CHOCK ONE UP FOR CHOC.

Its all good at the Ocean Institute.

By DAVID BRO and MARILYN LA JEUNESSE / SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER

DANA POINT -(CA)-  A dozen young hospital patients got a day at the beach Thursday in Dana Point, paddleboarding, helping with a beach cleanup and taking a tour of the Ocean Institute’s tide pools and aquariums.

The event was part of the Surf & Paddle Summer Camp 2011 put on by Miracles for Kids, a Tustin-based nonprofit organization that supports children with cancer and other serious illnesses by helping their families with financial issues during the treatment period. Board member Tom Swanecamp said Thursday’s activities were meant to get the kids out of their normal routine of hospital visits, tests and treatments and get some hands-on knowledge of the beach and ocean while having fun on the water.

Oh, What a feeling....

Wyatt Colby, 5, reaches out to touch a sea slug held by Zoe Hunter, 7, of Fullerton during a visit to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point arranged by Miracles for Kids, a nonprofit organization that supports children with cancer and other serious illnesses.

The 7- to 16-year-olds departed from CHOC Children’s hospital in Orange, where CHOC bus driver Chano Moreno surprised them with balloon creations such as mermaids and monkeys. “These kids go through a lot, and seeing something different makes the kids happy,” he said.

“When we pulled off the freeway, one of the kids asked if we were really going to be paddleboarding,” Swanecamp said. “He thought it was a trick and we were really going back to the hospital.”

Alissa Dolegowski, 16, of San Clemente is blind, but with the help of Miracle for Kids volunteer Christina Kretschmer of Brentwood, she was able to explore several interactive tide pools and see what her hands told her about how sea cucumbers and anemones. They felt sticky while rough and soft at the same time, she said.

Just check'n it out.

Kretschmer found a hermit crab and was describing it, but Dolegowski drew the line.

“I’m not fond of crabs,” Dolegowski said. “The sea anemone was OK; he was trying to suck on my finger.”

Noah Wehner, 10, of San Clemente was diagnosed with leukemia seven years ago after he had what was first thought to be a spider bite on his elbow, said his mother, Amy. Though Noah is fully integrated in public school, having just completed fourth grade, he has endured a continuous series of tests, check-ups and treatments.

“Once we knew he could go (to Surf & Paddle Summer Camp) a couple of weeks ago, he has been counting the days,” Amy Wehner said. “During all this (his leukemia treatment), Noah has never complained. He is a happy boy.”

Noah agreed. “I’m just thankful I’m alive,” he said.

Sophia Colby, 7, of Rancho Santa Margarita said she most enjoyed petting the animals.

“I learned to paddleboard today and my daddy was jealous,” Colby said as she saw Boris, a giant lobster in the Ocean Institute’s “Underwater Forest” exhibit.

Her father, Patrick, said, “This is a good opportunity for the kids; it makes sure everything is clean and safe for the children.

“We wouldn’t be here without an affiliation with Miracles for Kids. We couldn’t do this without them,” he added.

Upon finishing their exploration of the Ocean Institute, each child was presented with a shirt as a souvenir of the journey.

It was all good with Andrew Whitford, 9, of Newport Beach. “My day was perfect,” he said.

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Grunting For Grunion.

 

 

Are you ready for your close-up Mr. Grunion?

DANA POINT, -(CA)- A small silvery fish was a big star to more than 300 adults and children who descended onDoheny State Beach late Tuesday night to see hundreds of grunions swarm the sand during the 20th annual Grunion Night.

Doheny State Beach interpreter Vicki Wiker and state park ranger Jim Serpa hosted the event, displaying a large collection of ocean and beach artifacts, including whale bones, seal skulls, otter pelts and small jars of sea water containing grunion eggs buried in sand. Serpa hoped the eggs would hatch by having visitors gently shake the jars to simulate an incoming tide.

All their eggs are in one jar.

Many people consider the famed “grunion runs” to be a myth, much like “snipe hunts,” Serpa said. That’s likely because they’ve picked the wrong nights to try to watch the 6-inch-long fish ride high tides ashore to mate and lay eggs, he said.

