Extreme Sports

Marina Bay Sands Opening Celebration Highlights Features of New Tourism Icon

2010-06-29T23:24:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE, Jun 23, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- With a collection of celebrity chefs, leading fashion, nightlife, and luxury spa operators, extreme sports aficionados, and musical stars all on hand, Marina Bay Sands held its Opening Celebration today and with it company officials predicted the property would usher in a new era of international tourism development.

"Marina Bay Sands is really the future of tourism development. For countries serious about boosting tourism and creating new jobs, the integrated resort model is unmatched and Marina Bays Sands will now be the reference point by which all new tourism projects are judged," said Mr. Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!lvs/quotes/nls/lvs (LVS 23.24, -2.11, -8.32%) , the parent company of Marina Bay Sands. "In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands will be the pivot point in which tourism here is going to explode."

Mr. Thomas Arasi, president and chief executive officer of Marina Bay Sands, said, "Marina Bay Sands will deliver an entertainment, leisure and business experience unlike any other in the world. Our amazing range of attractions from the Sands SkyPark to celebrity chef restaurants to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and the outdoor event plaza will have guests coming back again and again to experience every aspect we have to offer. We expect to attract over 70,000 visits a day and 18 million visitors a year after we are fully open."

As part of the opening celebration, the remainder of the hotel's 2,560 rooms and suites opened, along with additional shops, restaurants and facilities at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. On June 24, the much-anticipated Sands SkyPark, which sits 60 stories high and features a 150-meter long infinity-edge swimming pool, will open to the public. Marina Bay Sands will continue to open additional features including the theaters, museum and crystal pavilions over the coming year culminating in a special public gala event signifying the completion of the destination.

Grammy Award-winning star Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child is headlining an outdoor concert featuring performances from regionally acclaimed artiste JJ Lin, Singapore Idol 2009 1st Runner-up Sylvia Ratonel, and the cast of Las Vegas and internationally acclaimed Broadway smash hit JERSEY BOYS. This evening, international superstar Diana Ross is expected to perform for more than 2,500 VIPs inside the property's Grand Ballroom.

The Opening Celebration also features the first-ever "World Championship Climb to the Sands SkyPark" which will see seven teams of three participants in an extreme relay speed climb on each of the three hotel towers. Each team must scale the towers in succession, followed by a sprint across the 340-meter long Sands SkyPark to a dramatic finish line where TV cameras and news media will await the winners.

ABOUT LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!lvs/quotes/nls/lvs (LVS 23.24, -2.11, -8.32%) is the leading global developer of destination properties (integrated resorts) that feature premium accommodations, world-class gaming and entertainment, convention and exhibition facilities, celebrity chef restaurants, and many other amenities.

THE VENETIAN(R) and THE PALAZZO(R), Five-Diamond luxury resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, are among the company's properties in the United States. In Singapore, the iconic MARINA BAY SANDS(TM) is the most recent addition to the company's portfolio.

Through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China Ltd, the company also owns a collection of properties in Macau, including THE VENETIAN(R) Macao, Four Seasons Hotel Macao and the Four Seasons-branded serviced-apartments at its COTAI STRIP(R) development, as well as the SANDS(R) Macao on the Macau peninsula.

The company is currently constructing a 6,400-room complex at the COTAI STRIP, which will feature the Shangri-La, Traders, Sheraton, and St. Regis hotel brands.

Las Vegas Sands is also committed to global sustainability through its SANDS Eco 360 program and is an active community partner through its various charitable organizations.

What’s New in the Islands of Aloha

2010-01-03T09:31:00.000+08:00

Google Street View is now offering real-life images of various locations and streets on Oahu and Maui. Web users have the ability to move from a satellite view of a spot on Earth to a street view with one click. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau also collaborated with Google to create collections within the Street View galleries featuring Hawai‘i’s best beaches and President Obama’s hometown favorites. For more information, visit Maps.Google.com.

Premium extreme sports retailer, Volcom, has partnered with the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Hawaii to host its first ever ASP-sanctioned professional surfing event next year at the notorious Pipeline surf break on Oahu’s North Shore. The Volcom Pipeline Pro will kick off the 2010 professional surfing season with competition occurring on the best three surfing days from January 23 to February 5. The first place winner will take home a purse of $16,000 and earn valuable ratings to help qualify for the World Tour. For more information, visit Volcom.com.

Kona Brewing Company recently opened a trendy new spot for entertainment at its Koko Marina pub on Oahu’s east side. The Liquid Aloha Lounge offers refreshing one-of-a-kind drink specials including beer-tinis along with classic cocktails like Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiis that usually come to mind when vacationing in Hawaii. Kona Brewing Co.’s original beer-tinis are a concoction of the brewery’s award-winning beers and various liqueurs. The Strawberry Longboard is a house favorite featuring Longboard Island Lager fused with Stoli Strawberry, Dekuyper Triple Sec, pineapple and orange juices. For more information, visit KonaBrewingCo.com.

Transportation Updates

Delta Air Lines is the latest carrier to add California flights to Hawaii. Beginning on June 3, 2010, Delta will provide daily nonstop service between San Diego and Honolulu, Oahu. In March, a second daily flight from Los Angeles to Kahului, Maui will commence. Tickets for the new Hawaii routes are available now for purchase. For more information, visit Delta.com

Why women can't ski jump in the Winter Olympics

2009-11-10T13:24:00.000+08:00

Lake Placid, N.Y.; and Boston - Unless a Canadian court decides otherwise, the ski jumper with the longest flight on record at Vancouver's Olympic facility will not attend the winter Games in February.

She is not allowed to compete.

Olympic ski jumping is a men's-only domain. Since the first winter Games in 1924, men have been swooping down snowy ramps at 55 m.p.h. and springing into flight – human rockets hurtling chin-first, hands thrown behind, and skis angled forward. With nothing but speed and their skis to aid them, they fly the length of a football field or farther – a feat of technical genius disguised in balletic grace.

But women can do it, too – the best often flying as far as men.
With women now included in such formerly all-male Olympic events as boxing, wrestling, bobsleigh, and luge, the last Olympic door closed to women is ski jumping.

But American ski jumper Lindsey Van – who set the record on the 90-meter jump when the Olympic venue opened in Vancouver, British Columbia, last year and is the reigning world champion – hasn't given up on prying that door open. It's a logical step for the 24-year-old, who, since age 7, has been soaring over Earth's mundane limits on what is possible.

She and more than a dozen other women jumpers from Slovenia to Norway hope to legally force the addition of women's jumping before the Games open Feb. 12. Their lawsuit against the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) contends that not allowing women to jump for gold is a form of discrimination under Canadian laws that prohibit gender discrimination in government activities.

A Canadian judge, last summer, agreed: It is discrimination.

But her ruling concluded that while VANOC is subject to those antidiscrimination laws, it can't control the events – that's the domain of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC voted in 2006 against including women's ski jumping in 2010 because it deemed there weren't enough high-level women to create competition worthy of the Olympics. Because the IOC isn't bound by Canadian law, the judge ruled, Canada is powerless to change the program.

So the jumpers' appeal asks Canada to refuse to hold the men's event unless both genders can compete.

When the appeal is heard Nov. 12 and 13, it will highlight not just women's battle to wipe out the last vestige of an old-boys-club Olympic culture, but also competing demands on the Olympic ideal:

•Allowing athletes to pursue success on the most visible world stage.
•Broadening the appeal of the Games among Gen-Xers interested in more extreme sports while keeping costs manageable.
•Satisfying TV, a key sponsor.

"IT'S A TEXTBOOK CASE OF DISCRIMINATION," says Anita DeFrantz, chair of the IOC's Women and Sports Commission. "This group of athletes is being told that they're not good enough, that there aren't enough women in the top level.... That's never been an issue before."

The IOC defends its position as preservation of the Olympic standard, saying the top women jumpers don't deserve the same gold that is awarded to figure skaters and alpine skiers who have risen to the top of far larger fields.

But the IOC's recent record of admitting both women's events (see chart) and disciplines with weak fields – such as bobsleigh and ski cross – suggests the issue is not as clear-cut as either side asserts.

More than 80 years after men's ski jumping debuted as one of six original Olympic sports, the International Ski Federation (FIS) – which stages ski events at the Olympics – voted in 2006 to recommend women's jumping for inclusion in the 2010 Games. The federation endorsed women's ski cross over ski jumping. Neither sport fully met the IOC criteria for inclusion. The IOC only approved ski cross, which had the required two world championships but less than half as many elite women as ski jumping. Men's ski jumping doesn't meet the criteria either, but was grandfathered in. Compounding suspicions of gender discrimination was the fact that FIS president Gian Franco Kasper told National Public Radio in 2005 that jumping was too dangerous for women, that it "seems to be not appropriate for the ladies from a medical point of view."

But Walter Sieber, a Canadian member of the IOC division that recommended not to include women's ski jumping in the 2010 Games, denies that the decision had anything to do with gender – pointing to the IOC's decision this year to include women's boxing as evidence of the IOC's true colors.

While he admits that the top women jumpers are very competitive, he maintains that there aren't enough competitors at that level to warrant an Olympic sport.

The 2009 World Championships results support that view: The women's field of 36 had a 20-point gap between top competitors and weaker ones, while the men's field of 50 competitors finished closer together.

THE BOTTOM LINE, claim both those alleging and denying sex discrimination, is the hard fact that the multibillion-dollar Olympic machine is subject to the rising pressure of commercialism.

"What matters to the IOC is: Will the event sell tickets, will it sell TV time, is it popular?" asserts Jacqueline Hansen, a runner who was a member of the lobby that won a place for the women's marathon in the 1984 Olympics.

Since then, the sway of TV has become so great that Michael Phelps swam at 6 a.m. in Beijing – prime time in the US. TV may well have played into the IOC's decision to approve women's ski cross events for the 2010 games. A sort of motocross on snow, the sport is a variation on snowboard cross – an event introduced in the 2006 Torino Games that was a hit with NBC, which paid $1.5 billion for TV rights there and in Beijing.

Olympic officials do consider TV appeal in deciding on sports, confirms Mr. Sieber. In the era of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, in the 1990s, he says, the emphasis was "to have many sports involved," but the expanding Games became unwieldy for organizers. In the current era, the bar for new events is higher – they must be "good for TV" and "an addition that enhances the program."

AMERICAN SKI JUMPER JESSICA JEROME, fresh from winning the US Nationals in Lake Placid, N.Y., last month, says she understands the commercial pressures on the IOC: "The Olympics for so long has been what Mom and Dad sit down to watch while the kids are out skateboarding or snowboarding – doing these things that are radical and rebellious."

But while she acknowledges that X-Games sports will increase viewership and revenue – benefiting all Olympic sports, ski jumping is no less daring. "I think it's one of the most ex-treme sports ... it's got that dangerous element, but it's also got that beautiful, elegant thing to it," she says.

BUT WHILE THE WOMEN jumpers recognize the need to grow the sport, they say they face discrimination at every level – a point supported by a 2009 book by Western European sports scholars, "Sport and Gender Matters in Western Countries."

"Barred from serious competition for decades because jumping was not deemed appropriate for females, women ski jumpers have not been able to establish the appropriate experience in international level training and competition and to gain the type of 'technical merit' required...." concluded a chapter on ski jumping that also notes women were jumping as early as the 1920s.

"Jumping is a very traditional European old-men type of sport. They think that women will take away the extremeness of it," says Ms. Jerome,
Women jumpers got their first international circuit in 2004, and were allowed to compete at world championships for the first time last year. But in a sport in which the best European men are treated like rock stars and pocket roughly $10,000 per win, the women are only allowed to compete on a secondary circuit that awards winners $500. And, says Ms. Jerome, women are treated very differently. She and her teammates have eaten meals with barn cats jumping on the table and slept above livestock stalls in lodging arranged by competition organizers.

Even after Ms. Van won world championships last year, the US Ski Team – facing an 18 percent budget cut – dropped all funding for women's jumping, and men's, too.

THE BRITISH COLUMBIA Court of Appeal must now decide whether VANOC should refuse to hold men's ski jumping unless women are allowed to compete.
VANOC attorney George McIntosh argued before Judge Lauri Ann Fenlon that as host, VANOC implements, but can't control, the Olympic program. And while she ultimately found in VANOC's favor, she put his argument into stark relief when she asked Mr. McIntosh if VANOC would plead the same point if blacks weren't allowed to compete in the Vancouver Olympics. His answer, after an awkward silence, was yes.

VANOC has encouraged the IOC to include women's ski jumping, and if that happened, officials say, the Vancouver machine would be able to accommodate the women.

Without that action at the IOC level, however, no one is sure what to expect if the court upholds the women's appeal.

"It's unprecedented," says McIntosh, who half jokes that to enforce such a ruling, "[The VANOC chief] would have to be standing at the top of the jump with a bayonet."

At the limit: extreme mountain biking

2008-05-12T14:05:00.000+08:00

Last week a lone rider was chased by a cougar as he rode the big descent from the top forest,” announces the mountain bike guide with a smile.

It turns out the lucky mountain biker outran the predatory big cat – which silently stalks its prey before striking from behind – by hammering flat-out down a long, tricky, rocky descent.
Sorry – cougar? Chased? I knew that riding this epic, handmade trail in deepest, darkest Whistler in British Columbia, Canada, was going to be a tough mountain-bike mission, but dodging cougars wasn’t part of the deal.

As full-suspension bikes – those with suspension at the front and rear, capable of handling the toughest terrain – become the norm, extreme cross-country (XC) mountain biking that pushes bike and rider further than ever has never been more popular.

In Britain a new generation of man-made trails, built by enthusiasts to provide more challenging routes, has sprung up in the mountains of Scotland and Wales, while the Witch’s Trails in Fort William, near Ben Nevis, are about the toughest you will find. However, even these pale into insignificance when seen against the trail I am about to plummet down.

Known as Comfortably Numb, this is one of the toughest slices of man-made XC track in the world. Unlike straight downhill mountain biking, XC requires the rider to go up as well as down, and is far more technically challenging.

Comfortably Numb starts at 2,067ft then rises to 3,323ft at the highest point before dropping back to 2,346ft at the finish. The whole ride covers 15 miles and along the way riders must negotiate near-vertical rocky drops, cross mountain streams and weave between giant trees through the forest section.

It has been rated by the Canadians as a “black diamond” XC trail (the toughest grade there is) and is super-technical from start to finish. Section after section requires 90-100% of effort to haul your way over huge roots and up steep rocky trails as you try to wind your way up and clatter back down the mountain.

You need to allow between four to eight hours to complete it – four hours for ultra-fit pro XC racers, six to eight hours for strong and experienced endurance mountain bikers.

The trail was hewn out of the mountain by Chris Markle, a local legend who set about building it with spades, axes and a chainsaw. Because there’s no access for JCB diggers every part had to be crafted by hand, cutting trees that have fallen naturally to make wooden pathways to negotiate boggy patches or water crossings.

“It was my real labour of love,” Markle says. “It took me six years to design and construct. I was totally on my own for five years, with a little aid and funding from the municipality during the last year. I tried camping out along the trail for a week at a time to save myself the daily commute until one of our too-friendly local black bears appeared.”

First cougars, and now bears? This trail was turning into an extreme sports safari.
With enough water for the day and three rounds of sandwiches (carefully wrapped so bears can’t get a whiff of them) I begin my descent.

From the start I’m faced with a super-steep trail littered with the massive roots of giant, densely packed pine trees, and rocky steps on top of a soft, loamy single track. It goes on and up, and on and up.

However hard I pedal I can’t maintain any momentum. Even the smoothish bridleway section is brutally steep. Just when I thought we could have a breather at the top of the first big climb, I’m faced with a narrow wooden bridge over a river that’s raging like a horizontal waterfall. This is the trail’s largest structure, the 70ft long, 70ft high El Presidente bridge over Wedge Creek.

My two guides, Jonny Lloyd and Mark Knight, are race fit but I’m struggling, puffing and sweating. Then I fall off. A near-vertical descent appears from nowhere, and seeing only big rocks and painful landings, I foolishly dab the brakes and my bike spits me over the front wheel, fortunately injuring only my pride.

I have a quiet word with myself. I relax. Slowly but surely I start to get a feel for the trail. The trick is to put effort in where necessary; muscling up the steep bits, “pumping” my full-suspension bike through the easier undulations, taking a breather on descents, all the while enjoying the silence and fresh smell of the green Canadian forest. And ignoring any thoughts of cougars.

We delve deeper into the forest and out of mobile phone reception for the next six miles. “Not that there are any roads in or out or anywhere for helicopters to land even if we did get a call through,” says Knight cheerfully. Now we really are alone. I remind myself to ride smart.

Two, three, four hours pass as the miles tick by slowly. If we aren’t going up steep technical sections, we’re coming down them. There are no flat, easy sections. We stop for sandwiches and sup on water, watching each other’s backs for hungry wildlife.

I now know where “nowhere” is, because I’m in the middle of it, deep in the centre of an ancient, green, mossy forest surrounded by trees reaching up to block out the sky.

We saddle up and plod onwards. I churn my way up, down and around the wiggly trail. I sense danger and feel like I’m being watched. Whenever I hear a twig crack, I look over my shoulder, half expecting to see a furry feline, fangs out, about to attack.

After five hours we reach the halfway sign. “It gets easier and faster from here. We’re halfway distance-wise, but two-thirds time-wise,” says Knight grinning. Then he points out some cougar waste on the side of the trail, with bones in it. I munch on another energy bar, grit my teeth and carry on.

It does get easier, but then this mother of all mountain-bike missions couldn’t get any tougher. My pace quickens and I even start smiling. After six sweaty hours we eventually reach the “highest point” sign and I know the final downhill fun has arrived.

I excitedly chase the two guides down the mountain as they leave a trail of dust in their wake. We’re all shouting and whooping as we ride down the descent to where the cougar tried to attack a rider – to scare rather than surprise them.

I enjoy the feeling of gravity pulling me over the big rocks that line the way. It’s steep, scary and fast, but it beats pedalling, so I lay off the brakes, hang off the back of my bike and attempt to avoid near death. Speed is my friend now as I try to stay loose to let it guide me safely over the top of the jagged terrain.

We reach the bottom and the end of the trail near Whistler village with throbbing, aching limbs. After nearly seven hours of full-on riding, Lloyd is distant and quiet, and Knight is nursing a sore wrist and bruised chest after crashing on the final descent.

I’m so broken I don’t know how or what I feel. I’m exhausted but I don’t feel in pain nor about to collapse. I feel empty. I guess I really have become Comfortably Numb.

The following week a cougar was shot dead on the trail.

Go, creased lightning!

2008-04-08T18:39:00.000+08:00

Australia has called for extreme ironing to become an Olympic sport after a group of 72 Aussie scuba divers broke the world record for ironing underwater last week.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is believed to be working feverishly behind the scenes, using all his Beijing contacts as he lobbies the Chinese Government to knock up a Stadium of Steam in time for the Games' opening on August 8.

The Prime Minister's office says it's proof that the Australian Government is not afraid to get tough with the Asian superpower. Besides, Kev knows how to say "pretty please" in Mandarin.
Asked if he would be mentioning Tibet during his talks with the Chinese Government, a source close to the PM said: "Why? Are they good at extreme ironing too?"
Analysts say Rudd bypassed the International Olympic Committee on the grounds that it is even more scared of China than we are.

The 72 Aussie extreme ironers beat the previous mark of 70 and are seeking entry into the Guinness World Records book after completing their feat at a depth of three metres.
High winds in Melbourne during the week meant the ironed clothes also set a record for drip-drying. Guinness statisticians are trying to track down the garments, which were last seen flying over Ballarat.

