Freaking SPORTS

Kite Surfing

2014-11-27T04:53:00.001-08:00

Kite Surfing

HISTORY

Kiteboarding is a surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kite boarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without foot straps or bindings.

Kite surfers use inflatable kites tethered to harnesses to glide through water and air. Kite surfing is still in its infancy, but is quickly becoming a safer sport due to innovations in kite design and safety systems. Many riding styles have evolved to suit different types of riders.

And it all started in the 1800s, George Pocock used kites of increased size to propel carts on land and ships on the water, using a four-line control system - the same system in common use today. Both carts and boats were able to turn and sail upwind. The kites could be flown for sustained periods. The intention was to establish kite power as an alternative to horsepower, partly to avoid the hated "horse tax" that was levied at that time.

In 1903, aviation pioneer Samuel Cody developed "man-lifting kites" and succeeded in crossing the English Channel in a small collapsible canvas boat powered by a kite.

In the late 1970s, the development of Kevlar then Spectra flying lines and more controllable kites with improved efficiency contributed to practical kite traction. In 1978, Ian Day's "FlexiFoil" kite-powered Tornado catamaran exceeded 40 km/h.

In October 1977 Gijsbertus Adrianus Panhuise (Netherlands) received the first patent for Kitesurfing. The patent covers, specifically, a water sport using a floating board of a surf board type where a pilot standing up on it is pulled by a wind catching device of a parachute type tied to his harness on a trapeze type belt.

In November 1984 two brothers, Bruno Legaignoux and Dominique Legaignoux, from the Atlantic coast of France, developed kites for kitesurfing in the late 1970s and early 1980s and patented an inflatable kite design.In 1990, practical kite buggying was pioneered by Peter Lynn at Argyle Park in Ashburton, New Zealand. Lynn coupled a three-wheeled buggy with a forerunner of the modern parafoil kite. Kite buggying proved to be very popular worldwide, with over 14,000 buggies sold up to 1999.

BASIC TECHNIQUES

But safety first:

Kites can be dangerous. Because of strong forces that can be generated by sudden wind gusts, people can be carried off, dashed against water, buildings, terrain or power lines, resulting in what's termed a "kite-mare" (kite + nightmare).

Avoid kite surfing in crowded areas, near rocks, trees, or power lines. In general there should be a minimum of 100 meters of safe distance from all obstructions.
Try to ride with side-shore winds. Avoid offshore or directly onshore winds.
Pay attention to changing weather and wind conditions. If you feel a static shock from the kite bar, land the kite immediately and seek shelter.
Do not remove or disable factory-installed safety equipment or releases.
Never use a board leash without wearing a helmet. A helmet is a wise precaution in most circumstances whether you use a board leash or not, but never use a board leash without wearing a helmet.
Avoid riding overpowered. Using too large a kite for the wind conditions or your experience level is extremely dangerous. Underpowered riding is preferable to overpowered riding. When in doubt, go to a smaller kite and see how it goes.
Be extra careful when landing or launching the kite. Ideally, don't spend any time on shore with the kite in the air; launch the kite and then leave the beach immediately, and when coming in, land as quickly as possible. When on shore, keep the kite low: if it's hit by a gust, it can drag the rider.
Carry a knife attached to the harness for cutting tangled lines. Tangles are dangerous because an entangled rider in the water may not be able free themselves quickly enough in the event the kite powers up suddenly. In a crash situation, with the kite in the water, under no circumstances allow a line to encircle a part of the body.

Now techniques:

You need about 8 - 10 knots (15 to 19 km/h, approx. 3 Beaufort) on a big kite (16 m²). In 8 - 10 knots (15 to 19 km/h) you can have a lot of fun by doing low jumps and freestyle manoeuvres.
12 - 13 knots (22 to 24 km/h) on a 16 square meter kite will have you jumping high, while 17 - 20 knots (31 to 37 km/h) will have you flying with the birds on a 12 square meter kite.
A beginner can turn by going to the shallows or another stopping place, putting the kite up into neutral, and then turning the kite in the opposite direction. A quicker, more skilful turn moves the kite toward the wind, to swing the surfer's path in a half circle, centred on the kite. As the turn ends, the kite is flown over to be in front of the surfer again. Turns away from the wind steal lift.
A poorly executed turn will "fly" the surfer, and is often followed by a tumble if the surfer can't put the board down at the right angle. It is important to use safety equipment like a dead-man system where the kite lines can be detached from the surfer's harness quickly because the kite can (unintentionally) power up after tumbles and pull the rider under water or against objects at uncontrollable speeds. Safety knives are a must to quickly cut lines in the event of dangerous entanglements. After a tumble, untangling and re-launching the kite can be difficult. Experienced kite surfers try to keep the kite in the air.
If the kite is only turned partially, or is not straightened at the right rate, a turning surfer can swing up and be dragged into the air by the kite, then get hurt when he reconnects the surface. Even in water, flying a power kite can be a brutal contact sport. The kite is usually twenty meters (sixty feet) in the air, and a careless turn in high winds can easily swing one five meters (two stories) into the air and down to an uncontrolled contact.
Controlled flying is possible and one of the biggest attractions of the sport, but more difficult and potentially dangerous. Flying occurs when the momentum of the surfer pulls the kite. Before jumping, the surfer builds up as much tension as possible by accelerating and strongly edging the board. Then in controlled, straight flight, the kite is flown quickly (snapped) to an overhead position, usually just as the surfer goes over a wave. The kite must then be quickly turned to glide in the direction of motion, usually into the wind. A large variety of manoeuvres can be performed while jumping such as rotations, taking the board off one's feet etc. However, a kite surfer can also be flown into a nearby building, highway, or power lines if the move is poorly executed. At least 17 people have been killed in kite boarding-related accidents since 2000, according to a safety adviser for one of the sport's governing bodies.
Some kite claim to be able to catch a "rotor," a horizontally cyclonic ridge updraft, when flying above large waves or ridges in high wind. This extremely difficult and not recommended technique occurs only in dangerous surf and wind conditions, or above land.
To fly the maximum distance, a flyer should reduce aerodynamic drag. Some people recommend laying flat in the air as long as one can't reach the surface. Others claim that attempting this manoeuvre adds more danger to the already dangerous manoeuvre of flying.

RECORDS:

Fastest speed kite surfing by a woman:The fastest speed kite surfing by a woman was 50.43 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) achieved by Charlotte Consorti (France) at the 2010 Luderitz Speed Challenge in Luderitz, Namibia, on 28 October 2010
Fastest speed kite surfing by a man:The fastest speed kite surfing was 55.65 knots (103 km/h; 64 mph) achieved by Rob Douglas (USA) at the 2010 Luderitz Speed Challenge in Luderitz, Namibia, on 28 October 2010
Extraordinary winds at the Speed Challenge helped aid this record in falling multiple times during the event. Douglas, in fact, broke the previous record of 55.49 knots that was set only 14 minutes earlier.
Longest journey kite surfing (male):The longest kite surfing journey is 199.63 nautical miles (369.71 km; 229.73 statute miles) and was achieved by Phillip McCoy Midler (USA) who travelled from South Padre Island, Texas to Matagorda, Texas, USA, from 10 to 11 May 2010.
Longest journey kite surfing (female):The longest continuous kitesurfing journey by a woman is 135.16 nautical miles (250.32 km or 155.54 miles), achieved by Anke Brandt (Germany) between Amwaj Marina and Al Dar Island, Bahrain, on 1 March 2014.
Most kite surfing world championships (female):The most kite surfing world championships won by a woman is nine and was achieved by Kristin Boese (Germany) between 2005 to 2008.This record includes both the PKRA and KPWT federations. A breakdown of Kristin's titles are as follows: 2005 PKRA Freestyle World Champion, 2005 PKRA Wave World Champion, 2006 PKRA Freestyle World Champion, 2006 PKRA Slider & Kicker World Champion, 2007 PKRA Boardercross World Champion, 2007 KPWT Overall World Champion, 2007 KPWT Wave World Champion, 2007 KPWT Course Racing World Champion, and 2008 KPWT Course Racing World Champion.
Longest distance kite surfing in 24 hours:The longest distance kitesurfing in 24 hours is 645.6 km (401.2 miles) and was achieved by Rimas Kinka (Lithuania), off the coast of Islamorada, Florida, USA, on 26 February 2012.Kinka was also the previous holder for this category, he broke his own record.
Youngest kite surfing world champion (female):The youngest kitesurfing world champion (female) is Gisela Pulido (b.14 January 1994, Spain) who won her first Kiteboard Pro World Tour (KPWT) world championship, on 4 November 2004 aged 10 years and 294 days. She also won her first Professional Kiteboard Riders Association (PKRA) championship on 26 August 2007 aged 13 years 224 days.
Gisela Pulido is also the youngest athlete to be nominated for the Laureus Awards and four times Kitesurfing world champion, three in the KPWT series and one in the PKRA

Top kite surfing locations:

Maui, Hawaii
Dominican Republic
Tarifa, Spain
Cape Hatteras, NC, US
Jericoacoara, CE, Brazil
Safaga Bay , Egypt
Chumpon , Thailand
South Padre Island, TX, US
Santa Cruz, CAUS
Hood River, OR, US
Australia (various)
Tranque Puclaro, Chile
Costa Calma/Sotavento, Fuerteventura, Canary Isles, Spain
Corralejo, Fuerteventura, Canary Isles, Spain
Nitinat Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Western Cape, South Africa
Traverse City, Michigan
Jupiter, Florida, US
Bonaire, Dutch Antilles
Noordwijk Beach, The Netherlands
Sea of Galilee (Kineret), Israel.

some important links to look for more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitesurfing
http://www.kitesurfatlas.com/kitesurf-handbook/kitesurfing-techniques

Ice Climbing

2014-03-27T12:32:00.002-07:00

Ice Climbing

History

Ice climbing evolved out of rock climbing and other mountaineering activities. In high altitudes, rock climbers had to learn how to navigate icy and slippery areas as they worked their way up a mountain or rock wall. Eventually, climbers began to develop specialized tools and gear to get through those icy spots. Over time, climbers began to seek out strictly ice climbs.

You can trace the birth of ice climbing back to 1908, when a climber named Oscar Eckenstein designed toothed claws, called crampons that fit into the bottom of his boot. These crampons allowed a climber to gain traction on the slippery ice. Before crampons were invented, ice climbers had to use step cutting, a laborious method of cutting foothold areas into the snow and ice with a pick or axe, to gain footing.

In the 1930s, climber Laurent Grivel made another significant advance. He added sharp fangs that jutted out in front of the crampons, which allowed climbers to navigate steeper ice. Then, in the 1960s, Yvon Chouinard, who went on to create the Patagonia clothing line, revolutionized the design of ice axes. First, he shortened the traditional 25-inch (63.5 cm) mountaineering axe down to 22 inches (55.8 cm). Next, he changed the shape of the traditional pick, which at that time was straight at a shallow angle to the axe's shaft. This shallow angle was fine for regular snow climbing, but wasn't effective on steeper snow and ice. His curved pick entered the ice more easily and was also easier to remove.

In the mountains, ice forms two ways: Alpine ice starts as snow and over time consolidates into hard-packed ice, sometimes called blue ice. Water ice, which forms anywhere you find runoff or seepage, is more varied. It may melt and freeze, form over snow, create large bumps and ridges and turn into icicles. Climbers like to fantasize that the ideal ice for climbing would start to form in the autumn, and the water source would be a rivulet seeping out of a rock wall. As the temperatures drop, the ice would become stronger and stronger and finally bond itself to the rock wall, creating an extremely strong surface on which to climb. Ideal temperatures to form ice for climbing is between 14 and 30 degrees F (minus 10 and minus 1 degree C). Colder temperatures cause more ice to form more quickly, but it will take a while for the ice bonds to become strong.

