Lance is back!
Lance Armstrong, now 37, has spent a better part of the last four years away from the sport that made him a household name. Dominating the ever-famous Tour de France, Lance is making his return to professional cycling in the upcoming “Tour down Under”, which kicks off in Adelaide on January 18 and runs through to the 25th. Much of the world’s attention will be on this up and coming race, with Lance amongst the competitors.

I, for one, am excited to see Lance back on his bike. With his return to cycling, he once again brings with him his fight against cancer. Armstrong will ride a bike decorated with the numbers 1,274 and 27.5. The 1,274 represents the number of days since he last raced professionally in the 2005 Tour de France. The 27.5 stands for the approximately 27.5 million people who have died from cancer worldwide during that span.
“Sometimes this disease does not need money, it needs attention and exposure and awareness,” Armstrong said. “It needs people to step back and look at that bike, and go, ‘Jeez.’ They see two simple numbers, and they think: ‘Why haven’t I heard? Why am I not thinking about this? Why haven’t I stood up and demanded change because of this?’ ”
I’m excited to watch this. While I wish I could watch Lance compete in person, it looks as if much of the Tour will be covered, for Australians on Channel 10. You can watch it live on Fox Sports Channel 1 should you have Foxtel. Those outside the country however, won’t fare as well. It looks as if you’ll have to catch bits and pieces of it on your local news, if at all.

I came across the most intriguing article (Ok, it was a boring work day, I admit it) awhile back about an area of the NSW coast that’s actually being put aside as a “surfing reserve”, somewhere that developers won’t be able to overwork or build up like they’re doing everywhere else. So what else does it allow for? Not much really, it seems as if it’s more of a title than anything else, but it’s a start in the right direction. Surfing is a sport that carries such a low impact on the environment. No need for a big grassy field, no sidewalks or roads, no long chairlift cut up a mountain…it’s a sport that takes advantage of what mother nature has given us. Oh, and did I mention it’s good to get out and exercise?

“Both the lands and waters of Lennox are recognised worldwide as a breeding ground for surfing legends and folklore,” Mr Kelly said.

“We want to make sure those waters are protected for surfers for the future.”

He said surfing spots such as Lennox were as valuable to Australians as Uluru, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or the Opera House.

This action isn’t completely about surfing, it’s about preserving the natural, pristine beaches that Australia is lucky enough to have, and it’s good that we’re starting now. In Southern California, surfers are fighting to protect some of the most historic surfing spots around, keeping highway bypasses and huge developments from ruining the beautiful vistas and spoiling the natural habitats that are quickly being bulldozed over. Is it too late there? Perhaps not, as a recent vote to save Trestles, a popular and historic spot passed. I’ve had the privelidge to visit this amazing beach, and a highway bypass would have just decimated the area. I’m glad to see the outpouring of emotion over this small area of land.

So why a reserve? I think it’s Australia’s way of preempting the overdevelopment of the beautiful beaches we take for granted here. Sure, this particular beach is off the beaten path, and overdevelopment may be decades away, but it’s never to early to start thinking about the future. After all, who wants a highway bypass running through their favourite beach?

Do you like American football, or as some refer to it, “Gridiron”? Well, if you’re moving to America, you don’t necessarily have to like it, but you’ll need to accept it. You see, Superbowl Sunday isn’t all about football. Granted it revolves around the big game, but it’s also a day for many Americans to get together to socialise, eat great food (well, junk food) and enjoy the day with friends. As a matter of fact, this is the second biggest snack day of the year. Research by the Calorie Control Council and the Snack Food Association finds that Americans will eat 30 million pounds of snacks on the big game day. That breaks down to 11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 4.3 million pounds of pretzels, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 2.5 million pounds of nuts. So, sit down and tune in to the most watched game of the year. For many people across the country, Superbowl Sunday is a break from the monotony of winter and the snow that’s piling up outside. Although not technically an American holiday, it’s truly an American tradition.

Even casual sports fans will take part. After all, watching the great ads are as much a part of the game as the game itself. Advertisers spend millions of dollars for a 30 second advertising spot during the game, so naturally, the ads are generally top notch. It’s where many advertisers put their best foot forward and release their new advertising theme for the year. Watching commercials has never been so much fun.

So sit back, and enjoy the game, enjoy the food, but most importantly, enjoy the company.