The irons' electrical cords were removed for the world record attempt. Fundamentalist group the Wrinkles Liberation Front say this takes the "extreme" out of "extreme ironing" and has declared a jihad, calling on devout extreme ironers to track down the Melbourne 72 and spray them with a steam jet turned up to six. Rival group the Wrinkles Liberation Army says it should be turned up to seven.

"We had a few fish going by and a stingray. It was great," said event organiser Debbie Azzopardi, who is expected to carry the Australian flag - and iron it at the same time - at the opening ceremony in Beijing.

Storm-chasing, base-jumping and ice-climbing have become old hat as ironing has grabbed the extreme sports community by the lapels and given it a good shake to get the creases out.
Governing body the Extreme Ironing Bureau says on its website,

http://www.extremeironing.com, that the sport dates back to 1997 and the English city of Leicester. Pioneer Phil Shaw was faced with a choice between a basket of ironing and an evening pursuing his hobby of rock climbing when inspiration struck: he decided to combine the two.

Eleven years on, the world is in the grip of extreme ironing mania. Hecklers even shouted "iron my shirt" at Hillary Clinton during a recent campaign speech in New Hampshire. Assumed to be sexist agitators, the men were in fact attempting to break new ground in the world of extreme ironing by having the first shirt ironed on a Democratic hustings.

Sources close to the Clinton camp say she is a fan of the sport and would have acquiesced had the men said "please".

Hollywood too has embraced the craze - and taken it one step further. George Clooney said as much in Esquire magazine last month. Denying that he had undergone surgery to remove eye wrinkles, the Oscar-winning actor said: "I did get my balls done, though. I got them unwrinkled. It's the new thing in Hollywood - ball ironing."

Should Clooney make it to Beijing, his chosen discipline would be one of the highlights of the Games, though it would be screened only on specialty pay-per-view channels.

As the Australian Institute of Sport prepares to launch its extreme ironing program, critics say our desperation for medals is embarrassing. While the rest of the world enjoys extreme ironing as a bit of fun, we would be the only nation to invest millions in it and treat it as a real competitive sport. Just like swimming.

However, extreme ironing may be Australia's only chance to win gold in Beijing because all our swimmers are expected to be in jail for assault, firearms offences or impersonating a police officer in fishnet stockings.

In fact, swimming has started to appear so dangerous that it may be shunted off to the extreme X Games alongside skateboarding and freestyle BMX. Competitors would do a couple of laps then get out of the pool, stand at a bar and try to avoid being shot in the foot by Kieren Perkins wielding an air pistol. It makes extreme ironing look like a game for wusses.
>In other news

CONSERVATIONISTS have warned of the imminent extinction of a creature once found in vast numbers worldwide: the climate sceptic.

The news last week that a UK study had found almost no correlation between cosmic rays, solar activity and the Earth's temperature may have destroyed the sceptics' last piece of habitat.
A World Wildlife Fund campaign, Save the Sceptic, will be launched in an attempt to stop this bizarre, often colourful creature going the way of the dodo and the Tasmanian tiger.

Outdoor screenings of the sceptics' favourite TV show, The Great Climate Change Swindle, will be held to try to lure them into the open so they might be captured for their own preservation, though zoos have promised to stop short of trying to mate them in captivity.
swebster@fastmail.com.auSource: The Sun-Herald

Bennett takes big lead in BMX standings

2008-03-17T20:43:00.000+08:00

By ANDY KENT
Special to The Palm Beach Post
Saturday, March 15, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH — When the BMX track at Okeeheelee Park first opened two decades ago, having it mentioned in the same breath as the Olympics was just a pipe dream.
In 1988, the sport of Bike Moto Cross racing was seen as an extreme sport, and certainly not fit for the Olympic Games.

But on Saturday evening, racers looking to land a spot on America's first Olympic BMX team that will compete in this summer's 2008 Beijing Games brought attention to the venue just east of Florida's Turnpike.

As the crowd filed out near sunset and the racers began breaking down their bikes, the weekend results confirmed what has been known for months: world champion Kyle Bennett is in complete control of his Olympic hopes. He left Okeeheelee with a huge lead in the men's Olympic points standings, and Jill Kintner, Amanda Geving and Arielle Martin remained closely bunched in the race for the automatic women's Olympic berth.

As many as three men and two women can qualify for the U.S. Olympic BMX team, but the final determination on the official roster won't be made until the USA Cycling selection procedure ends in mid-June.

The second and final day of qualifying drew competitors from around the world for the International Cycling Union event sanctioned by the National Bicycle League.

"We don't make money from this, but that's not what it's about," said Robin Brow, Okeeheelee track president. "It's about the honor and prestige to have this type of a race at your facility, and the elite who race rank our track among the top three in the world, so they were pressing to have it here."

What has made this weekend an even bigger challenge is the fact that the Olympic qualifier was run at the same time as the NBL Gatornationals, so some creative scheduling was needed. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the NBL preliminaries, quarterfinals and semifinals were run consecutively under the hot sun, with the finals set for Sunday morning at 8.

Bob Tedesco, managing director of the NBL, is one of the principal people behind making BMX's vision of becoming an Olympic sport a reality. He said the success of snowboarding at the Winter Olympics has helped pave the way for BMX racing as an Olympic sport.

"When the world sees a BMXer with a medal around his neck, this sport is just going to go through the roof," Tedasco said.

Wakeboarding in Cam Sur

2007-10-12T15:41:00.000+08:00

Ronald James P. Panis, Staff Reporter, Oct 10, 2007

CAMARINES SUR — One word best describes the Provincial Capitol Complex in Cadlan, Pili at first: rustic.

Five minutes away by car or tricycle from the National Highway, it’s accessible via a wide, solitary road flanked by fields of green that stretches to kiss the sky in the horizon. Breaking its monotonous surrounding are occasional houses and a flurry of tricycles zipping by.

Visitors to the capitol are welcomed by well-manicured lawns, stone sculptures, and a huge building that resembles a mansion or villa.This sprawling complex is home to diverse flora.

As you stay around longer, you realize the Camarines Sur Provincial Capitol Complex is anything but rustic.

EXTREME MAKEOVER
Home to extreme sports, Camarines Sur is hosting the international wakeboarding festival. Professional wakeboarders, aficionados and amateurs from all over the world are touting the nearly two-year-old Provincial Capitol’s CamSur Watersports Complex or CWC as the latest and hottest place to be to enjoy this wet sport.

And these enthusiasts from all over the world go on a pilgrimage to this pristine province with tiny airport and a small runway, its residents
not generally aware of what wakeboarding is about.

“(The CWC) is Governor Luis Raymundo ‘L-Ray’ F. Villafuerte Jr.’s vision,” said Anna Marie Saenz, operations manager of the CWC. “Wakeboarding is something that Gov. Villafuerte is into. He likes the sport; it’s one of his hobbies and has researched about it a lot. And it is because he has a great passion for this sport that (the site) works.”

Making this six-hectare wake park a cut above the rest is its German-made six-point cable ski system that runs counter clockwise across the man-made lake. This cable system pulls the wakeboarder across an artificial body of water and over its ramps. The cable has speeds ranging from 20 km/h to 65 km/h.
Bolstering that are the world-class gear and equipment available and at reasonable rentals, Saenz said Villafuerte made sure the sport remains affordable especially to Bicolanos.

“He doesn’t want the idea of wakeboarding to become a sport of the rich (here),” she explained. “Villafuerte wants everyone (in Bicol) – from all walks of life – to realize that they can (easily go wakeboarding here).”

And with Bicol’s mostly sunny skies, breezy weather, and unfettered view of Mt. Isarog, utmost enjoyment is easily assured.

SUN-SOAKED, FUN-FILLED
Initially for wakeboarding, the CWC is also good for wakeskating, water skiing and kneeboarding, which is recommended for water sports beginners. Since wakeboarding is an extreme sport, Saenz pointed out that they put complete priority over one’s safety for both professionals and newbies.

Beginners are given brief but thorough lessons, reminders and restrictions (from using the obstacle courses), while trainers and lifeguards are stationed nearby.
“Foreigners find it amusing that of the cable parks in the world, we have lifeguards,” Saenz shared, noting how they also have a shuttle service for those who fall off on the other side of the lake, saving them from a half hour walk back to the dock.

A little farther is the clubhouse, known for its superb dishes. Along with the spa pavilions, the clubhouse offers a respite from the water and serves games of billiards and foosball. The club is also Internet accessible.

The CWC has an assortment of accommodations offering reasonable rates. Lodging is anywhere from the Villa del Ray Cabanas, to the luxury villas, to the complex’s Mansion Suites – all equipped with the essential amenities. A boat lake is expected to be completed in 2008.

INTERNATIONALLY THAN LOCALLY
Saenz said the number of visitors continues to grow and has become popular for conventions, parties, launches and even wedding receptions. An Austrian wakeboarding couple tied the knot here recently.

However, the bulk of the CWC visitors remain foreigners, mostly Europeans, getting away from the harsh winter. “We are still probably more well known internationally than locally,” Saenz observed.

Saenz mainly attributed this to the success of their promotional/instructional DVD documentary, “Statement” which was shot in CWC and distributed internationally. By word of mouth as well, since wakeboarders are a closely-knit family, CWC continues to reap fame in foreign lands.

Another major reason as well, she added, is that foreigners choose CWC to practice for upcoming competitions. Three major competitions are currently booked in the CWC – one of which is the 2nd National Wakeboarding Competition, scheduled at the end of this month. By July next year, CWC will be host to the 2008 Wake Park World Championships which is an international event in cooperation with the World Wakeboard Association (WWA) and the Asian Wakeboard Association (AWA). Saenz hinted that the governor wanted competitions like this as a “yearly” spectacle.

Recently, a beauty product company held its promo party here, with celebrities. Actor and wakeboarder Aga Muhlach even threw a birthday bash here, along with wife Charlene Gonzalez and other stars. Even local politicians like Sen. Loren Legarda and former Sen. Ralph Recto also tried this water sport.

“At the moment, CWC (has become) the startoff point where guests realize that ‘wow, there’s more to Bicol!” Saenz said.

All the more reason to Come South, Cam Sur.

Apache Land Appaloosa Club to hold Extreme Trail Trials Oct. 27

2007-10-07T18:54:00.000+08:00

Apache Land Appaloosa Club will hold its Extreme Trail Trials Event on Saturday, Oct. 27. This is a challenging and fun event where horse and rider are judged on their relationship, skills, and precision as they negotiate such obstacles as a water crossing, steep climb, dragging a log and more on a working ranch in Benson.

Halloween costumes are encouraged for rider and horse! Cash prizes of $200, $100, and $50 will be awarded, plus additional payout for top youth and adult on an Appaloosa. All breeds are welcome. Check out some photos on the club's website at www.apachelandappaloosaclub.com.

Skiing to the extreme

2007-09-25T17:54:00.000+08:00

As for extreme skiers a bad day in the office can turn out really, really bad.
Luckily for 40 of the country's top extreme skiers and snowboarders at the Nokia sponsored Xtreme Ski and Snowboard Championships at Mt Ruapehu a day in the office went according to plan.

Heats were held this week under the Policeman's, with skiers descending a near-vertical line opposite the Waterfall chairlift. Contestants did their best to pick the quickest, though not the safest, route to the bottom. Finals will be held this weekend further up the valley under the Pinnacles, where the descent is steeper.

The four-day event has attracted $50,000 in prizes for contestants from the United States and Australia as well as New Zealand.

Extreme, or free skiing, is becoming more popular, event co- ordinator Ruapehu Alpine lift assistant marketing co-ordinator Shannon Clement says, as more skiers and snowboarders are looking to test themselves.

Geoff Small, of Ohakune, has been freeskiing for the past 12 years semi-professionally. Small, the New Zealand Freeski Association president, is past national and North American freeski champion.

Mt Ruapehu is ideal for extreme skiing competitions, he says. The snow conditions and terrain are challenging and change from day to day.

And unlike many ski areas overseas spectators have a good view of the contestants.

"It's getting more popular because there is the freedom to express yourself. Extreme skiing brings together all the best elements of skiing and combines it into one. It's the ultimate, it's skiing in its purest form."

Injuries happened, but no more than in contact sports, he said.

On Wednesday Ruapehu-based extreme skier Tim Hegarty broke his leg and pelvis practising for this weekend's event. Former national champion Hamish Acland will also not compete because of injury.

In 12 years of competing Small said he had only suffered from torn knee ligaments. "But when you have a bad day at the office, it can go really, really bad."

Skiers and snowboarders are awarded points by judges on difficulty of line, control, fluidity, technique and aggression.

Extreme skier and and Ruapehu Alpine Lifts ski instructor Lyall Crump said points were earned by skiers who chose the steepest and hardest way down the slope.

Extreme Sports taking off in Cuba

2007-09-18T18:43:00.000+08:00

Great rejoicing, applauses, whistles and screams led the driver the exact place of the competition: Havana’s Metro Park. Despite the unrelenting summer sun, and the less than top-quality grandstands, hundreds of young people surround a trail on which a variety of obstacles are scattered.

Though the contest should have begun earlier, participants eagerly awaited several pieces of audio equipment – that never arrived. Nonetheless, they decided to start. At 12:20 p.m., young Miguel Domínguez Mesa, one of the organizers, began to read the lists of competitors and rules for each discipline.

“Skaters will compete first; then will come skateboarders, and bikers will compete at the end. Those who classify today will move on to the final round, which will be held tomorrow, when we will select the winner of each speciality,” shouts Domínguez. Then, he calls the first competitor.
For more than four hours, dozens of young people show off their most well-honed skills and techniques in the practice of extreme sports. They perform unimaginable acrobatics with their inline skates, skating boards and bicycles.

Using their skates and skateboards, they went from one side to the other in a tube, went up and down of a little ramp and performed pirouettes in the air, showing the wheels of their skates and bicycles to the public.

This last discipline was the most liked by the spectators. There were “suicidal” competitors such as Dani Daniel Hernández, who on three different occasions tried to perform a death threatening spin on his bike, and ended up on the ground three times.

Other young athletes made the public gaze with open mouths and with their hands on their head due to the complexity of their tricks. The contestants proved that to practice this sport one needs a high dose of courage and creativity – but especially lots of adrenaline.
We could see that the practice of extreme sports is trying once again to gain a place among fans, of whom there are many and are grateful for the exhibition

The first examples of extreme sports appeared in the United States in the 20th century. At least, that’s the case of extremes sports with bicycles, skates, skateboards and boards.

In 1963, an American, Al Fritz, the director of a bicycle factory, was told that there was not a single bike left in stores in Los Angeles. Young people had bought them all out. They modernized them with long banana seats and cruised the streets trying to perform the same pirouettes as their motocross idols. They made the most of open ground, construction areas, or whatever place was available to perform abrupt jumps and manoeuvres.

The boom of this type of bicycle induced the Fritz’ factory modernize its production, which resulted in increased profits. The fad crossed the ocean going from the United States to Europe and then to Latin America in the 1980s.

In Cuba, the first practices of those sports began in the end of the 1980s, according to publications of that time. In 1988 some young people in the capital began to practice extreme sports with skateboards, rollerblades and BMX bikes.

“Skateboarding is a recreational sport barely known in Cuba, but already has a number of followers among young people,” published the Cuban magazine Somos Jovenes in 1988. From that time up to five years ago, the practices were not largely developed until the national management of Cuba’s National Institute of Sports and Recreation (INDER by its abbreviation in Spanish) began to organize and assist the practice of these disciplines, although support is still lacking.

What is missing...

Young Che Alejandro has been skateboarding for almost 25 years. He began when he was 10. Now, due to all his injuries and the condition of his knees, he cannot do it as often as he used to. Therefore, he ahs become one of the most passionate promoters of this sport in Cuba.

“There are difficulties that prevent us for developing these sports. The support of the INDER is still insufficient and buying the means to practice it is very difficult,” he says.

The limited availability of places to practice is another problem faced by the young people interested in extreme sports.

Will vs. the Way

“The practice of these sports is very expensive worldwide. The equipment and the places to practice are very expensive. Cuba has been trying in the last few years to develop this activity, but we have to prioritize the development of sports and activities on which we are already a power,” explains Fidel Bonilla, head of the National Direction of Recreation in INDER.

“We’ve achieved some advances, but we acknowledge that the economic support given to these activities is not enough. This situation will change when we have more financial possibilities. Right now, what we have on our side is tons of will and disposition to assist those young people with everything we can,” Bonilla says.

But there have been some moves towards the practice of these sports. A number of national competitions have been organized and there are more than 3,000 people practicing it systematically.

“We are getting some equipment through donations, but the idea is that they can be manufactured but the Cuban sport industry in the future. A plan has also been approved to build an open area in the capital following the international standards,” Bonilla said.
What cannot be denied, however, is the great reception of these sports by thousands of amateurs and sportspeople in Cuba, as well as the institutional disposition to develop them – despite economic difficulties. With both ingredients, we should not be amazed if in the next five years Cuba will see international champions in extreme sports.

Top Extreme athletes of the world train with concept2

2007-09-16T22:53:00.000+08:00

(PRLEAP.COM) September 12, 2007, Burlington, VT - Some of the world’s top extreme athletes have a secret weapon: their Concept2 Indoor Rowers.

Travis Pastrana, the first freestyle Motocross athlete to perform a double back-flip in competition, has offered his friends and fellow riders $1,000 if they can beat him in a 500-meter indoor rowing race. So far, no one has.

Ricky Carmichael, the most celebrated and successful Motocross racer in the sport’s history, has used the Concept2 rower for years to stay in optimal shape. Carmichael recently capped off his storied career with a MotoX Gold at this year’s X Games in Los Angeles, CA.

Top Motocross training facilities, such as Millsaps Training Facility in Cairo, GA and Xtreme Team Green in Pilot Point, TX, include the Concept2 rower in the training room.

But Motocross champs aren�t the only ones using Concept2 to get a leg up on the competition. Chuck "Iceman" Liddell, the Ultimate Fighting Championship contestant, admits that his Concept2 rower is the one thing in the world he fears. A major portion of Liddell’s training regimen is an exercise he calls R+R: he rows on his Concept2, then wrestles with his opponents�after that he gets back on the rower for more. It�s the perfect way for Liddell to prepare for the intensity of the fighting ring.

While Motocross and Ultimate Fighting are vastly different sports, they both require strength and agility. That�s why rowing is the perfect training solution. It builds strength rather than bulk, allowing you to stay limber and ready for any challenge. Athletes are calling this fitness trend "weight-based progressive workouts," and Concept2 is at the center of the action.

"Indoor rowing is a true full-body workout that pushes your strength and cardio endurance with every stroke," says the company�s co-founder, Dick Dreissigacker. "Our state-of-the-art Performance Monitor tells you exactly how hard and fast you�re rowing that very second."

To gain an extreme athlete’s fitness edge, get started with Concept2. The company offers two indoor rowers - the Model D and the Model E - available through its web site, www.concept2.com, and at most health clubs around the world.

Extreme play

2007-09-09T19:25:00.000+08:00

Team Girl On Girl, above, from Fremont battles team Dark Image from Tulare, in a move called "off the break" at the start of a seven-minute paintball competition.

The Xtreme Paintball Sports League tournament takes place over three days at the Regional Sports Complex in southwest Fresno with more than 100 seven-person teams competing from across the nation.

A Dark Image team member, left, positions himself behind a bunker and returns fire with his marker, while he is being fired at. In paintball, the gun is called a marker. The paintball must break and leave a mark for the hit to count.

