Panini Sticker Albums...Need some help
I remember as a kid picking up the Panini sticker albums every year for hockey and baseball. I never got into the football ones but was well aware of thier existence as my friends all tried filling those. Of all the years and all the books, I don't remember completing a single one of them 100%.
Fast forward about 20 years and now my 8 year old is hooked as well. He had the last three years of hockey albums and the last two years of football. The nice thing is that we usually get the books as a promotional giveaway from our LCS but the packs of stickers are generally scarce. Sure we can go to Target or Walmart and find countless boxes of Cars, Spongebob, Justin Bieber and Bella Sera pony sticker albums. We even occasionally find the football ones crammed into places on the trading card wall that they normally wouldn't be found. But hockey...almost never.
Knowing this, I picked up a box of the stickers online for a pretty good price. Panini sells them direct for a buck a pack, which is no savings, but at least gives a source. I found them somewhere...I don't remember where though, for about $35. Not a bad deal considering there are 50 packs in a box and 7 stickers per pack. That should at least give the kid a fairly good start at filling the book with the chance at 350 stickers out of the 385 it takes to complete the book.
Well, in typical overly optimistic fashion, I once again underestimated the shear amount of duplicates that would be in one full box of these. After all was said and done, he still needs 149 stickers. Considering he would have been 35 short anyway if there were no duplicates, you can imagine how many doubles there were. I lost track after 100. I am guessing when all was said and done, there were about 120-130 doubles (triples, quadruples, quintuples, etc.), not counting the extra team logo you get on every multi-logo sticker. Plus, we even took some of the foil "shiny" ones and put them over top the ones that weren't as an "upgrade".
Now I realize you can purchase directly from Panini the missing stickers you need in batches of 40 (which I fully intend to do when all is said and done) but as of today, March 25th, the site does not have the 2011-12 album available (only last year). So I am going to throw this out there to those of you in the blog reading/writing and collecting universe as a request to anyone that is collecting this book. If you have doubles or triples or quadruples, etc. that you would like to help out with, or know someone that might, my son would be more than happy to repay the favor with some of his doubles. I will have his list posted on my Set Needs page and it is also below here. Thanks in advance.
2011-12 Panini NHL/LNH Sticker Album
5 6 7 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 26 27 28 30 31 25 26 27 46 47 50 52 54 58 59 62 64 66 68 70 71 73 75 78 79 86 87 90 91 93 97 98 102 104 111 113 117 128 136 137 140 143 145 152 154 157 158 159 161 165 166 167 169 170 177 178 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 195 196 197 199 200 202 204 206 207 209 210 211 212 214 216 218 220 221 223 227 228 233 235 237 238 241 248 257 267 268 277 278 297 298 300 302 304 307 312 314 318 321 323 325 326 327 333 335 339 343 346 347 350 353 354 355 356 357 359 360 361 362 364 365 366 367 369 370 375 376 377 380 382
Labels: 2011-12 panini nhl sticker album, my sons collection, set needs, trade request
Pens vs. Predators: 3 Stars
The Pens played host to the surging Nashville Predators tonight at CES. The Pens once again put up 5 goals in a scoring clinic, winning 5-1. Some sports writers pitted this matchup as a Stanley Cup Final preview. I am not one of those pundits however as I don't think Nashville is coming out of the second round. Don't get me wrong, they are a talented team. Now that they have Radulov back, they have the potential to make life miserable for a lot of other teams. I just don't think their defense or goal tending are strong enough to get them all the way through to the end. Purely opinion and speculation. Feel free to disagree.
So tonight, James Neal continued his point scoring workshop by posting another 4 assists. Malkin also scored twice giving him 45 on the year. Cook scored again too giving him 17. 17 goals for Matt Cooke!!! Unbelievable! Here are tonight's 3 Stars...
PS: With that win, the Penguins clinch a playoff spot. Like there was any doubt that was going to happen.
Watch this goal. It's disgusting!!
Labels: chris kunitz, evgeni malkin, game end 3 stars, james neal, pittsburgh penguins
This Is Just Unfair...I Love It (Penguins vs. Jets; 3 Stars)
These guys combined for 13 individual scoring points tonight in the Pens 8-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets in front of another sell-out crowd at CES in Pittsburgh.
For those keeping score, that entails 5 goals and 8 assists. Malkin now has 43 goals and 93 points as well as scoring his 200th goal tonight. Neal now has 35 goals after tonight's hat trick and he added an assist. And last but not least, Sidney Crosby has to have wiped the smirks off the cynics faces as he now has nine points in four games since missing 40 games with his concussion-like symptoms. These are tonight's 3-Stars!!
With Fleury in net, Winnipeg doesn't score 4 goals but he had the night off so rookie Brad Thiessen got the call with Brent Johnson still on the shelf with an undisclosed injury.
I just hope this kind of scoring clinic can continue into the playoffs. Long, into the playoffs.
Labels: evgeni malkin, game end 3 stars, james neal, pittsburgh penguins, sidney crosby
Box Break - - 2011-12 In The Game Enforcers (part 2)
To continue the saga of my 11/12 ITG Enforcers box, I give to you the final installment of my box break. Part 2 features the real "hits" of the box. I previously called all the cards in the box "hits" because there were only 12 cards and the entire print run of Enforcers is limited in production. So really, even though they are technically base cards they are still "hits" in my book.
As mentioned in my previous post, each box of Enforcers contains 2 Game Used cards that could be from a number of insert sets. The sets that ITG came up with for this release include Head-to-Head Combatants, which feature two heavy weight contenders that have squared off at one point or another; Instigator's, which feature those guys that tend to chip a little too much for the liking of the other teams; Tough Franchise Quads, which feature, of course, the same lineups of the Tough Franchise subset but with GU pieces of each player depicted.
In my box, I pulled...
The first card was a Head-to-Head Combatants card featuring Peter Worrell and Zdeno Chara. This was the second card featuring Worrell that I pulled. This is also probably the 5th or 6th Chara GU card I have now too. The card features two plain black and white swatches but the design of the card is really well done. These two tussled on a number of occasions, both while Zdeno was a Senator (as you see in the picture) and as an Islander. Of anyone that could stand up to Chara, Worrell was it. While Chara generally towers over everyone else in the league, Worrell was only 2 inches shorter and about 10 lbs lighter. You can find a bunch of their fights on Youtube.
The second GU was from the Instigator insert set and features Gino Odjick. Again, this is the second card of player in the same box as Odjick was on one of the Tale of the Tape inserts I pulled before. This is a nice large swatch that actually features two colors, although you can barely see the top corner of black peeking through. The Chief was most certainly an Instigator in his day. He played much of his career on the line with Pavel Bure in Vancouver and bounced around the league for a few years thereafter. In his 12 years, he racked up over 2500 penalty minutes in regular season and another 142 in the playoffs. He amassing over 200 in five different years with the Canucks, of which three were over 300.
