it team up to attempt a new world record for paper collection and shredding!
The huge SDCCU Super Shred Event is underway right now as I type! The event is an attempt to break the world record for paper collection in a single location during a 24 hour period!
San Diego County Credit Union already holds the official Guinness World Record. Today they’re trying to break it. So why was I there taking photos? I collect my old records in a box at home, and whenever SDCCU offers free shredding, I head on down to take advantage of the service which is available to anyone. This morning the annual event, taking place in Mission Valley’s gigantic Qualcomm Stadium parking lot, is bigger than ever. So I brought my camera!
Not only does shredding paper documents protect against identity theft, but recycling paper is good for our environment. So this event is pretty cool for a whole variety of reasons!
The SDCCU Super Shred Event held in the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot. Unlimited free shredding helps fight identity theft!As cars queue, volunteers collect donations for the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA.SDCCU already holds the world record for most paper collected in a single location in a 24 hour period.Shred-it, a document destruction and recycling company, had a whole fleet of trucks ready for the big event!A super nice volunteer smiles for my unexpected camera. Thank you!
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A long time ago at a beach very very close…it is a period of sand wars… Star Wars sand sculpture at the Imperial Beach Sun and Sea Festival!
The 2015 Sun and Sea Festival at Imperial Beach today had almost everything. Lots of good food, live music, happy people, the beautiful ocean, and, of course, a whole bunch of awesome sand sculptures. What it didn’t have was sun. Monsoon conditions in San Diego have produced dark skies, frequent showers, even thunder and lightning this weekend.
But nothing could stop the crowds from enjoying this great annual tradition.
Ready to see the cool photos? Here they are…
The annual Sun and Sea Festival in IB features food, music, fun, people-watching and sand castles galore! This banner is hung on the pier above the beach.The Port of San Diego is a sponsor of the yearly festival, home of the famous Imperial Beach Sandcastle Competition. This sculpture was created by sand master Kirk Rademaker.A second photo of Kirk Rademaker’s sculpture. Tiny sand people stand out on a sand IB pier over the sandy Pacific Ocean!Sandstorm Fabrication team seems to be creating a large Viking head sand sculpture.Cool frog-like creature coming to life on the beach conveys a Help Conserve Water message.The Sandcastle Man team is building an elaborate sandcastle! Of course!The I.B. Posse team is crafting a complex, exotic scene of Myths and Legends out of sand near the Imperial Beach pier.Looks like the fallen head of a classic statue from a time long ago.Sand sculptor is closely watched by the unblinking eyes of his inanimate subject.This team wearing tie-dye was creating a hip sand scene with a fun, fanciful 60s flavor.Is that a mud-covered hippopotamus rising from a river? No. Just some imaginative Southern California artwork.Peace and Love. Hippie Hippos are cool, groovy and happening!These are my favorite sand sculptures. Star Wars icons Chewbacca, R2-D2, stormtroopers, the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing starfighter!Fierce looking stormtroopers seem to be hanging out on sandy Tatooine. Where it happens to be raining today.Han Solo is probably hoping this gifted sand artist can get the Millennium Falcon to jump to light speed.Okay. You have to admit this is a lot of fun.San Diego Sand Castles was skillfully carving toothy land sharks.Hope it doesn’t bite.Over here we have a large mechanical shark, driven by a small fish! The “real” shark must be terrified.This team seemed to be digging out a whale. It’s huge!Of course, there were Minions. Lots of Minions. Oodles of ’em. They were popping out of the sand everywhere you turned.Five silly Minions seem to be having a party in a sand pit.Another team had some Minions, too. This guy is riding a sand wave while sitting on a surfboard. Too bad the sun isn’t out.Lastly, I spotted Baymax of Big Hero 6 being created out of sand. Lots of sculptures at the family friendly festival appealed to kids.A cloudy, showery day with lightning, thunder, and crowds on the beach enjoying an awesome Imperial Beach tradition.