A referee, below, crawls on the ground to keep a close eye on the match between the two teams. Team Dark Image won this preliminary match. Dark Image team members are photographed behind the bunkers.

The tournament features four divisions. The object of each team is to eliminate the opposing team and capture its flag in just seven minutes.

Paragliding: On a wing and a prayer

2007-09-03T12:33:00.000+08:00

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Malang, East Java

For Malang lawyer Sunu Setyonugroho, who has a deep and irrational fear of heights, there's only one cure.

He goes halfway up Mount Banyak at Songgoriti, Batu, East Java. He stands 1,300 meters above sea level, quivering on the edge of a sheer drop, far above a lovely patchwork landscape of tilled fields and ocher-roofed hamlets.

Then he runs and jumps.

Don't try this unless you're attached to a filigree of hair-thin cables connected to an airfoil, a long billowing pillow of polyester called a wing. It's also useful to have a good understanding of air currents, weather patterns, thermals and cold fronts.

Useful? Wrong word. Essential? Absolutely.

Then you can just sit back in your harness on Cloud Nine for an hour or more, salivate over the view and contemplate the majesty of the universe as you pity the ant-people busy hundreds of meters below.

The only noise is the air slipping through the wing that you can steer with a gentle tug on the cables.

Eventually we all have to come down to earth. If you're really skilled and don't get caught by a sudden gust, you can glide precisely into the center of a 10-meter diameter circle at the landing field.

If you're not then you can vanish into a patch of high-stalk corn or tumble into an irrigation ditch.

Only a couple of contestants at the Batu Open Paragliding international event staged in late July came a cropper. These mishaps garnered giggles, though no one sought the farmers' opinions.

Most pilots, like the Malaysian team of five -- including two women, for this is a unisex sport -- managed to get impressively close to the target.

They neatly dodged the onlookers who cluttered the field, indifferent to the possibility of getting a head kicking by a pilot coming in too fast.

Although the paragliders seem serious about safety, wearing all the right protective gear so they look like First World War bi-plane fighter pilots, it's the adrenalin rush that keeps the contestants coming.

Retired Malaysian commando Basit Bin Abdul Rahman, 56, can no longer get his kicks from a Kalashnikov so he wanders the world looking for the best launch spots.

"Peninsular Malaysia is too flat and there are too many trees in Sarawak," he said. "I've paraglided in South Korea and Taiwan and at Lake Toba in Sumatra, but this site in Batu is very good.

"If not careful, paragliding can be dangerous. But if you're mentally and physically fit and know what you're doing, then it gives great peace of mind. You can forget your problems up there."

Individualists, brought together

At 13 Nur S B Sahar seemed too young to have problems, but being a teenager has its own traumas. She also said paragliding helped her to get a better perspective on the world, both literally and metaphorically.

"I crashed once coming in to land and bruised my leg," she said. "My parents support me, but worry and urge me to be careful. This is my third competition."

Paragliding looks elite because you can spend around Rp 20 million (US$2,200) or more on the gear. Then come the training expenses, for this activity is well regulated; you can't just fling yourself into the yonder unless you intend making an exit statement.

Radio contact with the support staff who control the field has to be maintained. It costs around Rp 200,000 a session to fly tandem with an instructor. Allow 10 days for training to a basic proficiency level.

In Batu, the local government has been smart enough to realize the tourist potential of their topography. The 3,000 square meter landing field, the paved road to the jump site and a shelter have all been paid for by the city administration.

Like nature and a vacuum, bureaucrats abhor silence. This led them to install a huge sound system at the event, blasting totally forgettable "music" across the landscape. They couldn't understand that paragliders are nature lovers seeking to be at one with the environment.

On the positive side, a dozen little lads had been trained to expertly fold the wings for Rp 1,000 each, leaving contestants free to unzip, unwind and find their feet.

Although the winged ones from across the world who come to Mount Banyak are high-fliers, that doesn't mean they're big-spenders. At night they prefer to bunk down in low-budget hotels where they can swap yarns about up-draughts and down winds.

There's a camaraderie about paragliding that brings disparate folk together. Like serious surfers, they tend to be individualists, mostly professionals, in search of a special and exhilarating experience.

They travel with a purpose and like to test themselves. When they're really in their element, their souls also soar.

In the air they are all grace; on the ground with a 15-kilogram wing packed on their back they look like biped turtles. With a GPS (global positioning system) in their pocket they know where they are by latitude and longitude, rather than through political geography. Add a passport and credit card and the quest for freedom is under way.

Dwi Rubingi discovered paragliding in 1999 when he worked in New Zealand where extreme sports are popular. When he returned to East Java he had enough money to build a motel close to Mount Banyak, hoping paragliders would drop in.

"This is a great site because you can go out almost every day," he said. "In NZ we could fly on only three months every year.

"Wind speeds are checked before taking off. If it gets stronger than 20 kilometers an hour you could find yourself going backwards.

"The best paragliders tend to be the French, though the Chinese are also very good. In places without high mountains paragliders add lightweight motor-driven propellers to their gear to the distress of the purists.

"The world record of covering 426 kilometers was achieved in South Africa. (The Indonesian straight distance record is 44.5 kilometers, set in Wonogiri, Central Java.)

"The sport is probably most developed in South Korea where much of the gear is now made using new high-tech materials."

The 30-square meter crescent-shaped wings aren't parachutes. On the leading edge is a honeycomb of cells that fill with air and provide the lift.

Anything less than 20 kilometers an hour and you could stall, anything more than 60 and you're really moving. The safest maximum height is 3,000 meters, though going higher and faster is part of the game.

Finally, what about our vertigo-challenged lawyer who introduced this story? Sunu says he has no problems paragliding but still doesn't like standing on the edge of high buildings.

Well, not without his wing.

Energy is building for East Coast Surfing Championships

2007-08-28T09:47:00.000+08:00

The East Coast Surfing Championships and Beach Sports Festival return for a 45th year, bringing an extended weekend of sun-drenched festivities to 11 blocks along the Boardwalk. JOHN STREITT

All is relatively quiet at the Oceanfront now, but that will change Wednesday.

Beach chairs, sunbathers and umbrellas will make way for contest scaffolding, spon sor tents and a soundstage. Joggers and beach cruisers will yield to 5K runners, triathlon athletes, professional volleyball players and extreme sports daredevils.

The East Coast Surfing Championships and Beach Sports Festival return for a 45th year, b ringing an extended weekend of sun-drenched festivities to 11 blocks along the Boardwalk. The action, starting at First Street, runs through Aug. 26.

Event director Myron Nahra said a visit to this year's ECSC will take a "day at the beach" to another level.

"That's why we like to call it a sports festival," Nahra said of the Virginia Beach Jaycees-produced event. "There's something for everyone in the family."

Although ancillary events such as concerts, the Pro/Am volleyball tournament and the swimsuit competition make ECSC an all-around beach festival, surfing is still at the event's core.

Nearly 250 professional surfer s will hit t he waves at the First Street jetty for the Association of Surfing Professionals's two-star World Qualifying Series even t, which features $40,000 in winn ings.

Headlining the professional field of this year's ECSC are Brazilians Jadson Andre and Miguel Pupo. Neither have cr acked the top 200 in WQS ratings. But ECSC surf director Paul West said these rising junior shredders have the potential to become world champions within the next five years.

BMX Games Are Fast And Furious

2007-07-30T15:06:00.000+08:00

When it comes to all the rage extreme sports in our time, it has to be BMX games. It is one of the toughest form of cycling, no wonder it is next to some of the other extreme sports like skateboarding and sport bike stunting. As for the bicycles, they are so designed to counter the extremity of this particular sport. Going to some of the details you will find that these bikes normally have two, 20-inch wheels. And these wheels when compared to those of the conventional bikes are about 6 to 7 inches smaller whatsoever.

The frame is so poised that it attains utmost stability and resistance to say the least. BMX bikes hold some incredible features like for example, unique systems that permit an unrestricted number of 360-degree revolutions of the steering wheel.

BMX race is basically sprint cycling over a racetrack. These tracks are not the usual ones, they are specially made that stretch over 300-400 meters. They are also accompanied with a chain of jumps and bumps with banked corners called "berms". There are eight players at the most in the race where the riders compete over one lap.

With BMX Racing, you will never run short of excitement and thrill. What’s more its safety record is also good enough as regards cycling sports. Again, whatever the status of the competition race team riders must indulge in appropriate safety equipment. As goes for the fundamental requirements, you simply can’t do without a helmet, gloves, knee and not to mention elbow pads.

You must know that the format of BMX was resultant from motocross racing. These sprint races go well on the off-road single lap racetracks. The jumps and bumps plus banked and flat corners and of course a finish line in the dirt racecourse are the perfect ingredients for smashing excitement. So much so that BMX racing will now feature at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

BMX Freestyle

BMX freestyle adds a dimension to BMX biking whatsoever. In this particular race, you will neither have a track or course laid nor will you find any riders to compete with. The things you will find are the ramps build in an assortment of configurations that demands tricks and stunts on part of the rider. Furthermore, a particular time is allotted for the rider.

It is to be mentioned that the panel of judges rates the performance of each of the riders respectively. A point system is taken into consideration. The individual riders given in their level best, to satisfy the judges and earn points. This sport is all the very challenging and exciting at one fell swoop. In fact, BMX freestyle is quite a popular sport.

BMX riding is truly fascinating.

War of Wheels II coming

2007-07-29T15:04:00.000+08:00

Trinidad and Tobago’s Trevlon Hall, the only local rider to make it in the pro international circuit will be on show in the BMX freestyle segment.

Also featuring will be BMX dirt bikers Matt Beringer, Justin Inman, Paul Kintner and Fernando Sabat BMX flat biker Jesse Puente, Moto X rider Alex Flores and host and dirt builder Ryan Brennan.

The Jean Pierre Complex and venue in Plymouth, Tobago will be transformed into a dirt arena for the BMX and Moto X riders. Island Extreme Sports has also partnered with Bell Production, one of the biggest High Definition film production companies from Toronto, Canada.

They will produce “Destination X” a documentary about extreme sports and Trinidad and Tobago culture for High Definition Sports Channels in North America.

“Destination X” will also feature the culture and lifestyle of Trinidad and Tobago including Carnival.

There will also be entertainment provided by 94.1FM Boom Champions and other local forms of entertainment such as rhythm sections, steel pan and limbo dancers.

The show is being held in association with the Tobago Department of Tourism and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.

Other major sponsors include Angostura LLB, Xtra Malt, Bos Burgers, Trinidad Guardian, HitchHiker Gear, Big Boy Toys Hobbies and Dirty Trails Traveller magazine.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children, with free entry for all under the age of ten.

Extreme Pups

2007-07-28T15:02:00.000+08:00

Marina considers a canine campus and extreme sports facility near the airport

Few places exist where one can find a mix of bomb-sniffing dogs, rescue pooches, tail-wagging helpers and hurdle-jumping hounds – other than a Best-Of Animal Planet episode, that is. Perhaps even more rare: extreme sports and extreme dogs, side by side. But Marina may one day host the juxtaposition.

Joel Gambord and Martha Diehl want to bring a one-of-a-kind dog training campus to a site near the Marina Municipal Airport. Diehl pitched the proposed Institute for Canine Studies to the Marina City Council on July 17. If the doggy school gets the green light from the city, there could be acrobatic and heroic pups alongside dirt-loving daredevils: The council is also vetting whether to build a motocross and paintball facility or a golf course near the airport.

The canine campus would include the Assistance Dog Institute; the Search and Rescue Foundation, which trains dog-handler teams to find people during national disasters; and the Monterey Bay Dog Center, a venue for dog shows and classes.

Bonnie Bergin, who pioneered the service dog concept, founded the Santa Rosa-based Assistance Dog Institute. More than 30 years ago Bergin started using dogs to help people with disabilities. Now, her institute trains dogs to read flash cards and sniff out mealybugs in Napa Valley vineyards.

Another partner in the doggy college proposal is Pups for Peace. The group flies pooches and handlers to Israel to learn how to detect suicide bombers. In a partnership with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, the nonprofit recently trained eight California law enforcement officers and their dogs to foil terrorist attacks.

Gambord has his sights on a 31-acre parcel along Blanco Road near the intersection of Reservation Road. The land is part of a 64-acre area that the city has zoned for an industrial business park. Gambord has a site plan and renderings, and has also offered to develop the business park. But the doggy school isn’t a done deal. The city of Marina is pursuing competing plans for the airport.

~ ~ ~

On a separate 200 acres of land to the north of airport, the City hopes to attract either a golf resort or an extreme sports facility. Marina officials lined up a golf course developer in the ‘90s, but the project lacked water and ended in litigation. Now, a golf course appears to be back on the table.

An economic analysis by Bay Area Economics warns that a golf course at the Marina site would have plenty of competition, including a revamped Bayonet and Blackhorse and a golf resort planned in Del Rey Oaks. Nonetheless, the report says a mid-priced golf course – especially one targeted to pilots – could be viable.

The report also says that there is a growing demand for extreme sports and a lack of local facilities. This is why Robert Puccinelli, president of Monterey Bay Construction, wants to build one.

Puccinelli has proposed a facility with a motocross track, go-kart rentals, a paintball field, and a retail/service center. Puccinelli races motocross and says he has to travel to Sacramento and southern California to ride. “I want to create a family oriented-recreation facility that would be a hub for the city of Marina,” he says. “I believe we are going to pull people from as far away as the Bay Area maybe even Sacramento, down to San Luis Obispo.”

Adrenaline in each and every pore

2007-07-27T14:58:00.000+08:00

25 Jul 2007 14:31 +0100

Budva – Apart from beautiful beaches, good fun, comfortable hotels, tourists like Budva for its fantastic offer of extreme sports activities.

Budva – Apart from beautiful beaches, good fun, comfortable hotels, tourists like Budva for its fantastic offer of extreme sports activities.

There is an offer for this kind of activities on almost every step in Budva. These sports, often seen as an anti-stress therapy for the businessmen, are inextricable from tourist offers in most Mediterranean metropoles. Budva offers high jumping adventures, sea depths explorations, kite and paragliding flights, water-skiing and all those activities that raise lebel of adrenaline in your blood.

All of us sometimes had a wish to find ourselves on a thin line between life and death, to feel that awe-inspiring adrenaline shock. Adrenaline sports, so popular in the world these days, are a huge hit in Budva Riviera.

You can feel adrenaline in each and every pore of your body by taking a bungee jump.
40m high ramp, that was built near the end of Slovenska Beach, is a real attraction for exteme sports’ fans. The jumps are very safe, and the sensation is utterly exciting. Taking one jump costs 30 Euros and it it is possible to get a photo or video of yourself. All the men receive a masculinity test diploma; women do not receive any kind of diploma – they’re brave by definition.

Those who defy high altitudes, and strive to make the flying dream true, will not resist to a tempting offer of paragliding club. One of the best paragliding jump locations on the Adriatic Sea is that on Brajici, near Budva, 760 meters above the sea level. Incredibly beautiful look from this point makes this location very popular. This location has a great climate potential – winds provide you with secure and exciting flight, sea and panorama make this sport popular here. Although it looks risky, persons who work there claim it to be one of the most secure ways to relax and enjoy. Accidents are extremely rare and they are caused by human inattention.

There are several diving clubs in Budva for those who enjoy exploring see depths. Wandering through vast spaces of sea floor and meeting unexplored world is a great experience. Submarine area of Budva bay is a really challenging destination for all adventurers. Budva is divers’ favourite location due to its warm and pleasant sea, and rich flora and fauna. Those who never before had an opportunity to professionally dive were welcome too.

One of the inevitable offers among the caleidoscope of extreme sports is that of water-ski. The western part of Becici beach offers ski-cableways, so the water-ski activities are accesible to all lovers of sea adventurea. Becici aqua ski-cableway is said to be the best in the whole world and everyone can learn how to pierce through the blue vawes now.

BMX racers prepare for first Olympics

2007-07-26T14:56:00.000+08:00

Cleve Dheensaw, CanWest News Service

VICTORIA - The newest Summer Olympics sport will be on display in Victoria on Thursday as nearly 2,000 athletes will compete in the BMX world championships.

Athletes from 39 countries will be flying all over the dirt track, hoping to earn coveted spots in next year's Beijing Olympics.

The Beijing organizing committee has sent a contingent of 12 to Victoria for the event. The Olympic BMX venue will be located next to the velodrome and mountain biking trail in the 2008 Summer Games' cycling hub located in the Laoshan district of Beijing.

"From a public profile perspective, to the sport sciences and the elite athletes having to learn how to prepare for a four-year quadrennial, this sport literally changed overnight because of its inclusion in the Olympics," said Team Canada BMX head coach Tanya Dubnicoff.

It's just a matter of the International Olympic Committee being forced to move with the times, noted Abe Schneider of Australia, president of the BMX Commission for the Union Cycliste Internationale.

"The Olympic youth audience viewership base is lower (than other demographics who watch the Games) and the IOC was looking for something different and what could be more exciting than BMX?" said Schneider. "I believe that in the future, we will see other extreme sports creeping into the Olympics."

BMX, short for bicycle motocross, became popular in California in the 1960s. Racers compete in heats of up to eight riders in a motocross-style track. The top riders move on to elimination rounds.

Because BMX tracks are dirt-based (the corners are asphalt), the recent rains in Victoria has caused some problems.

"There have been challenges," admitted Marischal De Armond, general manager of the 2007 BMX world championships. "I've been keeping more of an eye on the forecast than any weatherman."

Skies are expected to clear this week.

CBC will broadcast live the elite world championship/Olympic qualifying races Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. on Country Canada and will replay the show Aug. 4 on Sports Saturday.

The event comes on the heels of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Victoria.

"The World Cup soccer games created a real vibrancy around town and we've got big shoes to fill," admitted De Armond. "There is really only room around town for one big international sports story at a time."

The BMXworlds are expected to have a positive impact on Victoria's economy.

"These world championships will have a $13 million to $14 million economic impact on the city and the region," predicted Schneider.

Extreme Dance, Extreme Dispute

2007-07-25T14:48:00.000+08:00

By DANIEL J. WAKIN

Published: July 23, 2007

When a dancer in Streb Extreme Action — a company that mixes kinetic daredevilry, stunts and modern dance — broke her back in a performance in May, a longtime member put out a call for contributors to come to a fund-raising evening.

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Ruby Washington/The New York Times

Terry Dean Bartlett, Streb’s former associate artistic director.

A Troupe Known for Daredevil Choreography Copes With a Casualty (June 2, 2007)

Ruby Washington/The New York Times

Streb Extreme Action rehearsing in its Williamsburg, Brooklyn, studio.

Now that member, the associate artistic director Terry Dean Bartlett, finds himself out of the company. Mr. Bartlett has come forward to accuse its founder and director, Elizabeth Streb, of dismissing him for spreading negative publicity by announcing the fund-raiser.

But Ms. Streb denied that the firing had any connection to the fund-raiser and said that Mr. Bartlett had already crossed the line with improper behavior during the company’s public rehearsals and performances.

The acrimonious dispute is an unusual airing of dirty laundry in the modern dance and performance-art scene, in which finances are always precarious. And it comes at a crucial time for the company. New York City and the Brooklyn borough president’s office have approved $1 million in grants to allow Streb to buy its building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, part of a former mustard factory. What’s more Ms. Streb has backing from producers to create an Off Broadway show based on the company’s work.