How do you know if ice is safe to climb? Ice can go from hard to brittle to slushy all in one day. Hard ice is very cold ice, packed with gravel and dirt, and a climber must use a lot of strength to penetrate this ice with the pick. When temperatures are well below freezing, you may encounter brittle ice, which tends to break off in plates when you swing your tool into it. Climbers call this unwelcome phenomenon dinner plating. Sometimes you can prevent dinner plating by using a light tapping method with your tool to gently get your pick into the ice. But if plating is inevitable, you may want to swing into the ice with force to clear everything in one go. When temperatures are near or above freezing, the ice will feel more like plastic. Your pick will sink in quickly and stay there, making climbing easier and faster. If temperatures are warming to above freezing, however, ice will become slushy and soft. Obviously, slushy ice won't support your pick or protection very well.

A good climber should be able to climb well on any type of ice, especially since you may encounter different kinds of ice on a single climb. Sometimes you can spec out the ice just by looking at it. Solid ice tends to look blue or blue-green and it may be stained yellow from minerals. White ice is usually full of air -- it's easy to climb but it may not support your ice screws. Chandelier ice is actually hundreds of fused icicles, and it's difficult to climb safely because it's not solid enough for ice screws.

When choosing your climb, use these cues to choose the safest area and look out for hanging icicles or unstable ice that could fall on you as you climb.

Techniques

A climber chooses equipment according to the slope and texture of the ice. For example, on flat ice, almost any good hiking or mountaineering boot will usually suffice, but for serious ice climbing double plastic mountaineering boots or their stiff leather equivalent are usually used, which must be crampon compatible and stiff enough to support the climber and maintain ankle support. On short, low angled slopes, one can use an ice axe to chop steps. For longer and steeper slopes or glacier travel, crampons are mandatory for a safe climb. Vertical ice climbing is done with crampons and ice axes (those specific to vertical ice generally being called technical ice axes, or ice tools); climbers kick their legs to engage the front points of the crampons in the ice, and then swing the axe into the ice above their heads. This technique is known as front pointing. The strength of the ice is often surprising; even if the axe goes in only a centimeter or so it is enough to pull up on. If a climber is leading, they will need to place ice screws as protection on the way up (see climbing system). Most mountaineers would only consider the last scenario true ice climbing; the less steep variations are routine aspects of winter mountaineering.

Some important techniques and practices common in rock climbing that are employed in ice climbing include knowledge of rope systems, tying in, belaying, leading, abseiling, and lowering. Beginners should learn these techniques before attempting to ice climb. It is highly recommended that one acquire knowledge from experts and experienced ice climbers.

Based on the terrain, ice climbers alternate between two basic techniques. The French technique, or flat floating, works best on low-angled slopes. You open your feet up and walk like a duck, which keeps all crampon points flat on the ice. As a slope's angle increases, this technique will become harder on your ankles, so you should switch to sidestepping. But sidestepping can be tricky because it's easy to snag one foot as it passes over the other. The German technique known as front pointing works best on very steep or vertical terrain. You kick your front crampon right into the ice and then step up.

Your mental picture of an ice climber may be a figure dangling from a glacier. But ice climbing also includes low-level walks in crampons. If you're walking on level or low-angle ice, you probably don't need your ice tool. But if you're doing a vertical ice climb, you'll need it. It's more difficult than it looks to properly swing an ice tool. Bad swings may cause ice to break off, and your energy will be sapped because you'll have swing multiple times for one stick. The only way to improve a swing is practice. Keep the elbow high and align it with both the hand and the tool. The straighter the swing, the more precise. With a good stick, the tool makes a satisfying "thunk" sound, as if it's been planted in concrete. You want a stick that will support your weight in case you lose your footing. If the tool doesn't feel planted correctly, pull it out and try again. Aim for spots where the ice looks strong -- convex-looking ice will usually plate and shatter. Sometimes dinner plating your way through bad ice can reveal stronger ice beneath. As the shattered ice falls, you'll be thankful for your helmet.

When you do a vertical climb, you'll go through the following motions: Find good footing, swing your tool into the ice, step up with both feet, swing higher, and step up again and so on. Each time you land your pick in the ice, you should move both feet up. Placing your feet is as important as placing your ice tool. You'll usually have to kick your crampons into the ice a few times to achieve solid placement unless the ice is soft. Your feet should always support more weight than your arms, so finding good footholds is paramount. Keep your body in a triangle shape, with your legs shoulder-width apart and your pick at the center. Keep your heels down as much as possible. Other ice climbing techniques include:

Cane: using your ice tool like a cane when traversing relatively flat terrain

Cross-body: used in conjunction with sidestepping, where you turn your body sideways to the slope

Low dagger: pushing your pick into the slope around waist or chest level, holding it by the head

High dagger: pushing your pick into the slope up above your head

Anchor: similar to high dagger, but you hold your axe at the bottom and pull yourself up by working your way up the shaft

Traction: used for very steep ice and with two tools, swinging them overhead and planting one at a time, as you make your way upward.

Rope systems

Top-roping.

Single, double, and twin rope are the three main rope systems used in ice climbing. The single rope system, which is suited for straight climbing routes, is the most commonly used rock climbing system in the world. Also often used in climbing is the double rope system which is a more flexible system than the single rope system. Lastly, the twin rope system, which uses two twin ropes in a single rope system, is used for longer multi-pitch routes. Double and twin rope technique is used more frequently in ice climbing because these systems are more redundant, an important consideration given the number of sharp edges the ice climber carries with him. Impact force on ice is an issue, with double ropes gaining popularity over twins.

Tying in

Tying in entails attaching your rope to the climbing harness. This technique is a must particularly when leading a climb or belaying. A commonly used tie-in knot is the Figure-of-eight follow through, but the Bowline and Thumb (stopper) knot is often preferred, since it is easier to untie when frozen. After the initial knot is tied, a safe and reassuring practice of tying a fisherman's knot as a backup is recommended. It is good to keep the knots close to the harness and together as one system. Once you tie-in, you will create a belay loop which will contain your belay device when needed. This technique should be done properly to ensure your safety when ice climbing.

Belaying

In this climbing technique, either running belays or fixed belays are used. A running belay on ice is similar to a running belay on rock as well as snow. The leader of the climb puts protection and clips the rope through it. The next climber puts away the protection. There should be at least two points of protection between the leader and the next climber. Fixed belays, on the other hand, require a bilayer, belay anchor, and points of protection. A belay anchor is attached to a cliff in supporting a belay or top rope. In using either a running- or fixed belay, it is necessary that you have enough knowledge on boot/ice-screw belay techniques.

Leading

Lead climbing in the Canadian Rockies

Leading refers to the act of leading a climb and thus, requires a leader and a follower. This ice climbing technique entails putting protection while ascending. In doing so, leading is done in sections. The leader places the protection as he/she climbs until he/she reaches the top of a pitch. At the top, the leader builds a belay anchor with which to belay the second climber. While the second climbs, he/she removes the protection placed by the leader. When the second climber finishes, they both proceed to the second pitch.

Abseiling

Also called rappelling, abseiling uses a fixed rope to descend. This technique is not only used to go down after a climb, it can also be used when trying new climbing routes and when there is a seemingly difficult access to the start of a climb. Careful execution is important when abseiling. There are the possibilities of jammed ropes, ropes becoming severed after getting in contact with sharp edges, and other cases of equipment failure.

Lowering

Lowering is one of the most common methods of getting down. A bilayer at the base of the vertical wall ensures that the climber is lowered safely. This climbing technique is used when going down routes where there are short, steep walls. This is also used when you want to go down faster.

Equipment

Ice climbing requires different equipment from regular rock climbing. Today's specialized ice climbing gear evolved from traditional climbing tools to allow more flexibility and safety on ice and snow. There are tons of tools to choose from depending on your skill, your terrain and your personal preference.

Ice tools are the most important and most expensive pieces of equipment an ice climber needs. When climbers talk about their ice tools, they're referring to what people often call axes. An ice tool does in fact act like an axe. You swing it into the ice and then use it as a grip while you push yourself up with your legs. The head of the tool is double-sided, with a pick on one side and an adze, a chisel-like tool used for chopping holes in ice, or hammer on the other. There are two varieties of ice tools -- traditional and leash less.

A traditional ice tool includes a leash that you wrap around your hand to help you keep hold of the tool. It's quite easy to drop a tool, and your tool does nothing for you if it's lying 20 feet (6 meters) below you on the ground. A leashed tool also comes in handy if you lose your footing and need to hang from the ice until you regain it. Of course, your rope and belay will also hold you, so your ice tool is not your sole protection.

The leash less ice tool, on the other hand, is less awkward, and it's easier to switch out tools when you're not tied to your gear. Leash less tools are becoming more popular among experienced climbers because of their flexibility. Ice tools come in all different weights and sizes, and many climbers carry several tools, depending on what sort of climb they're doing. Prices for ice tools run anywhere from $100 to $350.

As we mentioned earlier, crampons are necessary for a climber to gain traction on snow and ice. Like cleats, crampons are sharp metal spikes that protrude from the bottom of your boots and dig into the ice as you climb. You may clip or strap crampons to the bottom of your boots, or wear boots with the crampons built-in. You also need to decide if you want to use mono-point or dual-point crampons. Crampons generally have spikes that stick out in the front of the shoe and usually make first contact with the ice. Mono-point crampons have a single point in front, whereas dual-point crampons have two points in front. Each type has its advantages. Mono-points tend to be more flexible for mixed climbing, when your terrain varies from ice to rock over the course of the climb. Mono-points provide better ice penetration, and dual-points offer more stability but less ice penetration. Some crampons also feature heel spurs.

Ice climbers protect themselves from falling by utilizing ice screws and ropes. Climbers call this process protection. As you progress through a climb, you place ice screws in strategic areas and clip in a rope, which will save your life if you fall. Well-placed screws can support hundreds of pounds of force. But remember -- ice screws are only as strong as the ice in which you've screwed them. We'll talk more about ice climbing safety measures later in this article.

Don't forget your helmet! You'll need it to protect your head and eyes from falling chunks of ice. And of course, appropriate cold weather clothing and gloves are necessary.

Safety

Ice climbing is dangerous in more ways than one. First of all, you need to protect your body from the elements by wearing layered clothing and dry gloves. Avalanches can happen without warning. Austrian climber Hari Berger died in 2006 after becoming trapped under 150 tons of ice during a routine training session. There's also always the risk of falling into a deep crevasse, hidden by a layer of snow. But without a doubt, the biggest precaution you must take while ice climbing is employing fall protection.

Ice climbers, like rock climbers, use belays as a safety measure during climbs. In fixed belaying, the climber wears a harness with a rope attached, and the rope prevents him or her from falling very far in case of a slip. Climbers usually belay in pairs, with a designated partner who remains on the ground and controls the rope. (Read more about the mechanics of belaying in "How Rock Climbing Works".) If more than one person is climbing, they employ running belays. As the lead climber progresses up the slope, he or she will place ice screws and clip the rope into those screws. The follower continues behind the leader, removing the lowest ice screws along the way. In a running belay, all climbers and ropes are on the ice, moving together. Experts recommend having at least two ice screws anchored at all times for backup safety. Climbers can also carve their own anchors out of ice -- this anchor is called a bollard -- and place the rope around those. Another option is to create a 'V'-shaped tunnel with ice screws, which is called an Abalakov after its innovator, and run the rope through that tunnel. Of course, the latter options take much longer to set up. Sometimes you can find natural anchors -- strong ice columns or rock protrusions.

When placing ice screws, it's important to ensure they're solidly secured in the ice. Clear away any soft ice or snow and start a hole using the pick on your ice tool. Secure the screw at about a 10-degree angle uphill from the direction of expected pull. The pull is the direction in which the rope will pull in the event of a fall. This means that if you're climbing on a steep or vertical surface, the screw would face slightly downward. Make sure you place screws at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) apart. Advancements in screw designs, like rotating handles, make it less laborious to get them into the ice. Keeping your screws sharpened and clean will also make this process easier.

