An Exercise in a Positive PCB

Positive things are always happening on Panama City Beach, ventures that provide a real service to the community. Here at pcbdaily, we want to acknowledge them and their efforts. This shout out goes to Lord’s Gym at 1616 Allison Ave.

Lord’s Gym is a no-obligation sports center for adults and teens funded on a donation basis. And if you think because it’s free this gym has to be paltry, think again. They offer 10,000 pounds of free weights, a full circuit of hammer strength weight equipment, treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters, indoor basketball and a pool table. To top it off, they have a nice café that sells cappuccinos, sports drinks and free wireless internet. This is only part of the Lord’s Gym program. The LG provides a positive and safe environment for teens and adults and emphasizes a goal to build people up on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside.

Imagine if you are a single mother and want to work out to stay fit. In order to maintain your fitness you’d have to buy a gym membership and buy childcare. In today’s economy, that’s enough to keep you on the couch. But Lord’s Gym, in addition to being a no-obligation donation based gym, offers $2.00 per child childcare for kids ages 6 months to 5 years every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. All the childcare teachers are background checked so you can work-out without worries.

The most important service, I believe, is a teen hangout called, The Spot. Every second Tuesday of the month, teens ages 12 to 19 years of age can hang out at THE SPOT at the Lord’s Gym. There is free pizza, snacks, drinks, pool table, playstation, basketball, and more. The only thing they are required to bring is a signed Lord’s Gym liability waiver.

All this is donation based with a singular goal of providing adults and kids a positive environment to get fit body and mind. I spent the afternoon working out and playing basketball and I have to say, the donation to the positive cause was well worth it.

Lord’s Gym is located at 1616 Allison Ave. For more information please call 230-9030.

They also offer:

Aerobics Classes

Every Thursday we offer two types of classes.

Walking Class Thursday 9:00 – 9:30 AM

This class is for all fitness levels. Especially beginners.

Optional: Bring a pair of 1-2 lb wrist weights to burn more calories.

Circuit Training Class Thursday 9:45 – 10:30 AM

Athletes Cometh: 27th Annual Gulf Coast Triathlon

It’s that time of year again when trained athletes hit Panama City Beach for the 27^th annual Gulf Coast Triathlon, a grueling event that pushes its participants to the limits of endurance. On May 9th, 2009 thousands of competitors from 40 states and 17 countries will come to Panama City Beach to confront the course of flat roads and rugged but warm water. On the Panama City Beach course competitors have a chance to set their best personal times. Last year, Mike Neill from British Columbia, Canada, won his third straight Gulf Coast Triathlon in 4:06:38. But just because Panama City Beach is ideal for time doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult to the point of insanity.

The event breaks down like this; in waves, competitors have to endure a looping open-water 1.2 mile swim. The swim is followed by an astonishing 56 mile bike course that travels through residential and commercial areas of Panama City and Panama City Beach. The icing on this indigestible cake is a 13.1 mile half marathon.

If you’re not a competitor, the event is definitely worth seeing. It’s an extreme event and competitors really stretch themselves to the limit.

Boardwalk Beach Resort will host this year’s Triathlon, and in November will also host the Ironman Triathlon, one of the full distance qualifiers for the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii.

The Gulf Coast Triathlon benefits charities like Panama City Marine Institute, Panama City Beach Cops and Kids and others.

Below is the event schedule

Date & Time
Saturday, May 09, 2009 @ 6:15 AM

Location
Boardwalk Beach Resort
9450 S. Thomas Drive

Event Schedule

Day 1
-Thursday, May 7th

12:00pm – 6:00pm
-Sports Exposition
-Registration / Packet Pick-up at the Boardwalk Beach Resort Conference Center

Day 2
–Friday, May 8^th 9:00am – 9:00pm
-Sports Exposition

12:00pm – 9:00pm
-Registration / Packet Pick-up at the Boardwalk Beach Resort Conference Center

3:30 – 9:30pm Bike Check-In

5:30 Pre-Race Dinner & Athlete Meeting
-Dinner will be beachside at The Boardwalk Beach Resort.
-Your choice of Pasta
– Guest Ticket: $10

Day 3
-Saturday, May 9th6:15am Race Start
-Post Race Party

6:00pm Party and dinner Spinnaker
Guest Ticket: $20.00
-Awards Ceremony

Youth Fishing and Free Hot Dogs

This Saturday, April 25th from 10 am until 1pm, the city of PCB Parks and Recreations department will host a youth fishing rodeo. Kids under 16 are invited to come out and enjoy the weather, the park and the fishing. There will be free hot dogs and giveaways. The Fish Florida Foundation will be providing free rods and tackle boxes to participants to help promote responsible fishing practices. This event is open and free to the public.

