Big air on Bali wave - Yahoo billing it as the "...greatest surf trick of all time"

There was a time when skateboarding emulated surfing. Alas, it is now the other way around now. Surfer John Florence has pulled of a a "big air" move that some are calling the greatest trick ever.

Surfing as an apparel phenomena is circling the drain.Perhaps that is why skateboarding is being embraced.

Coach Bill Jewell gets 3-year ban form USA Swimming!

Contents of the letter that Susan Woessner sent regarding Bill Jewell's 3-year ban. ...

Richard Pierson, General Chair
Mary Jo Swalley, Membership and Registration
Jeri Marshburn, Safe Sport Southern California Swimming


Mark Schubert, Head Coach
Patrick Gillespie, Board President
Golden West Swim Club
Re: Bill Jewell

18 June 2013

Dear Richard, Mary Jo, Jeri, Mark, and Patrick:

This letter is to inform you that on Monday, June 10, USA Swimming member coach Bill Jewell waived his right to a National Board of Review hearing and accepted a three-year membership ban, effective immediately, as requested by USA Swimming for violations of the USA Swimming Code of Conduct. USA Swimming’s case against Mr. Jewell was based on a pattern of inappropriate behavior, including making sexually explicit comments toward athletes and other individuals affiliated with the club. There was no allegation of or evidence to support inappropriate sexual touching.

If you need assistance now or in the future with communications to your Golden West Swim Club membership or your local media, please let me know and we will connect you with USA Swimming communications staff.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,

Susan Woessner Director of Safe Sport


c: Bill Jewell

Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director

John Morse, General Counsel Lucinda McRoberts, Esq. Elizabeth Hoendervoogt, Safe Sport Coordinator

Japanese pop culture adopts swimming - KyoAni Streams "Free!" a slice of life Anime with lots of Swimming.

Swimming is HUGE is Asia. The future of this sprt and what suits we wear will be determined there in the coming years. Unlike here, the sport has been adopted by their popular culture artists.

Free! is a slice-of-life anime form Japan with lots of swimming, cheesecake images of shirtless boys, and a soap opera story-line about two friends becoming competitors.

There will be a sub titled version eventually put up on YouTube

From Anime News Network:

"...The anime's story revolves around Haruka when he is in high school. After years of separation, his childhood friend Rin challenges him to a swimming match, showing Haruka his overwhelming power. Not wanting it to end like this, Haruka gathers together Makoto and Nagisa once again, and also brings a new member named Rei Ryugazaki to create the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club. Haruka, Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, and Rin come together for a story of swimming, youth, and friendship...." 

[Link]

The Mitch Ivey sex abuse victim interviewed at Swim Swam!

Everything you do and everything you say has a consequence. There is plenty of poetry, songs, and
philosophical verses that have said the same thing only way better than I can and with more emphasis on the consequences part.

I read the Ceci Christy article at SwimSwam with great anticipation and by the fourth paragraph that anticipation soured into a severe disappointment.

Christy interviews Suzette Moran who at 16-years-of-age had an ongoing sexual relationship with her 33-year-old swim coach, Mitch Ivey, and as of today asserts that it was a consensual relationship and that Moran "...did know what she was doing... That she does not see herself as a victim... And never felt she should report their sexual relationship..."

Proverbial mouth drop and a face palm.

Snippets from SwimSwim:

But, Ms. Moran is adamant that she did know what she was doing. Seven months into the affair, she moved to Concord Pleasant Hill Swim Club where Mr. Ivey coached and continued their relationship. From the beginning, their affair was “fully consensual,” and she “never felt forced to do anything. 

Ms. Moran holds herself completely accountable for her actions and does not see herself as a victim. She says she never felt she should report their sexual relationship.” 

But here is where the writer refuses to challenge her...

".... And, regardless of her maturity level and consent, Ms. Moran recognizes that a 33-year-old coach having sex with a 16-year-old swimmer is wrong and constitutes abuse.  

"...Ms. Moran says it is disturbing to her that USA Swimming has not tried to contact her at any point over the years. “It is clear that they made no effort to locate me. ..."  

