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World’s top athletes surf, speed and ski in one perfect California day

  • by Sheet Staff
  • in Arts and Life · News · Sports and Outdoors
  • — 6 Mar, 2013

NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, surfer Ian Walsh, big mountain skier Chris Benchetler, pro snowboarder Eddie Wall and big wave surfer and stand up paddler Dave Kalama took on Huntington Beach, Auto Club Speedway and Mammoth Mountain to share their sports with each other on March 4.

The athletes took to the waves of Surf City USA before 7am for an early morning surf session. With the sun peeking out by 7:30 each athlete managed to catch a few of the 3-4 foot waves. Walsh and Kalama put on quite a show by handily catching the most waves in the session.

A quick drive to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana gave NASCAR champ and recent Daytona 500 winner, Jimmie Johnson, a chance to show the water and snow athletes what 200 mph on a d-shaped oval track felt like. After a few laps with Johnson, each athlete got the chance to drive their own car, courtesy of the Rusty Wallace Driving Experience.

A quick flight from Ontario airport delivered the crew to Mammoth Mountain, where fresh snow and blue skies awaited. Wall and Walsh took to the mountain on snowboards while the rest of the crew suited up with skis and were challenged to a lap on one of Mammoth’s world-famous race courses. Benchetler won the race by over a second, then showed the crew how it was done in the Unbound Terrain Park.

The day ended with a final top-to-bottom lap down Cornice Bowl and a memorable recap on the Main Lodge Sundeck.

In just under twelve hours, these athletes got a taste of some of the best that California has to offer. The ability to surf, ski, and drive NASCAR all in the same day is a difficult task, but in California, it’s all possible. –MMSA

(Photo: Peter Morning)

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Topics: Mammoth Mountain Ski Areasheet

— Sheet Staff

This story was written by multiple authors whose names are below the header at the top of the page, or by The Sheet staff.

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2 Comments

  1. Lohn Jocke says:
    March 11, 2013 at 10:12 am

    On a number of levels, this propaganda piece by MMSA is about sucking the last fumes out of the tailpipe of Big Oil.

    About the only way it could be improved is with a money quote from some tatooed bimbo at the end going “Long live the empire, bay-bee!”

    Some people in Mono County want to be willing servants of this worldview, and drag everyone else down with them.

    The losers in June are bitter because reality has already intervened for them. They want to live the dream with MMSA for a few more years, or at least keep living the lie they’ve created for themselves. Instead, they’ll have to make due with the rush of their future careers in prostitution and drug dealing, metaphorically and literally, to service MMSA and the illusions of its hangers-on as that place hits the fan. Future pimps and growers and ‘utes and future leaders of this here county, don’t say I never helped you get out in front of the bull market, or is it market of bull?

  2. Tom O. says:
    March 14, 2013 at 8:13 am

    Lawn Jockey, just stop already, you sound like a true moron. DO you fire blanks a TV when CSI is on? Do you curse airplanes as they fly over? Were you a OWS type? I bet you have season pass too. Go out get some fresh air…and don’t forget to take public transit.

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