Craig Hummer

Craig Hummer
Born Akron, Ohio
Education Kenyon College
Occupation Sportscaster
Spouse(s) Jennifer Gooch Hummer[1]
Children 3

Craig B. Hummer is an American sportscaster.[1] He is best known for his coverage of the Tour de France, Olympic Games, and PBR events. Hummer is a former competitive ocean swimmer and lifeguard.[2] Hummer won 39 national championship titles, including 7 years as International Ironman.[3][1]

Early life and education

Hummer was born in Akron, Ohio. He was a swimmer at Thomas Worthington High School, where he swam All-American times in three events. Hummer 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

Swimming

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, Hummer made the US 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] In 1990 he won the three-day United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). That 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 7 events at the U.S. Lifesaving Association National Championships, and 8 events in 1993.[14]

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

Hummer 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.[16][7]

Hummer was emcee of the National Lifeguard Championships in 1996.[3] In 1997, Hummer 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] Hummer has also appeared on Baywatch, Late Show with David Letterman,[19] The Golden Girls.[1] and NBC's Today Show.[20]

Broadcasting

Hummer has commentated on over 40 different sports.[6] Hummer 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, Hummer has worked with Versus TV covering PBR. PBR moved to CBS Sports Network in 2012.[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

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Lifeguard, Save Thyself". People. June 24, 1996. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  2. ↑ Greg Donaldson. "Aquamen". Men's Journal.
  3. 1 2 3 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". One Percent for the Planet. June 11, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Shawn Presley (Fall 2005). "Water World". Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin 28.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Michael J. Ybarra". Los Angeles Times. February 1, 1998.
  8. 1 2 3 Martin Dugard (August 1993). "Humm, Baby". Competitor Magazine.
  9. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 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. 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. ↑ Simon Applebaum (May 30, 2003). "OLN Scales Everest, on Tape". Multichannel News. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  24. ↑ "CBS Sports Bulletin Board". CBS Sports. 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. 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.
  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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