Remember that once you reach the top, you'll still need to get back down. Plan your climb so you have enough time to make a safe descent. Nobody wants to climb down the side of an icy slope in the dark. You'll probably be tired and sore on the way down, so be extra careful.

Climbers should always carry first aid kits along with their gear. The pros advise a working knowledge of first aid, including how to apply a tourniquet, splint or treat frostbite. Gadgets, too, are every climber's friend. A handheld GPS device can help you find your way in the deep wilderness. Carrying an avalanche beacon is a lifesaver, assisting rescuers in locating you and your friends should you end up in that scary situation. And don't forget a shovel. It doesn't need batteries and can help you out of snow.

Ice Climbing Spots

Canmore, Alberta

I can live anywhere in the world, and I choose to live here for the ice. That says it all, really.

Ouray, Colorado

The most accessible, fun, and user-friendly place to get really good at vertical ice climbing.

Rjukan, Norway

Andreas Spak and his team at Rjukan Adventure have helped turn Rjukan in the Euro version of Ouray. So many routes, so much unexplored terrain, it's a must-visit on any ice climber's list.

Kanderstag, Switzerland

Not as reliable as the above three destinations, but when it's on its EPIC. Very much worth visiting even if the ice is junk, it's all Swiss and nice.

Helmcken Falls Spray Cave, British Columbia, Canada

Yosemite, California (Yosemite National Park)Yosemite National Park offers several ice climbing options including The Widow's Tears, Silver Strand and Upper Sentinel Falls.

Valdez, Alaska (Valdez-Cordova)Valdez, Alaska is often referred to as "the best ice climbing place in America" because there are literally hundreds of ice climbs in its vicinity.

Keene, New York (The Adirondack Wilderness)The Adirondack wilderness offer several ice climbs including the Pharaoh Mountain, Trap Dyke and Avalanche Lake.

Mammoth Lakes, CaliforniaThere are several climb options for skilled climbers at Mammoth Lakes including Deadman's Summit, Indiana Summit, the Geothermal Boulders, Rock Creek, Alabama Hills, and the Buttermilk.

Hand Gliding

2014-02-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

Hand Gliding

Hang gliding is an air sport employing a foot-launchable aircraft known as a hang glider. Typically, a hang glider is constructed of an aluminum alloy or composite-framed fabric wing. The pilot is ensconced in a harness suspended from the airframe, and exercises control by shifting body weight in opposition to a control frame.

Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and non-motorized foot-launch aircraft called a hang glider that is of a delta wing design. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminum alloy or composite-framed fabric ("sailing material derived from parachute fabric") wing. The pilot is ensconced in a harness suspended from the airframe, and exercises control by shifting body weight in opposition to a control frame, but other devices, including modern aircraft flight control systems, may be used.

In the sport's early days, pilots were restricted to gliding down small hills on low-performance hang gliders. However, modern technology gives pilots the ability to soar for hours, gain thousands of meters of altitude in thermal updrafts, perform aerobatics, and glide cross-country for hundreds of kilometers. The Federation Aéronautique Internationale and national airspace governing organizations control some aspects of hang gliding. Gaining the safety benefits from being instructed is highly recommended.

History.

Early hang glider designs did not reliably achieve safe flight, their builders lacking a comprehensive understanding of the underlying principles of flight. The first recorded controlled flights were by German engineer Otto Lilienthal, whose research, published in 1889, strongly influenced later designers. The type of aircraft employed by Lilienthal is now referred to as a hang glider. Further hang glider research was undertaken during the 1920s in Europe, Australia and the U.S.A, where designers tested several wing concepts and the 'pendulum weight-shift control system'.

In 1957 the American space agency NASA began testing various formats of a new wing called the Rogallo wing with the intent of possibly implementing the design as a recovery system for the Gemini space capsules. The wing's simplicity of design and ease of construction, in combination with its slow flight characteristics, did not go unnoticed by hang glider enthusiasts; Rogallo's flexible wing airfoil was soon adapted to the purpose of recreational flight, launching a hang glider Renaissance.

The hang glider's wing, called a delta wing or Rogallo wing, is an outgrowth of NASA engineer Francis Rogallo's research on kites and parachutes in the 1960s. Rogallo had proposed the wing as a method of returning spacecraft to Earth. The delta-wing parachute was lightweight, durable and highly maneuverable. Later, John Dickenson, Bill Moyes, Bill Bennett and Richard Miller developed the Rogallo wing into the modern hang glider and launched an immensely popular sport shared by millions of people worldwide.

The hang glider is actually a triangle-shaped airfoil, a modified parachute (known as a flexible wing) made of nylon or Dacron fabric. The triangular shape is maintained by rigid aluminum tubes and cables and is designed to allow air to flow over the surface to make the wing rise. Newer, high-performance hang-glider designs use a rigid wing with stiff aluminum struts inside the fabric to give it shape, eliminating the need for supporting cables.

Hang gliding is often confused with paragliding, though the two sports are quite different from one another.

On November 23, 1948, Francis Rogallo and Gertrude Rogallo applied for a kite patent for a fully flexible kited wing with approved claims for its stiffenings and gliding uses; the flexible wing or Rogallo wing, which in 1957 the American space agency NASA began testing in various flexible and semi-rigid configurations in order to use it as a recovery system for the Gemini space capsules. The various stiffening formats and the wing's simplicity of design and ease of construction, along with its capability of slow flight and its gentle landing characteristics, did not go unnoticed by hang glider enthusiasts. In 1960-1962 Barry Hill Palmer adapted the flexible wing concept to make foot-launched hang gliders with four different control arrangements. In 1963 Mike Burns adapted the flexible wing to build a kite-hang glider he called Ski plane. In 1963, John W. Dickenson adapted the flexible wing airfoil concept to make another water-ski kite glider; for this, the Federation Aéronautique International vested Dickenson with the Hang Gliding Diploma (2006) for the invention of the modern hang glider.

Since then, the Rogallo wing has been the most used wing for hang gliders. However, some hang gliders still use swept wings. An example of such a hang glider is the A-I-R ATOS VR and similar models.

Technique.

Launch techniques include foot-launching from a hill, tow-launching from a ground-based tow system, aero towing (behind a powered aircraft), powered harnesses, and being towed up by a boat. Modern winch tows typically utilize hydraulic systems designed to regulate line tension, this reduces scenarios for lock out as strong winds result in additional length of rope spooling out rather than direct tension on the tow line. Other more exotic launch techniques have also been used successfully, such as hot air balloon drops from very high altitude. When weather conditions are unsuitable to sustain a soaring flight, results in a top to bottom fight and referred to as "sled runs"

To launch, the pilot must run down a slope to get air moving across the wing at about 15 to 25 miles per hour (24 to 40 kph). This movement of air over the surface of the wing generates lift, the force that counters gravity and keeps the glider aloft. Once aloft, gravity (the weight of the hang glider and pilot) pulls the glider back toward Earth and propels the glider forward, continually causing air to flow over the wing.

In addition to the horizontal movement of air, hang gliders can get lift from rising currents of air, such as columns of hot air (thermal lift) or air deflected upward by mountainous or ridge topography (ridge lift). As the hang glider and pilot move through the air, they collide with air molecules. The frictional force caused by these collisions is known as drag, which slows the glider down. The amount of drag is proportional to the airspeed of the hang glider: The faster the glider moves, the more drag it creates (see How Gliders Work for details).

How a pilot maneuvers a hang glider

As with soar plane gliders, the balance of these three forces (lift, drag, gravity) determines how high the hang glider can go, how far it can travel and how long it can stay aloft. The performance of a hang glider and the distance it can travel is determined by its glide ratio (lift/drag ratio), the ratio of the forward distance traveled to the vertical distance dropped. Unlike soarplane gliders, hang gliders have neither movable surfaces on the wing nor a tail to deflect airflow and maneuver the craft. Instead, the pilot is suspended from the hang glider's center-of-mass (hence the term "hang" glider) by way of a harness, maneuvering the hang glider by shifting his or her weight (changing the center-of-mass) in the direction of the intended turn.

The pilot can also change the angle that the wing makes with the horizontal axis (angle of attack), which determines the airspeed and the glide ratio of the hang glider. If the pilot pulls back on the glider, tipping its nose down, the glider speeds up. If the pilot pushes forward on the glider, tipping its nose up, the glider slows down or even stalls. In stalling, no air flows over the wing so the glider can't fly.

Tips.

Walk 360o around your glider, checking key areas; bolts, ropes, wires, buttons, wing tips, etc. Run your hands along the leading edge to verify there are no LE Mylar bends, check for symmetry. Pre-flight harness ropes/straps. Repeat if interrupted.

Either hook-in your harness as part of your glider set-up (best method), and/or always hang check. Make sure harness lines are not twisted. Check your harness legs straps are secure. Develop a routine and use it every time.
Be careful changing or adjusting your hang strap. Small hang loop position changes can affect the flight characteristics of your glider. Use a locked, steel carabineer.
Buy the best full-face helmet and parachute. Re-pack yearly. Helmet choice is a personal preference so choose either open face or full face but make sure it has the padding that is needed to absorb impact.
Be careful with new gear, or making changes. Small changes (wires, tip tuning, sail, mounting a camera, etc.)) can have a big effect on flying characteristics. Adding extra gear, like a drogue chute, can be useful in cases, but it can also cause accidents (such as when a drogue chute is deployed above the base tube). Think through any change to your glider and gear.
Most launch errors occur because the glider wing, at the start of launch, is not properly aligned to the wind. Don’t initiate launch unless you have balance in roll and pitch.

Lock-outs on tow can happen quickly. Both aero tow and static tow lockouts can occur. Follow the tug, know how to react, and release early if there is a problem. Use a 3 point release, that you can release from in <2 seconds. Tow with a fin. Don't push out at the start of the tow; if your weak link breaks, you could be in a stall and too low to recover. Before towing, make sure no lines are caught on the tow dolly. On aero tow, don't get low behind the tug - you will either hit the rotor from the tow plane or have to push out (stalled if released).
It’s alright to take a few initial slow steps, but then run hard. Slow run launches can cause a wing to stall, the angle of attack change, and/or a wing tip to drag. Many launch whacks occur at high altitude, low wind and/or shallow slopes. These conditions take good launching skills and a strong run with proper glider positioning. Wear gloves that give you a good grip.
If you are launching in winds that are too high for you alone to handle your glider, consider not launching, unless if you are very familiar with the site and wire crew.

Create your own "rules" and stick to it, no matter what other pilots are doing.
If you do launch in winds >20 mph, use a wire crew. Make sure to brief them on what to say and do. Use hang glider pilots to wire. If you use non-pilots, train them on how to wire before walking out to launch.
After launch, get well clear of the hill before turning, or working on your harness zipper. Gain altitude. Don't turn into a ridge.
Any hg wing can tuck, tumble and spin. Knowing your glider speeds, and keeping your airspeed is important in preventing tumbles and spins. Never, ever stall or slip near the ground.
Enough cannot be said about avoiding existing or approaching poor weather. Don’t fly unless you are confident about current and future weather conditions. Check the forecast before flying. Avoid storm cells; don't fly if you see any thunderstorms (gust fronts can reach out 100 miles) or Cu-Nimbus. Fog/clouds can form quickly; watch trends. Study micro-meteorology.
Clear your turns, and always keep in mind where the other pilots are. Don't assume another pilot sees you. Frequently scan the horizon for air activity. Fly with bright colors. Leave a gaggle if it is too crowded. Don't turn close to a mountain side in thermal conditions.
Just don’t. Do everything you can to avoid a water landing.
Learn how to exit your harness quickly in an emergency.
The lee side of a hill or mountain can be ugly, and has put many a pilot down quickly with little control. Don’t go “over the back” without sufficient altitude. Keep well in front of ridges. Get even further in front of the ridge before you a traversing a canyon where compressed wind speed will increase.
Don’t fly an advanced level glider, until you are ready for it. Wait until you squeak out every bit of juice from a lower-performance glider before moving up. And even then, question your reason for moving up.