Harley Quinn and Deathstroke make a cute cosplay villain couple at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
Here’s the first batch of photos of cosplay outside the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. I walked with my camera all over downtown: along Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, around the Gaslamp, near Petco Park, and all around the San Diego Convention Center. Costumed characters were everywhere! Much of the cosplay was incredibly elaborate, and just super awesomely cool. You can tell fans spent a lot of time and effort preparing for Comic-Con!
I apologize for not recognizing all of the characters. If a caption is inaccurate or needs better information, leave a comment!
Superman and Wonder Woman are just hanging out like best buddy heroes in the Gaslamp during Comic-Con.Ant-Man is ready for action, and I’m ready for his movie!Awesome, amazingly elaborate cosplay can be seen all over downtown San Diego during Comic-Con, especially near the convention center.I believe these are all Mad Max characters, but don’t quote me on that.Another fun Harley Quinn with another big hammer.Cosplay of Satsuki Kiryūin, from popular anime television series Kill la Kill.Here comes the Joker. Why so serious?Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade is a prime spot to spot the coolest cosplay during San Diego Comic-Con.Adora Belle Dearheart (Golem Inspector) and Moist von Lipwig from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.Aquaman seems to be out of his element during the Southern California drought.I think that’s Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter. Who’s the guy with her? He looks familiar.A hooded lady assassin gives me a calculating stare from the Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed obstacle course.Dr. Who’s brilliant strategy altered history during the Trojan War. I guess Ulysses wasn’t as smart as they say.Baymax of Big Hero 6 is walking through the crowd on a beautiful San Diego weekend.A colorfully dressed cosplayer has checked out a funny, high tech portable toilet prop from Insurgent.A simple Iron Man armor costume, but effective.Darth Maul made a rush at me, invoking the Dark Force, but somehow I evaded his double lightsaber. I’d like to think I did an amazing back flip.Super cool outfit! Must be awfully warm, though.I recognize Black Widow and Captain America, two of Marvel’s Avengers.Immortan Joe cosplay from Mad Max: Fury Road.It’s a walking TARDIS from Dr. Who at Comic-Con!Lady Star Lord and Thor pose for my camera near Petco Park during 2015 Comic-Con.Sexy tattooed character from television show Blindspot walks about during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Old man Deadpool has a long white beard!
I’m given a hearty greeting by the Mighty Thor. Last year this awesome guy cosplayed as Batman.
Here’s a bunch of fun photos showing activity outside the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. There’s so much to see, to absorb, one could happily spend hours just walking around. Most of these pics are from this evening–Thursday. A few are from Wednesday.
Visitors to Horton Plaza are invited to become colorful superheroes during San Diego Comic-Con.Just inside door of Spreckels Theater Building where Conan O’Brien audience picks up tickets.Snoopy with granny glasses peers from Gaslamp shop window.Poster in Gaslamp advertises William Shatner’s Man O’ War.Entertainment Weekly had lots of people posing for photographs. Superheroes of San Diego!It does indeed look like Fear Begins Here.Video board promotes exciting NBC television programming in Gaslamp Square.Heroes Reborn venue had huge images of the powerful characters around the black structure.Their biggest mistake was betting against him. The Player. Thursdays this Fall on NBC.Photo of crowd crossing Harbor Drive and trolley tracks between San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Square.LEGO Bane is on the wall of the Hard Rock Hotel!The cosmic