Streb Extreme Action is a daring, sometimes near-violent performance style that borrows from dance, extreme sports and Hollywood-style stunt work. Bodies slam face down onto mats or narrowly avoid swinging cinder blocks. The company promotes the daring nature of its pieces and does not hide that its performers often suffer minor injuries, like black eyes, cuts, twisted ankles and broken fingers.

In May, deeAnn Nelson, 28, was hurt performing a relatively benign piece. She slipped as she was running up an inclined board and tumbled to the floor from about six feet above the ground. She underwent surgery and had a metal rod placed in her back and will be in a brace for a number of months. The company said it was its first major accident.

Mr. Bartlett quickly sent out an e-mail message to his contacts in the dance world, proposing a benefit to help Ms. Nelson pay expenses and erroneously saying that she lacked health insurance, a mistake he corrected in a subsequent e-mail message. The benefit took place on July 2 and was a success, nearly filling the house at Dance Theater Workshop and raising more than $6,000. When Mr. Bartlett announced the fund-raiser, Ms. Streb disavowed it, saying that neither she nor Ms. Nelson had been consulted.

On June 19, Mr. Bartlett said in an interview, Ms. Streb called him in and said he was fired. “She was telling me at that moment that it was because I had on occasion had outbursts with her or responded back to her in kind when she had yelled at me or the dancers,” he said, “that I just wouldn’t kowtow to her.”

But the real reason, he added, was that he had alerted people about Ms. Nelson’s serious injury.

“Apparently I had let the cat out of the bag that somebody had been injured in her company, even though it happened in a public performance,” he said. “She wanted to keep that a secret apparently,” especially with the building purchase and commercial show pending.

Mr. Bartlett said Ms. Streb asked him to sign a confidentiality agreement that would have barred him from talking to the news media in exchange for two months’ severance pay. He refused. He also said Ms. Streb ordered him not to discuss the accident with a reporter.

In an interview Ms. Streb scoffed at the notion that she had fired Mr. Bartlett for bad publicity or for having arranged the benefit. She said he had been on notice since a performance review in January listing specific problems.

“There’s certain behaviors I don’t allow here,” she said, without going into detail. “We had different ideas about what comportment should be in public spaces.”

She also said she had objected not to the benefit but to its announcement without consultation. Ms. Streb said she did not attend because she was out of town; several of her performers took part.

She also said that the nondisclosure statement was requested by her board and was standard, and that Mr. Bartlett had asked for more money in severance than the company could afford. Mr. Bartlett, in the interview, acknowledged he would have considered accepting a 10-month severance agreement.

Mr. Bartlett has deep knowledge of the Streb technique and of the company, having taught many of its dancers and overseen many shows. Ms. Streb called him a dedicated performer who gave 100 percent. “It’s a complete heartache not to have him here,” she said, especially before the Off Broadway production.

Despite the accident and the firing, Ms. Streb said, the building purchase and the Off Broadway production are moving forward smoothly.

“I think it’s incredible news,” she said about the planned show, which is at least a year away from opening. “It’s such an amazing venture, and I found the right team.” She spoke in an interview this week at her building, filled with metal beams, ropes, a trapeze apparatus, mats and folding metal chairs.

The show, which Ms. Streb calls a “move-ical,” is being backed by WestBeth Entertainment, which has presented the British comedian Eddie Izzard and the current rock musical “Escape From Bellevue.”

Ms. Streb said that Mr. Bartlett’s absence would not impede the commercial venture.

“The production,” she said, “is bigger than any one individual.”

'X' Marks The Sport

2007-07-24T14:53:00.000+08:00

By Barbara Lippert

Thirteen years ago, ESPN launched the X Games as a way to honor, televise (and um, monetize) such little known "extreme'' action sports as motocross, BMX biking and skateboarding.

Since then, as extreme sports and their action heroes, like skateboarder Tony Hawk, have gotten more mainstream, marketers have also gone hardcore. Now we have "high-performance" tooth whiteners and extreme hair gels. My favorite is that ultimate fighting food, extreme Jell-O. (Although flavored gelatin might be able to do some gnarly back flips, it's not because it's been practicing.)

Most people would agree that when applied to inanimate objects, the "X" word starts to lose all meaning. This campaign from The Martin Agency, promoting ESPN's X Games 13 (being held in Los Angeles Aug. 2-5) aims not only to take back the "X," but pay it forward. Now X stands not so much for extreme, but for artistic expression.

Both on the Web site and in the TV spots, actual footage of the athletes in action gets doctored with gonzo animation that suggests everything from Mad magazine to Mad Max. The tone is perfect. As the kids say, it's sick-nasty.

"I'm super-allergic to poultry. Seriously, the only thing I'm chicken about is chicken,'' says Kevin Robinson in his TV spot, "Chicken Bone Voodoo." Never mind that the guy vaults over huge canyons on his bike—the joke is that a tiny tender or an errant Buffalo wing could do him in.

We hear about Robinson's fear of the bird as he does an insanely scary flip over a chasm filled with a giant, animated toxic chicken and cracked eggshells. The chicken looks more like a Chinese dragon than the Burger King's big buckin' one, but the two freaky birds could easily have a cage match. This is one Godzilla-like beast, but Robinson easily clears the creepy head.

The spots will run on ESPN and other channels, and also online. The Web site is subtle but funny. An "X" is in the center of the home page and each quadrant of the X is a separate athlete. (Kevin Robinson is on the bottom left.) We hear a female voice with a plummy British accent announce, "The X Games were first developed in ancient Egypt. What do you think the pyramids were for?" There are also running jokes, such as each athlete assuring visitors that they're on "the "best area on the site.''

The earth, and what's kicked up from the inside of it, plays a critical role in the campaign. In "Swan Song,'' Ricky Carmichael, who is leaving motocross racing, says, "I dedicate my final race to my new twins, Kaden and Elise. Yeah, I've got this whole dad thing on the brain.'' As he rides a course on his motorcycle through dirt and mud, he unearths abstract cartoon characters that follow him around; some look like the bluebirds of happiness, others like skeletons and worms. It seems he's thinking about kids and death.

This year, the likeable Travis Pastrana is leaving bike racing for rally racing. He says, "Rally started as an itch I had to scratch.'' As we see eerily humongous engine-mounted mosquitoes (motomosquitoes?) pursuing him, he says, "I didn't know it was contagious.''

On the Web site and in the TV spots the music is contagious and perfectly X. In "Chicken Bone Voodoo" we hear "Chicken Bone Head Sucker" by Babe the Blue Ox. Other bands include Goose, Trail of the Dead and Jason Forrest.

The whole "these are true artists and their medium is sport'' positioning could come off as a tad pretentious. But it's really well done and the athletes comes across as charming, funny and themselves. Using the art of this generation—Japanese anime, video games, tattoo images, computer graphics—to illustrate the work is doubly smart.

One minor complaint: At the end of the spot, the announcer says, "See this and other original works of sport at the X Games," and the visual makes it look as if he's talking about an actual exhibition that's going to travel nationwide.

Otherwise, while I'm not sure it will grow the X Game audience, anyone who's into the sports will welcome the new Brand X.

Extreme sports event comes to town

2007-07-23T15:00:00.000+08:00

By: Michael C. Butz, Staff
07/20/2007

Jim and Sue Bratton of Kirtland were in downtown Cleveland Thursday watching a skateboarder roll down and jump over ramps while attempting some daredevil tricks.But they weren't watching one the dozens of skaters in town this weekend to compete in this year's Right Guard Open. They were watching their 7-year-old son, Ty, navigate the miniature half pipes at the skatepark in place for youngsters to practice their moves."He's been skating for about three years," Jim said. "He goes to the skatepark in Willoughby."It was a common theme Thursday, as families from all around the country filled North Coast Harbor for this year's event, which runs through Sunday.

It offered kids a fan-friendly environment to see and emulate their favorite extreme sports stars, while it offered parents a family-friendly atmosphere to share in and support their children's aspirations."We're going to come back Saturday," Jim said.The Anderson family, originally from Solon, made the trip all the way from West Palm Beach, Fla., to attend the Right Guard Open.For Zach Anderson, 13, the long trip was worth it to get the autograph of his favorite skater, Ryan Sheckler. Sheckler's autograph was in the middle of a skateboard, surrounding by several other autographs Zach had received throughout the day."This is our first time (to this event in Cleveland), but I've been to another one before," Zach said.

"I like how they do it - all the tricks and the people."The importance of interacting with their young fans certainly isn't lost on the athletes."It definitely lets the viewers, like little kids, see what we're doing and how much work it takes to do this," said Jorge Joval, a BMX competitor from the Bronx, N.Y. "And you get to interact with the riders and the skateboard guys instead of just watching on TV."But Joval also has a very important piece of advice for young riders and skaters."Always wear safety gear - elbow pads, knee pads.

I have two torn ACLs in my knees right now from not wearing knee pads seven years ago," said Joval, 27.Kurtis Colamonico, a 22-year-old skateboard competitor from Long Beach, Calif., also knows first-hand how important safety is."I popped my shoulder out (Wednesday), and I hope I didn't rebreak my wrist (Thursday) because I already had surgery (on the wrist)," said Colamonico, whose wrist was wrapped in a bandage.

"But I'm still going to go out there and compete."Parents hope that before their kids try their own "Superman seat grab and bar spin," or any other complicated trick, they heed the advice of the experienced extreme sports stars."He wears his pads and his helmet," Zach's mother, Lisa, said. "He's wiped out a couple of times, but that's part of the sport.""As long as he has his protective gear on, I'm fine with it," Sue Bratton said of Ty. "The helmet is the main thing.

"In addition to mingling with athletes, those who braved Thursday's humidity and threatening clouds were treated to a festival-like atmosphere.In between competitions and practices, fans could visit Festival Village, where several vendors had some sort of free game to play.Kids ran about with red, yellow, blue and green hair, played video games, jumped into a pool of foam blocks, received Mohawk haircuts to benefit charity and viewed what was claimed to be the world's largest plasma TV.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' Eastern Conference championship trophy was even on display for all to see.Bill Walters of Cleveland visited the House of Dew with his family, where his 8- and 11-year-old kids, Donovan and Kyle, enjoyed receiving fake tattoos. He had a hard time determining what the best part of their visit to the Right Guard Open was.

"All of it, really. The music, the events," Walters said. "The kids are having a blast."For more information on the Right Guard Open, which is the second of five stops on the 2007 AST Dew Tour, visit www.astdewtour.com.

Popularity of mixed martial arts on the rise in Cenla

2007-07-22T14:56:00.000+08:00

By Will Tubbs
wtubbs@thetowntalk.com

The sport may thrill, amaze or even frighten its fans, but there is no doubting its popularity.
Mixed martial arts fighting, for many years considered an overly-violent fringe form of entertainment, has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation.

"A first-time viewer will be first of all shocked, second of all amazed and third they will want more," said Gil Guillory, a retired fighter now working in promotions. The sport, which pits fighters with training in any number of martial arts and combat backgrounds against one another in quick but brutal fights, has grown to such popularity that Guillory and other organizers of a July 28 card in Alexandria, "Power House Fighting Champions," expect to draw several thousand people to the Riverfront Center for the 16-bout event.

Mark Jeffers, the director of entertainment for Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, said a recent mixed-martial arts show at the casino had drawn a good crowd.

"We had a great show as far as show-up attendance," Jeffers said. "The attendance was excellent. People seem to like it and like the excitement."

The exact reasons behind the sport's sudden rise in popularity are as varied as disciplines used in the ring.

"I think it is an extension of the society we live in," Jeffers said. "Everything is extreme. You have the X-games on TV that showcase extreme sports. I think they took the fight game to the extreme level."

Guillory said the brevity of the fights, which can be just minutes in length, appeals to the modern viewer.

"People have short attention spans," Guillory said. "They can't take long, drawn-out events. They want that instant gratification. There's no waiting to figure out tactics, everyone just dives right in."

Despite the sport's break-neck pace, mixed martial arts fighters are quick to point out that there is more to winning than simply throwing haymakers.

"It's a thinking man's game along with a game of violence and of physical combat," said Clay Shackleford, a former Marine who will make his pro debut against local fighter Kalvin "Hot Boy" Hackney at the Riverfront Center on July 28. "It's a game of human chess in which you are the only piece and you get used in many different ways."

Another theory behind the sport's popularity is the audience's ability to relate to the fighters.
Far from being multimillionaires, many of the combatants are forced to work "normal" jobs to support their families. Shackleford, who resides in Ft. Smith, Ark., drives a dump truck in between training sessions.

Hackney, the local fighter with a 1-0 record as a pro, also has to find a way to squeeze training, working and family time into any given 24-hour period.

"I've given up a lot for this sport," Hackney said. "I have to give a lot of thanks to my woman for what she has to go through. You train 4-6 hours a day not including going to work and taking care of everything else. It takes a lot of sacrifice to be a mixed martial arts fighter."
Mutual sacrifice generally leads to a mutual respect among fighters.

"I'm not looking at Kalvin like I want to kill him," Shackleford said. "I want him to be able to go to work on Monday."

"It's a sport," Hackney said. "I want to win and I want to beat Clay, but I'm not out there trying end anybody's career."

Of course, as Shackleford pointed out, a respect for the opponent does not take away from the intensity of the event.

"I'm all about going out for a beer after the fight," Shackleford said. "I'm all about being friends and I might like you, but for 15 minutes of our life, I've got to put all that aside and try to kick your ass."

The sport first gained notoriety, some might say infamy, in the early 1990's with the birth of ultimate fighting, originally billed as a no-holds-barred fight.

Guillory, who also serves as the state representative for the International Sports Combat Federation (a governing body that oversees mixed martial arts fights the world over), said the sport has come a long way since its dubious introduction to the American public.

"People were afraid of the sport for many years," Guillory said. "When ultimate fighting first came in, it looked like just a barbaric bar-room brawl. There were no weight classes and it was pretty much anything goes.

"You'd see guys head-butting each other and going for groin shots. ... It looked like a bunch of guys rolling around on the mat looking for cheap shots. That type of fighter isn't around any more."
Over the years, the sport has, thanks to governing bodies, evolved from a simple exercise in brutality into an organized sport that Guillory said was the safest combat sport in existence.

"We've got guys who've been competing for 20 years and you won't see a punch-drunk mixed martial arts fighter," Guillory said. "The trauma to the body is non-existant, really. Unlike a lot of other combat sports, you have the option of tapping out, which is an honorable way of saying, 'My opponent got me, he was the better man today.'

"There is a striking element to our sport, but it is only one part of the game. We wrestle, we grapple, we look for submissions. The punches are there, but they are minimal."

Hackney said referees generally do a good job of providing for fighters' well-being.

"I find that it's safer than boxing," Hackney said. "In boxing, you might see a guy get rocked and he gets a standing eight count. In MMA, if you get rocked, or if it starts looking bad, that's the fight. The official will step in and end it."

A big splash, a bigger ambition

2007-07-20T14:53:00.000+08:00

Beyond the weekend action, the subculture of wakeboarding feels it's time for recognition

Morgan Campbell Sports Reporter

Toronto's Wakestock festival is the biggest weekend on the pro wakeboard calendar.

The four-day event on Centre Island, which starts Thursday, is part contest, part convention and part concert, as well as a showcase for extreme sports on the cusp of widespread acceptance.

"We're all pushing to go mainstream," says pro rider Keith Lid- berg.

"We want to be part of the (Mountain Dew) Action Sports Tour and the X-Games, and be respected as legitimate athletes."

But wakeboarding recently lost access to a huge chunk of the mainstream sports audience, when the U.S. sports network ESPN dropped the sport from the lineup of its annual Summer X-Games, which are patterned after the Olympics.

At the inaugural X-Games in the summer of 1995, athletes represented their countries and competed for medals in sports like skateboarding, BMX freestyle, street luge and, yes, wakeboarding.

Now in its 13th year, the X-Games have introduced fans of casual sports to the heroes of action sports, including skateboard legend Tony Hawk and BMX freestyle icon Matt Hoffman. Initially, wakeboarding's popularity grew, too.

This year, though, the X-Games changed its format from a multi-venue event to one that's confined to a few spots in central Los Angeles.

The move saves money for ESPN by limiting production costs, but led to the network dropping wakeboarding.

Shut out of ESPN's annual summer festival, wakeboarders now consider Toronto their biggest stage.

"Right now, I guess, our X-Games would be Wakestock," says Lidberg, who is based in Orlando, Fla.

The weekend's main event is the Pro Expression session, but there are three other pro competitions plus an amateur women's contest and an amateur street skateboard contest.
There are also three days of concerts.

Adam Levitt, who edits Wakeboard magazine and helps organize Wakestock, says making this the biggest party on the pro circuit means it appeals to all riders – those who like to compete and those who make their living starring in videos.

"We get guys who usually don't like to compete who want to come to our contest because it's something different," Levitt says.

Lidberg, 26, is one of those video stars who makes time for Wakestock and was last year's rail jam champion.

His career mirrors the sport's growth over the past half decade.

Six years ago, in his first season on the pro wakeboard circuit, Lidberg made a lot of friends but very little money.

He persevered, taking jobs – selling cars, building docks, tending bar – with hours flexible enough to allow him to travel to contests and well-paying enough to finance those trips.

Now he stars in wakeboarding videos and competes often enough to maintain a top-12 ranking in the World Wakeboarding Association. He no longer needs his day jobs.

"Once you start performing and picking up sponsors, it all starts to fall into place," he says.
"But it took me four years to even start making money."

Lidberg says prize money hasn't increased since he turned pro, but the number of contests has, allowing more riders to make more money.

Even so, he estimates 90 per cent of pro wakeboarders are "struggling and in debt."

NFL Still King in Sports Licensing, Fans

2007-07-19T14:51:00.000+08:00

By Michael Freedman
Online Exclusive

Last month, the top executives of the major sports leagues, sports licensing and marketing representatives and attorneys, manufacturers and retailers gathered at the second annual Sports Licensing Summit to discuss last year and ideas for the future. The event, which took place on June 18 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, was produced by the National Sports Marketing Network.

The opening speaker was Tom Cove, the president and CEO of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), who shared statistics with regard to the state of sports licensing and overall sports participation in the USA.

Retail sales of licensed sports products (team, league logos) in 2006 reached an all-time high of $13.9 billion. Much of the growth is credited to an improved retail distribution system featuring new software that allows for better inventory management. Numbers show that the Hispanic and Asian-American markets are those showing the greatest growth and growth potential.
As for licensed-product sales, the NFL remains the unquestioned leader at $3.25 billion.

Following are Major League Baseball ($3.20 billion), college basketball and football ($3 billion), the NBA ($2.20 billion), NASCAR ($1.30 billion) and the NHL ($ 0.75 billion).

The real power of the NFL is reflected in the top fan avidity categories. In 2006, 32 million fans identified themselves as avid NFL fans with college football second at just about 23 million.

Major League Baseball comes in at 19.6 million with college basketball closing in at 15.8 million.
From there in descending order of fan interest are NASCAR (15.1 million), NBA (14.3 million), figure skating (13.1 million), extreme sports (11.4 million), boxing (10.2 million), PGA (10 million) and the NHL (6.5 million).

SGMA has also predicted the hottest growth sports for 2007 and beyond. Lacrosse is by far the fasting growing sport, increasing in interest and participation by 31 percent. Following in descending order are walking for fitness, aerobic training, soccer, yoga/pilates, running, fitness cycling, football, basketball, golf, strength conditioning and skateboarding. Interestingly enough, baseball is not listed as having any “plus” potential.