[Link]

I am the guy that made the official complaint for Moran and others like her so they could get some justice served cold to their assailant, Coach Mitch Ivey. How do you think I feel that she did not come forward to report this abuse to the cops and feels that she had a consensual relationship with a predator with no regrets?

If you accept that Ms Moran never came forward to report this abuse to the police nor USA Swimming because she did not see herself as a victim, why does she state such consternation that USA Swimming never contacted her either?

Sex has consequences for the immature: Pregnancy, disease, and the emotional fallout for those not mature enough to deal with the break-ups or otherwise. Abused boys and girls have been known to commit suicide, indulge in drug abuse, alcoholism and other risky behaviors after being sexually abused.

Presuming she had a "consensual" relationship or believed she had a "consensual" relationship was something she should have kept it to herself. This bit of information does no victim any good whatsoever and signals that perhaps she needs to reexamine this relationship with a professional in the subject.

I don't like attacking victims...

I am on the side that USA Swimming management needs a reboot and people like Berkoff and Wielgus have got to go for this same non-reporting and non-action. Ms Moran's rhetoric, if it was reported accurately, summarily states and unintentionally hints that for some girls, like herself, what she did is okay due to her "special circumstance" and believe me it is not okay. Lots of young girls read that site, and many who have "crushes" on their coaches could get in trouble thinking that their crush too is due to a "special circumstance..."

At the very least she admits the relationship existed and this alone should get him banned we hope.

Coach Mitch Ivey, you're finally busted! - "Suzette Moran confirms intimate relationship with former Olympic swim coach Mitch Ivey starting when she 16-years-old"

I filed this complaint against Mitch Ivey on April 5th 2011.

More on that later. Was sent this press release minutes ago:

Suzette Moran confirms that she had an intimate relationship with former Olympic swim coach Mitch Ivey starting when she 16 and that USA Swimming has never contacted her.

SAN JOSE, CA – June 10, 2013 -- Attorney Robert Allard and a former 16 year old swimmer who had an intimate relationship with former Olympic coach Mitch Ivey are calling on Congress to investigate USA Swimming as a result of its failure to investigate and protect swimmers from predators. Allard has learned that the USA Swimming investigation of Mitch Ivey was quietly closed nearly one year ago with no action taken against the coach due to "inconclusive evidence".

According to Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Senior Director of Advocacy, Women’s Sports Foundation and Professor of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law, she provided the names of people that would be helpful in the investigation of Ivey, including Suzette Moran to a USA Swimming investigator in 2011.

Suzette Moran, then 16 years old when she started having a sexual relationship with Ivey, recently confirmed that USA Swimming never contacted her either for this investigation or at any time since her story went public on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" in the early 1990's.

Moran issued the following statement:

"It has come to my attention that over the past few years USA Swimming has been investigating swim coaches for misconduct. After reading articles about various coaches, it appears that USA Swimming is having a difficult time understanding how to conduct comprehensive investigations. I was recently advised that they have cleared Mitch Ivey from any inappropriate actions. It seems that once again they have overlooked several pieces of evidence.

USA Swimming has never contacted me in regards to their investigation of Mitch Ivey. While I do not see myself as a victim, the fact remains that I started having a relationship with Mitch Ivey at 16 and it continued for several years. The relationship was consensual, and completely open to everyone in USA Swimming, family, and friends. It crossed the world of USA Swimming with the ESPN special that I appeared in back in the early 90’s.

The fact that USA Swimming closed their file without trying to contact me is disturbing. It is reminiscent of the Catholic Church. I am very easily located via Facebook, Linkedin, Spokeo, Classmates, and my high school. ESPN found me through the UCLA Athletic Department. It is clear that they made no effort to locate me.

It saddens me that after all of the controversy, Mitch has made the choice to continue to coach, and a team has hired him. It concerns me that the entity who should be investigating and protecting swimmers from predators is still not doing their job, even after such coaches as Andy King and Rick Curl have been incarcerated.

I am publicly asking for Congress to step in and investigate USA Swimming."