This typically happens to beginner or intermediate pilots flying a glider they are not ready for. If it happens, relax, loosen your grip, and slow your glider down.
Rotor behind another aircraft can be severe and long lasting, the larger and slower the other aircraft.
Don't get caught back on a ridge or in a place that you can't easily glide to an LZ. Take care of a venture effect when above canyons; your sink rate will increase dramatically in a canyon. Always assume a worse L/D to the LZ than you have.
Most poor landings are a direct result of a poor landing pattern approach. Pick a big landing field that is uncrowded. Be conservative. Don't get close to tree tops. Take a long final, come in with sufficient speed, use the base bar, and avoid turns close to the ground. Watch for your base tube getting caught.
Power lines are hard to see, and they can fry you like a hot dog. Try to avoid fields surrounded by power lines. Even safe on the ground, don’t walk under power lines while carrying your glider.

Keep your eyes open for kites, RC planes, balloons, etc. An object caught in your side flying wire can make your glider un-controllable. Use/know FAA airspace maps.
If you are injured, you will need support. Fly with a good 2M radio and cellphone.
Unless you are in perfect tune with your glider, use wheels. They can save you in downwind landings, thermally active landing areas, or a premature jump off a tow cart.
Locking wheels will allow you to ground your glider in high winds.
Avoid landing in the lee side of trees, buildings, mountains, cliff/ridge edges, etc.
These areas can put you on the ground before you are ready for it. Land as far as possible from rotor causing trees and buildings.
Many pilots do not have sufficient landing skills. Practice. This is a skill that we can always improve. Don’t fly with uncoated front wires. Make sure your harness can not throw you under the glider nose in a whack. And at some point you will whack hard, so learn how to whack properly to avoid injury (let go of down tubes, arms balled up in front of you)
Let an experienced local pilot, who knows the site intimately, launch first. Talk to them about conditions; weigh their opinion heavily. Don't be a wind dummy unless you are 100% sure of conditions.
Don't fly fatigued, or with less than a high mental and physical standard.
If you are in tuned with your glider or just do not like the idea of wheels. Think about wearing knee pads. It only takes one knee drop on a rock to do damage to your knee.

Types of Gliding.

Flexible Wing Gliders (class1)

These hang gliders look the most like the traditional gliders most people are familiar with, though they now are produced in many shapes and sizes. First designed by French engineer Francis Rogallo in the 1940s, hang gliding enthusiasts sometimes honor its inventor by referring to them as Rogallo Gliders. As the name of this class suggests, the wings are flexible. They are made of sailcloth and are stiffened into place through wire tubing. The pilot takes off and lands on his feet and steers the glider simply by shifting his weight. These gliders are popular for a variety of reasons. Their light weight make them easy to transport on the ground and maneuver in the air. They are also easy to take off and land. And, perhaps most important, their light weight allows for slow, leisurely gliding in the air.

Rigid Wing Gliders (class5)

This class of gliders looks more like airplanes without the tails than traditional hang gliders. These hang gliders were rare in the sport until they exploded in popularity over the past several years. Now they are commonly seen at hang gliding locations around the world. Rigid gliders are popular because they allow for more precise control than the flex gliders. This means pilots have better control over their speed and altitude, and fly greater distances. The wing controls are also more responsive, making it easier to correct mistakes. Though they are increasing in popularity, they are significantly more expensive than their flex wing cousins.

Ultralight Sailplanes (class2)

Most people would not think of sailplanes as hang gliders, but many areas classify any aircraft under a certain weight as a hang glider. Sailplanes are sturdy vehicles that can travel greater distances without losing much altitude, meaning longer and more satisfying flights. They look like small planes complete with a cockpit, wheels, and tail. For this reason, unlike flex and rigid wing gliders, these crafts cannot be launched or landed on foot. They need an assisted takeoff, usually being towed by a powered aircraft. This can make for more expensive outings, but if you have the money it is worth it.

Maneuvers.

Loop — a maneuver that starts in a wings level dive, climbs, without any rolling, to the apex where the glider is upside down, wings level (heading back where it came from), and then returning to the start altitude and heading, again without rolling, having completed an approximately circular path in the vertical plane.

Spin — a spin is scored from the moment one wing stalls and the glider rotates noticeably into the spin. The entry heading is noted at this point. The glider must remain in the spin for at least 1/2 of a revolution to score any versatility spin points.

Rollover — a maneuver where the apex heading is less than 90° left or right of the entry heading.

Climb over — a maneuver where the apex heading is greater than 90° left or right of the entry heading

Equipment.

Camera
Car Rack
Gliders
Glider Storage
Hang Glider Manufacturers
Harness
Helmet
Instruments
Parachute
Radios
Release Systems
Payout Winch
Open-Side Tow Dolly (Cart)
Sunglasses
Wheels

Best Hang Gliding spots.

Chamonix / Mont Blanc, France

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Annecy, France

Treh, France

Babadag (Olüdeniz), Turkey

Dune du Pyla, France

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

The Alps

Byron Bay, Australia

England

Norway

Nepal

Cape Town, South Africa

Tuscany, Italy

Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Lookout Mountain, Tennessee

La Jolla, California

Salt Lake City, Utah

Free skiing

2014-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Free skiing

Free skiing, also known as "big mountain skiing" or “Extreme skiing” involves skiing down steep, forbidding slopes that offer at least 45-degree descents. The run is often a "make it up as you go" course of previously untouched powder. Skiers must make lightning-fast decisions throughout the run, lest they careen into a tree, a rock or off the side of the mountain itself (unless they're actually trying to ski off the side of the mountain, that is).

The slopes used for extreme skiing are sometimes not fit for climbing, let alone skiing. The first issue can be solved with helicopters, but extreme skiers embrace a belief that nearly every snow-covered landform is ski-able, and when they reach a portion that isn't, they just catch serious air and try to land on something that is.

The term “Free skiing" for many people indicates any adrenaline-pumping form of skiing. It should be noted that the term, when used exactly, refers specifically to steep-hill skiing. However, as the practitioners of that sport have themselves taken on newer and bigger challenges (such as using wing suits or airfoils to catch superhuman air at ridiculous speeds), they have expanded the generic meaning of extreme skiing without breaking it, because the evolving hybrid forms still often contain the steep-slope element.

History

Before skis were used for fun and leisure, the ski was used for work and transportation. The oldest known version is a wide, short ski found in Sweden that has been shown to be over 4500 years old, and cave and rock drawings suggest that skis were used even long before then. These first skis may have been used by a hunter or a traveler, as they were commonly used during the long winters in Northern Russia and the Scandinavian countries. Early skis were not made for speed, but to designed to keep a traveler on top of the snow as they went about their business.

The people from the Telemarked area of Norway have been largely credited with developing skiing into a sport, somewhere in the early 1700's. They invented the Telemarked and the Christiana (now known as the Christie) turns as methods of artfully controlling speeds on downhill descents. They were also quite fond of jumping. Thus, disciplines in both alpine and Nordic skiing owe their existence to these early pioneers.

In the 1990s freestyle skiers, discouraged by restrictive laws placed on the sport by the International Ski Federation (FIS), began trying their tricks in what were at the time snowboard-only terrain parks. Early new school skiers were very aware of the developing style and attitude of snowboarding, and adopted these for their own sport. The New school Skier is related more to the snowboarder in his/her style than to the traditional skier's style.

The FIS freestyle skiing events were governed by restrictive rules that were unpopular in the growing ski community, and slowed down the progression of the sport. Such rules included a ban on inverted tricks in mogul runs, a limit on the number of flips in aerial competitions, and a lack of ski park or pipe competitions. The "New school" movement was a breakaway faction of the free skiers who were unhappy with the FIS

The breakaway faction was led by the New Canadian Air Force, which included the "Godfather of free skiing", Mike Douglas, and others such as JF Cusson, Vincent Dorion, JP Auclair and Shane Szocs. Also contributing significantly in these early days were Julien Regnier and "the Three Phils", namely, Phil Larose, Phil Belanger and Phil Dion, all of whom were teammates at Dynastar. After helping Salomon develop their first twin-tip ski, the "1080", the New Canadian Air Force began jumping and filming in traditionally snowboarder dominated terrain parks.

In recent years, many ski resorts have introduced terrain parks where skiers and snowboarders can attempt tricks. These parks include many features like rails, boxes, jumps, hips, quarter pipes, and half pipes. It is now quite common for 'New school' skiers to use urban features in towns and cities to perform tricks also done in the snow park. A popular choice of equipment for this terrain is the twin-tip ski. Twin-tip skis come in all shapes and sizes, and were originally made specifically for new school skiing. The varieties of twin-tip skis are now more versatile, being marketed towards skiers of all styles and abilities. Twin-tip skis are turned up at both ends to allow for both regular (forwards) and switch (backwards) skiing.

In 2007, the formation of the Association of Free skiing Professionals (AFP), created a unified global tour of competitions and ranking system for free skiing athletes. Created as a unified voice for the athletes, the AFP organized free skiing competitions in slope style, ski half pipe and big air disciplines under consistent guidelines of AFP sanctioned judging and format standards. This calendar of AFP sanctioned competitions and the AFP rankings serve as a roadmap for emerging talent in the sport, event organizers, coaches, nations, and the general public in regard to the sport of free skiing. Since 2008 the AFP has named World Champions in each discipline for men and women. The Overall World Championship is awarded each year to the best combined ranking in all disciplines (excluding big air for women). In 2012 the AFP changed the name of the Overall World Championship trophy to the Sarah Burke Trophy in honor of the fallen women's skiing pioneer Sarah Burke who died in a 2012 skiing accident in Utah.

On April 6, 2011, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the addition of the men's and women's ski half pipe and slope style events to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Olympic status for ski half pipe is expected to have a direct impact on the training, funding, and resources available to athletes. In January 2011, the United States Ski and Snowboard Association launched U.S. Free skiing in partnership with The North Face, which would presumably supply Olympic uniforms.

Terrain

Backcountry

Any skiing outside the prepared or marked trails is referred to as backcountry or off-piste skiing. This form of skiing is probably the most mortally dangerous (depending on where and how you do it) because of the high speeds, large drops (sometimes with hidden rocks in the landing), and avalanches. This type of skiing has been banned in certain areas.

Park

Park is skiing on man-made features provided by the ski area such as jumps, rails, boxes, and half pipes. According to Free skier’s 2010 Travel Guide the top resorts in North America for park are Breckenridge, Mammoth, Aspen/Snowmass, Park City, Poley Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Alivia, and Mount Snow

Urban

Urban skiing consists of sliding or grinding your skis on rails, ledges, etc. outside of ski resorts/areas. Urban has much more of a risk factor than Regular Park skiing due to harder terrain. You can spot urban features in such ski movies as Level 1's "Eye Trip" and Poor Boyz Production's "Revolver."

Equipment

Free skiing requires at least three pieces of gear.

Skis,
Ski Boots,
Ski Bindings.
In addition to this, many skiers choose to use
Poles,
Goggles,
Ski clothing,
Safety gear- Helmets and Avalanche gear.

Tips

Gravity
Balance
Dress Code

Sunglasses for the sun, goggles for the shade.

Have a thermal layer next to your skin.

Use layers of clothes, not big jumpers - it keeps you much warmer.

Only wear one pair of socks - more will actually make your feet colder.

Make sure your outside layer is waterproof - especially your bottom half.