Frank Brown Park is located at 16200 Panama City Beach Pkwy Panama City Bch, FL 32413

For more information call (850) 233-5045

They Came, They Saw, They Skimmed

This weekend, near perfect weather and the top skimmers from around the world converged on the beach behind Edgewater Beach Resort to compete in the 11th annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam contest. Onlookers in the hundreds, some enthusiasts of the sport, others just enjoying the extreme event, watched the likes of Morgan Just, Corbin Dull, Patrick Hunt, Anthony Cox, Derek Shenton and others shred ebbing surf up and down the beach. Efforts from Mr. Surf’s Surf Shop on Panama City Beach, Zap, Skim USA, Global Surf Industries, Surftech and others filled the beach with activities and free giveaways.

This year’s event had big expectations and boy did it live up to them. The skimming was absolutely amazing. Awesome rides were skimmed by several triggering gasps and waves of applause from those taking in the competition from the shore. Next to the event was the UCA cheer camp competition, which carried over, filling the beach with over 5,000 people.

Heats were broken into skill level and age. One of the highlights from the earlier brackets was Anna Prophet, a local female skimmer, who shredded lines all over the place making skim history advancing to the semi-pro finals of the competition and landing in the top 5. But for hundreds in attendance under the perfect weather conditions, the anticipation continued to grow awaiting the pro-level skimmers.

I was among those anxiously waiting and I have to say, there was no disappointment. Those guys are good—real good.

Here is the video Jason made from footage shot Friday. He has tons more footage from Saturday’s event that will be published later in the week.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4206737&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam from Jason Koertge on Vimeo.

Corbin Dull, a local pro skimmer, won the Zap Pro/Am competition, blistering waves left and right. Other notables was another Panama City Beach local, Lance Richardson, who placed third overall and probably got the most air out of all the contestants. Alex Hood placed fifth overall and had a stunning show. Other awesome performers included, John Ackerman, Blake Tyre and last years champion Mogan Just.

On top of all the great pro skimmers, lots of local amateur skimmers showed their stuff during the free skim. All over the beach, kids and adults of all ages had a blast skimming themselves crazy and watching one heck of a show.

Skimming the History:

I read up on the history of the sport and learned that Skimboarding dates back to the late 1920’s when lifeguards skimmed on pieces of wood. Evolution of the sports has skimboarding as one of the most high-tech water sports anywhere. The boards used by professional skimboarders are built using technology adapted from aerospace to attain maximum lightness, buoyancy, and rocker (which is the curve on the board from one end to the other). In fact, the board used by the average skimboarder is far more technologically advanced than that of the average surfer.

If you’re interested in learning more go here or stop by Mr. Surf’s Surf Shop where you can learn the basics and take a board out for a test run.

Edited: I have to give a shout out to our good buddy Arlene Froeming. Thanks to her and her generosity in loaning me a sweet telephoto lens, we had the ability to produce some stunning close-ups. She does some freelance photography and can be found here. – Jason

Skim Jam on the Beach – Friday

Friday at the Edgwater Beach Resort, the 11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam Competition got off to an energetic start with professional skimmers and otherwise shredding the break at the shores behind tower 3. Entrants registered for the competition to take begin this morning and some of the pros were out showing off their talent.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4206737&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1
11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam from Jason Koertge on Vimeo.

The 11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam is taking place in Panama City Beach this weekend at the Edgewater Beach Resort.

Skim Jam Competition at Edgewater Beach Resort

You’ve skimmed a long way baby! The 11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam is going down Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19, 2009 at Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, a property of The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach. There have been 10 events before but, this year’s competition might be the best yet.

The first competitive skim event was held behind Pineapple Willy’s in 1998, hosted by Tony Johnson owner of Mr. Surf’s Surf Shop. Back then the event consisted mostly of locals, but boasted nearly 80 competitors. The event proved an instant hit and was later taken over by Skim USA, becoming a full-on tour with Panama City Beach being the tour’s favored destination.

“What’s unique about this event here in Panama City Beach,” Tony Johnson said, “is the city itself. After the first competition, all the Pros showed up and had never seen anything like Panama City Beach. They’d never seen the white sand or experienced an atmosphere like this. Just the same, all the kids who came out, witnessed the guys they saw in magazines shred their beach. The weather was great, the event was competitive and it just blew up from there. They love PCB because its organized, its friendly and we’ve got an awesome beach.”