Allard stated that "the leadership at USA Swimming continues to demonstrate that it is utterly incapable of resolving the glaring sexual abuse issue within its ranks." Allard pointed to a 2010 email from USA Swimming's Technical Vice President David Berkoff which identifies Ivey and Moran by name as an example of an improper sexual relationship between a coach and his minor swimmer.

"There is absolutely no excuse for USA Swimming to not interview Ms. Moran. We located her with little effort. In our view, USA Swimming’s leadership doesn’t want to know the truth because it doesn’t care about the truth. These leaders would rather boast about what have proven to us to be worthless rules and 1-800 numbers that they have developed and falsely hold themselves out as champions of sexual abuse victims. These leaders have repeatedly failed the sexual misconduct test and need to remove themselves from office. If they don’t voluntarily resign, Congress should intervene and force them to. This simply has gone on for way too long.”

Jellyfish flame fractals I have been rendering

Building a fine project which will be printed on an unusual surface in sculpture form. Will do about 16-pieces.

I am using an open source flame fractal program that relies on heavy math calculations to render shapes and composites. I have tweaked the math in such a way to create jellyfish.

For The Win: Australian woman will attempt world-record swim from Cuba to Florida

I promise that the first person to complete this swim will be a swimmer from down under!

Per Capita both Australia and New Zealand produce the best swimmers, sailors, surfers, lifeguards, PERIOD. These guys "own" the topic of water.

The only topic Australia sucks at is literary fiction but that is a topic for a book blog. (Can you name a famous literary author from Australia? Germaine Greer does not count.)

"... [Chloe] McCardel’s team has studied Nyad’s previous attempts in hopes of avoiding some of the hazards she faced along her way.

From For the Win:

"Because it’s comparatively early in the summer, we believe that we’ve got less chance of running into box jellyfish," McCardel said. "They’ll be hanging around but we won’t be running into multitudes of them like Diana did in the past."

McCardel completed a double crossing of the English Channel in 2010 but was unable to become the first Australian to complete a triple crossing (three nonstop swims) in two previous attempts. She estimates that if all goes well, the swim will take between 55-60 hours, an amazingly long time for a person to be in constant motion. ..." 

[Link]

David Berkoff crafts more tall tales to the Missoulian Newspaper.

David Berkoff gave an interview to the Missoulian website. The bulk of the interview was essentially Berkoff explaining why he has no culpability in his failure to report Rick Curl to the police let alone USA Swimming. It also includes a full and complete admission that he was convinced Rick Curl molested Kelly Currin:

“I assumed [Rick Curl] was long gone and would never come back to the United States because his past was catching up to him. That was my suspicion. " -- David Berkoff

Note, David Berkoff is a lawyer and he admits in the above quote that he knew all about Rick Curl's past and had suspicions that Rick Curl would stay in Australia to avoid arrest. Obviously this lawyer named David Berkoff never heard of extradition nor phoning the police. Instead he was willing to wait.

The sadest thing about this interview is that he never once apologized to Kelly Currin which is very reminiscent of Chuck Wielgus refusing to apologize on the ABC News program 20/20 to the Victims in the Andrew King case.

When Berkoff was confronted by the Missoulian with his email statements he made to Jeff Chida and Mike Saltzstein about Mitch Ivey molesting swimmers and Kely Currin being molested by Rick Curl, Berkoff refuses to take full responsibility for his statements despite that all the quotes therein were printed in their full and complete context.  He belittles these emails twice by stating that Kelly Currin's pro-bono attorney, Robert Allard, "cherry picked" these emails so as to indict his character.

No David, you have indicted yourself:

“We were talking about what do we do to change USA Swimming?” he said. “(Allard) has all these emails and cherry picks the ones he thinks are damning.

The above is patently false. What Berkoff was talking about in these emails, and I read each one, was a conversation he had with Pablo Morales and Matt Biondi; (Morales has categorically denied the conversation), about how outraged he was over the Kelly Currin being molested and Mitch Ivey "banging swimmers."

On face value this an outrageous statement:

“I put these emotional emails out there, kind of shooting first and checking for bodies later, and I was asked to submit a proposal in 2010 to the board. That’s what promoted USA Swimming to adopt (enhanced) background checks, mandatory training on code of conduct and a 1-800 number to call in and report incidents.”