Gene Goldberg, the vice president of consumer products for the NFL, was one of the panel speakers. He indicated that “everything NFL” is up. The league has new retail partners including Target’s Tailgating Section, e-commerce is “through the roof,” and the Madden game sold 8 million units in 2006. Although the NBA, NFL and NASCAR have their own retail stores, Goldberg said the NFL “doesn’t feel the need to be in retail.” It’s nice to be No. 1.

The NBA and the NHL, unlike the NFL, are aggressively looking to expand their market share. The NBA just completed a private label deal with Wal-Mart with merchandise that would “compliment their other product lines rather than compete.”

Blake Davidson, the managing director of NASCAR products, described the excitement surrounding the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte and their partnership with Sprint. He also said that NASCAR’s commitment to the infant apparel market is representative of the family approach to their sport.

Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, continued to document the growth of the MLS and soccer in the country’s sports environment. Besides David Beckham coming to the L.A. Galaxy, the huge success in Toronto and the plans to add teams in Vancouver, Portland and San Diego, the big news was about the New York Mets plan to explore building a soccer-only stadium to house a second New York MLS team.

Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, gave the keynote address. Hockey continues to enjoy great popularity among its fans -- more than a half of NHL teams played to 90-percent capacity last season. As the growth of non-American players continues to be a factor both in competition and international marketing internationally, Bettman pointed out that one-third of NHL players are not from North America.

Digital licensing and fantasy baseball go hand in hand. And Clay Walker of Fantasy Sports Ventures described a recent court case in St. Louis that attracted considerable attention.

Baseball’s digital arm, Baseball Advanced Media (BAM), sued a company that was dispensing baseball statistics, claiming that players’ names and the stats being provided to the fantasy players were protected rights owned by the licensor, Major League Baseball and BAM. They lost, so the stats used in fantasy leagues seems safe for now.

Baltimore-based UnderArmour was represented by Bill Kraus, the senior vice president of sports marketing, on a panel discussing the challenges of retail. Kraus discussed the manner in which UnderArmour is expanding their football brand to include cleats and shoes. The effect that technology has in manufacturing better performance products and boosting sales price is being referred to in the market place as the “UnderArmour effect.”

PGA Tour Vice President of Marketing, Leo McCullagh, discussed the PGA Super Stores, opening throughout the South and Southwest, which will include more than 63,000 square feet of retail including a full-size tennis court.

Finally, every year seems to bring new phrases to the licensing/marketing world. My favorites were: “connectivity” as in “there must be a connectivity with fans;” “irrational exuberance,” as in describing Toronto’s reaction to their new MLS team; “disintermediation,” meaning to cut out the middleman and go right to the customer base; and for all digital marketing, the goal is to “generate eyeballs.”

Intel boosts Extreme range

2007-07-18T14:46:00.000+08:00

David Meyer ZDNet UK
Published: 17 Jul 2007

Intel has boosted its Core 2 Extreme processor lineup with new quad-core processors for desktop PCs and the first Extreme-branded laptop CPU.

The chipmaker announced on Monday that its new flagship desktop processor would be the Core 2 Extreme QX6850 ($999; £488), which is clocked at 3.0GHz and sports a 1333MHz system bus speed. The QX6850 is being pitched particularly at game developers, as the CPU can dedicate one core to physics, the second to rendering, the third to game logic and the fourth to miscellaneous tasks.

Also announced was another quad-core processor, the Core 2 Quad Q6700 ($530; £259) — clocked at 2.66GHz and with a system bus speed of 1066MHz — and several new dual-core processors boasting the new 1333MHz bus speed.

What was a first was the announcement of a mobile processor bearing Intel's Extreme branding, the Core 2 Extreme X7800 ($851; £416). Residing at the top end of Intel's notebook-oriented processor lineup, the X7800 is clocked at 2.6GHz and features an 800MHz front-side bus. This chip is aimed at "experienced enthusiasts who desire more capability" by virtue of the fact that its chip overspeed protection has been removed, thus making overclocking easier.

According to Intel, the X7800 has a 28 percent performance increase over the Core Duo T2600, which was Intel's top-end mobile processor a year ago, when dual-core processors became available for notebooks. "Laptops are the fastest-growing computing market segment, and there is increasing demand from those who crave the ultimate in video, gaming and design computing performance yet want the freedom and flexibility that a laptop brings," said Mooly Eden, Intel vice president and general manager of mobile platforms, on Monday.

Evesham Laptop Sports 8700 GT

2007-07-17T14:43:00.000+08:00

Author
Hugo Jobling
Published
16th July 2007

While phrases like “luxurious carbon dash” and “eye-catching orange trim” may be more at home in Top Gear than on TrustedReviews, that was the first thing that came to mind upon seeing the images of Evesham’s latest notebook. Of course it must be said that, initial boy-racer impressions aside, the new Zieo NX600-HD does look rather good with in striking TR colours.

Inside things look equally promising with a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, 2GB of 667MHz DDR2, a 120GB SATA hard-drive and an nVidia 8700M GT with 512MB of dedicated memory which should lend itself to a bit of gaming on-the-go. This is rounded off with Santa Rosa specified (though rarely present) Draft-N wireless. Explaining the HD suffix to the notebook's name is a full-HD capable 17in WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200 pixel) screen with an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera.

Weighing in at a hefty 3.95Kg and measuring 397mm x 284mm x 44mm, the Zieo NX600-HD is quoted as managing two hours of operation from its 8-cell battery. Finally, Evesham include a 3-year ‘Gold’ (read: parts and labour) warranty as standard.

And how much will you expect to pay for all this technology? Well the standard spec is available for £1,399 inc. VAT, but for those who want or have to go one better Evesham also offer an ’extreme’ upgrade pack costing a further £200, which gives you a 2.4GHz T7700 processor and 160GB hard-drive.

SPORTS - Extreme offers fan bus to Saturday's Rock River playoff game

2007-07-16T14:42:00.000+08:00

As the Bloomington Extreme head into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Extreme fans can make the road trip to Rockford to watch the Extreme take on Rock River this Saturday.

Bloomington General Manager Jerry McBurney tells WJBC’s Steve Fast, a fan bus will leave the coliseum at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and head up for the 7:05 kickoff. McBurney says he hope the Extreme can transport its large fan base in Bloomingon up north.

Extreme outdoors

2007-07-15T13:45:00.000+08:00

Orienteering, wakeboarding, climbing, bouldering and rigorous day hiking are among the extreme sports that are growing in popularity in the Ozarks.

It seems that every generation improves upon inventions and skills of the last generation. This is also true in the world of outdoor sports.

Water skiing spawned wakeboarding. Skateboarding produced wakeskating.

Hiking got notched up a level with extreme hiking and running cross-country became more of a mind game with the advent of orienteering.

Rock climbing produced a side sport — bouldering — and also moved inside, providing a training challenge to those who love the sport.

Just because the sport is labeled extreme — or Xtreme — it doesn't mean it's meant only for the young and fearless, though. Here's a look at some of the extreme sports and where you can do them in the area.

Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is the fastest-growing surface water sport in the country. In fact, Missouri hosts the largest wakeboarding competition in the Midwest every June at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Wakeboarders rely on a boat to pull them through the water, but combine elements from water skiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques in their performance. Towlines are made of non-stretchy rope materials. Boards contain stationary non-release bindings for each foot and also have fins underneath that allow wakeboarders to jump and perform tricks. Wakeboards differ from snowboards because a wakeboard's edges are widest in the middle, whereas a snowboard's edges taper in toward the center. A wakeboard sports a concave shape, known as its rocker. Rocker designs vary, and affect the pop off the wake, landings and maneuvers.
Rich Crum, retail manager at the Ski Shack in Springfield, has been wakeboarding for 12 years. He says the Ski Shack locations near Table Rock Lake — at Kimberling City and Indian Point — offer private lessons at $50 per hour if you use your own boat, and $120 per hour for rental of one of their boats.
"We teach edging techniques that teach the rider to turn and cut. Once they get comfortable with that, we'll teach a one-wake jump, or as you're cutting outside of the wake, pop off the inside and land outside of the wake," Crum says.
"Really, the basis of doing all wakeboard tricks is being able to take your jump wake-to-wake. Once we get people comfortable with either a heel-side cut or toe-side cut or opposite, we'll start teaching them tricks."
Ski Shack also offers a demo program that allows wakeboarder wannabes to try out boards before they buy them.
Crum recommends Cow Creek, Mill Creek and Indian Point Cove for wakeboarding at Table Rock Lake.
The Summerfest Wakeboard Competition will be held July 14-15 at Lake of the Ozarks State Park Public Beach No. 1. This competition will attract several of the nation's top wakeboarding competitors.
For those who prefer to stay unattached from their boards, wakeskating on the water is gaining popularity, too.
"It's a similar design to a wakeboard but has either a foam top or grip top like a skateboard," Crum says. "You can take your kick flips, body burials or shove its out there on the lake."
Day hiking
For those who prefer dry land, there's always extreme hiking. The definition of an extreme day hike is generally that it is a grueling hike that lasts at least eight hours.
Although most extreme hikes take a traveler to an elevation of at least 4,000 feet and on a course of at least 14 miles, hikers in the Ozarks will never reach those heights. One of Missouri's most extreme hiking trails, Taum Sauk Mountain, is now mostly destroyed, thanks to this year's ice storm and a flood in December 2005. Much of the park is closed for redevelopment.
Janet Price, a naturalist at Johnson's Shut-Ins, recommends the Bell Mountain Wilderness as an alternative hike in the St. Francois Mountain area for those who like rugged terrain.
"It's a pretty good climb. It's steep, it's rugged — and similar to rhyolite rock that runs through the Shut-Ins here," Price says.
The Bell Mountain Wilderness is part of the Mark Twain National Forest and contains a portion of the Ozark Trail, which has 550 miles completed. The trail will stretch from St. Louis to Arkansas and eventually connect to the Ozark Highlands Trail.
With more than 9,000 acres of wilderness filled with granite glades, creeks, steep slopes, a vertical rise to 1,700 feet and rocks, rocks and more rocks, this area is for experienced hikers who pack in their own water. The hike is 14 miles long, and primitive camping is allowed. Groups are limited to 10 people per party.
The trail is located near Potosi.
Orienteering
So you want to be an extreme hiker in fast motion for time? Try orienteering, a running sport that necessitates using a map and a compass. Runners hoof it through the countryside using a magnetic compass to navigate through wooded terrain and visit control points on a topographic map, which is not distributed until the start of the race.
The Ozarks MultiSport Club offers orienteering races and seminars throughout the year, including fall and spring races in the woods and a winter urban orienteering race in the city.
Eric Johnson, health and fitness supervisor at the Springfield-Greene County Parks and Recreation Department, recommends attending a seminar for those wanting to learn how to orienteer.
Johnson says urban orienteering is "an easier version" of orienteering, and takes place in city limits, as opposed to in the wooded countryside.
Ozark Greenways holds an annual Mark Twain Forest Adventure Race to raise funds to build and preserve trails. The eight to 12 hour event tasks competitors in several activities, including running, canoeing, biking and orienteering. This year's race, held in May, attracted 54 teams.
Bouldering
What's an extreme outdoor activity that is like rock climbing, but done without a rope? It's bouldering, and although you can find a few boulders in Missouri, bouldering really rocks in Arkansas.
Whereas traditional rock climbing focuses on endurance, bouldering requires power and strength in short move sequences.
Called "problems," boulder routes usually range from eight to 20 feet and require the boulderer to constantly assess his moves.
"Bouldering is taking an 80-foot climb and condensing it down to 15-20 feet," says Tom Lampe, who works at Petra Rock Climbing Gym in Springfield.
One reason that bouldering appeals to extremists is that it requires few accessories. You need chalk and a chalk bag, climbing shoes, a small brush to clean crevices and surfaces of the rock, and a crash pad — a thick pad that lies on the ground near the boulder you're climbing. Lampe also recommends taking a partner with you to act as a spotter.
Lampe says the bouldering is good at Elephant Rocks State Park in Missouri, but that's it. No permits are required.
Fellow climber Matt Lyons agrees with Lampe.
"The rock here is a fragmented limestone due to our karst topography. It is flaky and dangerous. Breaking holds is very common," Lyons says.
Lampe and Lyons recommend heading to northern Arkansas to boulder.
"I would go to Northern Arkansas in the Boston Mountains or Ouachita Mountains. There you can find very solid Atoka sandstone," Lyons says. "Two hours south near Jasper, Ark., there is a great place for beginners and experienced climbers alike called Horseshoe Canyon Ranch."
Lyons recommends a book, "Horseshoe Guidebook," written by Springfield native Tom Hancock.
Rock climbing
An oldie, but goodie of the extreme sports, rock climbing looms as one of the country's most popular gutsy sports.
It is also one of the most popular sports featured in television advertisements — hawking everything from sports drinks to SUVs — and touting a lifestyle that is adventurous and free.
Lyons recommends starting indoors, called recreational rock climbing, before heading outdoors to climb rocks — aka sport rock climbing.
"It is a controlled environment in which a person can learn the climbing fundamentals," Lyons says. "(Indoors) is also a great place to train locally since we have no great rock in town."
Local climber Clay Frisbee, owner of Petra Rock Climbing Gym in Springfield, agrees with Lyons about learning the basics indoors. Frisbee has been climbing for more than 20 years.

He says Petra will not only get interested climbers ready to go, they arrange for trips to northern Arkansas for organized climbing events — usually involving a weekend and including a clean-up-the-environment event, too.

When heading outside, be sure to check for permission to climb wherever you go.

Lyons also recommends northern Arkansas for climbing — either Sam's Throne, on public land, or privately owned Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, where it costs $5 per day.

Low-risk policies for high-risk holidays

2007-07-03T19:45:00.000+08:00

Laura Howard finds the best insurance cover for those who like to mix in extreme sports with their holiday

If your idea of a fulfilling holiday does not involve a strawberry daiquiri, trashy novel and a sunbed, you may need to take another look at your travel insurance cover before setting off.

According to recent research from price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, almost half of British holidaymakers have impulsively signed up for an extreme sporting activity whilst abroad - with parasailing, white-water rafting and bungee jumping among the most popular.

But although financial services may be the last thing on your mind as you hurtle through the air at unnatural speeds, it's important to remember that the vast majority of insurers, including Marks & Spencer, the Post Office and Norwich Union exclude dangerous sports from their travel policies.

Article continues

ExtremePie.com offers Discount on Cool Sporting Gear and Accessories

2007-07-02T12:13:00.000+08:00

ExtremePie.com, Europe's largest leading online and mail-order retailer of sports style gear is currently offts.ering a 20% off on almost all of its product.

Date Released: 06/30/2007

Blandford Forum, June 29, 2007: ExtremePie.com, Europe's largest leading online and mail-order retailer of sports style gear is currently offering a 20% off on almost all of its products. Born in 2001, ExtremePie.com has always remained the ultimate destination for all those who are passionate about buying sports gear, extremely fashionable clothing, and fresh & edgy accessories online.

What’s more that all these products are offered at cracking prices direct at the doorstep. Apart from offering unmatchable customer service, ExtremePice.com, a part of the Extreme Group and Extreme Sports Channel, offers its buyer just what they look for.

Al Gosling, CEO of the Extreme Group and founder of the Extreme Sports Channel, shares the trade secret, “It is through the vision, drive and guidance of our people that we (Extreme Brand) have grown to be the massive success it is today. We perfectly understand the style requirements of our customers who are always on the lookout for big brands and discovering next big or small thing around the globe.” Whether you surf, skate, ski, or just love the lifestyle and vibe that surrounds these sports, ExtremePie.com has got just what you’re looking for.

Mixing it up with everything from boardshorts to bikinis, jackets to beanies, this leading online supplier of fashion clothing and accessories boasts the broadest range of both global and niche brands, from Quiksilver and Vans to Addict and Zoo York. “ExtremePie.com works because we’re all passionate about what we do; our staff skate, surf, and ride, and being a part of the Extreme Group, the guys that founded the Extreme Sports Channel, we’re in good company.” quips Al Gosling with a satisfied smile.

The success of ExtremePie and Extreme Group can be largely attributed to the endeavour, vision and managing skills of Al Gosling. An entrepreneur from the very beginning, Al's first business venture included selling board shorts out of the back of his old battered red Renault 5 while studying for his exams! It is not a surprise then why a person with such burning passion for success has take n Extreme Group to this level.

Log on to www.extremepie.com to available those discounts on your favourite outfits and sporting accessories and shop till you drop!!!

A trick that extreme sport brands are missing

2007-07-01T23:12:00.000+08:00

Extreme Sports brands are failing to embrace the digital age despite a strong correlation between their potential customer base and high internet usage, according to Sportsyndicator.

Extreme sports brands currently spend most of their budgets on print advertising, even though the circulation of specialist sports magazines is stagnating.

More sports enthusiasts are turning to the web to catch up on the latest news and information relevant to their sport as well as linking up with like-minded people in the community.

Sportsyndicator says that the best selling mountain biking print magazine titles have a circulation of around 80,000 worldwide each, but by aggregating mountain biking sites it could potentially reach 1.5 million unique online visitors worldwide within 24 hours of a campaign being set up.

Oman Adventure 2007

2007-06-25T16:55:00.000+08:00

The third Oman Adventure confirms its place as a key sports-nature-adventure eventThe third Oman Adventure will take place like every year in December, from 9 to 14, and will once again be held in an entirely different region. The Sultanate of Oman is a vast and varied country that could be the setting for innumerable races in open nature between its mountain summits that rise to 3,000 metres, its 1,700 kilometres of magnificent coastline, its deserts of all kinds and its wadis dotted with oases.

The formula of the race has not changed. The basic discipline is bike and run: one bike for two. All strategies are permitted, giving bike and run its full range of possibilities in Oman Adventure. Team spirit plays an essential role in the event. The little "tricks" to gain time are decisive. Moreover, two contestants with a mountain bike can go nearly everywhere. When it is not possible, on certain sections, the 4X4 takes over to carry the bikes and the contestants set out on foot, hiking down rivers (aquarando) or overland.

Oman Adventure is a very open competition. It attracts raiders, triathletes, trailers and marathon runners who prepare for the event by working on the direction-finding bases with GPS points provided in advance. The competition, as it should be in all races in which the spirit of adventure plays an important role, is open to all. The best produce astonishing averages but the runners-up also experience a competition adapted to their level thanks to the two rankings: Extreme and Adventure.

Everyone spends each night camping out in an unspoiled natural setting in an atmosphere that contestants say is unforgettable. Loyal to their principles, the GFC organisers are pulling out all the stops to ensure that this competition is financially affordable by the greatest number of contestants.

The fee for registering a team with GFC is 700 euros and the tour operator Sinbad-Voyages has prepared a complete package including the flights, the transfers, the hotel nights, the 4X4 backup with driver, the breakfasts and the dinners. GFC also ensures that the sponsors of teams get significant media coverage thanks to the large-scale production of images, with material sent out each day to all the televisions of the world, and thanks to its solid know-how in disseminating information on all the continents. Registrations are now open.

The places will be limited this year to forty teams for reasons of logistical infrastructures. Twelve teams have signed up, so there is no time to waste. A down payment of 200 euros enables the teams to book their place in the race.

Dale Jr. Among Special Ticket Design Finalists Chosen for Daytona 500

2007-06-24T18:50:00.000+08:00

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mario Andretti and comedian Jeff Foxworthy are among the 10 celebrity finalists in the competition to design the 50th anniversary Daytona 500 ticket.

To commemorate the milestone of NASCAR's most prestigious race on Feb. 17, 2008, Daytona International Speedway has created “Celebrity Tickets for Charity,” asking a long list of celebrities from sports, music, movies and TV to come up with a unique design.

