Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's youngest son expected to make full recovery after surfing accident

Christopher Schwarzenegger, the youngest of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's children, was boogie boarding on Escondido Beach, Malibu, when he had the mishap. He suffered a collapsed lung, broken bones and broken ribs.

His mother Marioa Shriver, who was with him on the beach, called emegency services.“What’s the emergency, ma’am?” asked the 911 operator.

“It was a boogie boarding accident” replied Shriver, who is fighting her estranged husband for financial support. "He can’t move off the beach… broken ribs or something like that.”

Shriver told the operator it was her son, Christopher, 13, who was hurt. She described his fragile condition: “He’s awake and breathing. He can’t move. He’s having trouble breathing.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger has visited Christopher in the intensive care unit and Maria Shriver has been at his bedside throughout. They issued the following statement:

“While it has been a very scary week, Christopher is surrounded by his family and friends. He is a brave boy and is expected to make a full recovery.”

The couple’s oldest son, Patrick, tweeted “this kid is strongest kid I have ever seen … keep praying.”

And his sister, Katherine, also posted a message on Twitter: "Thank you guys for ur concern and prayers for my baby brother!" she wrote. "He's a tough little guy and getting better! Please keep praying for him!"

Schwarzenegger and Shriver have beguan court proceedings to end their 25-year marriage after it was revealed that Schwarzenegger fathered a child with an employee, Mildred Baena.

'Soul Surfer' is heart, grit and inspiration

Movie Review:
By CONNIE OGLE, McClatchy Newspapers
The real story of surfer Bethany Hamilton is so remarkable that it makes the film version seem embroidered by Hollywood's heavy hand, even though it's not.

AnnaSophia Robb plays Bethany Hamilton in “Soul Surfer,” a dramatization about a real shark attack that forced Hamilton to deal with the many challenges of losing her arm when she was 13 years old.

"SOUL SURFER," starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood and Kevin Sorbo. Directed by Sean McNamara. Rated PG for intense action sequence, thematic material. Running time: 1:46

At 13, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing with friends off Kauai's North Shore. Her arm was severed, and, though she lost 60 percent of her blood, she survived. Even more surprising, she never lost her drive to compete or her irrepressible spirit: A month after the attack, she was back in the water, training for her goal of becoming a professional surfer. A little more than a year later, she won her first national title. Two years after that, she turned pro.

"Soul Surfer" is a feel-good dramatization of Bethany's story, and while it may not be perfect in moviemaking terms, everyone comes away from it feeling hopeful and more than a little of ashamed of their comparatively petty complaints. It's a good, solid family film, too; if there ever was a better movie to pass along a message about perseverance, courage and faith and also highlight the sheer glory of riding a wave, I can't imagine it. (Perhaps unintentionally, the movie also does some nice pro-bono visual work on behalf of the Hawaii tourism board.)

Such an inspirational story runs the risk of making its heroine into something of a saint, but as played by AnnaSophia Robb ("Bridge to Terabithia"), Bethany seems to be a normal kid. Born into a family of surfers, she goes to church and has a close relationship with her youth counselor (singer Carrie Underwood) but sneaks out with her best friend to a party late at night. She has a jokey, one-of-the-boys relationship with her brothers and dad (Dennis Quaid) but isn't above trying to weasel out of studying with her home-schooling mom (Helen Hunt). Quaid and Hunt surf a little in the movie; Robb surfs a lot, and the competitive scenes of girls riding waves is as much fun as anything you saw in "Blue Crush."

Director Sean McNamara and his team of writers wisely underplay the shark attack; in the compelling immediate aftermath, Bethany bobs on her board in shock, and a family friend (Kevin Sorbo) grimly sets about the crucial task of getting her out of the water before she bleeds to death. The effects that show Robb minus an arm are realistic, and nothing quite displays the measure of Bethany's mettle as her steely reaction to her first good look at her stump.


Sure, peppered as it is with hokey lines ("Let's let the surfing do the talking!"), the dialogue isn't terribly compelling, and Underwood's presence may seem merely a device to pile on the Christian message. But the real Bethany, the closing credits show us, is religious and had a close relationship with her youth minister. She even traveled with a group to Thailand in the wake of the tsunami to help with relief efforts. The film's portrait of a loving, quietly devout family will doubtless put off more cynical viewers, but even they would be hard-pressed to disdain such a recovery -- and such a life.

For more information visit: 

bethanyhamilton.com/

http://www.heartofasoulsurfer.com/ 

AUSTRALIA WINS BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES

Argentina, France and the USA win individual gold
           
Australia took the overall team gold medal. It's the fifth time in 10 attempts the Aussies have won the title.

Team Australia has won the overall Teams Title at the 2011 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games, finishing ahead of 26 other nations at the annual week-long event which concluded today in two- to three-foot waves at Playa Venao in Panama.
The title is Australia's fifth team gold in 10 outings and further cements the green n' golds history of dominance at the ISA level. Australia's last win was in Portugal in 2008.

Five Australian surfers made finals today and were rewarded individual medals, including Open Men's competitors Mick Campbell and Thomas Woods, Women's representatives Jessi Miley-Dyer and Dimity Stoyle, and Longboarder Harley Ingelby.

Along with team members Drew Courtney, Nathan Hedge and Dane Pioli (who were eliminated late in the repercharge rounds), Australia's combined individual placings put them into an unbeatable position, with Brazil finishing second, France finishing third and Argentina finishing fourth.

The USA once again failed to impress, finishing eighth.

Individual gold medals in the three divisions were awarded to Argentinean Santiago Muniz, Frenchwoman Canelle Bulard and American Longboarder Tony Silvagni.

Underdog Muniz made history for Argentina by capturing the country's first-ever ISA gold against a host of international rivals.

Less than a point separated the top three on the final buzzer with Muniz finishing on 17.00 points to Campbell, 2nd (16.77 points), with Woods third (16.23 points) and Brazilian Ian Gouveia fourth.
"The USA once again failed to impress, finishing eighth."


Former 2004 ISA World Surfing Games gold medalist, Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, entered the water the favorite in the women's final versus Jesse Miley-Dyer and Bulard and the Peruvian held the lead until the last five minutes.

 Bulard rallied in the dying stages, however, and posted two big scores to put all three of her opponents on the ropes in a combination situation, each surfer requiring two waves to catch the French runaway.

Bulard's final two-wave combined heat total was 16.43 out of a possible 20, and the Open Title makes it an international double for her after she swept the field in the ISA junior division in Peru last year.

The USA claimed its first World Surfing Games gold longboard medal in 15 years with a strong performance from North Carolina's Silvagni. Silvagni did not drop a heat the entire event, winning every time he pulled on the colored jersey.

 In the 30-minute final, Silvagni was up to his feet early, locking in two excellent scores from the judges, including an 8.17 and an 8.73. With five minutes remaining, Australian favorite, Harley Ingleby challenged, posting an 8.37, but it proved too little too late to steal Silvagni's lead.

2010 defending ISA World Surfing Games champions, Peru, placed fifth overall.

Top 10 team placings (from 27 starting nations)
1) AUSTRALIA 15,000
2) BRAZIL 12,132
3) FRANCE 11,816
4) ARGENTINA 11,312
5) PERU 10,930
6) VENEZUELA 10,342
7) SOUTH AFRICA 10,008
8) USA 9676
9) NEW ZEALAND 7816
10) ECUADOR