Grunions generally spawn the four consecutive nights after a new or full moon, when tides are highest. A typical run can include hundreds or thousands of grunions and last two hours. Runs can be seen on beaches between San Francisco and Baja California, Mexico.

It will take more than one grunion to feed this crew.

A good indicator that the grunions are coming is when birds like the black-crowned night heronappear on the beach several hours before a run and grunion “scouts” come ashore to check the safety of the beach.

“Once the scouts return and give the OK, they’ll come in, and at that point, nothing can stop them,” Serpa said.

Female grunions immediately bury themselves in the sand tail first, up to their pectoral fins. As many as eight males will encircle themselves around a female, depositing “milt” that makes its way down her body to fertilize the reddish pink eggs she has laid four or five inches below the surface of the sand. The mating ritual can take 30 seconds to several minutes as the toothless fish wait for waves to take them back to sea. The eggs hatch in the sand about two weeks later and the baby grunions ride the waves out to the ocean.

Serpa said state and volunteer efforts to clear Doheny of debris washed onto the beach from San Juan Creek are crucial to the grunions’ survival, providing them a clear path to the business at hand. Several Boy Scouts who helped during a recent cleanup showed up Tuesday night to watch the grunions.

Grunions spawn from March through August. They may be caught using only your hands and only during March, June, July and August – April and May are “observation only” months. The California Department of Fish and Game requires grunion hunters 16 or older to have a fishing license.

 

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Put Your Best Foot Forward.

Just waiting at home for it to be over.

SAN CLEMENTE, -(CA)- San Clemente landscape contractor Jim Miller, a lifelong surfer, determined he would not go in the water for an afternoon session Sunday after checking the waves from a popular clifftop lookout off Basilone Road above Trestles surf beach.

As he returned to the road along an overgrown cliff trail, he was bitten on his right foot by a rattlesnake he never saw.

The trail he usually takes is overgrown because of recent rains and has narrowed to less than a foot from the usual 3 feet, he said.

“I heard the rattle just as he got me and then again as he was taking off,” said Miller, 54. “I knew it was a rattlesnake right away and called 911 with my cellphone.

“At the hospital, the nurse asked me twice if my affairs were in order and if I had a will.”

No more toes to the nose for awhile.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says five to seven deaths occur each year in the United States from among 7,000 to 8,000 reported rattlesnake bites. Such bites also can have serious side effects. About 800 rattlesnake bites are reported each year in California, with less than 1 percent of them fatal.

According to the California Department of Fish and Game, six species of rattlesnakes – of about 30 types found worldwide – are native to California, living in areas from below sea level to more than 10,000 feet. Generally, rattlesnakes hibernate all winter and come out to find prey such as small rodents and lizards in March and April. They return to their dens to hibernate in the fall.

Remember to keep a sharp weather eye out for rattlers.

Rattlesnakes, which can grow up to 6 feet long, produce venom in glands behind their eyes. They disable prey and fend off predators by injecting the venom through hollow retractable fangs. Most snake bites occur as they travel between their dens and their prey.

Rattlesnakes get their name from the distinctive rattle on their tail, which they use to warn intruders. The rattle grows segment by segment as the snake changes skin, or molts, which occurs several times a year.

Miller said his regular physical activity, such as surfing, swimming, cycling and yoga, were big factors in his survival. But without the arrival of paramedics within minutes, he’s not sure what the outcome would have been.

Miller said he initially felt pain from the bite, but soon the feeling became as if he had been put in a straitjacket with locks clamped on his chest. He concentrated on staying calm and breathing at an even pace.

After he was taken to Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente, medical personnel noted his pulse at 150 beats a minute, and he had intense tingling in his lips, eyelids and fingertips, Miller said. He watched the swelling climb up his leg and into his abdominal area that even two days later had not receded as he rested at home.

Surfers at Trestles said Tuesday that they had not seen any rattlesnakes lately but generally were not surprised to hear about Miller’s bite. Josh Baxter, 41, of San Clemente has surfed at Trestles his entire life and said he saw a 5-foot-long rattler last year on the trail near where Miller was bitten.

