Laird Hamilton for Pipeline to a Cure

Laird Hamilton, Jamie Mitchell, Dave Kalama, and the surf community will gather in celebration of the unique bond between surfing and those with cystic fibrosis on July 19, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach for the 7th Annual Pipeline to a Cure event. Guests will enjoy silent and live auctions, a gourmet dinner, special musical guests such as Flashback Heart Attack, The Kalama Brothers, and more. Pipeline to a Cure is also a part of the 2014 KROQ Roq N Surf Season.

The Pipeline to a Cure event was created to herald the discovery by Australian researchers who found that cystic fibrosis children that surfed had significantly healthier lungs. Doctors determined that inhaling saltwater mist has a powerful effect on rehydrating the lining of the lungs, which allows cystic fibrosis patients to more easily eliminate bacteria-contaminated mucus. This discovery led researchers to develop a hypertonic saline solution, which cystic fibrosis patients around the world now inhale every day. In essence, cystic fibrosis patients now mimic a "surf session" on a daily basis.

About Cystic Fibrosis and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections, and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to cure cystic fibrosis and to provide all people with the disease the opportunity to lead full, productive lives by funding research and drug development, promoting individualized treatment, and ensuring access to high-quality, specialized care.