Nearly 100 competitors are expected to vie for this year’s title. With the weather report projecting sunny skies, the turnout is expected to be high as well. Admission is free. Proceeds from the event will go to various non-profit organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and Skim USA.

Though always a competition, this year’s event intends to expand upon the teaching. The reigning Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam champion, Morgan Just, will come early to the beach and host a skim camp on Friday morning. Everyone is invited to come out and learn how to skim. Global Surf Industries and Surftech’s Surf will host stand-up Paddleboard Demos and Regattas throughout the competition.

There will be cash prizes for the winners, but everyone who enters will get more than just sport. Tony Johnson said, “Every kid will feel like a winner. Grab bags will go to those who enter into the competition. We want it to be competitive, but we want to really create a fun vibe.”

Meet and greet the skimboarding pros at pre-check-in on Friday, April 17. The annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam Contest will begin on Saturday, April 18 at 8:30 a.m. and will run until 4:00 p.m. A treasure hunt in the sand for kids 11 and under called Panama Jack’s Lil’ Sandiggers Treasure Hunt will be held at 1:00 p.m., along with other fun-filled family activities on the beach. Sunday’s events will begin with Church On The Beach, a non-denominational praise and worship service, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. before the Skim Jam Finals begin at 9:00 a.m.

The day will culminate with an awards ceremony for the competition’s winners.

To sign up for Morgan Just’s skim camp, contact him directly at mojust88@yahoo.com

11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam Competition at Edgewater Beach Resort

Surf’s up! Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, a property of The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, announced they will host the 11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19, 2009. Edgewater was the accommodations host for this competition last year, and anticipation for this year’s event has grown so much that Edgewater is already booked to capacity. Because of this, The Resort Collection is offering special rates for Edgewater’s sister property Long Beach Resort.

Located less than a mile away from Edgewater along 1,300 feet of emerald water and sugar-white sand, Long Beach Resort offers luxurious suites, private amenities and breathtaking waterfront views. Guests can enjoy oversized balconies, the tropical Lagoon Pool, two all-weather tennis courts, seasonally heated Polynesian pools and whirlpool spas at a 15% discount, with rates starting at just $110 per night when they book online with the promotional code: SKIM.

“Skim Jam is always an exciting event at Edgewater. We are proud to be the accommodations sponsor for this fun-filled, family-friendly competition,” said Paul Wohlford, vice president of sales and marketing at The Resort Collection.

Skimboarding enthusiasts from near and far are getting ready to put on their gear, wax their boards and prepare for the most thrilling skimboarding competition of the year. Skim Jam has truly made its name in the record books and features the best pro and amateur skimboard talent in the world. This nationally recognized sporting competition, organized by Tony and Lib Johnson of Mr. Surf’s Surf Shop, offers free admission to observers. Net proceeds from contestants’ entry fees go to benefit the Boys & Girls Club at Frank Brown Park and Skim USA.

Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort is offering a weekend full of exciting events, beginning with Global Surf Industries and Surftech’s Surf/ Stand-up Paddleboard Demo and Regatta, plus a chance to meet the pros of skimboarding at pre-check-in on Friday, April 17. The annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam Contest will begin on Saturday, April 18 at 8:30 a.m. and will run until 4:00 p.m. A treasure hunt in the sand for kids 11 and under called Panama Jack’s Lil’ Sandiggers Treasure Hunt will be held at 1:00 p.m., along with other fun-filled family activities on the beach. Sunday’s events will begin with Church On The Beach, a non-denominational praise and worship service, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. before the Skim Jam Finals begin at 9:00 a.m. The day will culminate with an awards ceremony for the competition’s winners.

AVP Pro Volleyball Tourney Results and Pictures

After only a single day of play, the tournament ended just before sundown with 4 winners between two teams. Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers took the first title in the AVP Crocs tour in Panama City Beach Sunday. Heavy winds and rain cancelled play on Saturday and resulted in an abbreviated single-elimination tournament that ended around 7 pm. The women’s title was won by Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs.

It was a battle of Beijing Olympians in the men’s final, with gold medalists Dalhausser and Rogers facing off against fellow Team USA members and No. 2 seeds Jake Gibb (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Sean Rosenthal (Corona Del Mar, Calif.). The gold medalists bested the fifth-place finishers 19-21, 21-18, 15-9.