wrap and astronaut figure on the Hard Rock Hotel building advertises The Expanse, coming soon on Syfy.Ladies in Sharknado 3 shark heads hold signs indicating It’s Your Patriotic Duty to Embrace the ‘Nado!The downright silly new Colonel Sanders is shown as a unicorn standing by Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.Awesome cosplay in downtown San Diego for 2015 Comic-Con. Three against one! I don’t have a chance!A large troop of Colony soldiers marches down Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade during Comic-Con.Schick offered free shaves near the Assassin’s Creed obstacle course. Schick has partnered with software developer Ubisoft.You, get in here! It seems everyone is trying to attract the attention of thousands of Comic-Con attendees.Webtoon. Long live comics!People dine at the Tin Fish, which is completely wrapped in NBC Blindspot graphics. A mind erased. A body of clues.It’s LEGO Homer Simpson! He’s equipped with some tough-looking Transformer-like armor, which includes Wonder Woman and Gollum on top!These suited bald guys with barcode tattoos on their necks are lined up to promote Hitman: Agent 47.It looks like Hulk shrank a bit!Obi-Wan Kenobi seemed to have the situation in hand. That’s a pretty big crowd passing by, however, and I’ve seen a number of nasty-looking villains!You scream, I scream, the Scream Queens serve ice cream!This huge super cool robot is called MegaBot. It arrived near Petco Park for Comic-Con on Wednesday.Dark Souls III has a cool backdrop at the Comic-Con Interactive Zone next to Petco Park. Can these guys remove the sword from the stone wall?Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse is an upcoming movie, and a fun venue in the Interactive Zone.Darth Vader challenged me to a light saber duel. I declined. I like my limbs.Inflatable slides at the Comic-Con Interactive Zone were set up to promote The Peanuts Movie.Is that Snow White smiling at me? Don’t bite that apple!That is either a Spartan, a Trojan, or a guy who likes USC football.Batman has seen enough of this rabble. He’s looking grim and determined to do something.Stoop Kid’s afraid to leave his stoop. Or perhaps remove a Star Trek uniform.As the evening progresses and the FX Fearless Arena Experience closes for the day, Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll are abandoned.Archer graphic in the Hilton Bayfront Park.American Horror Story Hotel has closed for the day and a video photographer exits. Was it too scary for him?Model grabs at swirling dollar bills in window of American Horror Story Hotel while being filmed.Kid checks out vacant entrance to the Bastard Executioner venue. Escape the forest duel!I’m guessing this passage near the exit is where thrill-seekers escape the forest duel.Upside down Louie seems to wait in line for Hall H with thousands of Comic-Con fans. They’ll be sleeping outside all night on the grass or concrete. That’s dedication!Hunkering down for a long wait behind the San Diego Convention Center. These guys are near the Adult Swim carnival.Now that’s a lot of people waiting to see panels in Hall H tomorrow. And there are many more behind me!Folks riding a unicorn prepare to launch above the Omni Hotel into the cloudy blue sky, over a gigantic bubble resting on the grass!That bubble is actually a huge, working snow globe promoting Fargo. The Waffle Hut is inside!Oh, dear. More zombies on the loose.Time to head back across Harbor Drive as the day ends. Even a pair of Leias have to eat dinner.Looking down from Harbor Drive bridge at San Diego rail yard and a bus with Game of Thrones wrap turning about.Everybody had a great time. Day 1 of San Diego Comic-Con is coming to a close.A couple slowly walks along after a busy day. That’s one gigantic swag bag!
Pop culture fans at Preview Night were checking out an old school Batman. Pow!
Without further ado, here comes a second batch of cool photos taken during Preview Night at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. Enjoy!