Protect your skin
Color coding

All pistes are given a color code which reflects their difficulty! Green slopes are the easiest, then blue, red and blacks are the most difficult. Ski with care and don't dive in the deep end first thing in the morning or late afternoon!

Some top ski brands.

K2
Rossignol
Line
Fischer
Volkl
Salomon
Dynastar
Lib Tech
Armada
Icelantic

Types of skis

Powder Skis

Powder skis, also called big-mountain or back country skis, have a wide waist width, making them ideal for places with heavy powder. That extra surface area helps skiers to float above premium powder. However, they can be difficult to use on slopes with less snow or groomed trails, especially for beginning to moderate skiers. More experienced skiers—and those with some extra cash—sometimes buy powder skis as an alternate pair, to be used when conditions warrant it. True back country skis have a waist width of 90 to 110 millimeters, while powder skis are easily the widest type of ski, measuring from 110 to 140 millimeters.

All Mountain Skis

Most Alpine skis fall into this category. Because the majority of skiers don't have the luxury of lugging around several sets of skis to match that day's conditions, All-Mountain skis are designed to perform in all types of snow conditions and at most speeds. Narrower All-Mountain skis are better for groomed runs, while wider styles handle better in powder and cruddy conditions. Other names for this style of ski include Mid-Fat skis, All-Purpose skis, and the One-ski Quiver.

Park Ski Park skis are often designed with a more symmetrical shape to make switch (backwards) skiing much easier and reinforced edges to withstand rails. Eric Pollard designed the first two symmetrical skis, the Anthem and the Invader, although he was not given much credit because the Invader was of poor build quality. Pollard now has his own pro model skis from Line skis called the EP Pro (Mr. Pollard's Opus - 2012), The Elizabeth and The Sir Francis Bacon. Some new powder and all-mountain skis are created with 'reverse camber' (aka 'rocker') meaning that the tips and tails are bent up slightly to make powder landings easier.

Types of Extreme Skiing

In the beginning, any steep downhill skiing was extreme skiing. Since then, extreme skiing has mutated from its origins as a steep-slope run into a variety of hair-raising winter adventures:

Heli skiing began with Canadian skiers in British Columbia, who started using airplanes and helicopters in their ascents, allowing them to make run after run without trudging up remote mountains. After all, you can't have the back country, mountainside run of your life if you can't get to the top of the mountain.

Ski jumping is an Olympic sport, and prominently features two elements extreme skiers and spectators alike love: raw speed and big air. Skiers may reach speeds of 60 mph (97 kph) and can travel the length of a football field before landing. While ski jumping and extreme skiing are different sports, extreme skiers sometimes perform big jumps in the middle or end of a run and use aerodynamic techniques associated with ski jumping.

Freestyle skiers perform aerial stunts and tricks anywhere there's something to ski off of, but in competition, this takes place in downhill mogul runs or on half-pipes. Extreme skiers find and make opportunities to perform long jumps, high-altitude drops, extreme vertical drops, or stunts that consist of some variety of freestyle spins, flips, and ski- or board-grabs as they careen down mountain slopes at highway speeds.

Snow kiting involves skiing while harnessed to a large sail or kite that pulls the skier across (or above) the terrain, enabling the snow kiter to catch massive air. Snow kites allow skiers to ski down dangerous mountainsides, taking flight when necessary to sail over rocky terrain (or directly into it).

Ski-BASE jumping is an offshoot of BASE (Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth) jumping, in which enthusiasts ski off cliffs at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 kph), detach their skis and deploy a low-altitude parachute. Ski-BASE jumping has even spread from snowy cliffs to Las Vegas casino roofs and other decidedly no mountainous locales, where skiers ski off ramps and parachute down to pavement.

Ski gliding (or "ski flying") involves skiing off a cliff while strapped to a hang-glider, and it's exactly as crazy as it sounds.

Tricks

Rail Tricks

Spin on

When a skier spins around before landing on a rail, generally done in increments of 180 degrees starting at 270 (e.g. 270,450 630). When performed, spin on tricks are called in the following fashion: spin amount (can be full name or abbreviated) + on. For example, 450-on, and 4-on are both proper ways to call a trick.

Spin out

When a skier spins at the end of a rail, generally done increments of 180 degrees starting at 270 (e.g. 270, 450, 630). When performed, spin on tricks are called in the following fashion: spin amount (can be full name or abbreviated) + on. For example, 450-out, and 4-out are both proper ways to call a trick.

Switch-up

While sliding a rail the skier jumps and turns 180 degrees so they end up sliding the rail in the opposite direction. Also called 'swap'. Swaps can be done 'front side' or 'backside/blindside'. As well, skiers can switch-up more than 180 degrees; for example, a '360-switch-up'/'3-swap' involves the skier jumping on a rail feature, spinning 360 degrees, and landing again on the rail.

K-Fed

A front switch-up blind 270 out. Higher increments of spin are called "Super-Fed", "Super-Duper-Fed", "Future-Fed" and "Super-Future Fed" for spins of 450, 630, 810, and 990 out, respectively.

Britney

A blind switch-up front 270 out.

Disaster

Gap over one kink on a kinked rail.

50/50

Both skis on the rail feature, parallel to the feature.

Jump Tricks

Spin

The most basic of jump tricks; a skier spins upright while airborne in increments of 180 degrees. Often abbreviated as just the first number for spins below 1000 degrees and the first two numbers for spins above 1000 degrees (e.g. two full spins, or 720 degrees of rotation is abbreviated to '7' while a 1080 is abbreviated to '10').

Rodeo

An off-axis flip thrown backwards with a spin (most commonly 540 - 'Rodeo 5').

Misty

An off-axis flip thrown forwards with a spin (most commonly 540 - 'Misty 5').

Lincoln Loop

A flip thrown directly towards the shoulder. It is essentially a cartwheel in the air.

Flat Spin

An off-axis flip that is thrown over the shoulder. It is in-between a backflip and a Lincoln loop.

Cork

Backwards thrown off-axis spin, at no point should the feet be over the head.

D-Spin

Backwards thrown off-axis spin, similar to a cork except the feet will be more at-level with head, or even slightly above.

Bio

Forwards thrown off-axis spin, at no point should the feet be over the head.

Slang

Steeze

Used to say something such as a skiers style, or a particular trick, was visually appealing or 'steezy'. 'Steeze' is a portmanteau of 'style' and 'ease'. Example: 'Man, that flip you did was steezy'; or, 'you have killer steeze'.

Spin-to-Win

A common complaint in the ski community when a competition is won by performing more difficult tricks - or those with greater amounts of rotation, with less emphasis on style or perfection.

Sandbag

The act of participating in an event where one's skill far exceeds that of the intended group. A professional competing in an amateur competition would be said to be 'sandbagging' the competition.

Solid Seven

A derogatory term used to say something was visually appealing.

"Can you tell me how to get to chad's gap?"

A phrase used by new school skiers to identify each other on or off the ski hill.

Gaper

A term used for inexperienced skiers with little knowledge of ski etiquette or culture; often enough, a gaper will have expensive equipment or a look modelled after a pro, but will be very poor at the sport.

Cool Story Hansel

A largely antiquated term used by newschoolers to inform another skier that they don't really care what they have to say.

Stomped

An effortless looking and balanced landing.

Train

Two or more skiers hitting a single jump at or near the same time so that at least two people are airborne at the same time.

Hucked

Someone doing a trick on a smaller jump than is usual for the trick ("He hucked a 1080 on that tiny jump") OR someone attempting a trick with a large amount of uncertainty success ('She had never tried a rodeo before; but, she just hucked it').

Future Spin

A spin trick where the skier spins so much that the number of degrees spun exceeds the numerical value of the current year. To successfully land a future spin at this day in age, a skier would have to spin 2014 degrees or more (closest rotation would be 2160 degrees).

After bang

Landing an outrageous trick and acting as if it took little effort; 'leaned back and relaxed'.

World Rankings

Women

Devin Logan
Jamie Crane-Mauzy
Annalisa Drew
Julia Krass
Isabel Atkin
Keri Herman
Maddie Bowman
Kaya Turski
Katrien Aerts
Jeanee Crane-Mauzy

Men

Gus Kenworthy.
Lyman Currier.
Jossi Wells.
Beau-James Wells.
Aaron Blunck.
Joss Christensen.
Alex Beaulieu-Marchand.
Russ Henshaw.
Vincent Gagnier.
Alex Schlopy.

Free flying

2014-01-29T11:53:00.001-08:00

Free flying

Free flying is an expansion of skydiving which includes the traditional belly-to-earth positions, but extends into vertical flight where the flyer is in an upright position (falling feet first) or in an inverted position (falling head first). These positions increase free-fall speeds and make new types of formations and routines possible.

A free flyer, in order to fully understand the aerodynamic power of his/her body in free-fall, needs to first learn to control all of the skydiving forms: box position (belly-to-earth, traditional skydiving position), back flying (back-to-earth), head-up flying, head-down flying, and side flying. These positions are not held for the duration of a skydive. Free flying can, and usually does, involve constant transitions in position and speeds, with vertical and horizontal orientations. This can involve constantly flowing skydives, with all positions explored, or more static skydives where flyers are concentrating on building a large formation while flying in one of these free fly positions.

Due to the increased free-fall speed and potentially faster horizontal speeds, free flying has dangers beyond that of a normal skydive. Extra care must be taken for free-fall skydive groups to stay away from belly-to-earth skydivers to avoid collisions. Since most parachutes are not designed to be opened at speeds higher than that of normal belly flying, free flyers must transition back to the "belly to earth" position and slow down their descent for several seconds before deploying their parachute.

While free flying is a younger and more extreme addition to skydiving, it is becoming a popular event in competitions and world records.

History

Free flying is a skydiving discipline which began in the late 1980s when Olav Zipser began experimenting with non-traditional forms of body flight. Zipser founded the Free Fly Clowns as a two person competitive team with Mike Vail in 1992, and was joined by Omar Alhegelan, Charles Bryan, and Stefania Martinengo in 1994. The Free Fly Clowns are also credited with opening the first school to teach free flying, The First School of Modern Sky Flying.

Free flying broke into the limelight in 1996 when the SSI Pro Tour added free flying as a three person competitive discipline at the second televised event (with Skysurfing), part of ESPN's Destination Extreme series. 150 countries watched teams like the Free Fly Clowns (Olav Zipser, Charles Bryan and Omar Alhegelan), the Flyboyz (Eli Thompson, Mike Ortiz, Knut Krecker, Fritz Pfnür), Team Airtime (Tony Urugallo, Jim O'Reilly, Peter Raymond, Brian Germain), and many other pioneers of free flying show off their best moves. In 1996 and 1997, the SSI Pro Tour staged eight televised events in both North America and Europe with $36,000 in cash prizes awarded to free fly teams. SSI invited the 1997 Pro World Champions, the Flyboyz, to participate in the 1998 ESPN X Games as an unofficial exhibition. The resulting global television exposure made legends out of the Free Fly Clowns, the Flyboyz, and others. A once fledgling off-shoot of the mainstream, free flying now comprises fully one-half of the overall skydiving community.

Olav Zipser's Space Games used the space ball as a research and measuring device to provide a constant speed and direction from which individual athletes could be trained, rated, raced against each other and judged. The Space Games took Free Flying to the next level from 1998.

In 2000 Free Fly was accepted as an aviation discipline by the International Parachute Commission (IPC) and the first official Free Fly National Championships were held worldwide.

Games

The Space Games came about as a result of the Atmosphere Dolphin Free Fly License Program ran through Olav ZIpser's First School of Modern Sky Flying. Zipser used a constant speed and direction measuring device (space balls) around which high speed precision free fly athletes could train and be tested to fly to the same standard. This provided the testing ground for the research and development of free flying, and opened up the possibility for a number of human flight air games and competitions.

