Ladies Night - Tanis Hammond
Land Speed Record Holder at 323 MPH
Tanis Hammond set her first land speed record in 1987 traveling 251.7 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and
became the second woman to gain entry in to the prestigious Bonneville “200mph Club.”
Many records followed and in 2002, she became the first woman to set a record over 300 mph and was the first woman to join the previously all-male 300mph chapter.
In August 2010, she became one of a very select group of racers when she set a record at 323mph.
Currently she is chasing 335mph as she attempts to increase her existing record.
In 2000, Tanis and her racecar were invited to participate at the Louis Vuitton Concours car show in Paris as they featured “Women’s passion for racing.”
Honored to be the representative of the Land speed-racing effort in America Tanis was thrilled by the enthusiasm of the French crowds.
Hear about what motivates one to step outside of tradition to achieve great rewards.
About Tanis Hammond
Tanis is a member of the Bonneville 200mph club.
Stepping foot on the Salt Flats for the first time in 1987, she set her first record of 251.7mph.
Each year for the past 28 years she has attended the annual running of the salt flats land speed racing.
She has achieved many records the fastest to date is 323mph in 2013.
She and has been featured on the Oxygen channel, Discovery Channel, and Speed Channel programs
as well as appearing in Sports Illustrated Adventure Magazine, Hot Rod magazine, Automobile Magazine and the book “Land Speed Racing” by Louise Noeth.
Tanis is the second woman in the 200 mph club and the 1st in the 300mph chapter.
Tanis holds a B.S. degree in Physical Geography from U.C.S.B. She worked on a Long Term Ecological Research project
for the National Science Foundation in Antarctica aboard the research vessel Polar Duke.
The purpose of the 10 year study was to established base line numbers of the environment with respect to the phytoplankton, krill, sea birds and marine mammals.
This study was important due to the environmental pressures placed on Antarctica by countries such as
Japan and Russia which currently harvest the krill as a food source.
She holds a commercial helicopter rating and is also a U.S. and Canadian fixed wing pilot.
She has flown multiple flights around the United States.
In 2013, she and her husband flew their helicopter to Nome, Alaska.
A trip of 57 days from Santa Barbara to above the Arctic Circle and Nome, the western most spot in Alaska.
The next flying goal is Santa Barbara to Newfoundland in 2016.
Tanis is a scuba diver with over 80 wreck dives in the Truk Lagoon, Micronesia and many more at the California Channel Islands.
Tanis lives with her husband in Santa Barbara and Birch Bay, Washington and is a native of British Columbia, Canada.
Jim Harlan Uncommon Adventures Dive & Adventure Travel
Jim Harlan
Jim Harlan is an intrepid traveler with a ceaseless passion for extensively exploring the remote corners of the world, often too extensively.
An accomplished pilot and SCUBA diver, Jim has traveled to more than one hundred countries over the past thirty eight years of his life.
PNG Tribe
Jim created and owns Uncommon Adventures Dive & Adventure Travel which he has been operating successfully since 1998.
Jim has received the coveted Conde Nast Top Travel Specialist award in 2006, 2007 & 2011.
As well Jim Harlan is the author of Drifting on a Headwind a novel chronicling many of his extraordinary adventures in the remote regions of the planet.
Mr. Harlan’s novel is a highly acclaimed and award winning novel that any adventurer would relish.
John is a world renowned people and cultural photographer, film documentary producer and lecturer.
John, Kara and tribal member Lale Laqbuko documented the hidden secrets of the MINGI outdated tribal practice against young boys.
OMO CHILD is now part of several international film festivals, receiving high acclaim.
Mark Fowler
Mark is the son of well-known wildlife expert Jim Fowler, the host of "Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom."
Mark now produces non fiction television programs through Wild Life Productions for Nat Geo Channel, Discovery Networks, Travel Channel and government
agencies such as NOAA and NASA.
Currently Mark is on the Board of Directors of The Explorers Club, serving as Chair of The Wildlife Committee.
Mark’s Father introduced Exotic Wildlife to the American public 30 years ago and now his son Mark is committed to preserve this
family legacy for future generations.
Joint Meeting with California Wreck Divers Ladies Night -
David Finnern and Owen Finnern Exploring Aviation’s Lost History
David Finnern has spent over 35 years searching for and writing about shipwrecks and submerged ruins.
Having photographed and written articles about numerous sunken aircraft, he decided to include his grandsons and
explore some of the historic long-abandoned air bases and aircraft wrecks dotting the deserts and mountains of the Southwest.
However, what began as a weekend jaunt soon turned into a year-long quest, as15-year-old Owen Finnern became the primary victim in Papa Finnern’s obsession.
Owen is an accomplished adventurer in his own right, and has completed both open water and advanced scuba certifications,
has participated in long-distance wilderness hikes with the Boy Scouts and, when not doing his school work, studies jiu jitsu and karate.
His first outing with his grandpa was predicted to be a quick, easy hike.
It turned out to be a rugged, steep climb on a rocky, pockmarked and unmarked trail through the mountains to find the remains of a World War I-era biplane.
First lesson learned: Grandpa is often wrong.
Over the year numerous aircraft crashes were investigated and explored,
including a P-39 Airacobra, B-24 Liberator, P-40 Warhawk, DeHaviland DH-4, the X-15 and the P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first jet fighter.
Camping among the ruins of antiquated hangars became commonplace, and even a few mysteries were solved.
But most importantly a new appreciation for those who pioneered aviation, for peace and war, in biplanes to rocket planes, was discovered during the journey.
.jpg "David Finnern")
.jpg "Owen Finnern")
.jpg "Hangar")
.jpg "Curtiss P-40 Warhawk USAF")
.jpg "Airco DH-4")
.jpg "15th AF B-24 Liberator")
.jpg "Bell P-39Q")
.jpg "Curtiss P-40, with Shark Mouth Paint")
.jpg "P80-1")