“When it rains out here, the creek washes them out and they are everywhere,” Baxter said. “There are a lot of critters out here.”

Miller said he expects to fully recover, and he laughed as he said he now has what many American Indians would say is the “spirit of the snake.”

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SNAKE SAFETY

 

What do you do if you encounter a rattlesnake on a trail in or around San Clemente? The Richard and Donna O’Neill Conservancy is offering a workshop at 7 p.m. April 13 at a site to be determined, presented by the North American Field Herping Association. It’s about local snake species and dos and don’ts. It’s free, but reservations are required. Email staff@rmvreserve.org.

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Guarding It With Your Life.

 

Coming in Cold.

 

SAN CLEMENTE, -(CA)- Ian Kos knew exactly what he had to do for the San Clemente city lifeguard tryouts Sunday morning. After all, the 16-year-old’s mother, Sandy, was San Clemente’s first female city lifeguard.

“My mom told me to keep my head down, get out past the breakers as fast as I could, give it lots of kick, ignore the cold and catch a wave in,” Kos said. “I have been preparing for this my whole life.”

According to San Clemente Marine Safety Lt. Rod Mellott, 32 applicants came out early Sunday to brave 58-degree water to try for six or seven jobs the city has to offer for this summer’s beach season June 24 to Sept. 5. Hopefuls had to be available to work 40 hours a week for starting pay of $15.69 an hour. They will complement the 45-member lifeguard department.

Finished.

But to even earn a chance to interview for a spot in the 92-hour lifeguard training program that starts April 16, applicants Sunday had to swim 800 yards in the ocean, followed by a 1,200-yard run/swim/run – without the benefit of fins, wetsuits or goggles.

Those invited for interviews will be notified within a week whether they will advance to the training course, Mellott said.

Mellott detailed basic safety guidelines, reminding the applicants to be careful about unseen submerged obstacles in the surf. He also instructed them to clearly raise their hand if they found themselves in trouble during the swim so that lifeguards standing by on longboards could assist them.

 

Number two and ready to rock.

Elizabeth Strain, 16, a Capistrano Valley High School sophomore and swim team member, admitted being a little nervous for her first tryout, but she was mostly concerned about the cold.

“I hate the cold; the swim will be easy,” said Strain, of Mission Viejo.

Pat Cary, 26, of San Juan Capistrano, who placed 10th in the 2008 U.S. Olympic swim trials, was first out of the water after the 800-yard swim, finishing about 100 yards ahead of the next-closest finisher, Monder Elouaer, 24, of Aliso Viejo, a swimmer for the Saddleback College Gauchos.

Rachyl Quan, 18, a member of the Mission Viejo Nadadores swim team, was the first female swimmer, and third overall, out of the water.

 

All accounted for and on the line.

In all, 15 swimmers were chosen to continue to the 1,200-yard run/swim/run.

More than 150 family members and friends gathered around the Marine Safety headquarters near the San Clemente Pier to cheer on sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and significant others. Just before the run/swim/run, Kelton McMain, already a San Clemente city lifeguard, held his brother and lifeguard hopeful Ian McMain, 16, by the arms, shaking him gently back and forth while reminding him not to run out too hard and to, in the last leg, give it everything he had.

Joel Rodgers, whose son Tyler made it to the final selection, stood at a beach transition flag along the course and could be heard above everyone else shouting advice down the beach to his son to ignore the cold and not give up.

Cary, the Olympic hopeful, again finished first, encouraging his competitors with low-fives as he passed them in the opposite direction on the final leg of the run. Each applicant to cross the line quickly wrapped up in towels, hats and jackets, with teeth and limbs chattering while receiving hugs and smiles from supporters and sipping tea or coffee.

 

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Mikoh Bikinis Bring It.

OLEEMA AND KALANI MILLER AND POOCH, PANDA.