This proposal he submitted in 2010 was posted on the Swimming World message board and should be held up side-by-side with what I wrote on January 31, 2010 here: [Link].

Finally, Berkoff takes complete and total credit away from Susan Woessner's Safe Sport team as if he was the guiding force for both its policy and implementation. This personally disgusts me. His title at USA Swimming is Technical Vice President or something or rather and to claim he was the focal point for the implementation of such policies is a stealing credit for work he did not do. Berkoff has no subsequent child protection bullet points in his resume yet he is claiming he has some now.

From the Missoulian:

“John Leonard was on the subcommittee and told me he was opposed to an all-out ban on swimmer-coach relationships because he had married one of his former swimmers. I finally threw in the towel out of frustration because no one wanted to stand up for background checks or banning coach-swimmer relationships.”

Berkoff clarified the email on Thursday.

“We were talking about what do we do to change USA Swimming?” he said. “(Allard) has all these emails and cherry picks the ones he thinks are damning.

“I put these emotional emails out there, kind of shooting first and checking for bodies later, and I was asked to submit a proposal in 2010 to the board. That’s what promoted USA Swimming to adopt (enhanced) background checks, mandatory training on code of conduct and a 1-800 number to call in and report incidents.”

[Link]

Now, if you have made it to the bottom of this blog post, do you really believe David Berkoff was the sole reason why USA Swimming has a 1-800-number to report instances of sexual abuse and conducts mandatory background checks? Could it be just a bit of outrageous bragging on his part?  (I think so too.)

I for one see him as a politician trying anemically to take credit for something way outside his expertise thereby degrading the teams who were responsible so as to further his own career.

The Disney character "Pinocchio" comes to mind.

Brian Pawlowicz, Tom Ugast, Pete Morgan, & Art Davis heard USA Swimming board of director Paris Jacobs report: - "Pay no attention to that blogger behind the curtain!"

Irv Muchnick just sent this to me in an email:

"... Here’s what NCAP’s Brian Pawlowicz, Tom Ugast, Pete Morgan, and Art Davis heard committee administrative chair Paris Jacobs report:

"Please note, there is a lot of false of information and many ‘attackers’ out there looking to blame USA Swimming. If you have questions, come and ask. You can call USA-S Executive Director, Chuck Wielgus or USA S President Bruce Stratton. Call Paris to ask questions; just don’t automatically assume that what you are ready or hearing is accurate. There are bloggers out there that are attacking our Sport. USA Swimming is ahead in Safe Sport when compared to all other National Governing Bodies. There is a lot of good going on in our sport we need to remember the good and ask questions in order to stay informed...."

Well that shows me! Or does it?

My opinion is that you listen and read everybody and then form your own opinions. The opinion I value the most happens to be the one that originated from a tormented Rick Curl victim named Kelly Currin.

So, what do you think about that? Mr. Brian Pawlowicz, Tom Ugast, Pete Morgan, Art Davis? I don't see you posting Ms Currin's point of view to set the record straight. As Ms Paris Jacobs? All I saw was Chuck Welgus, and David Berkoff spouting scripted rhetoric with incomplete facts.

In fact take the opinion of Susan Woessner, USA Swimming Safe Sport Executive who called the police to get Rick Curl arrested when Mr. Brian Pawlowicz, Tom Ugast, Pete Morgan, Art Davis and Ms Paris Jacobs of the Rick Curl club that Curl founded did not. Ms Woessner also graciously thanked Kelly Currin.

Then take the opinions of former USA Swimming National Coach, Mark Schubert, who said Chuck Wielgus knew of the Rick Curl molestation of Kelly Currin in 2007 and both did nothing about it. Then take the opinion of "Mr. Pants on fire," David Berkoff, who emphatically stated he knew about the molestation of Kelly Currin in the 1990's and was so "gosh, darn, mad" about it that he did "nothing" or "something" about it depending on which version he happens to be bragging or testifying under oath about.