“Jake and Sean played really well the first set and halfway through the second,” said Dalhausser. “Coming back was such a mental boost. We rarely play this many matches in a day, but we’re in pretty good shape as a team.”

Dalhausser and Rogers advanced to Sunday’s final after defeating No. 4 seeds Brad Keenan (Costa Mesa, Calif.) and Florida State graduate Nick Lucena (Santa Barbara, Calif.) 21-12, 21-10. Gibb and Rosenthal reached the final by eliminating No. 6 seeds Matt Olson (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Kevin Wong (Honolulu) to the tune of 21-15, 21-10.

On the women’s side, the top seeds also bested the second-seeds, with Branagh and Youngs toppling Jen Kessy (San Clemente, Calif.) and April Ross (Costa Mesa, Calif.) in three games:16-21, 21-18, 15-9.

“Jen and April came out on fire serving,” said Youngs. “But we put the pressure on them with our serving and Nicole played incredible defense. When you play single elimination, you go point by point, balls to the wall, play smart, play aggressive.”

Youngs claimed her 43rd career title, solidifying her spot in the Top 10 career wins on the women’s side. 2008 AVP Crocs Tour Most Improved Player Branagh claimed her 8th.

Branagh and Youngs advanced to the final by defeating No. 4 seeds Angie Akers (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Tyra Turner (Fort Myers Beach, Fla.) 30-28, 21-13. Kessy and Boss took out No, 3 seeds Annett Davis (Valencia, Calif.) and Jenny Johnson Jordan (Wexford, Pa.), 21-19, 19-21, 21-19. Source: avp.com

The weather yesterday was perfect, the crowds mild and the action intense. Being Sunday, I was only there for a bit, but managed to get some great pictures and video (which will be posted later this week).

Check out the pictures uploaded to our Flickr gallery below, and don’t forget to check our Facebook Fan Page for exclusive pictures and video.

Despite Nasty Weather, AVP Show Must Go On

With wind gusts of up to 30 mph and heavy downpoor expected all day, the volleyball pros still plan to play, even though there won’t be many there to watch. I was told by someone that the last event they had attended 18 out of the 25 games they watched were in bad weather.

They play, rain or shine. I was told the qualifiers went well yesterday; the players got wet, and had to fight the wind, but they played. Coming from one direction, the players barely had to tap the ball to serve it over the net, but from the other way, hitting it as hard as they could, the ball sometimes wouldn’t even make it. I guess the advantage of wearing bikinis and boardshorts while you play your pro sport is that getting wet just doesn’t matter.

I was up on the roof of Seahaven, Origin, and felt like my Blackberry was going to be blown out of my hand; my jeans were flapping in the wind, and I don’t wear baggy jeans. My hair was even blowing, and I keep it too short for it to move.

On the ground, flags were flapping in the wind, near the brink of ripping. I overheard one worker screaming “that’s all you got!”, then it started raining – hard. Luckily I was under the covered area of Sharkys. Cameras and rain don’t mix.

Play was postponed until 10 am when I was there. Not sure if they are playing right now (its 1020). It isn’t raining right now, but it is very windy still. Tomorrow, however, is supposed to be nice. We’ll see.

AVP is getting Geared up behind Sharkys

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Amid cloudy weather and red-flag seas, the yellow AVP tents tower above the sand. For the first time ever a professional volleyball tournament will be hosted by AVP in Panama City Beach.

Today’s schedule is to include a collegiate tournament, however with wind kicking at up to 15 knots some of the onsite players are skeptical whether it will happen. The professionals are out practicing right now.

On Friday, there will be a series of games where locals and other aspiring pro-volleyball players can enter the qualifier tournament to compete with the pros on Saturday and Sunday. When talking to Nick Lucena at the recent press conference, he was telling me that some players can play up to 8 games in one day, depending on their win-to-lose ratio. He was telling me that the pros usually train for up to four hours each day to prepare for such grueling endurance playing.

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Here is the schedule:

Friday, March 27, 2009

Men’s and Women’s Qualifier Competition
Gates open at 7:00 am
Start time 8:00 AM. End Time (Approx) 6:30 PM.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Men’s and Women’s Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 7:00 am
Start time 8:00 AM. End Time (Approx) 6:30 PM.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Men’s and Women’s Main Draw Competition
Gates open at 7:00 am
Start time 8:00 AM. End Time (Approx) 5:30 PM.