CORONA DEL MAR, (CA)- Kalani and Oleema Miller believe a great bikini should have a good fit, be comfortable, come in a load of colors and give a girl confidence on the beach. The editors of the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Editionapparently agree, giving the Orange County sisters’ 1-year-old swimsuit company, Mikoh Swimwear, three pages in the issue, which hit newsstands Feb. 15.

Last year’s Swimsuit Edition featured one suit from the fledgling company, making a big enough impression on the editors and models that the Millers were invited back.

“Our suits are sold as separates, they are seamless and they don’t have any hardware. We’ve worked hard to have flattering cuts with custom prints,” Kalani Miller said. “The suits really sell themselves.”

Kalani, 23, Oleema, 22, older brother Jason, 25, and younger sister Hana, 19, all were raised in San Clemente, surfing and enjoying the outdoors. All appeared with their dad, Jim, in thesurf documentary “Step Into Liquid” by director Dana Brown. Kalani still lives in San Clemente; Oleema lives in Corona del Mar.

MIKOH SWIMEAR

Kalani and Oleema, former Roxy girls clothing models, said it was a natural progression last year when they opened Mikoh Swimwear and began selling their swimsuits. They often finish each other’s sentences when explaining the inspirations for their bikini designs, describing the overall theme as “slim and flirty.”

“The theme for this year’s line is ‘Tepre Pacificum’ which essentially means ‘calm seas,'” Kalani said.

Oleema added: “We find inspiration for our designs in all the things we come across in our daily, regular lives. It’s really a consensus of everything and doesn’t come from any one thing.”

Though both are involved in all aspects of the company, Kalani handles most of the business side, with Oleema working on designs and colors. “We’re best friends,” they said at the same time, with big smiles.

LEMONY-LIMEY BIKINI AT MIKOH SWIMWEAR

Mikoh Swimwear’s website says the Millers “were raised in a household where creativity and self-expression was always encouraged.”

Oleema has long had a love for fashion. She learned to sew from their mother, Charlene, and created her own wardrobe.

Kalani liked to paint and write and graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a communications degree.

Oleema says she has a perfectionist streak that will flare up and she relies on Kalani to say when enough is enough.

“I really get into how the suits are made,” Oleema said. “The head seamstress says I am by far the most picky of all their clients she does work for, but I want the suits to be perfect. It’s really like they are going to be mine and they have to be good – better than good.”

The company name, Mikoh, translates from Japanese as “female shaman” or “medicine woman.” It is a mix of the last name Miller and the first initials of Kalani and Oleema and the first initial of Hana.

Kalani said it has been amazing to see how a company can grow in a year. Oleema said that while she might be a little in awe of their success, it makes sense – their mother said that if you want something badly enough, you can get there through hard work.

Mikoh has 10 suits in its 2011 line, all hand-sewn in Bali. They are available online at mikohswimwear.com,barneys.com, shopbop.com and revolveclothing.com, retailing for about $200 for a complete top and bottom. According to the Millers, the price is in the middle high end. Celebrities including Cameron Diaz, LeAnn Rimes and Kourtney Kardashian have appeared in their suits on the pages of magazines such as Us and People.

Kalani and Oleema say a big part of their purpose is living a life their parents can be proud of, and that includes helping others. When rains brought devastating floods to Queensland, Australia, in early January, leaving thousands stranded and homeless, Mikoh donated all its profits over 10 days to the cleanup effort.

The Millers will soon travel to Bali, a trip they make several times a year, to finalize their 2012 line that will include not only bikinis but also more wraps and cover-ups. The company is looking ahead to the Miami SwimShow in mid-July.

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Christmas and New Year’s Photo Round-Up.

Pick a prize for a Christmas princess

It has to come true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feliz Navidad in San Juan Capistrano.

 

 

These two are going to have a great 2011.

Polar bear swim to Seal Rock and back.

 

 

 

 

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It’s Hi-Times in San Clemente.

 

San Clemente Beaches experienced a 6.37 high tide at 9:11 am on Sunday morning. Two Beachgoers enjoy the drama of an unusually high tide in San Clemente as waves reached public bathrooms at "T" street and the adjoining beach trail.

