News Information and Media Site: Sports: What to read and watch

May 21, 2022

What to Read This Weekend

The bodysurfer Kalani Lattanzi.Ricardo Bravo

Kalani Lattanzi has tackled some of the biggest surf on the planet … without a surfboard.

"It's one of the most extreme things I've ever seen," Nic von Rupp, a professional big-wave surfer, said. "It's so extreme it's like hanging from the wing of an airplane while everyone is sitting inside."

Lattanzi has pushed the boundaries of big-wave bodysurfing, a niche discipline in which surfers catch and ride monster waves with their bodies, a pair of swim fins and at times a handplane, a device that can make waves easier to ride (and one that some purists view as a crutch).

The sport's devotees call it one of the purest forms of any sort of wave riding. "It's like every cell in your body is humming with the energy of the ocean," said Ryan Masters, a big-wave bodysurfer from Santa Cruz, Calif. "I believe it's the closest you can get to really physically experiencing the universe's tangible energy, call that God or whatever."

Read the full article here.

What to Watch This Weekend

Rich Strike, right, with Sonny Leon aboard, slipped past Epicenter, ridden by Joel Rosario, to win the Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike will skip the Preakness, where Epicenter is a favorite to win.Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

All times are Eastern.

Hockey

The Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is passing on the Preakness, taking some of the zest away from the race, but many top 3-year-olds will still be lining up. They include Epicenter, the Derby favorite who was a close second that day, and the Kentucky Oaks-winning filly Secret Oath (Saturday, 7:01 p.m., NBC).

Golf

Golf's second major, the P.G.A., is contested at Southern Hills in Oklahoma. Among the contenders could be Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith and Xander Schauffele (final round, Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS).

Soccer

The women's Champions League final matches soccer royalty: the seven-time winner Lyon and the defending champion Barcelona (Saturday, 1 p.m., DAZN on YouTube).

All 20 Premier League teams are in action simultaneously at 11 a.m. Eastern on Sunday, the last day of the season, and NBC will press a number of its networks into service. Spurs (at Norwich, Syfy) lead Arsenal (versus Everton, CNBC) by 2 points for the last Champions League berth. Burnley (versus Newcastle, Golf Channel) is ahead of Leeds (at Brentford, Peacock+) in the relegation scrap.

A.C. Milan leads by 2 points with one game to go, and the Italian title is in its grasp if it can beat Sassuolo (Sunday, noon, Paramount+).

Continue reading the main story

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Chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith takes you from the biggest matches to the smallest leagues, covering the tactics, history and personalities of the world's most popular sport.

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