Now, with a straight face Mr. Brian Pawlowicz, Tom Ugast, Pete Morgan, Art Davis and Ms Paris Jacobs explain why some of the people at USA Swimming have no business being blamed?

Shame on all you all and any members of the NCAP club that are willing to drink your "Rick Curl flavored Kool Aid."

Will the real David Berkoff please stand up?

Work-wise and family-wise I have been underwater. The timing of such distractions has been terrible and unfortunately I have been missing in action as a swim blogger.

In the past week a lot has happened: Kelly Currin's statement has completely changed the Zeitgeist in regards to child protection. The Washington Post editorial board has called for a Senate investigation into USA Swimming, Coach Bill Jewell is under investigation thereby validating Coach Dia Rianda's credibility and executives at USA Swimming are going on the record in open letters and interviews to "set the record straight."

David Berkoff is one of these executives and he just delivered a contradictory statement to his home town paper, the Missoula Independent, that is so outrageous that I have to publish what he said and compare it to what what he has written previously and has testified to under oath.

In his home town paper David Berkoff is quoted as saying

From the Missoula Independent:
[David Berkof] says he has no intention of resigning from the national board nor of stepping down from his position at MAC.

“The premise for them asking me to resign my position is that they claim I knew about Kelley Davies being molested by Rick Curl. I didn’t know. I heard rumors,” says Berkoff, who adds that he’s never met either person. “There’s a huge difference. You can’t accuse someone of a crime and call for an investigation based on fourth-hand and third-hand information.”

[...] 

When Berkoff served as an athlete representative on the USA Swimming board in the early 1990s, he says he was instrumental in creating a subcommittee tasked with addressing abuse. He also takes pride in helping to shape USA Swimming’s “Safe Sport” program, which now includes enhanced background checks and lifetime bans for offenders.

“There are a lot of good people who are working hard to make the sport safer, and I count myself among that group,” Berkoff says. 

[Link]

Mr. Berkoff is a lawyer and the idea that he must have a “victim” come forth to report a potential crime simply does not wash especially if it is a crime against a minor. Berkof's rhetoric is "smoke and mirrors. " This “victim-only” rule is an “old wives tale” that both Berkoff and Chuck Wielgus keep pushing and have been trying to pass off as a fact for far too long. Hence, it is time for them to go.

Though it is inconvenient to accuse an innocent person of abuse, it is far worse to allow a child to be abused because you are reluctant to speak out. The suspicion of a crime can be reported anonymously. Let the professionals based upon the anonymous report determine what happens next.

Berkoff wrote,

"... 22 years ago—when I was a 24 year old swimmer—I confronted a problem that I saw as unjust. I formed the first abuse subcommittee in 1991 and the committee’s work formed the basis for the Code of Conduct. I quit the Board for several reasons in 1992. ..."

I read the transcript of a video deposition Berkoff gave on January 26th of 2012 - Berkoff was  NOT on a “Sex Abuse Sub-Committee in 1991 nor was he a USA Swimming board member during 1991. He admitted as such in his video deposition. What he was doing during that period of time was training for the Olympics. [Page 178 of said deposition.]

Though Berkoff states emphatically that he “formed the first [sex] "abuse sub-committee" in 1991,” a statement he mentioned in emails to Jeff Chida, Mike Saltzstein [See the image above] he testified under oath of doing NO such thing.

Moreover, there are NO official committee meeting minutes or otherwise that can be presented to prove anything he says is true. Nothing, and it appears to be all lies and after going through his deposition I could only find this "shred" of an explanation that he gave regarding the formation of a “Sex Abuse Committee”:

Question: Whose idea was it to form this subcommittee?

David Berkoff: I don't know if it was mine or whether somebody just said, hey, who is interested in doing this. I don't recall. [Page 178] 

In January of this last year Berkoff had no idea if he formed a “abuse sub-committee” but in a rebuttal letter to this blog he produced a firm date, which was not only incorrect but he takes credit for being the originator. Repeat, under oath he says that he had NO idea if he formed this “abuse sub-committee” at all.

Question: [When Asked about a letter to Ken Stopkotte and Mike Saltzstein]  Quote, As you all know, it took seven years from the date we formed an abuse subcommittee in 1992, end quote. 