A blue-ribbon panel made up of members of the NASCAR community will vote and the winning design will be announced July 7 at Daytona. All original celebrity artwork will be auctioned online to benefit The Jeff Gordon Foundation. . .

Besides 2004 Daytona winner Earnhardt, 1967 winner Andretti and Foxworthy, the finalists include 2007 winner Kevin Harvick, 1961 winner Marvin Panch, extreme sports star Tony Hawk, Fox Sports broadcaster Mike Joy, CMT TV host Katie Cook and two youngsters, 7-year-old Derek Wynne entering for 2006 winner Jimmie Johnson and 17-year-old Patrick McRae, entering for team owner Rick Hendrick. (More)

The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 mile (805 km) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule. In 2008, the race will celebrate its 50th running.
The Daytona 500 is widely regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse.

Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other NEXTEL Cup race. It is also NASCAR's first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start. Since 1995, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500.

The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.

Extreme sports hero killed

2007-05-31T16:08:00.000+08:00

A well known paraglider who had been taking part in acrobatics exhibitions in an El Hierro paragliding festival was killed last month after plunging sideways to the ground.

Stefan Oberlander, known to his friends as Obi, died while being transferred to a Tenerife hospital as a result of multiple injuries sustained in the fall 24 hours earlier over the spectacular Valle del Golfo.

Obi, 33, was part of the six man Ozone team, a group of professional athletes who specialize in aviation and freefall stunts for public audiences. The team also includes Spain’s Feliz Rodríguez, current world champion of para acrobatics, and four Americans. The six had participated together for five years at events around the world with a perfect safety record.

Ironically, the festival was over and the team was set to move on to Tenerife to take place in the Los Realejos Flypa event. Obi decided, however, to go for one last flight over the valley before leaving because the weather was so perfect for flying. It was a fatal decision.

Stefan Oberlander, who had represented his country on numerous occasions, was a man dedicated to sport, but not just any sport. They had to be extreme. He was the first person to successfully base jump on a bike – in other words, ride a mountain bike over the edge of a 3,000 foot high cliff, parachute down, land on the bike and ride off again without putting a foot down.

Waynesboro gets Xtreme

2007-05-30T16:20:00.000+08:00

Event celebrates outdoor sports
By David Royer/staff
droyer@newsleader.com

WAYNESBORO — Joshua Phillips was a little leery stepping into a shaky kayak with his father on the lazy green water of the South River on Saturday.

A few minutes later, the bright-eyed second-grader climbed up the riverbank, smiling and ready to do it again.

"It's a boys' day out," Joshua said. "My mom's at work, and I just wanted to spend some time with my dad."

Joshua was one of more than 2,000 extreme sports fans and outdoor enthusiasts expected to visit Ridgeview Park for Xtremefest '07, a sun-loving sports celebration that has gained traction since the Waynesboro Parks and Recreation Department organized the first event last year.

While people piled into canoes and kayaks from Blue Ridge Mountain Sports and Rockfish Gap Outfitters on the river, five bicycle daredevils with the Keith King BMX Stunt Show soared above spectators with no-hands vertical ramp stunts. Awestruck children formed a line for autographs from their gravity-defying heroes.

The BMX stunts were a favorite activity for 8-year-old Cheyenne Wood. She didn't try any bike tricks herself, but she did almost make it to the top of a 25-foot vertical rock-climbing wall.
"I just wanted to give it a try," Cheyenne said.

Waynesboro's location on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains creates the perfect setting for outdoor activities, and Xtremefest is the perfect fit for the city's extreme-sports crowd, said Dwayne Jones, superintendent of parks and horticulture in Waynesboro.

"It's just perfect," Jones said. "All of these activities, you can do within 10 minutes of Waynesboro."

Fight Night Delivers A Knockout

2007-05-24T15:14:00.000+08:00

SPRINGDALE -- Extreme Fight Night was an extreme success, said organizers of last weekend's event in All-Star Sports Arena.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, the event was a 10," Extreme Fight Night promoter Brandon Wilson said.Extreme Fighting, similar to that shown on Spike TV, combines boxing with martial arts.

It is wildly popular in the U.S. and its television rating are soaring past those of conventional sports like the NBA and NHL.

"The event was a great success, and we are already planning more fight nights for the future," All-Star Sports Arena's Will Holt said.

The night was kicked off by a performance from Fallen, which served as a warm-up for the main events.

The event was the first of its kind in Northwest Arkansas, but won't be the last. On June 23, All-Star Sports Arena will host a professional kickboxing event where a championship title belt will be on the line.

Locals Compete In Labuan Kayak Challenge

2007-05-08T13:56:00.000+08:00

By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Twelve national team kayakers left for Labuan yesterday morning to compete in the "Labuan-Brunei International Extreme Kayak Challenge" and "Labuan Round Island Kayak Challenge".

They include seasoned kayakers Ariffin Hj Zainal, Hassan Hj Zainal, Awg Mahmud and Saini Hj Hamid of Brunei National KayakAssociation who have won honours in past challenges.

The canoeists said they are confident of winning honours again this year. Last year, Brunei kayakers Were second and third in the "Labuan-Brunei International Extreme Kayak Challenge" race.

"We hope to emulate the feat by winning the race too this year," said Ariffin before his departure by boat to Labuan.

The kayakers will first compete in the two-day LabuanBrunei International Extreme Kayak Challenge from tomorrow, Friday.

The race is organised by Labuan Corporation and Brunei Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and co-organised by Labuan Backpacker's Association, Labuan Canoe Association and Brunei National Kayak Association.

The kayakers will start their race at Labuan International Sea Sports Complex (LISSC) tomorrow at 7 am.

The slowest kayaker is expected to arrive at Serasa by about 3 pin on Friday, after a gruelling maximum eight hours battling the challenging seas at Brunei Bay. On reaching the Serasa Water Sports Complex in Brunei Darussalam, they will rest for the day before continuing their race on Saturday, from Serasa back to LISSC to end their race.

Designed for the highly skilled kayaker, the race will be in a double format covering a distance of 92 km.

Participants will be provided with special-ocean going kayaks by the organisers. Kayakers finishing first to tenth will win a total of RM32,000 in cash prizes, medals, certificates and trophies.

The local kayakers will also take part in the Round Island Kayak Challenge on May 6, considered as one of the longest and toughest in Malaysia, with individuals and double categories.

The course is 50km long and runs along the perimeter shoreline of Labuan Island. Organised by Labuan Corporation and Labuan TourismAction Council, the race is a real test of skills and stamina of local participants including those from BIMP-EAGA region. Last year, canoeists from Brunei, Ariffin Hj Zainal and Hassan Hj Zainal, won the double event.

Kayakers who finish first to tenth will walk home with RM11, 400 in cash prizes, medals and certificates.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

The Daredevils get close to Jesus

2007-05-03T13:39:00.000+08:00

Two wing-suit pilots have taken the term "getting closer to God" to an extreme new level.

After leaping out of a hovering helicopter, extreme sports enthusiasts Luigi Cani and Jeb Corliss pulled off an astonishing stunt that might have left onlookers on Rio de Janeiro's towering Christ the Redeemer statue believing they had seen some sort of religious apparition.

Cani and Corliss hurtled at speeds of about 150kmh towards the famous 38-metre high monument.

Footage of their stunt, which was sponsored by a sports beverage company, shows one of the daredevils shooting well in front of the statue before safely deploying his parachute.
Amazingly, the second jumper can be seen flying at break-neck speed beneath the right arm of the statue, missing it by just a few metres.

Cani, a world champion canopy pilot from Brazil, and Corliss, an experienced US BASE-jumper, who is reportedly being sued for attempting to jump from the Empire State Building, eventually landed safely in Rio.

"This was the most exhilarating flight I've ever experienced," Cani said.

"It was almost miraculous ... I truly felt a greater power was watching over me.

"I am hoping that the imagery captured during this flight will convey the sense of freedom, emotion and awareness of everything around you, especially when you only have control over certain elements in life."

Australian BASE-jumper and wing-suit adventurer Dr Glenn Singleman told smh.com.au he was very impressed by the pair's precision flying.

"Holy cow! Whoa! Wow! That's amazing," he exclaimed while watching footage of it today.
Singleman last year recorded the highest BASE-jump in history when he and his wife, Heather Swan, launched themselves in wing suits off a 6604-metre high precipice on Meru Peak in northern India.

He said that, although Cani and Corliss's stunt looked dangerous, the wing suits they were wearing would have allowed them to control their trajectory and speed.

"It seems incredibly dangerous but you have a very good idea of the angle that you are flying and you can see that he kind of pushed it deliberately.

"The suit is high performance enough that they can fly clean over [the statue] without any problems. At any time if there was a problem they could have easily got out of it."

He said the pair would have zoomed past the statue so quickly that onlookers would hardly have had time to realise that humans were flying past.

"Unless [the onlookers] knew what to look for, they just would have heard a sound. [The pair] would have gone past the statue at easily 150kmh ... It's an amazing noise, just like a huge falcon sweeping [down]."

He said he and Swan would love to do the statue jump themselves.

Smoking Not The Only Evil

2007-05-01T14:31:00.000+08:00

Most people have the ability to look at things and circumstances in an objective manner. Quite often, one must reach a personal conclusion that is best arrived at by taking a step back and trying to analyze the issue in question as objectively as possible. This is probably especially true of matters related to political and social issues, particularly those that tend to leave people quite emotional and, thus, irrational. The issue of banning smoking is such an emotional topic among those who oppose smoking in public places and those who enjoy their sinful vice. Arguments have been brought forth by either side, and either side has fed the public constructive arguments, but also a lot of nonsense. In Alberta, Canada, the debate about smoking bans is currently hotter than ever, with the provincial government gunning for smokers wherever it can find them. That smoking is unhealthy is beyond debate. But is smoking really the big problem that so many opponents make it out to be?

Smoking kills a lot of people around the world. Cigarette packs sold in Canada come with a statistical chart showing that tens of thousands of people in Canada die from smoking every year. Most smokers would very much like to kick the filthy habit, but only few accomplish it. They know about the health risks, yet their addiction is too strong and each time they try to stop, they soon find themselves lighting up another cigarette again. In a country like Canada, where people’s health-care costs are shouldered by the public system, i.e., the taxpayers, smoking-related health problems do not only affect the smokers themselves but all taxpayers, who end up paying the bills of smokers who require medical treatment for cancer and other conditions. The anti-smoke lobby, therefore, uses this burden on society as one of its main arguments to justify government’s encroachment on people’s personal rights. However, those same people who go after smokers conveniently ignore other, even bigger, costs to taxpayers that result from the actions of others.Canadians, in particular, enjoy sports, especially extreme sports. Year after year, people are injured while snowboarding, playing hockey or engaging in a variety of risky activities. In many, if not most, cases, these injuries are sustained as a result of reckless behaviour, with many people ending up disabled for the rest of their lives. This comes at a hefty price to the publicly funded health-care system and, thus, the taxpayer. While smokers pay more than their share for any future treatment they may require through the stiff tobacco taxes slapped on each pack of cigarettes, people who engage in extreme sports - or sports in general - do not compensate the taxpayer in the same way at all. If the same fiscal model were to be applied to the area of sports, for example, every pair of skis sold would be subject to a high “extreme sports tax”. Every motorbike sold would carry an extra tax liability of, say, 30-50% in order to defray the costs of treatment and therapy for those who injure or cripple themselves as a result of their own foolish and out-of-control behaviour.

Albertans do not only smoke in large numbers, they are also extremely crazy about cars. They will drive even the shortest distance, for example, to take the garbage to their condominium complex’s garbage dumpster that happens to be a few feet from their building. The cost of the pollution from car traffic is another area that costs taxpayers even more than the effects of smoking - both in terms of money and health. Anyone who has ever walked along 4th Avenue in downtown Calgary during rush hour, when cars are bumper-to-bumper, will know that the exhausts from those cars are a lot more harmful than the smoke wafting in his direction from the cigarette of a passer-by. In winter, in particular, the exhaust fumes hang over 4th Avenue so thick that it is almost impossible to see the cars. This all comes at a tremendous cost to people’s health and the environment. Tough measures, such as congestion charges, are required to protect people and the environment. Yet, instead of following the examples set by London and, more recently, New York, the Albertan government has decided to leave drivers and their cars alone and to target smokers by raising tobacco taxes considerably.

Both the government and the anti-smoke lobby seem to have agreed to peg their arguments on the cost factor: Smokers cost society a lot of money, so they need to be stopped. But if that is what they intend to do, they must follow through and apply the same principle to extreme sports, cars and a host of other harmful influences in people’s lives. By attacking smokers with higher taxes, the government hurts the poor and working poor the most, for smoking is a “pastime” most commonly encountered in these two social segments. At the same time, though, the better-off, with their fancy cars and penchant for dangerous and extreme sports, are spared such treatment. The only ones to be singled out as being a burden on the publicly funded health-care system are the smokers.

Arguing in this manner, as the anti-smoke lobby and Alberta’s government have done, runs the risk of undermining the commitment to universal health care in Canada. The underlying principle of Canada’s health-care system is that anyone, whether rich or poor, is covered, no questions asked. It is therefore troubling to see the government and opponents to smoking open that particular Pandora’s box by questioning certain people’s rights to coverage under the public system. A case for their side of the argument could be made if smokers had never paid any tobacco taxes, but the fact is that smokers have paid above and beyond what it costs to treat smoking-related illnesses, while other groups who engage in activities more harmful and detrimental to society have been given a free pass, without anyone questioning their right to public health care.

Cigarettes are a legal product, one that generates a lot of revenue for governments all over the world. If governments were really serious about making people quit, they would have banned cigarettes a long time ago. The fact that they have not indicates that governments take in more money from tobacco taxes than they spend on treating the sick. If the medical costs were ever to exceed tax revenues, governments would very quickly pull the plug on cigarettes and ban them outright - this, at least, would level the playing field. But the current situation is highly discriminatory against one specific group, who are treated as second or even third-class citizens. As a result, this group may eventually be excluded from public health-care services, something that is already happening now, with some doctors refusing to take on patients who smoke. So apart from this being a rights issue, the future of public health care is also at stake. One can only hope that the anti-smoke activists are aware of the consequences of their actions.

Extreme martial arts group performs at UNC

2007-04-27T02:41:00.000+08:00

Ten years ago Steve Le and other high school friends knew they were on to something great when they decided to combine their love of martial arts with the then-growing trend of extreme sports.

From that, the Aurora boys created Team Highflyerz, which promotes a unique blend of martial-art technique with aerial acrobatics. No coach or official dojo needed, the six-member groups usually takes what members already know and adds some flair by turning each demonstration into a performance.

"We are each others' coaches," Le said. "We do it for the fun and passion of it."

The group performed for several people Saturday at the University of Northern Colorado's annual Asian Festival, which drew more than 150 through out the day."We had little less people than we were expecting," said Edward Nance, a student at UNC and one of the organizers for the event. "I think it was because of the weather.

"Organizers began wrapping up the event about an hour before it was scheduled to end because of cold weather.Team Highflyerz was the last group to perform. This was their second year at the Asian Festival and the group plans to attend again next year to show off aerial tricks.

Le said what makes their style and performance so unique is that each of the members, all of who are in their early 20's, bring with them a different form of martial art techniques."We are all very close like family," Le said. "It's just fun being together and doing what we enjoy."

All of the members in the team hold black belts and travel throughout Colorado to compete in extreme sport competitions and perform demos for various events. In 2003, the group walked away with several first place awards from a competition hosted by the Colorado Karate Association.

Want to know more? For information about team Highflyerz e-mail Steve Le at teamhighflyerz@yahoo.com.

Water babies given the chance to make a splash

2007-04-26T14:38:00.000+08:00

By BCT reporter

Gone are those days when a trip to the local pool meant a few lengths of breast stroke - for Hounslow children, things have just got a lot more adventurous.

Swimming is easily one of the most popular sports for children with girls rating it as their favourite.

So Hounslow and five other west London authorities have tapped into this enthusiasm. They have teamed up with Sport England to offer children aged 10 to 14 some aquatic activities with a difference.

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Over the next year, children will have a chance to take part in one of many planned events known as Aqua Extreme, organised by the sport partnership, Pro-Active West London.
It is hoped these events will increase children's participation in water sports, open up new opportunities, and encourage them to lead more active lifestyles.

Hounslow's morning of Aqua Extreme took place at Isleworth Recreation Centre during the Easter holidays.

Under the instructor's watchful eye, 36 youngsters took turns trying out diving, mini water polo and Aquafit.

Feedback from children was really positive, with some commenting "it is great fun trying something you've never done before."

Louise Acres, CIP's Programme and Publicity Manager, said: "Aqua Extreme is all about having fun in the water. Our aim is for children to enjoy sports that they wouldn't normally get to experience and, judging by the enthusiasm I've seen, I think we certainly achieved that."

Other activities that will be offered over the next year include synchronised swimming and lifeguarding skills along with more diving and water polo opportunities during the holiday play schemes at local leisure centres, so there really will be something for everyone.

VERTICALLY CHALLENGED

2007-04-21T14:41:00.000+08:00

Nottingham's Jamie Bestwick has found fame and fortune in America as one of the top BMX riders in the world but as James Robson discovers, his profile is not quite so high in his home town...There is little to make Jamie Bestwick stand out as he waits in one of Nottingham's numerous coffee shops.Barely meriting a second glance, customers continue to sip their drinks blissfully unaware of him.

It would hardly be the case across the other side of the Atlantic, where the 35-year-old's posters adorn the walls of thousands of fans, prepared to travel from coast to coast to watch him perform.Meanwhile he has been immortalised as an action figure and video game character.Still the customers sip their drinks.

Perhaps he'd cause more of a stir on these shores if he'd taken up the numerous requests to feature in the music videos of rock bands such as Linkin Park."All that freakin' out suits some people, but it's not for me," says Bestwick, who has been one of the top BMX riders in the world since quitting his job in aeronautical engineering in 1999 to try his luck in America.

The move certainly paid off with the Nottingham-raised rider winning major events such as the X Games and Dew Tour for action or extreme sports in that time.

Bestwick is a Vert rider, which entails performing stunts on a huge ramp and it has seen him earn major sponsorships and become a household name in the States.

He may be largely anonymous in his home country, but Google his name and there are as many as 59,000 results.Bestwick had already achieved a level of success before heading over to States, winning the World Championship while still juggling competitions with his day job.

But he finally made the decision to take it up full time in 1999, packing up his job and moving to Pennsylvania where Camp Woodward, a training facility for BMX riders, is situated.

"It was really hard," he said. "I'd not only made the decision of leaving a good job, but I had to sell the house, leave friends and family and only two weeks after I got married."I sat with my wife and we said we'd give it a year. If it didn't pan out we'd come back.

"For the first five years we were literally out in the middle of the sticks. I don't know what was going through my mind when I bought the house."It was a very quiet town, like one of these places that you see in the films where kids get lost, run into the middle of the town and end up getting murdered.

"But it was a very nice town, very quaint. Pennsylvania has got a lot of history. It's very old Colonial America. It's a beautiful place to go, the summers were fantastic and in the winter there was four feet of snow - it was like England used to be years ago. It's definitely nice, just a different way of life.

"I wouldn't necessarily have done that for a job, it was purely because I love the bike. I wanted to be the best in my sport.

"Europe has a fantastic level of riding, but at the time everyone looked at the American guys as the level to get to. They were the ones people made the fuss over."I just wanted to change that, have a guy from England, representing Europe, go out there and do incredibly well. It was a weird decision and I'd only do it for the passion of riding.