And now for the autographs. A box of Enforcers yields 5 autographs that come from a checklist of about 80 different tough guys from hockey's storied history. Here is my selection...
The first two were of John Wensink and Rich Pilon. Wensink, shown here in a blue sweater (most likely Quebec) played in 403 NHL games from 1973 to 1983 and logged 840 penalty minutes. He is probably remembered best for his fights where he would proceed to antagonize and challenge the entire bench of the opposing team. He played with Terry O'Reilly and Stan Jonathan in Boston and helped make up a pretty feared core group of players. He also sported a pretty sweet afro.
Pilon played 15 years, most of which for the Islanders and amassed over 1700 penalty minutes. As much as I like the looks of this card, seeing Mr. Pilon brings back a bad memory. The year after the two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh, the Penguins boasted the best record in their history. They faced the Islanders in the now defunct Patrick Division finals. It was game 7 of the series and it all came down to one stupid shot in overtime by David Volek that knocked Pittsburgh out of the playoffs. But that's not what I was referring to.
Pilon is the guy that unintentionally took out Kevin Stevens in the 1st period, knocking him unconscious. Stevens went in for a check but was hit by Pilon's helmet visor which knocked him out. As he collapsed, his face smashed into the ice behind all 6' 3" 230lbs of his unconscious body. Very briefly, you could see blood pooling around his head on the ice. After that incident, Stevens had to have facial reconstruction surgery that required over 100 incisions and stitches, as well as metal plates being inserted to remold the shape of his face. He came back the next season. That's hockey.
The second two autos are of Willi Plett and Gerard Gallant. Plett, here in a Flames sweater, was a late bloomer to hockey. But when he finally got his opportunity in Atlanta, he started off as a scorer, believe it or not. He even won the Calder in 1977. But once he made his way to Minnesota in 1982, the scrapper side of him kicked in and he became a fierce tough guy.
Gerard Gallant, or the Turk as he was known, was a much smaller guy at 5' 10" but he packed a big punch. He played most famously on the line with Steve Yzerman in Detroit and racked up over 1600 penalty minutes from 1984 to 1995. Just look at that face, ready to rip someone's head off.
Finally, the last autograph in the box was Garth Butcher. While Butcher wasn't necessarily a big time fighter when compared to the others here, he was still a scraper on occassions. He finished his career with over 2,300 penalty minutes after almost 900 career games. Where he lacked in fighting prowess, he made up for in his ability to goad his opponents into taking stupid penalties. He spent most of his career with Vancouver and was their career PIM leader until Odjick came along.
Butcher was eventually part of that ridiculous trade with St. Louis, along with Danny Quinn, in 1991 for basically all the Blues' second line scoring aside from Adam Oates and Brett Hull. They gave up Cliff Ronning, Robert Dirk, Geoff Courtnall, and Sergio Momesso and were never the same again. The North Stars knocked them out of the playoffs in the second round and then went on to go to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. (although they were destroyed by someone in that playoff...hmmmm, who was it again...oh, yeah...The Pittsburgh Penguins).
And that is it. 12 cards of some of the toughest guys in all of hockey. If you ask me, I think this was a great value at about $5.00 per card. As I had said in my original post, there aren't many autos of the guys featured here available in other products and you don't often get a chance to see these players in public appearances either. As always, the GU pieces are large enough to be meaningful, as ITG constantly strives to achieve. The designs are great and the production quality is second to none. All this...WITHOUT AN NHL LICENSE!!! You hear that Upper Deck? Why can't you do a non-licensed product for other sports without screwing it up? Take notes, people. Geez!!
Enough about that. I loved this product. I will most certainly pick up more. Especially if it keeps this price tag. Although, I heard a rumor/truth that ITG was officially sold out of this product after about 20 days on the market. Dealers still have it in stock, but for how long, I don't know.
If anyone is interested in trading for any of these, I would be more than happy to discuss. Let me know.
Interesting note about Pilon...he is one of the two defensemen getting smoked by Mario Lemieux on the new statue in front of Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. I posted the video the other day.
Labels: 2011-12 ITG Enforcers, autographs, Box break, game used jerseys, garth butcher, gerard gallant, gino odjick, john wensink, kevin stevens injury, peter worrell, rich pilon, willi plett, zdeno chara
I'm just going to get this out of the way quickly...I love this set!! There is a ton of controversy surrounding it because it "glorifies" fighting. I say go cry to someone who gives a flying (bleep!@#$). It celebrates the men that sacrificed themselves day in and day out to make an impact for the teams they played for, rarely, if at all, getting the recognition they deserve. Although these aren't the first cards to feature the ice warriors, I applaud Dr. Brian Price and In The Game for making an entire set dedicated to those combatants. With that being said...
I picked up a box of ITG Enforcers the other day as I was trying to get free shipping on a purchase from DACW but once I started, I figured, might as well get the free gift too. (which coincidentally was 2 boxes of 2010-11 Panini All Goalies which I will review another time). I have wanted to check these out as I have seen many collector's break boxes and pull some nice, rare player autographs and memorabilia. By rare, I don't mean serial numbered or anything like that. I'm talking about players that are next to never included in any card releases in the modern era with GU or Autographs available as a regular inserted pull. Guys like Peter Worrell, Rob Ray, Stu Grimson, Garth Butcher, Jay Miller, Marty McSorley and Chris Nilan to name a few. These are the warriors of hockey, the thugs, the goons, the ENFORCERS.
Once a necessary "evil" on any roster, the job of the enforcer was to basically act as a body guard to whatever top scoring line, tandem, or individual star a team had. If another player needed to be taught a lesson that their superstar player was off limits, then they dropped the gloves. When the team needed a proverbial motivating kick in the ass, they dropped the gloves. And each and every time, the hockey masses went wild. The days of the enforcer have slowly began to dwindle as players have gotten bigger, stronger, and many stars pull double duty and fight their own battles. Also, with the league cracking down on "extra curricular's", the role of the enforcer has been diminished. This is why I was really interested in seeing what In The Game did with a set that features the unsung heroes of the ice.
A box of Enforcers is designed as a single pack box. While the box is large enough to hold multiple packs (a la ITG Decades 80s or Enshrined) there is one 20 card slider box nestled in the center of the packaging.