When you say "we," who were you referring to when you wrote this in July of 2010?

David Berkoff: Yeah. Probably U.S.A. Swimming in general.

Question:  And why did you use the words "abuse subcommittee"?

David Berkoff: I really didn't know what else to call it. It wasn't a formal committee. All I know is it was a group of us who I recall meeting once, maybe twice discussing these issues in a very frank and open manner. And what I recall of it I've testified to before, and the only person I can recall actually being there was John Leonard [...]

Question:  Was the topic of implementing a formal Code of Conduct discussed during this meeting?

David Berkoff:  I don't know if there was actually some discussion of a formal Code of Conduct. I do believe that we did discuss the issue of whether or not we should have some kind of formal statement on abuse of swimmers.

What stands out the most for me is the “...Formal Code of Conduct...” that Berkoff so brazenly take credits for in his rebuttal. What Berkoff said in a  rebuttal in a note he sent to this blog is that...

“...the committee’s work formed the basis for the Code of Conduct...”

...But that completely conflicts with what he answered in his deposition above. When asked directly about this “formal code of conduct” he make it clear that it may have never been discussed.

After reading his emails and his quotes to the press, I don’t believe him. I think he is lying and his accomplishments within USA Swimming seem to be a "multiple choice option".  When under oath he seems non-committal, but when running for office or defending his positions he pulls out the red,white & blue colors of the USA Swimming logo and seems self-assured and confident.

His quotes to the Independent appear to me to be scripted and conflict with everything he said under oath and emails to associates.

Yes, the Senate should look into USA Swimming and focus their attention on three members: Chuck Wielgus, David Berkoff and John Leonard.

New York Times: "Abuse Victim Seeks Ouster of U.S. Swimming Officials"

(Updated to correct typos and to acknowledge with a link that Pablo Morales knew nothing of this abuse nor having any sort of conversation with David Berkoff regarding this topic. )

Karen Krouse wrote a piece in the New York Times regarding Kelly Currin's victim statement published here and elsewhere. I think she nails it and what she nails best is Kelly Currin's desire to remove USA Swimming officials who knew of her abuse and did nothing about it. Nothing!

From the New York Times:

“...While I was battling demons from the childhood molestation, Wielgus, Berkoff and Coach Schubert contributed to the glorification of Rick Curl by allowing him to coach at one of the most prestigious swim centers in the country for almost two decades, supporting his induction into the swimming Hall of Fame, and providing him with center-stage status at the 2012 Olympic trials,” Currin said in her statement Thursday.

She said in her statement that Berkoff, a two-time Olympic medalist in 1988, knew by the early 1990s about sexual relationships between coaches and under-age swimmers, including Curl and Currin. Her statement said Schubert told Wielgus about Curl’s conduct in 2007, though Wielgus has testified that he did not learn about it until 2010. She said she filed a claim against Curl with USA Swimming in 2011, but USA Swimming said that did not happen until 2012. ..."

[Link]

Let's talk about David Berkoff. The image above is the email discussed at the New York Times which David Berkoff sent to Jeff Chida summarally acknowledging he knew of the abuse that Kelly Currin had suffered. (John Leonard, CEO of the American Coaches Swimming Association is mentioned as well.) However, when Berkoff was placed under oath and asked to discus this topic, he became vague, non-committal and contradictory.

To really throw some gasoline on "David Berkof's flaming pants" Pablo Morales denied ever drinking beer with David Berkoff let alone having any knowledge regarding Currin's abuse or who was involved. His denial can be read here:  [Link]

So one must ask: How did he know about it? Who really told him? Why didn't he come forward? Why is it that he has an executive title at USA Swimming?

I had a debate with David Berkoff on this blog and quite frankly it is demonstrably that what Berkoff has said and done when compared to what he testified to under oath conflict with one another

See this post:  [Link]

Berkoff should be asked to resign - Even the Pope of the Catholic church resigned so he could get out of the way for a new Church to emerge. Berkoff should too. Resignation would bring USA Swimming into the present and give the Safe Sport initiative truer meaning.