"Bestwick is ready to return now and settle down in Hucknall, but it isn't for the want of success, rather because he wants to use his profile to raise the popularity of action sports in England.Now one of the most recognisable faces in BMX, he hopes to change the public perception of sports like skateboarding and snowboarding.

Though appreciating the sexy image of extreme sports, that very name is one of his major bugbears, preferring the term action sports.

"We were labelled with the extreme tag," he said. "You see guys with tattoos and think we are just a bunch of punk kids. Certain labels get attached, but we are trying to change people's minds.

"In the past few years we've seen it taken more seriously. You can see that with snowboarding being the biggest event at the winter games."Action sports are making a move into the mainstream and it's capturing minds. There will be BMX racing at the next games and in 2012 there will be freestyle.

"With it becoming an Olympic event it's only going to get better and better.

"Bestwick wants to improve facilities in England so future riders won't be forced to make a living in the States as he was.

"There are more skate parks in England than anywhere I know," he said. "There are an unbelievable amount of places for kids to do it, but it's not highlighted enough.

"We're seeing a big shift in the popularity of the games. In the States skateboarding is one of the most popular sports along with baseball, basketball and American football.

"That should happen in England. Not everyone wants to be footballers, cricketers or rugby players."Schools have the space to provide facilities for kids who don't want to be David Beckham or Tim Henman."

Star skier or madman

2007-04-20T16:31:00.000+08:00

By Arthur Stanley

IT'S the cliff jump that has shocked international skiing and sparked debate on whether extreme sports athletes have gone too far.

In arguably the most extraordinary risk-taking feat carried out for a sports action film, US extreme skier Jamie Pierre has soared off a 78m cliff in Wyoming, US – landed on his head – and lived to tell the tale.

Pierre's jump – the equivalent of stepping off a 24-storey office block – earned him a world record, strengthened his faith in God but didn't impress his wife Amee, who was at home with their baby daughter.

Pierre is on his way to Australia to promote this year's Warren Miller snowsports film, Off The Grid, which features his daredevil jump.

But he admits he has been under pressure from community groups who believe his jump has set a bad example to the thousands of youngsters who look up to extreme sports athletes.

Pierre, 34, didn't wear a helmet, lost his mouth guard in mid-air and was probably saved from injury by his unplanned head-first entry into 5m of fresh snow at the base of the cliff.

He admits such jumps are not without peril and warns young Australian skiers who watch Off The Grid not to attempt to mimic his "huck".

"Big jumps are not something recreational skiers should ever try," Pierre said.
"I have been a pro skier for 10 years and had been assessing conditions at this cliff for many years before deciding I could pull it off.

"But even then I was lucky. I didn't plan to land on my head, rather a slouch position. If I had landed on my skis from that height, the impact on my chest and face could have been disastrous."

About 35m into his jump, Pierre could not keep his skis under him and went upside down. He landed head first and was buried 2m in the snow.

A photographer rushed in and dug him free.

"I pretty much walked away from it with just a cut lip," Pierre said.

SKIER Jamie Pierre is featured in SNOW07 magazine, out in The Daily Telegraph on May 22. Off The Grid starts in Sydney and Canberra on May 31. Book through Warren Miller

Chicago Olympic bid: What’s at stake for Rockford?

2007-04-16T11:14:00.000+08:00

Local officials say a Chicago Olympics’ effect on the area would be felt for years.

By Mike DeDoncker
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR

ROCKFORD — Local officials are confident the world couldn’t come to Chicago for an Olympic Games without benefitting Rockford.A first step in whether that opportunity arrives is expected to be announced today when the U.S. Olympic Committee chooses to support either Chicago or Los Angeles in a bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

The intent of the early selection is to give the United States choice a leg up in preparing its case for 2009, when the International Olympic Committee makes the final decision on the host city.“It would be absolutely beyond people’s wildest dreams,” Chicago/Rockford International Airport Executive Director Bob O’Brien said.

Local leaders in several areas agreed and said a boon to the airport, greater priority for road and other public works projects, area-wide recognition for the community, increased business for motels and restaurants, support for a much-needed new building at the Indoor Sports Center and possible impetus for a kayaking and extreme sports center on the river are among items at stake for Rockford in today’s USOC decision.O’Brien said he envisions Rockford handling large numbers of corporate aircraft and charter jets carrying up to 300 to 400 passengers for a Chicago-based Olympiad.

“In conjunction with the Olympics and the buildup to it, Rockford airport would be on a par of like when the Experimental Aircraft Association is in Oshkosh, Wis. We would be the world’s busiest airport for that period.“We are very strategically located, and we would outpace (General Mitchell International Airport) Milwaukee by 10 times, if Milwaukee was considered a reliever for Chicago.”

John Groh, executive vice president of the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said it’s incumbent on Rockford “to stick up its hand and get involved” because the Olympics in Chicago would mean upgrades in transportation and quality of living infrastructure leading to regionwide economic development opportunities that last long after the Olympics are gone.

“The sheer numbers of people involved with an Olympics would require a need for transportation because they would not all be able to stay in downtown Chicago,” Groh said. “Whether there was a need to provide practice areas or living accommodations, the connections of airports, roads, bus routes all would be important.”

He said passenger rail service and high-speed rail service have been “in the loop” of discussions between Rockford and Chicago officials raising the possibility that items that have been on Rockford’s wish list for decades could suddenly become part of Chicago’s political priorities.

“We have some good facilities here,” Groh said, “but are they up to Olympic scale? Probably not. But they could be built or improved to serve the citizens first and also be scalable to Olympic caliber.”Rockford Park District Executive Director Tim Dimke said he expects Chicago will try to keep the Games’ venues as close to its downtown as possible, but believes Rockford will be able to fill a role for teams seeking practice areas before they head to Chicago.“Anything we could pull out here would showcase our abilities to pull together major venues and major events with hotels and motels, restaurants and the playing fields,” Dimke said. “That kind of experience should put us high on the list as Chicago looks around for communities to assist them.”

Dimke said the soccer fields at both Sportscore sites and the Indoor Soccer Center, including a proposed $7 million building to enclose a full-size 200-by-85 yards soccer field, could serve as practice or preliminary-game sites for Olympic teams.Groh said 1994 World Cup soccer teams used Rockford as a practice site before competing at Chicago.Dimke said a new building at the Indoor Sports Center would serve local soccer which already presents “a phenomenal demand for space. They’re crying for more indoor space,” Dimke said. “We’re talking about a summer Olympics, so a building like that wouldn’t be used as extensively at that time of year. We might be able to modify it to connect to the Olympics.”

Tom Graceffa, past president of Rockford YMCA Rowing Club, said members of the club have discussed the possibility that “the Rock (River) could be a very good venue for the teams to practice before the Games because, other than Lake Michigan, there’s not a lot of big water around.

“We could easily accommodate the U.S. teams and, since it’s really not that far of a drive, some of the teams from other countries.”

The rowing club also has experience handling a large event after hosting the Head of the Rock Regatta for the past 21 years. The event drew more than 1,700 competitors and 530 boats in 2006.Graceffa said the river wouldn’t qualify as a venue for the Games because, of course, it has a current and Pierce Lake at Rock Cut State Park is too short to be considered for the races, which are up to 2,000 meters long.

If Rockford attracts rowing practices, he said, “it could be the boulder that starts to roll downhill for establishing a Midwest rowing center in Rockford for rowing, kayaking and whitewater rafting.”

Groh said David Preece, the convention and visitors bureau’s president and CEO, is part of a group that the mayor’s office has asked to study the feasibility of a proposed kayaking and indoor extreme sports center in the former Ingersoll building at the southeast edge of the Chestnut Street bridge.

“It’s a matter of scalability,” Groh said. “If it is to serve the citizens and visitors, what could be the need? But, if we want to scale it for the Olympic Games, what would it be necessary to do?”Groh said he expects that, if Chicago is chosen, Mayor Richard Daley and a committee he has chosen will intensify their work on the Olympics immediately and that Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey will assemble a Rockford committee to work with them.

“On the bottom line, these kinds of things are about what you make of them,” O’Brien said. “If people see it for what it is, it could be spectacular.”

Police commandos strut their stuff in Taman Negara Eco-Challenge

2007-04-15T10:21:00.000+08:00

Story and by NIK NAIZI HUSIN

JERANTUT: For the second time in a row, police commandos from Hulu Kinta Perak proved their mettle to emerge champion in the recent Taman Negara Eco-Challenge.

Naming themselves Team Vat 69B, the commandos led by Sjn Shamsudin Hasan had three new faces, namely Constable Saifudin Hasbi, L/Kpl Ahmad Shahrin Omar and L/Kpl Razali Tumpang.

Despite lacking in experience, the guidance and leadership of Sjn Shamsudin led the team to complete the punishing race in a time of 16 hours 59 minutes.

The event, which included climbing the highest mountain in Peninsular - Gunung Tahan - was spread over three days.

Team VAT 69B broke the event’s record of 19 hours 35 minutes and 50 seconds set last year by their colleagues.

To Sjn Shamsudin, his seniority in the commando unit and wide experience in extreme sports was an asset to guide and teach his three juniors for the event.

Sjn Shamsudin had taken part in the Marlboro Adventure Team Challenge in Utah in 1996 and 1997 and was the champion in the Gunung Tahan challenge in 1996 besides taking part in many extreme sports events while the three younger men were just two years in the commando unit.
“No doubt, they were lacking in experience but their high spirits showed throughout the race and made us more confident to complete the course.

“As young men, Saifudin 23, Ahmad Shahrin 22, and Razali 26, need motivation,” said Sjn Shamsudin.

Constable Saifudin said he was glad to have a team leader like Sjn Shamsudin as he needed guidance and direction.

“Sjn Shamsudin’s leadership was very valuable to us. His patience and understanding helped us complete the course.

“I gained much knowledge from him in extreme sports,” he said.

Vat 69B team finished their first day's challenge by scaling and jogging atop the mountains from the starting point in Kuala Juram, Merapoh, Lipis, in five hours 47 minutes covering a distance of 44.4km.

On day two, the team completed the journey of 40km from Kem Padang to Kuala Terenggan in nine hours 37 minutes.

On the final day, from Kuala Terenggan to the finishing point in Kuala Tahan, they took two hours and 35 minutes to complete the course to become the champion.

Team Vat 69B beat first runner-up team Anaconda comprising Jasmi Sarael, Sangup Richard, Jusery Gani and Badrul Hisyam A Bao who recorded a time of 18 hours 47 minutes.

Team Vat 69 A, comprising Shamsudin Hasan, Md Nazri Kassim, Nor Azeman Samiran and Helmi Mokhtar emerged as second runner-up with a time of 19 hours 14 minutes.

A total of 23 teams from all over the state took part in the challenge held in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year as one of the 50 major events in the country.

However, only 19 teams completed the three-day, two-night journey of three stages covering a total distance of 129km.

Prizes included RM10,000 cash, challenge trophy and medals for the champions, RM7,000, challenge trophy and medals for the first runner-up and RM5,000, challenge trophy and medals for the second runner-up.

State Arts, Culture, Tourism and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Maznah Mazlan presented the prizes to the winners.

China's top cliff hunger falls to death

2007-04-05T19:10:00.000+08:00

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China - China's top cliff hunger and former national champion Liu Xinan fell to death after conquering a 6,033m peak in Sichuan province, Chinese mountaineering officials told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Liu, 26 and a native from Changchun, conquered Dangjiezhenla I peak located in Batang county of Ganzi, Sichuan, with his "Knife Blade" climbing team on March 29. While descending to the height of 5,700m, Liu unexpectedly fell a vertical height of 300m and died later.

Liu's climbing of Dangjiezhenla I had been approved, said Gao Min, vice secretary of Sichuan Mountaineering Association (SMA), who also expressed his condolences.

Liu won the first prize in men's climbing during the 2000 China's national extreme sport event. Since then Liu had performed well in several other equivalent sport events, and he was entitled national sports master later.

"I was shocked. It was a great loss for sport climbing of our country," said Chen Jun, a climbing expert and coach of the climbing team of Jilin University.

Chen was the first person who taught Liu basic techniques of climbing. According to Chen, Liu was hard-working and staid. The incident was probably due to exhausting strength.

Chen also expressed his concern for the recent fever of outdoor exploration. He said, extreme sports like mountaineering and climbing have attracted a great amount of young people in China, who are eager to seek excitement and challenges, and the number of incidents involving injuries and deaths have risen accordingly.

In order to avoid similar tragedies, Chen said that people must prepare well before taking part in extreme sports.

"Firstly, they should get approval from local mountaineering associations. Secondly, they should be trained under the guidance of experts or coaches. They also need to check their equipment from time to time and pay attention to weather forecast." he added

2007 World Freefall Convention Cancelled

2007-04-04T11:50:00.000+08:00

By Don Kirlin

Don Kirlin and the World Free Fall Convention announced today the 2007 event has been cancelled. Citing logistic and personal reasons, the world's largest skydiving event is taking a break.

The convention has always been on the cutting edge of the industry. From unusual jump ships to manufacturers with new products to debut, the convention has been the place that lured skydivers from around the world to Illinois for 10 days each year.

As the sport has changed over the years, the convention has taken on many different looks appealing to different segments of the industry. The convention takes months of planning and money to strive to be what it's founder, Don Kirlin believed in most... He always challenged his team to produce the best skydiving event in the world year after year.

After 17 years, and moving the event from Quincy, IL to Rantoul, IL, he says it's just time to take a little break. "We need to recharge our batteries and start fresh reinventing the World Free Fall Convention for the future. I've always tried to think outside of the box, I'm open to ideas, and look to the skydiving community for ideas as we assess every aspect of our operation.

I'm not sure where we will be in 2008, but, it is my desire along with the staff of the WFFC, that we will be back in the grand form in which the convention grew up from in the 90's."

Mr. Kirlin noted that the WFFC has been the only boogie ever to provide a Boeing 727 for jumping purposes. Other remarkable jumpships include a Super Constellation, Family Channel Blimp, C-130, and Bell 412 Helicopter. B-17 and B-24 Bombers from World War II were a hit as well.

Recently a glider and an AN-2 were featured along with a DC-9. Over 600,000 jumps have been completed during the course of the WFFCs' 17 years. Visitors from every State and over 70 foreign countries have come to jump the variety that only the WFFC has provided. "We have loved every minute of the past 17 years."

Extreme for a Day in Region X

2007-04-02T19:41:00.000+08:00

Mike Banos
March 31, 2007

A growing number of extreme sports enthusiasts are trooping down south to test their wits and wills against the growing rep of the white water of the Cagayan de Oro River. As the country's first and only year round white water rafting destination, perhaps it's only appropriate that this city and the region to which it is a part of lay claim to the title as the Extreme Sports Capital of the Philippines.

Beyond its official numerical X designation as one of the country's administrative regions, it has developed over the years a number of the X sports destinations that hard core X sports aficionados all over the country have found worth their while to come back to again and again.
Here are three worth mentioning that are within easy reach of the casual visitor or hard core X sport fanatics:

Perhaps adventuresome tourists or novice X sporters would do well to take first crack at the Makahambus Adventure Park. Just 25 minutes from the city proper and 10 minutes from the Lumbia airport (for those who can't wait upon landing or are catching a plane), Indiana Jones wannabes can cross a 120-meter long sky bridge 150-feet off the ground spanning centuries old trees to admire the view of the spectacular Makahambus Gorge from various perspectives.
If that doesn't get your adrenaline flowing, rappel 120 feet down the gorge or brave the 120-meter "Slide-for-Life" Zip Line for only P500 for the whole package or P300 for either Skybridge and Zipline, or Rappelling only.

Makahambus hill has a hallowed place in Philippine history: here local hero Apolinar Velez led the Mindanao Battalion to victory over the Americans in the 'Battle of Makahambus Hill' in June 4, 1900, the only victory of Filipino forces over the U.S. forces in Mindanao during the Philippine-American War.

Further east through the Maharlika National Highway going east and turning right through to the Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village, lies a 2,490 hectare forest reserve developed by the late vice president Emmanuel Peleaz a mere 30 minutes away from the city proper. It includes a cattle ranch, a forest reserve and the Mapawa Nature Park.

Your P40 entrance fee will buy you access to the park's extreme sports attractions which includes a six-stage zipline course which costs P250 per head, though you can also limit yourself to the first three stages which includes a 60-meter zipline, 25 meter monkey bridge and 70 ft. zip and 13 ft. rappel for only P125/head.

Or try the more advanced second stage with a 100 meter zipline and 100 meter zip return for only P100/head and take your option of a 40-feet rappel at P50/head or 100 meter zipline and 40-foot rappel for P150.

You can also give their trampoline a try, it's only P25 per head for 10 minutes of totally inane or totally entertaining trampoline, whichever frame of mind pervades you that day.
Or you can go horseback riding through the 2,000 hectare reforestation area for only P75/head for a 15 minute trail ride to P175/head for one hour, free riding instructions included. There's also a 3 hr. trail ride to the park's 55 foot waterfalls or 2 hr. cowboy trail ride through the cattle pasture.

You can also coordinate with the management for a variety of team building activities including greasy pig, palosebo, cattle wrestling show, ecological trek, obstacle course, bonfire or camping (day or night). The park has amenities which include view decks, picnic tables, camp ground where you can pitch your tents (day or night, min. 12 pax @100/head), light a bonfire, or go dipping in the swimming hole.

But for that truly unforgettable Xperience, take their River Trekking and Canyoneering Package, your personal epic saga which starts at 7am and ends at 3pm, for only P950 /head (minimum 5 pax) inclusive of bottled water, snacks, packed lunch, trek guides, mountaineering equipment and life vests.

That may sound pretty steep but consider the following Xtreme Adventure: you start off with a 30 minute ride on a trailer pulled by a farm tractor while being briefed on the reforestation project. At the drop off your group takes a 15 minute trek downhill to the river where you all don life vests for a screaming waterslide down a 25 ft natural waterfall, followed by a 30 foot jump from another waterfall and a rappel down a 65 ft. waterfall. After lunch, you can either trek back to the trailer or ride back to the park on horseback (costs extra through). Or you can camp out in the park or stay overnight at the ranch with bed and breakfast, though prior arrangements for this are necessary.

But if all that's still too tame for you, then it's the DOME Expedition Tours by Detour: The Adventure Company for you, which includes the famous Noslek Canopy Walk in Claveria, Misamis Oriental and an option of spelunking in the Kweba de Oro in Barangay Lumbia or Pinoy whitewater rafting using lashed salbabidas.

Definitely not for the faint-hearted, you start off the first day of your weekend X adventure with an hour long trek from Magbais, Mat-i in Claveria to reach the access deck where you will be fitted with a safety harness for your walk in the clouds 3,500 feet above the sea level and 24-36 meters above ground. Your adventure starts with a 40 meter zipline to the first view deck and it will all be hanging "monkey" bridges from there. From you vantage point above the forest canopy, you will have a bird's eye view of the virgin forest in a watershed that's been declared an eco-tourism zone. On your way back, you have the option of a cold dip in the pristine waters of a natural pool with a small waterfall. You can also walk upriver to see more such pools and waterfalls.

Next day, you it's a two-hour spelunking (caving to the uninitiated) of the Kweba de Oro which includes a 110ft rappel down to the cave entrance and a two-hour trek inside the cave following an underground stream through a cavern festooned with stalagmites and stalactites. After lunch, you get up close and personal with the mighty Cagayan River with "Pinoy" white water rafting. It's all fun, no fear, with rafters as young as 70 and as old as two having previously made the trip. You will navigate 6.4 kms. of the Cagayan river with 14 rapids rated Class 3-4 (5 being the highest) with safety helmets and life vests provided by your outfitter.