As you can see by the box itself, there are 12 cards per pack. Within each pack, there will be five autographed cards that feature the 80 different players chosen for the checklist. There are also two game-used memorabilia cards which are broken out of one of the many insert sets, including, Dual Combatants, Quad Tough Franchise, Fight Straps, Instigators, 1/1 Fight Strap Dome Fastener cards, 1/1 Enforcer Nameplates. And finally, there are five "base" cards that come from four different subsets including, Tale of the Tape, Tough Franchises in the 90s, Bloody Battles, and Record Holders. For the ambitious, there are 90 base cards (not including the memorabilia or autos).
So since the entire box can basically be considered all "hits", I'll show all 12 cards. First up we have the "base" cards. I pulled...
Two of my base cards were Tale Of The Tape cards. The first features Link Gaetz vs. Gino Odjick. The second highlights an old school battle between Dave Schultz and Clark Gillies. The cards show the date and place of the "altercation". The backs feature what is basically a head to head breakdown of stats including all the basics like height, weight, age, and number of career penalty minutes. There is also a small blurb about the fight. Link and Gino fought on my birthday which is cool as I haven't noticed a game dated card before that featured that day. In fact, they fought twice in that game. The Hammer and Jethro went at it in their game back in 1975 too. Gillies was a rookie at the time and trying to make it known that he wasn't going to back down from anyone, not even one of the Broad Street Bullies. According to the card, Schultz "took a serious beating". Awesome!
The next couple "base" cards come from the Bloody Battles themed set which features a sketch drawing of a moment captured in time during an on ice fight. These cards are just like the Net Brawlers that ITG put out a couple years ago in their Between The Pipes set. The sketches look awesome and the card design plays real well with the "bloody" theme of the subset.
The first card I pulled features "the Legend" Jon Mirasty against Ryan Hand. This is a minor league battle from 2006 from the NAHL between Mission de Sorel-Tracy and To Design de Saint-Hyacinthe. Both guys went at it for almost a minute and when it ended, Mirasty skated away as the crowd cheered. Doesn't the sketch of Mirasty look like Taz from the WWE? Or does Taz look like Mirasty?
Here is the video of the fight (excuse the music dubbed over the sound).
The other Bloody Battle was a fight between two NHL heavyweights...that being Tony Twist and Bob Probert. This battle, from 1996, saw Twist jump to action after Probert took a shot at Igor Kravchuk against the boards. For the first time, probably ever, Probert didn't even get a punch off. Within a few seconds, they both hit the ice as the officials swooped in to take them both to the box. The card makes reference to the fact that this was the "fourth, and final, battle" between the two of them.
The fifth "base" card that I pulled comes from the Tough Franchise subset. In my box, I got the Florida Panthers. What a lot of newer hockey fans may not remember is that Florida used to be a rough team back when they were in their infancy. The original roster had guys like Brett Severyn, Scott Mellanby and Paul Laus, who is the franchise's all-time penalty minute leader with 1,702. In the 01-02 season, they set a club record of 1,994 PIM of which 354 of them were Peter Worrell. In the last few years, Florida has cleaned up their game and they haven't had a player in the 100 range since 2006.
In addition to Laus and Worrell, the card also features Rocky Thompson and the late Wade Belak.
I'm breaking this into a couple posts since I am a bit long winded when it comes to these. Did I mention that I love this set?!!
(to be continued....)
Labels: 2011-12 ITG Enforcers, best box, In The Game rules
Some PC Pickups By Accident
So I've had quite a few opportunities, as most of you already are aware, to purchase larger collections from ex-dealers and collectors that have bailed on the hobby. Most of them have been turned down but occasionally I lose my ability to make rational judgements and pull the trigger. Piles, and piles, and seemingly endless piles of cards, cases, boxes, and albums have been piling up all around the house as I attempt to dissect that last large collection I acquired.
Of course if another one like this came my way, I would politely decline and walk away. Of course I value my sanity and potentially my health (considering my wife could kill me in my sleep) so the logical answer is no thank you. Of course that's why I failed to listen to those voices in my head and I went with my gut once again.
This time, it wasn't a 40 ft. moving truck full of stuff though. It was just one box. One, singular, unitary shoe box (not the kind that stores shoes). One shoe box filled with GU and Autos. A fellow collector was in need of some scratch since, like many of our friends and loved ones, has been out of a job for a while and cards don't pay bills or put food on the table. So, as an act of humanity toward fellow man (and collector), I helped a guy out. Plus...400 GU/Auto cards for well under a buck a piece isn't a bad deal.
Eventually I will start to catalog them all and share them with the masses, but for now, I just wanted to share some PC cards that ended up being in there and I didn't know it. Three in particular...
2000-01 UD NHL Legends Legendary Game Jersey J-ML
It is always nice to be able to pick up a Lemieux GU on the cheap. Usually when you see his stuff at a shop, online, or at a show, it is always priced at 4-5 times what I want to pay for it. This one is quite nice despite the plain black swatch. And a NHL Legends card is fitting today as Lemieux was immortalized in bronze on the concourse area outside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh today. They held a ceremony around noon and unveiled the statue which features Mario in his patented "split the defender" move which he made quite famous. Here is the video in case anyone wanted to see.
2003-04 Beehive Beige Border Game Used Sticks BE-35
Honestly, until I opened this box, I was unaware that these even existed. This set eluded me (although I do have some singles here and there) somehow. Probably never seen it because I wasn't actively engaged in teh hobby or in procuring any more Jagr. I was still pretty jaded at that point about him leaving for the Capitals for some beads and small pox infested blankets.
The cards look really cool, in my opinion. The GU piece is of a game used stick that was cut down or shaved and die cut into the Beehive logo with the "Bee Hive" stamp across it. They aren't serial numbered but considering that I haven't seen these at all, I doubt there are many out there (and if there are, they are probably in collections...just speculating). These were issued in Beige Borders, Red Borders, and Blue Borders.
2000-01 Private Stock Game Used Gear #89
I have quite a few of these already but not the Jagr. I've seen this with a black swatch a bunch on Ebay but I have never won the auction. Now I don't need to worry about it anymore. Too bad this wasn't the Patches version numbered out of 388. Those were a much harder pull back in the day and I only remember ever seeing one cross my path. At the time it was $60...way too pricey even then. The card itself isn't very exciting. It's kind of plain and unassuming but nonetheless, it goes well in my PC.
Labels: buying a collection, game used jerseys, jaromir jagr, lemieux statue at CEC, mario lemieux, PC cards


Member Insurance
Scott Schreuder, Chairman
Having attained a Bsc in Sports Science he went on to complete numerous other qualifications including those from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association and being a Strength and Conditioning coach. He has worked on a regional, national and EXCO level for the two major gym chains in South Africa namely Virgin Active and Planet Fitness. He is an internationally acclaimed Master Trainer and presents at various seminars and workshops around the world including IDEA World Fitness Convention. As well as being the Strength and Conditioning coach for many Regional, National and International sporting teams. Being South Africa’s leading Functional Trainer, Scott is the International Master Trainer for products such as TRX, ViPR, TP Performance and many more. He is South Africa’s only 5-star rated international presenter, as rated by IDEA Fitness Association, the world largest Fitness organization.