Cool graphics promoting upcoming movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Super awesome suits of armor at the fantastic Weta Workshop exhibit.Flaming Balrog figurine from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.Model of Chappie, from the recent science fiction film.Super Mario and other video game characters have a big presence at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Everyone was snapping photos of this ultra cool Superman Hot Wheels car!And here’s another cool Hot Wheels car modeled after a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet.Awesome Star Lord costume and helmet from Guardians of the Galaxy!I believe this prop is used in the upcoming Ghostbusters sequel.Smaller, independent comic book publishers are out in force at San Diego Comic-Con, promoting their brands and original characters.Clive Barker is back at Comic-Con this year with more of his horror-themed artwork.IDW, a comic book publisher right here in San Diego, has their titles on display including Back to the Future.Zombies and the dead are still in fashion. Here are buckets of bloody bones and other gruesome body parts.It’s the Legend of Zelda!Super cool model of Star Wars snowtroopers in an ice cave.Nerds like sexy stuff, it seems! These female stormtroopers are being a bit risque.And, of course, we nerds love straight up, good old-fashioned comic book action figures.A big Captain Marvel graphic next to an exhibit that promotes Ant-Man, which comes out in a couple weeks. I’m stoked!I see good old Charlie Brown. The classics live on!The DC Comics area is similar to last year, but with lots of new stuff.Costume worn by the Reverse Flash on the CW television show.DC’s big three superheroes on display on the San Diego Convention Center floor: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.Alfred E. Neuman looks down on huge crowds pressing through hundreds of cool Comic-Con exhibits.Alfred E. Neuman encourages everyone to take a stupid selfie!Some of the models at Comic-Con are so detailed and amazing it almost blows the mind.Just a random pic of something I liked walking down one aisle.Cool t-shirts and merchandise is everywhere. If I had a million dollars in my pocket, it wouldn’t have been enough.More colorful comic book art on a table.Some psychedelic artwork seems to glow in the dim light of the convention center.Sinister face on large ComicBase software graphic seems to be looking down at an exhibitor as he ties his shoelace!There are boxes and boxes and more boxes of comic books, naturally!If you have 40 grand to spare, you can grab this issue of Marvel Comics.Monsters and villains easily outnumber heroes and cute characters. As they say, the bad guys often seem to be more interesting.Here’s a big Wonder Woman poster. Almost nine o’clock and time to walk home. It’s quite nice to live downtown!Bob the Angry Flower wasn’t too miffed to be captivated by a comic book.
Many cool Star Wars collectibles are on display and for sale during San Diego Comic-Con.
I’ve got a glut of cool photos from 2015 San Diego Comic-Con Preview Night. But it’s getting late and I’m getting sleepy. So here’s just the first batch for now…
Star Trek Ugly Dolls graphics at Preview Night in the San Diego Convention Center.An extraterrestrial and Medusa. There are hundreds of fantastic, detailed models at Comic-Con on the convention floor.Imaginative t-shirts featuring Edgar Allan Poe and Nikola Tesla.A super cool Batman towers above the crowd near the Funko sign.Scooby and the gang are in San Diego with their Mystery Machine!This zombie was getting a little too close for comfort.It seems the walking dead at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con are having problems with these revolving doors.This is becoming pretty darn frightening.I forgot this guy’s clever name. Something like Screw Head.This monstrous orc with a hammer is from the awesome Warcraft exhibit.Adult Swim has fun and games, and prizes slide out of the cat’s mouth.Kuato from Total Recall was making the rounds at Comic-Con, unconcerned about staying hidden, it seems.R2-D2 looks kind of lonely.Jabba the Hutt figurine on display at San Diego Comic-Con.I saw several angry Hulks on the verge of smashing something.Spiderman has his own awesome Hot Wheels car!This proud Batman just has to suck it up, surrounded by lesser figures.In addition to full-size Batman and Superman costumes for sale, these fantastic creations can be yours to wear as you please.Looks like Predator ripped the skull and spine right outa somebody.Yeah, Iron Man is always pretty popular.Penguin figurine on display at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.Pop culture fan with camera records all sorts of cool sights in one display case.The large Star Wars area has film clips playing overhead from the classic movies.This speeder is used by the character Rey in the upcoming Star Wars film.R2-D2, C-3PO, a stormtrooper, Boba Fett and the Millennium Falcon are busting through a wall.Fresh from the pages of Shonen Jump, a super popular manga.The extensive LEGO area at Comic-Con contains lots of cool LEGO models.Perhaps the coolest LEGO model is of the epic battle in Avengers II between Hulk and Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor.
Distinctive San Diego Comic-Con International logo is hung on convention center for the 2015 pop culture mega-event.
