Craig Hummer Explained

Craig Hummer
Birth Date:20 May 1965
Birth Place:Akron, Ohio, United States
Occupation:Sportscaster
Spouse:Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Education:Kenyon College
Children:3

Craig B. Hummer (born May 20, 1965) is an American sportscaster. 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.[1] He won 39 national championship titles, including seven years as International Ironman.

Early life and education

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.[2] He went on to become a surf racer.[3]

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.[4] [5] In 1988, he made the U.S. team that traveled to the World Championships in Australia. 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.[6] [7] starting in 1989.[8]

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.[9] 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.[5] Hummer was the first American invited to participate in this event.[4] He competed annually in Australia for four years,[10] and was voted Most Improved in 1993.[9] In his last year participating in Uncle Toby's Super Series, he took 9th place.[11]

He won the USLA championship again in 1991,[12] and in 1992, he won seven events at the U.S. Lifesaving Association National Championships, and eight events in 1993.[13]

Hummer won six consecutive series title in the Bud Light Ocean Festival Series.[14]

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.[5] [15]

Hummer was emcee of the National Lifeguard Championships in 1996.[10] In 1997, he hosted the Wakiki King's race and was a commentator on the Fox Sports' Association of Volleyball Professionals series.[5] He also commentated the Oceanman World Tour.

He has appeared on Family Feud with the Los Angeles County Lifeguards. Hummer has also done ads for Gatorade,[16] Carl's Jr.,[5] Ford, and Dr. Pepper.[17] He has also appeared on Baywatch, Late Show with David Letterman,[18] The Golden Girls.[19] and NBC's Today Show.[20]

Broadcasting

Hummer has commentated on over 40 different sports.[4] 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.[6] [7] 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]

Notes and References

  1. Men's Journal. Aquamen. Greg Donaldson.
  2. Web site: The Water Is His World: Venice Lifeguard Just May Be the Best in the U.S.--and Beyond. July 27, 1995. Sean Waters. Los Angeles Times. February 5, 2016.
  3. Web site: RM Interview Series: Craig Hummer . RaceMill . November 16, 2019 . en.
  4. Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin. 28. Fall 2005. Water World. Shawn Presley.
  5. News: Los Angeles Times. Emperor of the Unknown. February 1, 1998. Michael J. Ybarra.
  6. Web site: Kerri Walsh Says She's 'All in' for the Tour de Pier. Penny Arevalo. April 16, 2014. Manhattan Beach Patch. February 4, 2016.
  7. Web site: Tour de Pier: Riding in place in Manhattan Beach to advance cancer research. May 13, 2013. Esther Kang. Easy Reader News. February 4, 2016.
  8. News: The Daily Telegraph Mirror. October 15, 1993. Doug Stewart. Yank makes waves on ironman circuit.
  9. Competitor Magazine. August 1993. Humm, Baby. Martin Dugard.
  10. Men's Journal. August 1997. Aquamen. Greg Donaldson.
  11. Outside. January 1996. The Baywatch Conundrum.
  12. Web site: Sportscope. August 25, 1991. Los Angeles Times. February 5, 2016.
  13. Sports Illustrated. Faces in the Crowd. September 27, 1993.
  14. News: Santa Barbara News. July 2, 1995. Another day at the beach for Hummer.
  15. News: Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 11, 1995. Humdinger by Hummer: third victory. Jack Wyatt.
  16. Ocean Sports. Summer 1994. 4. Hummer Watch.
  17. CitySports. July 1997. The Perfect Life. Martin Dugard.
  18. Web site: Emperor of the Unknown. February 1, 1998. Michael J. Ybarra. Los Angeles. February 4, 2016.
  19. Web site: Lifeguard, Save Thyself. June 24, 1996. People. February 4, 2016.
  20. Web site: Fame And Flattery Boca Lifeguard Finishes Fourth In National Competition, Appears On The 'Today' Show. August 17, 1989. Julia McLaughlin. Sun Sentinel. February 4, 2016.
  21. Web site: Universal Sports Network Presents Live Coverage of the 2015 Tour de Suisse. June 13, 2015. SoCal Cycling. February 4, 2016.
  22. Web site: Global Extreme team reaches summit of Mount Everest. Joan Haines. May 30, 2003. Bozeman Daily Chronicle. February 4, 2016.
  23. Web site: Applebaum . Simon . OLN Scales Everest, on Tape . . September 15, 2020 . May 30, 2003.
  24. Web site: CBS Sports Bulletin Board. CBS Sports. 25 July 2007. February 5, 2016.
  25. Web site: Feature: A Provencal Race Day With Chipotle. July 19, 2011. Slip Stream Sports. February 5, 2016.
  26. Web site: CBS Sports Network Airs Professional Bull Riders' Portland Invitational On Sunday, Jan. 22. January 19, 2012. CBS. February 5, 2016.
  27. Web site: Eight Minutes with Craig Hummer. March 28, 2008. PBR. February 5, 2016.
  28. Web site: Understanding Our Broadcast Coverage. January 20, 2012. PBR. February 5, 2016.
  29. Web site: Versus Unfurls America's Cup Plans. February 27, 2007. Glen Dickson. Broadcasting & Cable. February 5, 2016.
  30. Web site: NBC Releases Olympics Announcer List. February 9, 2010. Akron Beacon Journal. February 5, 2016.
  31. Web site: Las Vegas Super Sprint to Premiere on Universal Sports on Oct. 1. September 23, 2014. USA Triathlon. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006032920/http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/articles/2014/9/092314-universal-broadcast-lv.aspx. October 6, 2014. February 5, 2016.
  32. Web site: Inaugural La Course by Le Tour de France to be shown live on USN. July 24, 2014. Bicycle Retailer. February 5, 2016.
  33. Web site: Anthony "Showtime" Pettis Impresses in Defeating Shane Roller at WEC 50. Mixed Martial Arts. February 4, 2016.
  34. Web site: WEC 41: Dikun starts off night with fabulous submission. Steve Cofield. June 7, 2009. Yahoo!. February 4, 2016.
  35. Web site: UFC 55: Fury. October 7, 2005. The Oratory. February 4, 2016.
  36. Web site: Craig Hummer. IMDB. February 4, 2016.
  37. Web site: Best Sellers. June 2014. The New York Times. February 4, 2016.
  38. Web site: In-depth George Hincapie interview to air Friday. August 18, 2014. Velo News. February 4, 2016.