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Craig Hummer

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Craig Hummer
Born (1965-05-20) May 20, 1965 (age 59)
Akron, Ohio, United States
EducationKenyon College
OccupationSportscaster
SpouseJennifer Gooch Hummer[1]
Children3

Craig B. Hummer (born May 20, 1965) is an American sportscaster.[1] He is best known for his coverage of the Tour de France, Olympic Games, and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) events. Hummer is a former competitive ocean swimmer and lifeguard.[2] He won 39 national championship titles, including seven years as International Ironman.[1][3]

Early life and education

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Hummer was born in Akron, Ohio, on May 20, 1965. He was a swimmer at Thomas Worthington High School, where he swam All-American times in three events. He received an academic scholarship to attend Kenyon College, and earned 17 All-American titles in the school's NCAA Division III program.[4] He went on to become a surf racer.[5]

Career

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Swimming

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After graduation, Hummer applied to be a Los Angeles County lifeguard. In 1987, he won his first national title at a lifeguard competition in Hawaii.[6][7] In 1988, he made the U.S. team that traveled to the World Championships in Australia.[8] In 1989, Hummer was the U.S. Ocean Ironman Champion for the first time. He has been the U.S. Ocean Ironman Champion seven times.[9][10] starting in 1989.[11]

In 1990, he participated in a single race for the Uncle Toby's Super Series, which was held in Hawaii, and was invited to compete in the series in Australia.[8] That same year, he won the three-day United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). Also that same year, he went to Australia to participate in Uncle Toby's Super Series where top ranked lifeguards travel the continent competing.[7] Hummer was the first American invited to participate in this event.[6] He competed annually in Australia for four years,[3] and was voted Most Improved in 1993.[8] In his last year participating in Uncle Toby's Super Series, he took 9th place.[12]

He won the USLA championship again in 1991,[13] and in 1992, he won seven events at the U.S. Lifesaving Association National Championships, and eight events in 1993.[14]

Hummer won six consecutive series title in the Bud Light Ocean Festival Series.[15]

He finished second in the Outrigger's Waikiki King's Race, part of Outrigger Hotel's Hawaiian OceanFest, in 1991. He won the competition the next four consecutive years. He also won the U.S. Surf Lifesaving Championship six times.[7][16]

Hummer was emcee of the National Lifeguard Championships in 1996.[3] In 1997, he hosted the Wakiki King's race and was a commentator on the Fox Sports' Association of Volleyball Professionals series.[7][17] He also commentated the Oceanman World Tour.[17]

He has appeared on Family Feud with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards. Hummer has also done ads for Gatorade,[18] Carl's Jr.,[7] Ford, and Dr. Pepper.[17] He has also appeared on Baywatch, Late Show with David Letterman,[19] The Golden Girls.[1] and NBC's Today Show.[20]

Broadcasting

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Hummer has commentated on over 40 different sports.[6] He first pursued a broadcasting career in 1996. He briefly worked for TVG Network, a horse racing network.

Hummer became part of the Universal Sports Network when it was still the World Championship Sports Network.[21] In 2003, he worked on the series Global Extremes for OLN. The Global Extremes finale followed a group of climbers scaling Mount Everest.[22][23]

In 2007, Hummer joined the CBS Sports' Tour de France announce team.[24] Additionally, he has worked with PBR bull riding television coverage since late 2005.[25][26][27][28] In 2007, he covered the 32nd America's Cup sailing competition in Valencia, Spain.[29] In 2010, Hummer was host of the daily news segments for Universal Sports' Vancouver Olympic Games coverage.[30] He was an announcer on the Las Vegas Super Sprint in 2014,[31] and became the announcer for La Course, a woman's race produced by Le Tour de France.[32] That same year he was MC of the Tour de Pier, a fundraiser for cancer research featuring over 300 stationary bikes on the Manhattan Beach Pier.[9][10] Hummer has also done interviews and announcing for World Extreme Cagefighting[33][34] and UFC 55.[35][36]