 

Since the first of the year the southland has had several high tides that seem to be related to two full moons in a normal cycle when we would only have one.  I got a tip to check out the high tide on Sunday morning around 10 am so I gathered up the cameras and headed out to see if I could find anything.  At first it didn’t seem to be anything unusual as I found that ocean water had filled up the Riviera Tunnel beach underpass.  In the winter its not an un-common occurrence and is usually a combination of rain runoff and a high berm where the  ocean that comes in, can’t get out.

I continued on the San Clemente Beach Trail towards the pier and saw that the open dirt area on either side of the railroad tracks was muddy and in some spots had standing water.  It has been a week since our big storm and it seemed that it should be dry by now.

I continued onward to Lost Winds Beach and noticed several spots where the normal bush covered  tundra looking solid berm at the edge of the tracks, the area between the tracks and the sand of the beach, was smooth and had a “washed over” look.  There was ocean flotsam up on the tracks and all around them on both sides.  High tide had occurred at 9:11 and it was now 10 am or so and I could see that a more than a few waves came close to breeching the berm and getting to the tracks.  It appeared that maintenince crews had been working filling in areas with dirt and sand bags where needed as well.  

Beachgoers were witness to the drama of an unusually high tide in San Clemente as waves reached public bathrooms at "T" street and the adjoining beach trail.

 

Further down the trail at “T” street, the public bathrooms had been solidly invaded by waves and sand, although several years ago the city had constructed a sea wall of sorts to prevent it.  Just behind the bathrooms, the beach trail crosses over the tracks and continues on the sandy side between the tracks and the ocean until reaching the pier about a quarter of a mile away.  

An Early morning runner on the San Clemente Beach trail passes by the under railroad drainage lines, between Lausen Beach and "T" street as waves from an unusually high tide pass thru on the inland side of the tracks.

 

Although the tide had receded somewhat from its highest point an hour earlier, several trail users had more of a hustle than expected to escape the surge and keep their feet dry.

Lost Winds looking across Riviera Beach to Cotton's Point.

 

The San Clemente Beach Trail at "T" Street looking north.

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The Old Gloom Routine.

Its not even June yet, and the gloom is already here.  Its really been here for more than a week but, like every year, we hope it won’t last if we ignore it.  I shot this looking south from the San Luis Rey  I-5 freeway overpass on Friday evening and an hour later it was raining.  I hope the tourists don’t see this or maybe I do.

Meanwhile, ten minutes inland, in San Juan Capistrano, the sun shines bright and no one is in doubt that summer is just 3 weeks away.

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Hula Hula.

 

 

 

The San Onofre Hawaiian Surf Club sponsored the Polynesian Festival in San Clemente, held at the Community Center this year.  I shot it for the Sun Post News and it seems as though the daily, the OC Register, is going to feature the story with a host of other events going on county wide, this Memorial Day weekend.

It started at 10 am and these things usually start out slow and a little late but when I got there at ten minutes after, they were already in full swing.  They had everything including a chicken bar-b-que rice combo plate that looked really good.  My favorite was the music and the dancing.

Sometimes the music can start to sound the same but they had a good mix and it was all really entertaining, especially with the dancing.  I didn’t see any of the flashy hula type stuff but more of the hand ballet that goes in time with the tune.  They had all ages performing and with different traditional instruments like halved coconut shells and some sort of shredded bamboo wand that made a great sound.  

I got shots of everything including some great looking old time woodys that were really well restored and the best part was from what I saw, it was a real home grown deal with most people I talked to from South Orange County. 

The Hula group “Halau Hula Lani Ola” did most of the performing but there was also a Missions and Bible Study group that went on first and did traditional Hula to Hawaiianized olde time hyms like “A Closer Walk With Thee”, that was really well done.  They were backed up by a full band and with the dance they did that went with it, was just great.  They chose a great spot just between the library and the community center that accentuated the natural aspect of what the Islands can be like.

At one point I saw a gaggle of young performers waiting to go on and sitting all along, on a wall and it made a great shot with San Clemente’s palm trees in the background.  This would be a great event to not miss next year.

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