Kyrie Levington, Member
Kyrie Hardiman was born in the United Kingdom in 1964. From 1984 she worked as a professional dancer, in London, performing with The Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Dance Unlimited, and other renowned dance companies. She also taught classical ballet and contemporary dance and worked as a choreographer and assistant director for several operas in London, Glasgow and Berkshire. In 2002 she retired from dancing and moved to South Africa. Kyrie was certified as a Pilate’s instructor in 2003 and opened her own studio, PilatesHere, in 2004 where she continues to teach and run Teacher Training Courses. She qualified as Fitness Professional with eta in 2012 and has added personal Training to her teaching skills.
Deon Scheppel, Member
National Product Training Manager, Virgin Active South Africa Born and raised in Durban South Africa, Deon could always be found outdoors developing his love for sport and fitness, which is what prompted him to complete an Honours Degree in Sport Science at Stellenbosch University. After completing his studies, Deon worked for Virgin Active in both South Africa and the UK in various, fitness, management and training roles. While in London he grew his passion for developing others by moving into the field of corporate organisational development in healthcare. This prompted him to return to school to study part-time where he completed various qualifications culminating in his Master’s degree in Human resource development from Westminster University. After 11 years living and working in the UK, the decision was made to move back to SA with his wife and 2 children. At the end of 2014 Deon took up the role of National Product Training Manager for Virgin Active South Africa. When not working on learning and development projects, Deon tries to keep fit swimming, cycling and running long distances in the great outdoors. He also dabbles in photography and videography, enjoying the creative and expressive outlet that these hobbies afford him
Linda Halliday, Member
Linda Halliday is Managing Director of the eta. Linda’s is responsible for the development of eta’s curriculum, including programme development for qualifications in sport and fitness. Her work involves management of the eta campuses, their facilities and learning programmes, to ensure that they meet the quality assurance requirements of the quality assurance bodies and the legal requirements of the Department of Higher Education and Training. Linda has more than twenty-years of experience in the fitness industry; having worked for various clubs and run her own studio. She took over the eta in 1994. Linda is currently busy with post graduate course work towards a Master’s degree in Higher Education Studies at the University of Cape Town.
Desiree Vardhan, Member
Desiree Vardhan’s vision is to transform sport through sports coaching. Desiree is a qualified biokineticist. Some of her leadership positions include: executive and board member- International Council of Coaching Excellence (ICCE), World Anti-Doping Agency- Education member, Steering Committee member- Physical Education Institute of SA (PEISA), director of sport at the University of Kwazululu Natal and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Desiree is the driving force behind the South African Coaching Framework and the recently recognized Professional body for Sports Coaching in SA- CASA. She was influential in establishing 9 sports coaching designations with SAQA. She had also led the Recognition of Prior learning programme for SA sports coaching that commenced in 2014.
Rene Botes , Member
The old adage “Knowledge is Power” rings true when one is involved in upskilling the sport and fitness industry. Growth is dependent on knowledge, passion and perseverance. René’s passion is to upskill those who have the internal drive to develop their skills and knowledge to become great sport and fitness professionals.
René specialised in Long Term Talent Development with focus on the sports code swimming (MPhil Sport Science). She gained experience in education over the past 16 years lecturing at both public and private tertiary institutes. René is not only a lifelong learner but a lifelong athlete. She participates in formal sport and sits on the board of Central Gauteng Modern Biathlon.
As Principal of HFPA and board member of REPSSA René is poised to further her aims in promoting sport and fitness.
MPhil Sports Science
BA Hons Sport Science
BA Health Sciences
Qualified Assessor and Moderator
CYQ: Certificate in Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector (PTTLS)
Mandla Amos Nhleko, Member
Known in the fitness arena as Mr Born To Move, for his belief and methods of functional training and that people were born to move and functional not to sit long hours without moving. He is the founder and director of 365 Functional Training that specializes in weight-loss, strength and conditioning training, functional training, sports specific training and strength training. Having attained a certificate in exercise specialist with sports condition, he also believes that improving ones skills and knowledge is important, and he is currently working on completing a qualification in national certificate in sports management. He also completed numerous other qualifications including, diploma in exercise science, certificate in sports massage therapist, and certificate in functional training and certificate in applied sports psychology level 1.
He is an ambassador for NPL (Nutritional Performance Labs), and HFPA (Health and Fitness Professionals Academy), where he lectures some of their short courses like BOOTCAMP and HIIT Instructor. He gives his time by taking part in various projects from GODs Children Project, which is a non-profit organization that focuses on making a difference in kids who are less fortunate
Derek Archer, Member
Derek started working in the Fitness industry in 1996 and achieved his personal trainer certification in the same year. In 1997, he began studying Human Movement Sciences at the Rand Afrikaans University as well as managing and training at the private gym in the Sandton Towers Hotel. He graduated in 2000 and at the beginning of 2003 moved his personal training business to the gym at the Institute.
He also held the position of Fitness trainer at Moroka Swallows Football Club from September 2002 to October 2006.Derek began to present courses at the Institute on a regular basis before assuming the role of senior lecturer on the Personal Fitness trainer course. Being so passionate about health and fitness, and teaching those aspiring to be trainers, Derek took over Fitpro in 2006.
In addition to work at Fitpro, Derek is a Technogym master trainer and a Power Plate master trainer. He is also an HKC kettlebell instructor and an Exercise is Medicine accredited Fitness professional. Working with athletes and teams is his primary focus outside of the classroom and he is committed to life- long learning.
Renato Patini, Member
Renato having previously competed at a South African level in Sprinting and Long jump an early passion for sport was made. He played Rugby in later years at a High School level, making regional selections, only furthered this passion. Obtaining a National Diploma in Fitness and a Sports Conditioning Certification has helped obtain further knowledge into this field. Being involved in the educational field of training athletes, currently the Chief Assessor and facilitator at Trifocus Fitness Academy helping possible future trainers and athletes obtain a better understanding of applied methods.
Mark Petzer, Director
Mark completed his B Com Accountancy and B Com Accountancy Honours at the Rand Academic University, Johannesburg. He then went on to complete his articles at PriceWaterhouseCoopers where he qualified as a CA (SA). Post articles he joined the Austro Group Limited, listed on the JSE, as financial manager. He went on to become the Financial Director for the Group. He subsequently left Austro to pursue a career in mining with AngloAmerican where he currently holds the position of performance analyst for Thermal Coal.