The 1st Space Games was held at Skydive America Palm Beach, Pahokee, Florida in 1997.

The most recent and 16th Space Games was held at Skydive Sport Center Tortuga, Arezzo, Italy in 2006

Free Flyers training with a Space Ball for the Space Games

The Space Games is a free fly skydiving competition event created by 'Father of ' Free Fly' Olav Zipser.

In the early days of free flying, Zipser wanted to get the best free flyers at the time together to research, develop, and document the performance evolution of human free flying.

Human flight races, air games and competitions with an open-class and a pro-class were devised, and the first of its kind and first Space Games was held at Skydive America Palm Beach, Pahokee, Florida in 1997.

A total of 16 Space Games events were organized between 1997 and 2006, with cash prizes totaling as much as US$35 000 per event awarded to the winners of different categories.

The Space Games consists of human flight air races and competitions, and incorporates double elimination one-on-one races, open rounds, competition rounds,

The Free Fly Indie 500,
The Free Fly Atmosphere Dolphin Challenge,
Fastest,
Slowest and Furthest competitions,
Freestyle,
Sky Surf,
3 way and 4 way Free Fly Challenges.

Types

Back flying

Sit flying

Head down flying

Free flying Gear

AAD- Automatic Activation Device
Main and Reserve Parachutes
Helmet
Goggles
Altimeter
Harness and Container Systems
Cameras and Camera Equipment
Jumpsuits, Wing suits and Clothing

Felix Baumgartner's supersonic freefall.

World Champion Freestyle skydiving .

Free Diving

2014-01-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Free-diving

Sponge diving is the oldest known form of the original art of underwater diving, in order to retrieve natural sponges for human use.

Spearfishing is an ancient method of fishing that has been used throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks.

Spearfishing may be done using free-diving, snorkeling, or scuba diving techniques. Spearfishing while using scuba equipment is illegal in some countries. The use of mechanically powered spear guns is also outlawed in some countries and jurisdictions. Spearfishing is highly selective, normally uses no bait and has no by-catch.

Free-diving is a form of underwater diving that relies on a diver's ability to hold his or her breath until resurfacing rather than on the use of a breathing apparatus such as scuba gear. Examples include breath-hold spear fishing, free dive photography, recreational breath-hold diving, apnea competitions, and to some degree, snorkeling. The activity that garners the most public attention is the extreme sport of competitive apnea in which competitors attempt to attain great depths, times, or distances on a single breath.

Free divers

Who've trained their bodies and minds to function underwater for long periods without taking a breath.

As scientists have discovered, even though humans evolved on land, we've retained a trace of that reflex, too. Free divers have learned to push self-induced apnea -- the scientific term for going without breathing -- to new extremes through sophisticated mind-body control techniques similar to those employed by meditating yogis and martial artists.

History

People started diving into deep water and making like dolphins thousands of years ago, long before they understood exactly why they had the ability to do it. Ancient Greek divers weighted themselves down and descended to depths of 100 feet (30.5 meters) or more to pluck sponges from the sea bottom. In Japan and Korea, traditional female free divers known as Ama have long collected edible seaweed and clams at depths of 65 feet (19.8 meters) or more. Because coastal dwellers have been free diving for many generations, you might suspect that they've developed special genetic traits that make them better at it than inlanders. But scientists who've studied them say there's no evidence of that.

All humans do share an evolutionary adaptation with air-breathing aquatic animals that makes it possible for them to dive and swim underwater for a while without taking a breath. In 1870, French physiologist Paul Bert observed that ducks had an amazing ability to slow their heart rate if they were forced to stay underwater. Scientists went on to discover that immersion in cold water -- or even simply holding your breath -- triggers something called the diving reflex, which the body uses to conserve life-giving oxygen. When the reflex kicks in, your pulse slows and your circulatory system constricts, and blood is shunted away from your muscles, skin and visceral organs, guaranteeing that your heart and brain get first dibs.

For years, scientists believed that humans were capable of enduring without oxygen for only a few minutes and that they couldn't dive deeper than 164 feet (50 meters), because the pressure would shrink their lungs and crush their rib cages. But in the 1960s and 1970s, divers disproved that myth. As it turns out, a phenomenon called blood shift causes the lungs to fill with plasma, preventing collapse.

In 1976, French diver Jacques Mayol became the first human to descend to (328 feet) 100 meters. Mayol, who studied Indian yoga and the breathing techniques of kung fu-practicing Shaolin monks, adapted those mind-body control methods to slow his pulse from 60 to 27 beats per minute underwater, enabling him to dive deeper and longer. In doing so, he revolutionized free diving and paved the way for Herbert Nitsch's generation of divers to push the limits even further.

Even then, tragedies sometimes occur. In 2002, elite French diver Audrey Mestre was attempting to set a no-limits depth record off the coast of the Dominican Republic, when equipment malfunctions apparently kept her underwater too long. She lost consciousness during her ascent and perished. Another French champion free diver, Loic Leferme, died off the south of France in 2007 when his ascent rope became snagged.

Now days free diving is a technique used with various aquatic activities. Examples of recognized free diving activities are (non-) competitive free diving, (non-) competitive spearfishing, free diving photography and mermaid shows. Less recognized examples of free diving include, but are not limited to, synchronized swimming, underwater rugby, underwater hockey, underwater hunting other than spearfishing, underwater target shooting and snorkeling. The discussion remains whether free diving is only a synonym for breath-hold diving or whether it describes a specific group of underwater activities. The term 'free diving' is often associated with competitive breath-hold diving or competitive apnea.

Physiology

The human body has several reflex oxygen-conserving adaptations that manifest under diving conditions. The adaptations include:

Reflex bradycardia: Drop in heart rate.

Splenic contraction: Releasing red blood cells carrying oxygen.

Blood-shift: Blood flow and volume is redistributed towards vital organs by means of a reflex vasoconstriction. Blood vessels distend and become engorged, which in the case of the pulmonary capillaries assists with pressure compensation that comes with increasing diving depth, and without which a largely air-filled chest cavity would simply collapse for lack of compliance.

Body-cooling: peripheral vasoconstriction results in cooling of peripheral tissue beds, which lower their oxygen demand in a thermodynamic manner. In addition, Murat et al. (2013) recently discovered that breath-holding results in prompt and substantial brain cooling, just like in diving birds and seals. (Dry) breath-holds result in cooling on the order of about 1°C/minute, but this is likely to be greater with cold water submersion, in proportion to the magnitude and promptness of the dive response.

Techniques

Tips:

Bigger fins are harder to handle but have better results (more power/faster)
You will need to equalize once you get to about 3 meters below the surface. Do this by pinching your nose shut and trying to exhale through your nose. You will need to do this regularly, especially in the first meters where the pressure changes a lot. Your inner ear will equalize automatically on your ascent.
DO NOT dive deeply if you have a cold or are unable to equalize, you may do serious damage to your ear drums.

Steps are:

Time your breath-holding capacity underwater, and record it for future reference.
Take your pulse rate by putting both your index and middle finger together and either hold on your wrist or side of neck. You only need to apply slight pressure and wait a few seconds to feel slight "pumps" count for two minutes. Divide this by 2 (makes for a more accurate pulse rate) and you should now have your pulse rate. Record this and keep track of it.
Figure out how far down you can go on one breath, but do it with a partner in case of blackout. Record this depth.
Practice taking slow, deep breaths -5 seconds on the inhale - and 10-15 seconds or more on the exhale. (WARNING: If you keep the same timing for inhale and exhale, you'll do hyperventilation. This may lead you to blackout). After you've mastered this, remain still and do it while having somebody else record your pulse.
Practice this until you can hold a pulse of under 80 beats a minute before starting the next step.
Try going down after deep breathing at the same location you did your last dive. If you went down 7-10 feet the first time, try to get it to 16 feet, 11-19 feet try to go to 25 feet, 30+ just try to beat it by ten feet.
Try practicing the above steps over and over. Your pulse should get to 60 or below after about a month, so try getting fins and testing how far you can go.
Practice slow, deep, refined kicks with the biggest fins you can find and you will descend faster with fins later on. (Get proper free-diving fins with a soft action)
Try spending 1 minute under water and 1 minute out of the water to let the co2 escape from your lungs.
Grab a rock to help prevent your body's natural buoyancy.

Warning

Do not hyperventilate. Hyperventilating before your dive will expel and decrease the amount of CO2 in your system. CO2 levels in your blood are what triggers your senses to exhale and take in another breath when you hold it. Therefore, removing CO2 only prolongs the period before the body needs to inhale. Hyperventilation does not increase the amount of oxygen present in the body. While you may be able to hold your breath longer at depth, you will be more prone to blackout on the ascent.
When diving deeply (below 20') your lungs compress enough that re-surfacing may be harder than expected.
Never dive at night or in a strong current area. Currents get significantly stronger farther down.
Do not attempt if you have heart or lung problems.
Never take medication to clear your sinus, as the mucus could come back and make it difficult to equalize when ascending
Never dive unless you are with someone who could rescue you from the depths you'll be going to.

Equipment

Fins,
Carbon Fins
Fiberglass Fins

Monofins.

Blades,
Carbon Blades
Fiberglass Blades

Masks

Snorkels

Wetsuits & Swimwear.

Disciplines

Competitive free diving is currently governed by two world associations: AIDA International (International Association for Development of Apnea) and CMAS (World Underwater Federation).

Pool disciplines

Dynamic with Fins (DYN) the free diver travels in a horizontal position under water attempting to cover the greatest possible distance. Any propulsion aids other than fins or a monofin and swimming movements with the arms are prohibited Dynamic with fins is the most typical of both disciplines measuring the distance in free diving, because of the specific means of propulsion : long fins or monofin. Performances could only be recognized in swimming-pools with a minimum length of 25 meters, and are sometimes considered in national or indoors 'combine', with the Static apnea.

Dynamic without Fins (DNF) the free diver travels in a horizontal position under water attempting to cover the greatest possible distance. Any propulsion aids are prohibited. Dynamic without fins is the most natural of both disciplines measuring the distance for many free divers, because it doesn't need any propulsing material, but a very good technique. Performances also could only be recognized in pools with a minimum length of 25 meters, and are greatly appreciated from "old-swimmers".

Static Apnea (STA) the free diver holds his breath for as long as possible with his respiratory tracts immerged, his body either in the water or at the surface. Static apnea is the only discipline measuring the duration, and one of the three disciplines considered for the international competitions by team, with Constant weight and Dynamic with fins. Performances could be done and recognized in both pool and open water (sea, lake, river, etc.)

Depth disciplines

No Limit (NLT) The free diver descends with the help of a ballast weight and ascends via a method of his choice. No limit is the absolute depth discipline. Going down with a sled, and going back up with a balloon, a diving suit or a vest with inflatable compartments, or whatever other means.

Variable Weight (VWT) The free diver descends with the help of a ballast weight and ascends using his own strength: arms and/or legs, either by pulling or not pulling on the rope. Variable weight is the first of both depth disciplines using a sled to go down in the water. Old sleds was descending "head first", like presented in the famous Luc Besson's movie "Le Grand Bleu", but new sleds descending "feet first" are now generalized.

Constant Weight (CWT) The free diver descends and ascends using his fins/monofin and/or with the use of his arms without pulling on the rope or changing his ballast; only a single hold of the rope to stop the descent and start the ascent is allowed. Constant weight is the common sportive depth discipline of free diving, because of the specific fins or monofins used in it. Constant weight is one of the three disciplines considered for the international competitions by team, with Static apnea and Dynamic with fins.

Constant Weight without Fins (CNF) The free diver descends and ascends under water using only his own muscle strength, without the use of propulsion equipment and without pulling on the rope. Constant weight without fins is the most difficult sportive depth discipline, because of absolutely no propulsing material to go down in the water. This category needs a perfect coordination between propulsing movements, equalization, technique and buoyancy.