The nifty thing about DOME's Expedition Tours is the convenience of being able to arrive by plane in the first flight from Manila, go to either the canopy walk or spelunking and Pinoy rafting in the afternoon, yet still have enough time left to make it back home with the last flight around 5:30PM.
The canopy walk will set you back from P1,933 per head for a minimum group of three but goes down to P800 per for a group of 10. A half-day's tubing would cost you P900 per head and P1,500 for a full-day. Spelunking at the Kweba de Oro ranges from P1,717 for a group of three to as low as P760 for a group of 10.

Of course, for the ultimate adrenaline rush, few can match the thrill and adventure of a day's white water rafting in the Cagayan River.

Most of the six 'outfitters' offer two types of runs: the beginners/amateur course runs 12.9 kms. with 14 Class 2-3 rapids and lasts 3.5 hrs. including side trips while the advanced or extreme/expert course is longer at 18.6 kms and can take up to 5 hrs with 14 Class 2-4 rapids.
The beginners course costs P900 per person (minimum of five persons) and includes a cavern side trip, jeepney transfer to the rafting area from the Park Café in Plaza Divisoria, briefing on rafting, provision of safety and protection equipment, river and rescue guides, and a fresh shower and change of clothes at the disembarkation point. The longer advanced/extreme expert course costs P1,300 per person (min. of five pax) with much of the same amenities.

Rafters are provided with safety and protection equipment including a certified rafting helmet, life vest certified for white water sports, paddle which can also serve as a safety tool in emergencies, and throw bags with ropes with which a dunked passenger be hauled in from up to 10 meters away by rescuers.

Additional safety measures include the deployment of a rescue raft manned by two experienced river guides with every run, first aid kit, and emergency rescue vehicle which can bring any accident victim to the nearest hospital in 20-25 minutes.

Rafters are advised to wear comfortable close fitting shirts, preferably quick-dry; short pants preferably light and quick drying, and strap-on sandals or aqua shoes. Other mandatory stuff experienced rafters bring along are extra clothes and under garments, towel, swimsuit and sunscreen.

Stunt man films himself skiing down Underground escalator

2007-04-01T01:02:00.000+08:00

LONDON A man who filmed himself skiing down a London Underground escalator is being investigated by police.

The 60-second film, which has been viewed by more than 100,000 people on the internet, shows the man hurtling down the 100 metre (300ft) escalator at Angel station in North London at a speed of more than 30mph.

In the footage, shot from a camera in the man’s helmet, passengers can be seen strolling past as he fixes his skis at the top of the escalator. He then launches himself down the stairs, arriving to applause at the bottom seven seconds later.

British Transport Police said that the “naive and reckless” skier was liable for prosecution.

John Spelman, who produced the Norwegian DVD, yesterday insisted that passers-by had not been put at risk because friends of the skier had waned away members of the public immediately before the sunt took place.

He named the man as a Norwegian freestyle skier called Arild.

Portable Splint for Extreme Sports Welds Itself Together

2007-03-31T22:01:00.000+08:00

This portable plastic splint takes up a tiny space in a backpack but brings big relief, holding a broken limb together long enough to get medical help and providing soothing warmth in the meantime. The special plastic fuses itself together in about five minutes using the same chemical-reactive heat technology used in hand warmers.

Aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts such as snowboarders and skiers, the technology could offer a bit of comfort to those 450,000 wracked-up snow sports adventurers who are injured each year, many of whom sometimes have a long wait until they can get patched up in a proper hospital.

This idea might be great for ski patrol personnel to carry around, but what extreme sports participant would take along splints for broken bones? It could jinx the whole trip...

Bands and boards: Skate or Die Music Festival comes to Flanders in April

2007-03-29T15:02:00.000+08:00

BY ELLEN S. WILKOWE
DAILY RECORD

More than 20 bands. Professional skateboard demonstrations. Goodies and gadgets for sale.
Welcome to the Skate or Die music and skateboarding festival.

The rockin' and rollin' kicks off April 21 at noon at the indoor Small Empire Skate Park in Flanders.

These were some of the reactions posted by area youths on the festival's Web site, www.myspace.com/skateordiefest:

n"Finally something to do besides hang out at Dunkin' Donuts."

n"I can't wait for the Skate or Die fest. "

n"Seems like a great festival. I'll see if I can talk my friends into checking it out."

This is the first festival produced by Payphone Productions, said owner and organizer Susanne Collins of Bedminster.

"I wanted a new venue and checked out the skate park and asked (the owner) if he did shows there," she said. "He said yes and I approached him about the festival."

Small Empire Skate Park opened in March 2006, owner David Yun said. Professional skateboard demonstrations and music concerts are all part of the park experience, he said.

Event coordinator Peter Kakourioti, also a guitarist with the band Reflective Insight, said he expects 600 to 800 attendees.

The lineup boasts national, regional and local acts, including Bed Light for Blue Eyes, Kiss Kiss, The Pilot, Crash Romeo, No Hollywood Ending and Mount Olive's own P.R.Y.D.E.
A battle of the bands landed some of musicians a spot at the festival, Collins said.

GUERNSEY is getting an extreme sports park.

2007-03-28T13:51:00.000+08:00

After a 20-year battle, BMXers and skateboarders have won their fight for a venue to call their own. The Guernsey Extreme Sports Association has commissioned a £45,000 mobile skate park, which will move between different locations until a permanent site has been agreed with the Environment Department.

‘There is a site in the plans,’ said association chairman Deputy Mike O’Hara.‘

We had a site planned before but we had to abandon that after we received criticism about possible high noise levels. ‘We have looked into the possibility of another location but we will not announce it until we have had full approval.

‘The Liberation Day skate park will become a permanent skate park – the legacy of this will remain.’

The association proposed a skate park at the BMX track at Beau Sejour, but complaints by residents in the area halted its development. Before a site has been approved, the tennis court-sized structure will be placed on a trailer and moved to different locations and events.

Association member Jon Bisson said 6.6 tonnes of steel had been ordered to construct the park, which will be built in just five weeks by Turx Engineering.

‘It can be easily moved and deployed to a different location in several hours.

‘People don’t want a skate park in their back garden – now we have a situation where it can be moved from place to place until we can put it in a permanent location.’

Lee Stillwell, a former Channel Island skateboarding champion and director of Bonsai Wood Flooring, has sponsored the build of the facility.

‘I think we need to have more things in Guernsey for kids,’ said the 33-year-old.

‘Skateboarding and extreme sports at the moment is growing at an amazing rate but Guernsey seems so far behind the rest of the world.

‘We had a skateboard park at Beau Sejour 20 years ago and nothing has happened since. Having something in the long-term makes sense.

‘The park will keep them off streets, provide them with a group environment, it’s proactive and keeps them fit.’

PJ De La Mare, who has long-campaigned for a skate park at Beau Sejour, said youngsters who took part in extreme sports had got a bad reputation.

‘I’m not saying that all kids that do extreme sports are trouble – they just enjoy the adrenaline rush. By providing them with a permanent facility like this, they will have somewhere to exert all their energy.’

The Guernsey Sports Commission has contributed considerable funds towards the development of the skate park.

Chasing the adrenalin dragon

2007-03-27T21:11:00.000+08:00

It’s amazing what some people will do for kicks. Whether it be leaping off the edge of a nauseatingly high cliff, or coming face-to-face with a ravenous great-white shark, the hunt for the elusive adrenalin rush is more common now than ever before.

AdvertisementSo, to what lengths will these junkies go to get their rocks off? And if you’re keen to experience the thrill of the adrenalin rush, how far are you prepared to push your body and mind for the ultimate thrill?

Extreme sports have gained major popularity over the past decade, and are generally accepted as the way to go if you’re looking for an intense brush with possible death. Bungee jumping, sky diving, BASE jumping, roller coasters and white water rafting are all popular extreme sports designed to push your fears to the very edge.

But before you plunge off a bridge or hurtle down a winding metal track at eye-drying speeds, do your research. Reading on from here would be a good start.

Three, two, one, bungee!
The origin of this gravity-defying sport is an interesting one, and is thought to have originated from a traditional test of courage performed by the young men of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. In this tradition, they would jump from boggling heights with nothing more than vines tied to their ankles to keep them from meeting their maker.

These days you get more than just a shrivelled branch for a life-line. Bungee chords are engineered under strict conditions, and allow you to leap off high obstacles without ending up a splat on the proverbial pavement. The elastic material stretches and absorbs the energy of your descent, giving you a short but intense free-fall.

And if you’ve been thinking about bungee jumping, our advice is to just go and do it. As far as extreme sports goes, it is exceptionally safe, relatively inexpensive and comes in at a thrilling three out of five on the rush-o-meter.

Sky diving
Humans have been jumping out of aeroplanes since the day those crazy brothers got their rickety machine off the ground. A serious step up from bungee jumping, sky divers rely solely on their equipment to make it back to solid ground alive. One wrongly packed chute, or badly timed release will result in a sudden and messy death.

Why do people hurl themselves from planes? Because it’s the closest you’ll ever get to flight. But it’s not a once-off experience like bungee jumping. You’ll need to get a license to become a freefall jumper, and this requires extensive training and static-line jumps.

But no matter your level of skill, you’ll still find yourself hurtling towards the earth at breakneck speeds, giving this death-defying sport a face-squelching four on the rush-o-meter.

But while it’s probably the biggest rush you can get, it doesn’t come cheap. The equipment needed is specialist and expensive, and that hasn’t even covered the training costs. But if you’ve got the cash and are looking for that ultimate rush, we say go for it.

BASE jumping
Building, Antenna (any uninhabited aerial tower), Span (bridges, domes and arches), Earth (a natural cliff or formation). These are the principles of this extreme sport, and if you’re a BASE jumper, any of the above are your launch platforms. It’s sky diving, but with a notoriously dangerous twist.

Most BASE jumps occur below 600m off static objects, the most dangerous of which being skyscrapers and antenna’s which can clock in at below 450m, and can be as low as 100m. This results in an extremely short freefall, and a complete reliance on specialised equipment and skill.

Once you’ve hurled yourself off a building, bridge cliff and antenna, you can apply for your very own BASE number – the goal of most jumpers. But this isn’t to say that it’s an every-man’s sport. It’s expensive, often illegal and highly dangerous, but its very existence warrants its growing popularity.

There is no room for error. A couple of seconds is all you have to get your parachute out, and if you don’t, you’ve got an unpleasant meeting with a sidewalk to look forward to. BASE jumping is only recommended for the rigorously trained and somewhat crazy adrenaline junkie, rating in at a death-defying five on the rush-o-meter.

White water rafting
If flying towards the earth at terminal velocity isn’t your cup of tea, getting wet might be your best option. How does plunging down a raging river with little more than a life-jacket, helmet and plastic ore sound?

White water rafting has picked up in popularity over the past fifteen years, and is an excellent extreme group activity. There is a certain element of luck to the sport - created by the unpredictability of the river your team chooses to take on - and that’s where the thrill lies.

Rapids and rough water are graded from 1 – 6, the highest recommended only for seasoned veterans. While there are fatalities and injuries, thousands of people enjoy rafting experiences every year as technology improves, and expertise grows.

A common misconception is made that rafting is similar to an amusement park ride. This is very far from the truth, as the only protection you have on the water is the inflatable craft below you, and your safety equipment. With a high danger rating, this sport gets a fearful four on the rush-o-meter.

Roller coasters
Strapping yourself into a seat and hurtling around a screeching track at up to 200km/h is one of the most popular activities of many adrenalin-seeking enthusiasts. It’s also one of the safest ways to get your heart racing with a couple of bellowing screams to boot.

Roller coasters come in all shapes and sizes, and are generally made out of either wood or steel. As technology has improved, so has track design, which now incorporates unbelievable loops, twirls, twists accompanied by chest-crushing speeds - a vast improvement from the boring tracks of the early 20th century.

Most roller coasters rely mostly on kinetic energy that is created after the first major descent of the cart, which can be from a height of up to 329m (the height of ‘The High Roller’ in Las Vegas, the tallest roller coaster in the world), and can reach speeds of up to 204km/h.

It’s a safe, fun and relatively cheap thrill, and you’ll find a coaster at most major theme parks. Recommended for the less courageous, and for beginners of adrenalin-rush enjoyment, roller coaster riding gets a timid 2 on the rush-o-meter.

And for the faintest of hearts
If you’re ready to experience the thrills of adrenalin, but are still a bit scared to try any of the above, there are some more gentle (yet thrilling) activities that’ll get your blood flowing.

Hot-air balloon flights have taken off across the globe as a popular adventure for the more faint of heart. Relying on the skill of the pilot, and at the mercy of the winds, this might be a great adventure for your somewhat fearful mother-in-law, and scores a gentle one on the rush-o-meter.

What does adrenalin do to the body?
Adrenalin is released from adrenal glands found on top of your kidneys. It’s a hormone that is released to prepare your body and mind for a dangerous situation, increasing your heart-rate, upping your senses and raising your awareness.

It also diverts blood-flow from important areas of your brain and internal organs to your major muscles and limbs, and prepares you for escape.

An adrenalin rush is the sudden and massive release of adrenalin throughout your body. It may take a couple of seconds to reach your brain, but once it does, you’ll know about it.

This rush can induce some strange feelings, such as euphoria, a sense of slow motion and even a complete loss of pain. Combine these with its natural effects, and you’ve got a weird sensation to deal with, one which many find unpleasant, and others relish.

The psyche of an adrenalin junkie
An adrenalin rush for many is a thrilling and addictive experience. The hormone induces emotions and feelings that would otherwise never be experienced. From tunnel vision to the brightening of colours and enhancement of sounds, many crave the excitement of the rush.

For many who live bland and repetitive lives, jumping out of a plane or spending weekends racing down dangerous rivers is an escape from the mundane – it makes them feel alive.

Chasing the adrenalin dragon is one way to keep life exciting and spontaneous, and is something many cannot live without.

(Warren Vonk, Health24)

National Bike Show 2007

2007-03-21T20:59:00.000+08:00

You might have thought snakeboarding was a thing of the past… well think again kids, it’s morphed into streetboarding and we’ve just hosted the World Championships right here in the UK!

The Y2SK8 skatepark in Peterborough was run amok when 100 of the world’s finest stopped by to compete for the biggest title of them all.

Those numbers were drastically whittled down though until just 10 guys remained to seal their place in the finals.

The mini ramp comp went off first and the level of riding was actually awesome, the height they get on those things is unbelievable, even though it's attached to their feet.

Max Anderson and Piotr Dzieciolowski both rocked near flawless runs but they were edged out by Max Maier when he nailed a perfect 900. Come on, that's pretty impressive.

In vert, favorite Sergi Nicolas, a favourite, had crashed out in practice so the contest was blown wide open. Piotr was hucking it soundly again but he had to be content with third as Ingo Forer steamed into second with a well crafted run.

But no-one was going to take this title away from Gabi Munoz; last year he finished at the bottom of the heap but he’d put in the hard yards since then and he stormed it with back-to-back tricks including a huge switch backflip. Street was the contest everyone had been waiting for and it went off with a bang. Brinton Gunderson might be a five-time champion but he took third here because Chris Kamm and Max Anderson were on fire.

Chris left the other guys rubbing their eyes in disbelief when he bluntsided the entire kinked rail and everyone thought he had it in the bag until Max went out and landed a misty 720 in a massive run which ended with a sweet gap 180 switch backside feeble on the rail.

Rock climbing in Arkansas

2007-03-20T15:33:00.000+08:00

Amazing sport climbing can be found at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

If you're looking for tons of moderate, well-bolted, super-fun sport climbs look no further than, of all places, a dude ranch in the heart of Arkansas.

Cowboys on horseback, nightly rodeo displays and goats being herded by an assortment of dogs are just some of the things that make this a truly unique climbing destination. Horseshoe Canyon Ranch is in a valley, surrounded on three sides by a cliff in the shape of a horseshoe, hence the name. The privately owned 350 acres has been in the same family for generations and has existed in many different forms over the years. It is currently a working horse ranch/resort that attracts people from all over the world - from families on vacation to business people on retreats - who are looking for an authentic, albeit somewhat pampered, Wild West experience.

As far as climbing goes, the owner started allowing access to the cliff to what was at first a small group of mostly local climbers. But as word spread and more and more climbers started showing up, the owner, increasingly worried about accidents, made a decision: if climbers wanted to climb, they would climb safely. He hired an experienced climber to bolt the routes with safety, not esthetics, in mind. As a result, there are over 300 routes varying in difficulty, but consistently offering some of the safest climbing anywhere.

Most routes are in the 5.6-5.12 range making it the perfect place for those wanting to start leading and for more experienced climbers who will love being able to bang off climb after climb after climb. You could easily fit in 20 or more climbs in one day, as there are so many so close together. The rock is sandstone with lots of pockets, jugs and great cracks. There are also some amazing boulder problems on the property including the famous "Witness the Fitness" put up by none other than Chris Sharma and rated (by others, of course) at least V14.

Camping is allowed although there are only 15 sites and it's hard to find an even patch of ground or a bit of shade to escape the sun. That brings up a very important point: do not go in spring or summer as it can get unbearably hot in Arkansas. We're talking an unrelenting, insanity-inducing heat that makes it difficult to climb as your hands can't grip the rock and dehydration can become an issue. It's best to go in the early spring or late fall and it even stays warm enough to climb in the winter.

Back to camping. The fee is $5 a day for camping (and $5 for climbing), which is appropriately low as you don't get much. Facilities include a rather basic outhouse and there are no showers (although there is a rumour that the owner will be building better facilities to accommodate the ever growing number of climber/campers). Fully serviced cabins are available but pricey. Your best bet is to camp at one of the many National Park Services campgrounds nearby. The camping is better and some have shower facilities. But best of all, you can cool off after a day of climbing in the gorgeous Buffalo National River which is lined by stunning limestone rock faces. Enjoy with your eyes only - climbing is not allowed.

One final tip is to stock up on any alcoholic refreshments you might need as the ranch is in a dry county and the nearest liquor store is about a half hour drive away.

You could spend a week at Horseshoe Canyon and still not climb all its routes and there are more going up all the time. As fantastic as the climbing is, there are so many other enjoyable things about this climbing destination. There are the horses roaming the property freely, often stopping to eat grass just a few feet away from where you're belaying. There is also the gorgeous scenery and friendly, southern charm.

So for your next climbing holiday, mosey on over to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and satisfy both the climber and cowboy in you.

the global assault

2007-03-18T17:10:00.000+08:00

This little whipper snapper has been making grown skaters weep uncontrollably recently as he pulls off the most outstanding tricks that others can only dream of doing. Git.

During the competition Nyjah pulled off some huge tricks including a huge backside five-o down a gerzillion stair rail and more flip tricks that a professional pancake maker during the final of a toss off.

Keep and eye open for the dreaded wonder as he'll be devasting skating with massive displays of skill.

The of the most ridiculously talented young skaters out there, Sheckler absolutely nailed each and every run with a combination of super big airs and mind rottingly good tech stuff.
Not only does this guy skate like a demon, but it has been revealed recently that he has already made over $1 million. The girls like him too. He has it all. Jealous. Much.

Zero rider and out and out hardcore stomper of greatest, Chris Cole was there to represent for the big rail fans and didn't dissapoint.
He is no one trick pony though and when the flippery stuff was needed, Cole was there to do huge backside flips, 360 flips and anything else that would make you vomit with envy. Awesome stuff.