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» Sir Paul Judge: 1949 – 2017
We are sad and sorry to write that Sir Paul Judge passed away peacefully surrounded by his close family earlier this week. Sir Paul, a UKAS Non-Executive Director between 2009 and 2016, made a valuable contribution to UKAS during this time.
There will shortly be a family funeral but a more public memorial service in celebration of his life will be arranged at a later date and his family will send out details closer to the time. We will inform colleagues and organisations with whom he worked closely in his full and remarkable life about the details when received.


Dani Alves confident that Brazil will continue streak against Messi and Argentina
by Guest Post on November 17, 2010
The Brazil versus Argentina rivalry has been one that lasted between both sides for many years. Although Brazil is the more confident team between the two as they carry a 5-year unbeaten streak against Argentina, there is no question that today’s match between both sides can easily see that streak coming to a halt.
With head-coach Mano Menezes making much (Needed) changes in the Brazilian roster, one player whose name is still on that list is Barcelona defender, Dani Alves. Playing against his teammate and who he feels is “The world’s best player”, Lionel Messi, Alves knows that today’s match against Argentina will be no walk in the park. However, the Brazilian defender is still confident that their streak against their rivals will continue on.
Dani Alves went on to say the following ahead of their friendly:
“I hope that we can continue with this record. Messi is the best in the world, it is going to be very, very difficult. It is impossible to mark him one on one, there has to be more than one around him. Every day he surprises me, I hope the same doesn’t happen [today],” the Barcelona star commented on his club teammate, before pointing out the other Argentina danger man. I love Pastore. He has only been in the Seleccion a short time and he is in the best form of his career. I also like [Javier] Mascherano, but he is one of the old boys!”
Although it will be a tough battle between both sides, I definitely think that Argentina have a better chance in winning today’s match. With Brazil making some major changes in his roster and Argentina still boosting some of their World Cup starters, Argentina definitely has the on-going chemistry to come out on top tonight.
Who do you think will win tonight’s match? Will Brazil’s winning streak against Argentina come to an end? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.


A New Agreement Between The Majority Shareholders Of L’Oreal
A New Agreement Between The Majority Shareholders Of L’Oreal Group - 03.02.2004
ABSORPTION OF GESPARAL BY L’OREAL
Mrs. BETTENCOURT REMAINS THE LARGEST SHAREHOLDER OF L’OREAL
Clichy, February 3rd, 2004, 11 p.m.
In a release distributed today, the Holding Company Gesparal has announced that Mrs. Bettencourt and her family, and Nestlé have decided to further develop the agreement which they had for over 30 years. This release is available on www.loreal.com.
The new agreement includes:
• The merger and absorption of Gesparal by L’Oréal;
• The elimination of double voting rights;
• The continuation of the respective positions of the Bettencourt family and Nestlé in L’Oréal capital;
• A further development of L’Oréal’s corporate governance.
The merger of Gesparal and L’Oréal and the elimination of double voting rights that will be submitted to shareholders for their approval at the Shareholders Meeting planned for April 29, 2004 will have no effect either on the financial structure or on the results of L’Oréal, as Gesparal owns only L’Oréal shares and has no debt.
When this transaction is completed, the Bettencourt family and Nestlé will become direct shareholders of L’Oréal with, respectively, 27.5 % and 26.4 % of the capital and, respectively, 28.6% and 27.5 % in voting rights.
The Board of Directors of L’Oréal will be asked to create a Committee for Strategy and Implementation made up of 6 members: the CEO of L’Oréal who will chair the Committee, 2 members will be amongst the Board members representing the Bettencourt family, 2 others amongst the members representing Nestlé, and one will be an independent Board member.
Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L’Oréal declared:
“I am delighted by this agreement which is extremely favourable to the Company, to its employees, to its clients and to all of its shareholders.
The clarification of the shareholding structure and the improved Corporate Governance will enhance transparency and simplicity.
The renewed stability of the shareholding structure will continue to support our long term strategy for growth and profitability.
We appreciate the support and confidence of all of our shareholders”.
The Gesparal news release is attached to this document.
Contact at L'ORÉAL
Mrs. Alessandra di MONTEZEMOLO
tel: +33 1.47.56.46.30
http://www.loreal.com
GESPARAL Société Anonyme au Capital de 205 766 864 €
PROPOSED MERGER BETWEEN GESPARAL AND L’OREAL
Paris, February 3rd, 2004, 11 p.m.
The two shareholders of Gesparal, Mrs. Liliane Bettencourt and her family, and Nestlé, have agreed to propose the absorption of Gesparal by L’Oréal. The Gesparal Holding Company owns 53.8% of the Capital and 71.7% of voting rights of L’Oréal. The Bettencourt family and Nestlé own respectively, 51% and 49% of Gesparal.
The extraordinary development of L’Oréal over the last 30 years during which Gesparal was its majority shareholder enabled it to become the world leader in its field. Today, it is possible and desirable to simplify the capital structure. In addition, the greater transparency and the further development of corporate governance, both of which are provided for in this agreement, will encourage the continuing development of L’Oréal.
The main points of the agreement are the following :
• The absorption of Gesparal by L’Oréal will be proposed at the next Annual Shareholders Meeting, planned for April 29, 2004. After completion, the Bettencourt family will hold 27.5% of L’Oréal’s capital, and Nestlé 26.4%. The merger will have no effect, nor on its financial structure or on its results, as Gesparal's investment portfolio is composed exclusively of L’Oréal’s shares and it has no debt.
• At the same annual shareholders meeting of L’Oréal, it will also be proposed to eliminate double voting rights.
• The Bettencourt family and Nestlé have agreed to keep all of their L’Oréal shares for a period of 5 years, beginning with the date of this shareholders meeting. However, should there be a public tender offer for L’Oréal shares by a third party, the Bettencourt family and Nestlé would have the right to tender their shares or to make a counter-offer.
• The Bettencourt family and Nestlé have agreed not to increase, either directly or indirectly, their respective shareholdings in L’Oréal, during the lifetime of Mrs. Liliane Bettencourt, and in any case during a period of at least 3 years, starting from the date of this shareholders meeting.
• The Bettencourt family and Nestlé have mutually agreed to mutual rights of pre-emption on their respective shareholdings in L’Oréal for a period of 10 years. The Bettencourt family has the option of substituting a third party, notably L’Oréal.
• A shareholders meeting will be asked to approve the nomination of three board members designated by the Bettencourt family and three board members designated by Nestlé, as it is currently the case. At the board of directors of L’Oréal, the election of 2 Vice Chairmen, one nominated by the Bettencourt family and one nominated by Nestlé will also be proposed.