Free Immersion (FIM) The free diver dives under water without the use of propulsion equipment, but only by pulling on the rope during descent and ascent. Free immersion is the sportive depth discipline with the purest sensations, because of the speed of the water in the body, and the power of each pull on the rope as only mean of propulsion. Performances could be done the head first during the descent, or the feet first, depending equalization facilities of each free divers... Some of them also even use mixed solutions.

Extreme Ironing

2014-01-22T01:09:00.003-08:00

Extreme Ironing

Extreme Ironing (also called EI) is an extreme sport and a performance art in which people take ironing boards to remote locations and iron items of clothing. According to the Extreme Ironing Bureau, extreme ironing is "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt."

Part of the attraction and interest the media has shown towards extreme ironing seems to center on the issue of whether it is really a sport or not. It is widely considered to be tongue-in-cheek.

Some locations where such performances have taken place include a mountainside of a difficult climb; a forest; in a canoe; while skiing or snowboarding; on top of large bronze statues; in the middle of a street; underwater; in the middle of the M1 Motorway; during a keirin race; whilst parachuting; and under the ice cover of a lake. The performances have been conducted solo or by groups.

Categories

Aircraft Ironing

Base jump Ironing

Cave Ironing

Cliff Ironing

Taxi Ironing

History

Purists of the sport claim that it was started in 1997 in Leicester, East Midlands, and England by resident Phil Shaw in his back garden. Shaw came home from what he recalls as a hard day in a Leicester knitwear factory. Preferring the idea of an evening out rock climbing, he decided to combine the two activities into a new extreme sport. In June 1999, Shaw, who uses the nickname "Steam", embarked on an international tour to promote the activity. The stops included the United States, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. An encounter with German tourists in New Zealand led to the formation of a group called "Extreme Ironing International", and the German Extreme Ironing Section or GEIS.

As extreme ironing has branched off, the conditions can gain in extreme activity. For example, a branch of ironing has been developed that includes both bungee jumping and well-pressed clothing. Bungee ironing is what some would call the ultimate in the thrill of extreme ironing.

The "sport" gained international attention after a documentary entitled Extreme Ironing: Pressing for Victory, was produced for Britain's Channel 4 by Wag TV.

Extreme Ironing World Championships

The program followed the British team's efforts and eventual Bronze and Gold placing in the 1st Extreme Ironing World Championships in Germany. A side-story looked at the rivalry between the EIB (Extreme Ironing Bureau) and a breakaway group called Urban Housework who were trying to establish their own extreme sport based around vacuum-cleaning. The film later aired on the National Geographic Channel.

In 2003 the Rowenta Trophy was won by a group from South Africa by ironing across a gorge at the Wolfberg Cracks.

In 2004, the EIB traveled to the US on the Rowenta Tour to recruit additional ironists and ironed at Mount Rushmore, New York, Boston and Devils Tower.

In March 2008, a team of 72 divers simultaneously ironing underwater set a new world's record for number of people ironing underwater at once.

On 10 January 2009, 128 divers including 6 freedivers, attempted to break the previous world record, managing to confirm 86 divers ironing within a 10 minute period. The event took place at the National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) near Chepstow, Gloucestershire, UK and was organised by members of the Yorkshire Divers internet forum. In addition to breaking the world record, the event raised over £15000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

On 1 May 2010, a group of Dive Centers in Key Largo Florida are attempting to take claim of the record. The event is part of the Conch Republic Days in the Florida Keys and will be attempted by Keys Diver, Silent World Dive Center, and Captain Slates Atlantis Dive Center. The attempt will take place at the historic site of the Christ of the Abyss at Key Largo Dry Rocks.

On 28 March 2011 Dutch diving club De Waterman from Oss set the new (official) World record extreme underwater ironing. A group of 173 divers set the new world record in an indoor swimming pool in Oss in the Netherlands. Because of their 40 year anniversary the De Waterman organized this event.

On 18 April 2011, tenor Jason Blair was filmed ironing on the M1 motorway in London, UK, a section of which had been closed following a fire.

In 2011, Extreme Ironing enthusiast William Hinton brought a new interest to the sport along America’s East Coast ironing many hikes along the Appalachian Trail as well as ironing numerous water activities including surfing and wakeboarding.

In 2012, Extreme Ironing founder, Steam, came out of retirement to take on a new challenge and run the Hastings Half Marathon in March wearing an ironing board, pressing garments on the way. In May, the mayor of Whit church, Hampshire pressed a ribbon before cutting it to open a newly built bridge over the railway line.

Extreme Ironing has inspired other forms of unusual extreme activity, such as Extreme Cello Playing.

On March 24, 2013 Extreme Ironing came to the United States with the formation of the first-known American chapter of Extreme Ironing. Founding members Mike Kelsey, Matt Hicks, Caysey Herschaft and Erika Weinbacher (all of the meet-up group Hudson Valley Hikers) hosted an Extreme Ironing Inaugural Event in Ellenville NY. The group immersed themselves in ironing while hiking, caving, rock climbing, and bouldering amid snow, ice, and rock overhangs. Extreme Ironing America spread to Canada when club members ironed on rock and water while on a trek in Quebec in September 2013. They appeared on the radio on Hot 101.7 FM in San Francisco in April 2013 to explain Extreme Ironing and on NBC's TODAY Show on October 1, 2013 where TODAY show host Matt Lauer learned to Extreme Iron in various locations in Central Park, NYC including on a double-decker bus, row boat and band shell.

1st Extreme Ironing World Championships

The 1st Extreme Ironing World Championships was the inaugural championship for the quirky British sport of extreme ironing.

The first event, held in mid-September 2002 in Valley, Bavaria, a small village near Munich in the district Miesbach, was host to competitors from ten nations, comprising 12 teams (three were from Britain).

Competing countries:

Austria

Australia

Chile

Croatia

Great Britain; three teams called GB1, GB2, GB3

Germany

Ironing championship sections

Urban- Involved ironing in/on/around a broken down car.

Water- A fast flowing river was the location for this station. Competitors could use surfboards, canoes or rubber rings to help them.

Forest- Ironing at the top of a tree did not suit all the competitors.

Rocky- A purpose built climbing wall, which ironists had to climb and iron a t-shirt.

Freestyle- The section where "anything goes".

Caving

2014-01-18T00:06:00.002-08:00

Caving

Caving also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild (generally non-commercial) cave systems. In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment.

The challenges involved in the activity depend on the cave being visited, but often include the negotiation of pitches, squeezes, and water (although actual cave diving is a separate, and much more dangerous, sub-specialty undertaken by very few cavers).

In recent decades, caving has changed considerably due to the availability of modern protective wear and equipment. It has recently come to be known as an "extreme sport" by some (though not commonly considered as such by its practitioners, who may dislike the term for its perceived connotation of disregard for safety).

Many of the skills involved in caving can also be put to use in mine exploration and urban exploration.

History

Caving was pioneered by Édouard-Alfred Martel (1859–1938) who first achieved the descent and exploration of the Gouffre de Padirac, France as early as 1889 and the first complete descent of a 110 meter wet vertical shaft at Gaping Gill, in Yorkshire, England in 1895. He developed his own techniques based on ropes and metallic ladders. Martel visited Kentucky and notably Mammoth Cave National Park in October 1912. In the 1920s famous US caver Floyd Collins made important explorations in the area and in the 1930s, as caving became increasingly popular, small exploration teams both in the Alps and in the karstic high plateaus of southwest France (Causses and Pyrenees) transformed cave exploration in both a scientific and recreational activity. Robert de Joly, Guy de Lavaur and Norbert Casteret were prominent figures of that time. They surveyed mostly caves in Southwest France. During World War II, an alpine team composed of Pierre Chevalier, Fernand Petzl, Charles Petit-Didier and others explored the Dent de Crolles cave system near Grenoble, France which became the deepest explored system in the world (-658m) at that time. The lack of available equipment during the war forced Pierre Chevalier and the rest of the team to develop their own equipment, leading to technical innovation. The scaling-pole (1940), nylon ropes (1942), use of explosives in caves (1947) and mechanical rope-ascenders (Henri Brenot's "monkeys", first used by Chevalier and Brenot in a cave in 1934) can be directly associated to the exploration of the Dent de Crolles cave system.

In 1941, American cavers organized themselves into the National Speleological Society (NSS) to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. American caver Bill Cuddington, known as "Vertical Bill", developed the single rope technique (SRT) in the late 1950s. In 1958, two Swiss alpinists, Juesi and Marti teamed together, creating the first rope ascender known as the Jumar. In 1968 Bruno Dressler asked Fernand Petzl, who worked as a metals machinist, to build a rope-ascending tool, today known as the Petzl Croll, that he had developed by adapting the Jumar to pit caving. Pursuing these developments, Petzl started in the 1970s a caving equipment manufacturing company named Petzl. The development of the rappel rack and the evolution of mechanical ascension systems extended the practice and safety of pit exploration to a larger venue of cavers.

List of longest caves

	System	Length	Location	Discovery	Associated parks, protected areas
1	Mammoth Cave	651.8 km (405.0 mi)	near Brownsville, Kentucky, United States	1791	Mammoth Cave National Park, also a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve
2	Sistema Sac Actun /Sistema Dos Ojos	319.0 km (198.2 mi)	near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico	1987	none
3	Jewel Cave	267.6 km (166.3 mi)	near Custer, South Dakota, United States	1900	Jewel Cave National Monument
4	Sistema Ox Bel Ha	256.7 km (159.5 mi)	near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico	1996	southern parts in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
5	Optymistychna Cave	236.0 km (146.6 mi)	near Korolivka, Ukraine	1966	none
6	Wind Cave	226.1 km (140.5 mi)	near Hot Springs, South Dakota, United States	1881	Wind Cave National Park
7	Lechuguilla Cave	222.6 km (138.3 mi)	near Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States	1900	Carlsbad Caverns National Park
8	Hölloch	200.4 km (124.5 mi)	Muotathal, Switzerland	1875	none
9	Gua Air Jernih	197.1 km (122.5 mi)	Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia	1978	Gunung Mulu National Park, also a World Heritage Site
10	Fisher Ridge Cave System	194.9 km (121.1 mi)	near Cave City, Kentucky, United States	1981	Mammoth Cave National Park

Protective clothing

Thermal protection

Caves in temperate regions such as Europe and North America maintain an average yearly temperature of 11-13°C (52-58°F). While this is not especially cold, exposure to water and fatigue can increase the risk of hypothermia. Cavers usually wear a one-piece under suit made of fleece or fiber pile, sometimes used in tandem with thermal underclothes. In warmer caves, such as those in France and Spain, lighter under suits are used to prevent overheating.

When caving in wet caves neoprene wetsuits provide superior insulation to fleece underclothes. While cavers often use wetsuits designed for surfing or diving, specialist caving wetsuits are available with reinforced elbows and knees. Hybrid fleece/wetsuit under suits are also used.

Abrasive protection

Cavers commonly wear protective over suits, similar to boiler suits but made of heavily abrasive resistant material such as cordura. In wet or windy caves PVC over suits may be preferred, as they provide a greater degree of protection against getting wet and keep the caver warmer. Over suits often come with reinforced areas, especially at wear points such as the elbows, seat and shins. Internal pockets and hoods are sometimes provided.

Knee pads, and less commonly, elbow pads are worn both to protect the caver and the caver's clothing. Gloves are also worn by cavers. In wet caves neoprene gloves can be worn as added protection against the cold.

Footwear

Wellington boots are a popular choice of footwear, being hard wearing, cheap, having good grip and great water resistance. Hiking boots are also worn as footwear, providing superior ankle support. They do however let water and grit in much easier and are often damaged by the harsh cave environment. There is also the risk of lace hooks ensnaring on ladders. In large dry tropical caves they are superior to welllington boots, being cooler and restrict movement less. Specialist canyoning boots offer an expensive alternative to wellingtons and hiking boots.