Other activities

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Hummer co-authored The Loyal Lieutenant: Leading Out Lance and Pushing Through the Pain on the Rocky Road to Paris with George Hincapie. The book was ranked third on the New York Times Best Sellers list under sports books in June 2014.[37] Hummer also interviewed George Hincapie for the George Hincapie: The Loyal Lieutenant interview presented by the Universal Sports Network in 2014.[38]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Lifeguard, Save Thyself". People. June 24, 1996. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  2. ^ Greg Donaldson. "Aquamen". Men's Journal.
  3. ^ a b c Greg Donaldson (August 1997). "Aquamen". Men's Journal.
  4. ^ Sean Waters (July 27, 1995). "The Water Is His World: Venice Lifeguard Just May Be the Best in the U.S.--and Beyond". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  5. ^ "RM Interview Series: Craig Hummer". RaceMill. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Shawn Presley (Fall 2005). "Water World". Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin. Vol. 28.
  7. ^ a b c d e Michael J. Ybarra (February 1, 1998). "Emperor of the Unknown". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ a b c Martin Dugard (August 1993). "Humm, Baby". Competitor Magazine.
  9. ^ a b Penny Arevalo (April 16, 2014). "Kerri Walsh Says She's 'All in' for the Tour de Pier". Manhattan Beach Patch. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Esther Kang (May 13, 2013). "Tour de Pier: Riding in place in Manhattan Beach to advance cancer research". Easy Reader News. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Doug Stewart (October 15, 1993). "Yank makes waves on ironman circuit". The Daily Telegraph Mirror.
  12. ^ "The Baywatch Conundrum". Outside. January 1996.
  13. ^ "Sportscope". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 1991. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  14. ^ "Faces in the Crowd". Sports Illustrated. September 27, 1993.
  15. ^ "Another day at the beach for Hummer". Santa Barbara News. July 2, 1995.
  16. ^ Jack Wyatt (September 11, 1995). "Humdinger by Hummer: third victory". Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
  17. ^ a b c Martin Dugard (July 1997). "The Perfect Life". CitySports.
  18. ^ "Hummer Watch". Ocean Sports (4). Summer 1994.
  19. ^ Michael J. Ybarra (February 1, 1998). "Emperor of the Unknown". Los Angeles. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  20. ^ Julia McLaughlin (August 17, 1989). "Fame And Flattery Boca Lifeguard Finishes Fourth In National Competition, Appears On The 'Today' Show". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  21. ^ "Universal Sports Network Presents Live Coverage of the 2015 Tour de Suisse". SoCal Cycling. June 13, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  22. ^ Joan Haines (May 30, 2003). "Global Extreme team reaches summit of Mount Everest". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  23. ^ Applebaum, Simon (May 30, 2003). "OLN Scales Everest, on Tape". Multichannel News. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  24. ^ "CBS Sports Bulletin Board". CBS Sports. July 25, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  25. ^ "Feature: A Provencal Race Day With Chipotle". Slip Stream Sports. July 19, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  26. ^ "CBS Sports Network Airs Professional Bull Riders' Portland Invitational On Sunday, Jan. 22". CBS. January 19, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  27. ^ "Eight Minutes with Craig Hummer". PBR. March 28, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  28. ^ "Understanding Our Broadcast Coverage". PBR. January 20, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  29. ^ Glen Dickson (February 27, 2007). "Versus Unfurls America's Cup Plans". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  30. ^ "NBC Releases Olympics Announcer List". Akron Beacon Journal. February 9, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  31. ^ "Las Vegas Super Sprint to Premiere on Universal Sports on Oct. 1". USA Triathlon. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  32. ^ "Inaugural La Course by Le Tour de France to be shown live on USN". Bicycle Retailer. July 24, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  33. ^ "Anthony "Showtime" Pettis Impresses in Defeating Shane Roller at WEC 50". Mixed Martial Arts. Retrieved February 4, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  34. ^ Steve Cofield (June 7, 2009). "WEC 41: Dikun starts off night with fabulous submission". Yahoo!. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  35. ^ "UFC 55: Fury". The Oratory. October 7, 2005. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  36. ^ "Craig Hummer". IMDB. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  37. ^ "Best Sellers". The New York Times. June 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  38. ^ "In-depth George Hincapie interview to air Friday". Velo News. August 18, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
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