• The Board of Directors of L’Oréal will also be asked to create a Committee for Strategy and Implementation, made up of 6 members, including the CEO of L’Oréal who will be Chairman. 2 members of this committee will be proposed by the Bettencourt family, 2 by Nestlé and 1 independent board member will also be included. It will meet 6 times a year. As in the case of the other Board committees, it will have a role of advice and recommendation, with the Board retaining all of its responsibilities.
• This agreement is effective upon signature. It takes the place of any other agreement between the Bettencourt family and Nestlé.
The agreement will be submitted to the “Autorité des Marchés Financiers” (AMF), the French financial market regulatory authority. The merger provided for in the agreement is conditional upon the finding by the market authorities that there is no requirement for a public offer for L’Oréal shares in light of the planned merger.
This agreement will be published in its entirety following the decision of the AMF.
Mrs. Liliane Bettencourt and Mr. Rainer E. Gut, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nestlé, stated: “Our objective is to continue with our excellent and mutual understanding and our balanced relationship, which, along with the quality and the extraordinary commitment of L’Oréal management and its employees, has contributed for so many years to making the company one of the best in the world.”
Mr. Rainer E. Gut said : “We are convinced that the agreement represents a very solid base for continuing the impressive and very profitable growth of L’Oréal, to which the Bettencourt family and Nestlé have contributed since 1974, by the support through Gesparal.”
Mrs. Liliane Bettencourt and her daughter Mrs. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers stated: “Through this new agreement, we are expressing our loyalty and attachment to the L’Oréal Company, and the confidence that, both of us have in L’Oréal, in its CEO Lindsay Owen-Jones and in all of its employees who are responsible for its long term success.”
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Kanye West Posts Hilarious 'Nothing' Clip; Plus Beyonce, Backstreet Boys, Wyclef Jean, Lil Wayne, J.K. Rowling, Lindsay Lohan & More, In For The Record
Knowles takes a tumble at Florida show; Backstreet set release date for LP; Wyclef Jean snatches up Weezy for single.
MTV News Staff mtvnews 07/25/2007
Don't believe Kanye West has a sense of humor? He's posted a hilarious new "Can't Tell Me Nothing" clip, starring underground comedian Zach Galifianakis and indie-folkie Will Oldham, on his site. According to Billboard.com, the hilarious low-budget clip — which features Galifianakis and Oldham mouthing the words to the song while they hang with cows and gyrate against tractors — was filmed at Galifianakis' farm in North Carolina. Galifianakis also made a memorable appearance in Fiona Apple's "Not About Love" video, but he recently told Impose Magazine that it was his clip for Anita Baker's "You Bring Me Joy" that won over West. ...
Beyoncé took a big spill at her concert in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday night, tumbling headfirst down 12 steps at Amway Arena. Video capturing the gaffe is making the rounds on the Web — even though the singer told the crowd not to post the clip on YouTube. "Beyoncé's fall onstage last night ... was a case of her coat's hem getting caught in her shoes," her publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said in a statement issued Wednesday (July 25), "but Miss Knowles picked herself right up, without missing a beat, showing to all that she is the best." ... The Backstreet Boys have pegged October 30 as the release date for their new, yet-untitled album, which will be led by first single "Inconsolable," Billboard.com reports. Don't expect to hear Kevin Richardson on there, though — he left in June 2006 (and wasn't replaced). ...
Wyclef Jean has snatched up Akon, Lil Wayne and newcomer Niia for "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," the first single from his forthcoming album Carnival II (Memoirs of an Immigrant). The Columbia release will hit stores in November. ...
Has "Deathly Hallows" left you with a question or two? You might be able to get an answer from the author herself — on Monday, "Harry Potter" publisher Bloomsbury will hold a live chat with J.K. Rowling on Bloomsbury.com. In other Potter news, publisher Scholastic says a few hundred of the 12 million copies of "Deathly Hallows" are missing pages, The Associated Press reports. The company said defective books can be replaced by bringing them back to point of purchase, but some fans are stowing them away as keepsakes. ...
Lindsay Lohan might have even more problems on her hands — according to TMZ.com, she pulled an illegal U-turn in April in Los Angeles that wound up causing an accident between vehicles driven by her bodyguard Jaz Bennett and another woman, Signe Dupuy. Dupuy says Bennett gave her a fake name and number after the accident and that she's considering filing suit against him and Lohan. A representative for Lohan told TMZ that a letter sent by Dupuy was filed away because it was assumed that it would also be sent to Lohan's lawyers. In yet another legal case involving Lohan, TMZ.com reports that she filed documents in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week pertaining to the October 2005 car crash in which she hit a parked van in Beverly Hills, California. Last month, Raymundo Ortega, the owner of the van, filed a lawsuit claiming Lohan was drunk at the time of the accident. In the documents she filed, Lohan claims the suit is "nothing more than an attempt to extort money from a celebrity by setting forth false and scurrilous allegations in a complaint." She said the police report claims, "Ms. Lohan had not been drinking. I did not observe any objective signs of either alcohol or drug intoxication and determined that no further investigation regarding intoxication was warranted." ...
It might not be showtime for Swizz Beatz if police in Camden, New Jersey, get their way. According to AP, authorities are threatening to drop their sponsorship of a peace rally due to the producer's scheduled appearance and his perceived anti-snitching stance on his single "It's Me Snitches." But Swizz released a statement to AP explaining the track, which has no anti-snitching content, was renamed for radio from its original title "It's Me Bitches." "If I supported violence or the 'Stop Snitching' campaign, I wouldn't have agreed to be a part of the event [in the first place]," he said in the statement. ...
Devo can't get any satisfaction these days — thanks to Korn. The New Wavers are lashing out at Jonathan Davis and the gang for allegedly biting the group's "devolution" concept in a fake movie trailer posted on EvolutionDevolution.com. "We denounce this as imposters playing with fire," Gerald Casale wrote in a post on Devo.com. He told RollingStone.com that Korn fans have been sending him hate mail since he posted the note on the site. "We went, 'Wow, this is insane. This is a perfect example of devolution. ... Gee, I'm sorry we thought all this up 30 years ago and have been putting it out there and preaching it ever since.' " ... A medical examiner was "hasty" in calling actress Lana Clarkson's death a homicide, forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz testified for Phil Spector's defense on Wednesday (July 25), AP reports. "In my opinion, it was most likely a suicide," said Spitz, who added that he has seen autopsy reports. Spitz testified that Clarkson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the mouth. ...