Wow! This morning I saw that preparation for Comic-Con has pushed into high gear! 2015 San Diego Comic-Con comes very shortly after the Fourth of July, so as soon as the fireworks ended, workers have come out in droves to erect outdoor venues and complete a large number of impressive building wraps. There still isn’t much to see in the Gaslamp, where restaurants, bars and shops have been concentrating on drawing Independence Day crowds. I guess in the next day or two that will rapidly change!
Everywhere around the San Diego Convention Center there’s activity. Tents are being set up to shelter Comic-Con attendees who will wait in long lines.Party rental workers hustle to get everything ready for 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, shortly after the Fourth of July.The Last Ship building wrap on the Marriott hotel is finally finished several days before Comic-Con opens.Ubisoft is returning this year with the popular Assassin’s Creed obstacle course. It’s under construction at the same spot as last year.Conan O’Brien building wrap is visible beyond crane erecting framework of Assassin’s Creed obstacle course.According to what I read, Gaslamp Square in front of the Tin Fish restaurant will be the scene of NBC’s Heroes Reborn, where visitors will discover their own pyro-kinetic ability!Guys build steel structure near entrance to the Gaslamp Quarter, the hub of Comic-Con activity.NBC’s Heroes Reborn elaborate venue for Comic-Con fans is under construction on July 5.The huge The Strain building wrap on the Hilton Bayfront is making great progress since I posted a photo two days ago.FX Fearless Arena is being built in the Hilton Bayfront Park. Attractions will include The Strain, American Horror Story: Hotel, The Simpsons, Fargo, and The Bastard Executioner.There’s going to be more cool stuff than ever at 2015 San Diego Comic-Con!Another section of the FX Fearless Arena under construction, with a big Minority Report banner in the background.Close up photo of Minority Report image on the Hilton parking garage.Once Upon a Time returns this year. A huge wrap is being applied on a high section of Petco Park even now as I type!It appears Petco Park will be the site of Galactic Army Boot Camp!Who will be in booth 437? Answer that, and we’ll know what this wrap is advertising on the west wall of Petco Park, beside Tony Gwynn Drive.And, finally, I love this huge wrap on Petco Park, facing the convention center. It’s The Muppets! Yeah!
Kids wave at Star Wars stormtrooper and TIE fighter pilot at the Coronado Independence Day parade!
I spent the morning in Coronado. I’ve always wanted to see their huge Independence Day parade, reputed to be one of the very best in America. (And I believe it! I’ll be posting a bunch of pics later–I’ve got a lot of photos to go through!)
One of the biggest sensations of the parade was created when a bunch of San Diego Star Wars Society members passed down the length of Orange Avenue, engaging in elaborate cosplay. Talk about cool! It’s like Comic-Con started early!
San Diego Stars Wars Society members engaged in elaborate cosplay for Coronado’s Fourth of July parade!Imperial stormtrooper rides a Segway, an advanced land vehicle from the early 21st century.A biker scout trooper clears a path for the San Diego Star Wars Society with a flag-festooned, red, white and blue patriotic motorcycle!The Dark Force seems to have a big following. But don’t be alarmed. Some fearless Jedi Knights have arrived!An army of white-armored clones marches down a very crowded Orange Avenue in Coronado. The parade featured a fantastic variety of cool sights.Kids have a whole lot of fun as costumed Star Wars enthusiasts participate in the Coronado Independence Day parade.
Several huge Minority Report banners have been hung on the Hilton parking garage for the upcoming 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
I got off work early today, so I took the trolley down to the San Diego Convention Center and walked around looking to photograph cool 2015 Comic-Con preparations. The main thing I noticed was that several gigantic building wraps and banners are being installed at this very moment! One week to go until Comic-Con, and things should soon start getting interesting!
A gigantic orange Conan O’Brien building wrap is being applied to the side of the Marriott Hotel facing the San Diego Convention Center.A suspended platform is used to adhere panels of The Last Ship building wrap to shining windows of the Marriott Marquis.Major preparations have begun the week before 2015 San Diego Comic-Con!
Cool San Diego Sights! 