Board Surf Wax

James Pribram, professional surfer, writer, environmentalist and television host has recently signed with sponsor Versasurf Traction, a division of Waxless Surfboard Systems, Inc, out of San Clemente, CA.

James currently hosts the television show, Eco-Warriors and his written work has appeared in Surfer Magazine, LA Times and numerous other publications.

Perhaps best known for his philanthropic and environmental endeavors, James is co-founder of They Will Surf Again, an organization that supports individuals with water-related spinal cord injuries. A spokesperson for Surfrider, Project Wipeout Ocean, and board member of Clean Water Now! Coalition, James also founded the Aloha School of Surfing. He was also the recipient of the 2007 John Kelly Environmental Achievement Award.

T-Lake buys Biel a surfboard

Justin Timberlake has bought lover Jessica Biel a customised surfboard, the same gift he gave ex Cameron Diaz. The 'SexyBack' singer, who bought Cameron a similar board from the same shop four years ago, is determined to teach Jessica how to ride the waves so he splashed out on a board and a years' supply of surfboard wax for her. A source said: "He phoned Evolution Surf and ordered a longboard with a blue, yellow and gold design. He also put in an order for a year's supply of Sex Wax. He thought it'd be fun to surprise her with a board and a trip to Hawaii to teach her how to surf!" .

Gilbert Brown Wins Costa Rica's Trofeo Open at Playa Hermosa

With his customary surge of powerhouse surfing, Puerto Viejo's Gilbert Brown managed to take the Trofeo Op 3 star Open at the Playa Hermosa date of Costa Rica's Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) this past weekend, January 12 and 13. In doing so, Brown ended the stranglehold of Jaco's Luis Vindas, who had won the last five dates of Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica (FSC) contests that have taken place on this country's beach on the central Pacific.

The finals Open heat included a battle between Brown and surfers all too familiar with tournaments coming down to the wire--Jaco's Jason Torres, Jairo Pérez and current Costa Rican National Champion Diego Narango. Earlier at the Trofeo Op, international Tico representative Federico Pilurzu--who had just returned home from the year's first WQS, the O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro in Florida--ramped up the Open competitors levels with his skill, only to fall out in the semifinals to Torres and Naranjo.

Recipient E-mail

There's a lot of people who spent a lot more on their car that get left in her wake off the line. The looks on their faces is priceless.When it's cold here in MN (like it has been lately), the mileage drops considerably. She only sees about 22-23 MPG in daily use in the cold. .

A tour of Google's new Experimental Search. Verdict: awesome

The bottom portion offers keywords in real time whether you refine your original search, click through to other results pages, or click on a keyword to hone your search further. This is a great way to help users better understand the topic they're searching for and to find other topical avenues with a real-time, unobtrusive UI assistant.

Altogether, these experiments are all successes in their own right, and we don't see much of a reason not to include them all in a future update.

Mid-sized Mavericks favors the quick and the canny

The 2008 Mavericks contest didn't feature the heaving, 50-foot slabs of water that make the Pillar Point spot among the world's riskiest. The swell checked in at 12 feet at 18 seconds just before the early morning start - and a rising tide throughout the day meant the resulting 20-foot plus waves would only get fewer and farther between.But at 20 feet under sunny skies, Mavericks still dished up plenty of action, especially with the hottest big-wave surfers in the world making the most of every set.The contest favored the young and quick and the top three winners, Greg Long, Grant Baker and Jamie Sterling were all under 25.But veterans made a strong push.In Heat 1, local standout Ion Banner, 38, was all over the lineup. Banner caught more waves than anyone, even jumping into a reverse stance on the shoulder of one mid-sized musher.But the judges on the bluffs go by wave size, quality - and how the surfer positions himself on the drop.Early in the heat, Sterling set the pace with a desperate air drop down one of the larger faces that drew whoops from the flotilla of charter boats, Jet Skis and assorted watercraft in the diesel-choked channel next to the break.Banner placed fourth and missed the cut for the semifinals, edged by 24-year-old Long, of San Clemente, Sterling, 24, of Hawaii, and veteran Shawn Rhodes of Pacifica.For parts of the morning, it looked as if the ocean would shut things down."Long lulls, but they're good when they come in," said Evan Slater, editor of Surfer magazine and a perennial contestant before his heat.

Calendar: This week in Davidson, Jan. 30-Feb.5

Scholastic Art Competition: The competition is the oldest and one of the most prestigious student art competitions in the country with past winners including such noted artists as Red Grooms and Andy Warhol. The exhibit remains on view through Feb. 24. For further information call or visit www.cheekwood.org. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Jan. 30 - Feb. 2, Feb. 5 - 9, 12 - 13; 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Feb. 3 and 10, Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, 1200 Forrest Park Drive; $10, $8 ages 65+, $5 ages 6-17, active military with I.D. and college students with I.D., free ages 5-under; $1 admission in January; 356-8000.

Biblical Villains Amy-Jill Levine: Levine is a Vanderbilt University professor whose fields of expertise include the New Testament and gender studies. She will discuss many of the Bible's villains, their stories and how their images have changed over time.

Events for singles

Butcher Community Center, 27500 Cosgrove, Warren. $3 members, $4 guests. cacdetroit@yahoo.com.

• Euchre, cash bar and dinner available. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Mon. Drakeshire Lanes, 35000 Grand River, Farmington Hills.