Mya and Claudette Ortiz, formerly of City High, headlined the weekly R&B Live showcase at Spotlight Live in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday night. Music industry bigwigs Steve Stoute, Sylvia Rhone and Jacob "The Jeweler" Arabo were in attendance as D-Nice manned the DJ booth. ... Don't worry about calling Bartman — the Simpsons have the United Nations on their side. The World Intellectual Property Organization, a UN agency, ruled Wednesday that the ownership of the domain name TheSimpsonsMovie.com must be turned over to 20th Century Fox after the company complained about the address registered to Keith Malley of Brooklyn, New York. Malley had demanded a $50,000 fee to cede the domain name, but the WIPO found that he "has no rights or legitimate interests" to it. ...
Pearl Jam will perform an intimate concert at Chicago's Vic Theatre on August 2 — which will warm the guys up for their headlining set at Lollapalooza three days later. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, but only for members of the band's Ten Club fan organization; tickets won't be made available to the general public. ... Chevelle have rolled out a new set of tour dates for the late summer and early fall. The first show is set for August 25 in Grayslake, Illinois, and the tour is scheduled to run through September 16 in Dayton, Ohio. ...
In a recent interview, Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan discussed the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next album. "Musically, [the next LP will be] a lot ballsier," he said. Donegan added that there will be "those signature things that are us, just 'cause stylistically that's the way we perform, and [frontman] David [Draiman], vocally, is always going to sound like him, so ... he's got some big melodic moments, but there's some still aggressive stuff. [We're] trying to get a good blend of the elements of the past three CDs to try to evolve into something fresh and new for us as well." The band will hit the studio in the fall and is planning an early 2008 release for the yet-untitled offering. ...
Indie "death-rapper" Necro has bailed from the Sounds of the Underground Tour because "the tour's demographic was not receiving hip-hop well," he said in a statement. "I was facing hostile, disrespectful crowds and was returning the same energy back tenfold by being more aggressive than them. It was making a lot of people in the tour crew nervous and there was concern someone might get hurt (not me)." ... The Eagles of Death Metal are starting to write material for the follow-up to 2006's Death by Sexy. According to frontman Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, the guys "hear your cries for boot-skootin', guitar-rock-tootin', sex-rock music, honeybabies," and promise a 2008 release for their next set. "EODM will quench your musical thirsts with a burst of mantastic-fantastic!!! Album #3 will be the greatest EODM release to date." ...
Don't expect to see the cast of "High School Musical" lighting up anytime soon — Disney has become the first major Hollywood studio to ban depictions of smoking in its family-oriented films, Reuters reports. In a letter to Representative Edward Markey — whose House committee recently held a hearing on how movie images affect children — Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said Disney would "discourage" smoking in films distributed by its labels Touchstone and Miramax. He added that anti-smoking public-service announcements would appear on DVDs of films that do depict smoking and would encourage theaters to show similar PSAs along with such films. Markey called the move "groundbreaking."
Ja Rule's Sunday arrest in New York on a single felony weapon count was "another instance of hip-hop targeting," according to the rapper's attorney, Stacey Richman. She claims the .40-caliber Taurus pistol police recovered from inside the 2004 Maybach that Ja was riding in when he was arrested belonged to someone else. Ja; his driver, Mohamed Gamal; and his road manager, Dennis Cherry, were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and spent Sunday night in jail. The three were arraigned Monday afternoon, and Ja (born Jeffrey Atkins) was released on $150,000 bond. He's expected back in Manhattan Criminal Court November 7. According to Richman, the car in question was a company vehicle owned by Gamal's Maximum Transportation firm and is used by his clients. "If you get a car, and something's left in the car, is that yours?" Richman wondered. "How you can ascribe that anybody knows what's in a car?" She also contends that the car was stopped about a block away from the Beacon Theatre and that it had been "parked outside for two and a half hours, with the police department, and they ran the plates — they could have just handed out a ticket then, but they didn't. They waited for [Ja Rule] to get into the car." As for the speeding claims, Richman simply doesn't believe them: "Why would he speed for one block? What, he's going to speed to the next light on Broadway? Come on." The prosecutor's office would not comment on Ja Rule's arrest. ...
G-Unit's Tony Yayo was in court Tuesday morning (July 24) in connection with charges of harassment and endangering the welfare of a child, the 14-year-old son of Game manager Jimmy "Henchman" Rosemond. According to Yayo's lawyer Scott Leemon, the rapper rejected a plea offer that would have him serve nine months in jail, and the case was adjourned until September 6. Leemon said the judge in the case asked for more time to make a decision on whether he will enforce subpoenas issued by Leemon to the public-relations firm for Rosemond's Czar Entertainment record label. Leemon would not discuss what information he is seeking from the PR firm. ...
R. Kelly is still feeding off his recent Double Up set, but he's already got another treat in store for next month: Ten new episodes in his "Trapped in the Closet" series. In his latest go-'round, R. dresses as a preacher in a wig — and even more amusingly, from the sound of it, an old man with a fake belly and beard, Billboard.com reports. A DVD encompassing the 10 eps will hit stores August 21, but you can catch them prior to that on, oddly enough, the Independent Film Channel. ... Lindsay Lohan's wax statue at Madame Tussauds in New York has a new addition: It's now dressed in black and white prison stripes. The museum pulled the same move with Paris Hilton's statue when the heiress went to jail. ...
Rage Against the Machine, Daft Punk, Iggy and the Stooges and Queens of the Stone Age are among the headliners of this year's Vegoose Festival. The third annual installment of the Las Vegas event, to be held October 27-28 at Sam Boyd Stadium, will also feature sets from Muse, Cypress Hill, the Shins, Public Enemy, Ghostface Killah, Pharoahe Monch, Battles, Gogol Bordello and more artists to be announced soon. The Stooges will perform their classic Fun House album in its entirety for the first time ever in the U.S. ...
Daughtry will hit the road next month for a spate of headlining gigs. Dates are scheduled from August 1 in Columbus, Ohio, through October 20 in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Mandy Moore will team up with Paula Cole for a co-headlining tour set to kick off August 18 in Portland, Oregon, and expire August 25 in San Diego. Moore's also set to play some of her own headlining gigs, starting August 30 in Fort Worth, Texas. That trek runs through September 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina. ... Tori Amos has mapped out the U.S. leg of her world tour, which will launch October 9 in Albany, New York, and run through December 17 in Los Angeles. ...
Tupac Shakur's estate is trying to stop the late rapper's former label, Death Row Records, from selling his unreleased recordings as part of a bankruptcy settlement. Shakur's mother, Afeni, sought an injunction in federal bankruptcy court Friday, claiming the label was trying to sell Shakur material that belonged to the rapper's estate and should have been turned over to it as part of a 1997 agreement with Death Row. Shakur's lawyer Donald N. David said that during the label's bankruptcy proceedings, "it was revealed that an album's worth of unreleased Tupac material was being advertised to potential buyers as the jewel in the crown of the Death Row assets." ...
A Los Angeles judge has refused to dismiss Phil Spector's murder charge or reduce it to manslaughter on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. Prosecutors rested their case Monday, and one of the attorneys said they might not even have to show the music producer pulled the trigger to the gun that killed actress Lana Clarkson in order for Spector to be convicted. "He had the gun in his home, loaded with his bullets," said Alan Jackson, who added that prosecutors only need to show that Spector pointed the gun at Clarkson. "Whether he pulled the trigger, whether he sneezed or she slapped his hand away or there was an earthquake — it doesn't matter. It's implied malice." The defense argued that implied malice wasn't shown and that the prosecution didn't support its second-degree-murder theory, so the charge should be dismissed or reduced. "It's very clear to me ... that there's more than enough substantial evidence to support a conviction if there was one," Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said, refusing the motion. ...
Static-X, Shadows Fall, 3 Inches of Blood and Divine Heresy are planning a U.S. run that will commence in September. Dates and venues have yet to be announced, but we'll keep you posted. ... There's been some turmoil as of late in the world of Hopesfall. According to a statement from the band, it seems the only remaining member is singer Jay Forrest, meaning guitarists Joshua Brigham and Dustin Nadler, drummer Jason Trabue and bassist Mike Tyson have split. No explanation for the departures has been made public. ... Coheed and Cambria's forthcoming album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, will hit stores October 23. ... The Bled's next effort, Silent Treatment, has been set for a September 25 release. The LP will contain 11 tracks, including "You Should Be Ashamed of Myself," "Platonic Sleepover Massacre" and "Breathing Room Barricades." ...
English manager Don Arden, the father of Sharon Osbourne, died Saturday in a Los Angeles nursing home, according to a BBC News report. He was 81. The man born Harry Levy in Manchester, England, but known variously as the "Al Capone of Pop," "The English Godfather" and "Mr. Big" for his uncompromising business practices was at one time the manager of acts ranging from ELO to the Small Faces and Black Sabbath. Sharon was famously estranged from Arden for nearly 20 years after she wrested control of husband Ozzy Osbourne's solo career and was forced to pay her dad a $1 million court settlement. The two reconciled in 2002. ... In an attempt to smooth the pathway to a proposed merger, satellite-radio competitors XM and Sirius have said that if the $4.7 billion merger is approved, they would offer new a la carte pricing plans that would allow users to pay only for the stations they want. The Washington Post reports that the proposed plans would start at $6.99 for 50 stations, which is almost half of the current price of $12.95 for about 150 stations, and include a $14.99 price for 100 stations and the option to add stations one at a time for 25 cents each.


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Hostage-taking at sea rises to record levels, says IMB
More people were taken hostage at sea in 2010 than in any year on record, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) global piracy report disclosed today. Pirates captured 1,181 seafarers and killed eight. A total of 53 ships were hijacked.
The number of pirate attacks against ships has risen every year for the last four years, IMB revealed. Ships reported 445 attacks in 2010, up 10% from 2009. While 188 crew members were taken hostage in 2006, 1,050 were taken in 2009 and 1,181 in 2010.
“These figures for the number of hostages and vessels taken are the highest we have ever seen,” said Pottengal Mukundan, Director of the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre, which has monitored piracy worldwide since 1991. “The continued increase in these numbers is alarming."
“As a percentage of global incidents, piracy on the high seas has increased dramatically over armed robbery in territorial waters,” said Mukundan. “On the high seas off Somalia, heavily armed pirates are overpowering ocean-going fishing or merchant vessels to use as a base for further attacks. They capture the crew and force them to sail to within attacking distance of other unsuspecting vessels.”
According to IMB, hijackings off the coast of Somalia accounted for 92% of all ship seizures last year with 49 vessels hijacked and 1,016 crew members taken hostage. A total of 28 vessels and 638 hostages were still being held for ransom by Somali pirates as of 31 December 2010.
While attacks off the coast of Somalia remain high, the number of incidents in the Gulf of Aden more than halved last year, with 53 attacks in 2010 down from 117 in 2009. IMB attributes this reduction to the deterrence work of naval forces from around the world that have been patrolling the area since 2008 and to ships’ application of self-protection measures recommended in Best Management Practices, version 3 (BMP 3), a booklet published last year by the shipping industry and navies.
“The naval units in the seas off the Horn of Africa should be applauded for preventing a huge number of piracy attacks in the region,” said Mukundan. “The continued presence of international navies is vital in protecting merchant ships along these important trade routes."
But Somali pirates are travelling further afield. In December 2010, they reached as far south as the Mozambique Channel and as far east as 72° East longitude in the Indian Ocean, an operating range IMB says is unprecedented.
What can be done to stop the surge of piracy on the high seas? Mukundan said the answer lies primarily onshore in South Central Somalia. “There is a desperate need for a stable infrastructure in this area,” he said. “It is vital that governments and the United Nations devote resources to developing workable administrative infrastructures to prevent criminals from exploiting the vacuum left from years of failed local government. All measures taken at sea to limit the activities of the pirates are undermined because of a lack of responsible authority back in Somalia from where the pirates begin their voyages and return with hijacked vessels.”
Elsewhere, violent attacks continued around Nigeria, with incidents concentrated near the port of Lagos. Overall, 13 vessels were boarded, four vessels fired upon and there were two attempted attacks.
In Bangladesh, the number of armed robbery incidents rose for the second successive year. Twenty-one vessels were boarded, mainly by attackers armed with knives. Almost all were anchored in the port of Chittagong.
Indonesia saw its highest levels of armed robbery against ships since 2007. Thirty vessels were boarded, nine attacks were thwarted and one vessel was hijacked. Vessels were underway in 15 of the attacks. The South China Seas recorded 31 incidents, more than double the previous year. Twenty-one vessels were boarded, seven attacks attempted, two vessels were fired upon and one was hijacked. The last quarter of 2010 was quiet, with only one reported incident.
The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre is the world’s only manned centre to receive reports of pirate attacks 24 hours a day from across the globe. IMB strongly urges all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspicious piracy and armed robbery incidents to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre. This first step in the response chain is vital in ensuring that adequate resources are allocated by authorities to tackle piracy. Transparent statistics from an independent, non-political, international organization can act as a catalyst to achieve this goal.
IMB offers the latest piracy reports free of charge. To request a PDF version of the report by email, please visit: http://www.icc-ccs.org/requestreport
Latest attacks may also be viewed on the IMB Live Piracy Map
Pottengal Mukundan
Director, IMB
Email: pmukundan@icc-ccs.org
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