Helmets

While helmets are used to protect the cavers head against occasional falling rocks, they find much more use in protecting the caver’s heads from bumps and scrapes as the caver moves through low or awkward passageway. Helmets are invaluable for mounting lights, often cavers will attach an array of lights to their helmet. Many helmets used in caving can also be used as climbing helmets.

Vertical equipment

Many caves have shafts or drops that require ropes or ladders to pass. Wire ladders have largely been superseded by ropes for descending Pitch (vertical space) since the early 60's, though ladders still have useful applications on shorter pitches, where full abseiling gear would be inappropriate.

Single rope technique

Single rope technique (SRT) is the most commonly used technique for passing vertical obstacles.

Standard Equipment

Climbing harness - These are static and more abrasion resistant than the harnesses used in rock climbing.

Climbing rope - The rope used for abseiling is low-stretch static rope, typically 9mm thick in Europe. In the US SRT rope is thicker (11mm) and more abrasion resistant, given the greater amount of rope rub tolerated. Ropes are cut into varying lengths

Ascender - These are used to ascend ropes. Devices that used lever cams were once used, though these have now been overtaken in popularity by toothed cam devices which slip less. A minimum of two ascendents are used, one attached to the harness at waist level, and another attached to a foot loop and moved by hand. A third ascend er may be attached to a foot and a rope walking technique used.

Descender - This is used to abseil down the rope. There are two main types of descender - a bobbin descender such as the Petzl Stop, or a rack descender, favored in parts of the US for its smooth descent and excellent heat sinking capacities. Bobbin descenders are favored for European style SRT as it is easier to change ropes with at re belays and is lighter.

Cows tails - These are lanyards used to clip into safe points of contact when changing over at rebelays and while using traverse lines. They are made from a length of dynamic rope with two lanyards of differing length ending in carabiners.

Knife - Knives are used as safety equipment to cut ropes, cut hair caught in descenders etc.

Whistle - On long pitches where shouting is ineffective, whistles are used to signal other team members.

Ladders

Wire 'Elektron' ladders were once the most common method of descending large shafts. Today they are largely used for descending short or tight pitches. The rungs of the ladders are usually made of light metals such as aluminum. Ladders are usually made in 5m, 8m, or 10m lengths, and can be clipped together to make longer lengths. While ladders can be used without a belay, this is unsafe and is not recommended. Ladders may be carried loose until needed, or may be carried inside tough PVC tackle-bags.

Rope

Dynamic rope, more commonly used in climbing, is used in caving for belaying cavers on climbs or using ladders.

Static rope, once past its useful life for abseiling, is often used for fixed aids, such as hand lines on climbs. The rope may be knotted to help climbers. Rope may also be recycled for digging.

Bolting

Most caves require artificial anchor points to secure abseiling rope. A common method of placing bolts is to hand drill them using a hammer and a self-drilling bolt, using bolts adapted from the construction industry. A hangar can then be screwed into the bolt. Since affordable battery drills came on the market it is more common to see cavers drill the holes and use a variety of different bolts and concrete screws. Stainless steel resin bolts are used on routes that see a lot of traffic as they have a long life and, if placed correctly, are safe and reliable.

Surveying equipment

Cave surveying is a specialist activity undertaken within caving to produce maps of caves. The type of equipment used depends on the intended accuracy of the survey. A basic survey may be carried out with an orienteering or diving compass and distances paced by foot or estimated. A more accurate survey would make use of a tape measure and specialist surveying compasses and interferometers. Recently there has been a shift to wholly digital cave surveying

Measuring instruments

A standard Brunton Geo, a combined compass and interferometer, popular as a cave surveying compass until recently

The most common device used by cave surveyors is a sighting compass, such as that manufactured by Suunto or Silva, that can be read to the half-degree. Compasses used for cave surveying have to be rugged to cope with the harsh conditions. For high grade surveys, inclinometers are required, and are sometimes made in combined units with compasses. Recently, digital compasses and interferometers have been developed by enthusiasts, some with wireless connections to PDAs, though these have not yet attained widespread use.

Measuring distance

A standard fiberglass tape measure is commonly used to measure distance, usually in lengths of 30m or 50m. Laser rangefinders have recently gained popularity, though tapes remain preferable in especially wet or muddy conditions.

Recording data

Tough waterproof paper is used to record data, the advantage being that, if the paper becomes excessively muddy, it can be washed off in a stream or pool. Paperless surveying is now becoming a reality as digital measuring devices can be wirelessly connected to PDAs where the data is stored and drawn.

FOR CAVE LOVERS:

Waitomo Caves

The Waitomo Caves are a village and cave system forming a major tourist attraction in the northern King Country region of the North Island of New Zealand, 12 kilometers northwest of Te Kuiti. The community of Waitomo Caves itself is very small, though the village has many temporary service workers living there as well. The word Waitomo comes from the Māori language wai meaning water and tomo meaning a doline or sinkhole; it can thus be translated to be water passing through a hole. These Caves are believed to be over two million years old.

HISTORY

The name "Waitomo" comes from the Māori words wai, water and tomo, hole or shaft. The local Māori people had known about the caves for quite some time before the local Māori Chief Tane Tinorau and an English surveyor, Fred Mace, did an extensive exploration in 1887. Their exploration was conducted with candlelight on a raft going into the cave where the stream goes underground. This is now the exit for the cave. As they began their journey, they came across the Glowworm Grotto and were amazed by the twinkling glow coming from the ceiling. As they travelled further into the cave by poling themselves towards an embankment, they were also astounded by the limestone formations. These formations surrounded them in all shapes and sizes.

They returned many times after and Chief Tane independently discovered the upper level entrance to the cave, which is now the current entrance. Tane Tinorau and his wife Huti, by 1889, had opened the cave to visitors and were leading groups for a small fee. The administration of the cave was taken over by the government in 1906 after there was an escalation in vandalism. In 1910, the Waitomo Caves Hotel was built to house the many visitors.

In 1989, the land and cave were returned to the descendants of Chief Tane Tinorau and Huti. They now receive a percentage of the cave’s revenue and are involved in the management and development of the cave. These descendants encompass many of the employees of the caves today

Majlis al Jinn

Majlis al Jinn, also Majlis al-Jinn (Arabic: مجلس الجن‎, meeting/gathering place of the Jinn, local name: Khoshilat Maqandeli) is the second largest known cave chamber in the world, as measured by the surface area of the floor. It ranks lower when measured by volume. The cave is located in a remote area of the Selma Plateau at 1,380 meters above sea level in the Sultanate of Oman, 100 km south-east from Muscat.

HISTORY

The entrances were discovered in June 1983 by Americans W. Don Davison, Jr. (nickname: D2) and his wife, Cheryl S. Jones. Don, a hydrogeologist, who was employed by the government of Oman's Public Authority for Water Resources (PAWR), which later became the Ministry of Water Resources. The cave was located and mapped as part of the PAWR's Karst Research Program.

Exploration of Majlis Al Jinn began on 23 June 1983, when Don rappelled down the 118m First Drop. Cheryl's Drop was first negotiated on 1 March 1984, by Cheryl Jones. The 158m drop is deepest free rappel into a cave known in Oman and the Arabian peninsula. Finally, Don descended the Asterisk on 22 April 1985.

Don and Cheryl surveyed and photographed the cave in April and May, 1985. The map and cross sections they created, as well as photos, were originally published in the special PAWR report and have been reproduced many times since.

Omanis living in the area of the Selma Plateau told Don and Cheryl that they didn't have names for any of the holes on the plateau that served as entrances to the caves. So Cheryl gave the cave its name, referring to the Omani belief that jinns live in caves. Years later locals said they call the cave "Khoshilat Maqandeli" from the refuge for goats near one of the entrances. Nowadays locals refer to this cave as Khoshilat Maqandeli, while internationally it is known as Majlis al Jinn.

Don authored the first published account of the cave's discovery as a special report Majlis Al Jinn Cave, Sultanate of Oman, issued by the PAWR in October, 1985. A second article by Don, Meeting Room of the Spirits, was featured in the September–October, 1990, issue of Aramco World magazine. Majlis al Jinn was included in a story in the April, 2003, issue of National Geographic Magazine.

Cueva de los Cristales

Cave of the Crystals or Giant Crystal Cave (Spanish: Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica Mine 300 metres (980 ft) below the surface in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The main chamber contains giant selenite crystals (gypsum, CaSO4·2 H2O), some of the largest natural crystals ever found. The cave's largest crystal found to date is 12 m (39 ft) in length, 4 m (13 ft) in diameter and 55 tons in weight. The cave is extremely hot with air temperatures reaching up to 58 °C (136 °F) with 90 to 99 percent humidity. The cave is relatively unexplored due to these factors. Without proper protection people can only endure approximately ten minutes of exposure at a time.

A group of scientists known as the Naica Project have been heavily involved in researching these caverns.

HISTORY

In 1910 miners discovered a cavern beneath the Naica mine workings, the Cave of Swords (Spanish: Cueva de las Espadas). It is located at a depth of 120 m, above the Cave of Crystals, and contains spectacular, smaller (1 m long) crystals. It is speculated that at this level, transition temperatures may have fallen much more rapidly, leading to an end in the growth of the crystals.

The Giant Crystal cave was discovered in 2000 by miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peñoles mining company located in Naica, Mexico, while drilling through the Naica fault, which they were concerned would flood the mine. The mining complex in Naica contains substantial deposits of silver, zinc and lead.

The Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone. Its floor is covered with perfectly-faceted crystalline blocks. Huge crystal beams jut out from both the blocks and the floor. The caves are accessible today because the mining company's pumping operations keep them clear of water. If the pumping were stopped, the caves would again be submerged in water. The crystals deteriorate in air, so the Naica Project is attempting to visually document the crystals before they deteriorate further.

Two other smaller caverns were also discovered in 2000, the Queen’s Eye Cave and the Candles’ Cave, and a further chamber was found in a drilling project in 2009. The new cave, named the Ice Palace, is 150 m deep and is not flooded, but its crystal formations are much smaller, with small 'cauliflower' formations and fine, threadlike crystals.

Eisriesenwelt

The Eisriesenwelt (German for "World of the Ice Giants") is a natural limestone ice cave located in Werfen, Austria, about 40 km south of Salzburg. The cave is inside the Hochkogel Mountain in the Tennengebirge section of the Alps. It is the largest ice cave in the world, extending more than 42km and visited by about 200,000 tourists every year.

HISTORY

The first official discovery of Eisriesenwelt was by Anton Posselt, a natural scientist from Salzburg, in 1879, though he only explored the first two hundred meters of the cave. Before his discovery, the cave was known only to locals, who, believing that it was an entrance to Hell, refused to explore it. In 1880, Posselt published his findings in a mountaineering magazine, but the report was quickly forgotten.

Alexander von Mörk, a speleologist from Salzburg, was one of the few people who remembered Posselt's discovery. He led several expeditions into the caves beginning in 1912, which were soon followed by other explorers. Von Mörk was killed in World War I in 1914, and an urn containing his ashes is inside a niche in the cave. In 1920, a cabin for the explorers, Forscherhütte, was built and the first routes up the mountain were established. Tourists began to arrive soon after, attracted by the cave's sudden popularity. Later another cabin, the Dr. Oedl House, and paths from Werfen and Tänneck were constructed.

In 1955 a cable car was built, shortening the 90-minute climb to 3 minutes. Today the Eisriesenwelt cave is owned by the National Austrian Forest Commission, which has leased it to the Salzburg Association of Cave Exploration since 1928. The Forest Commission still receives a percentage of the entrance fees.

Cueva del Fantasma

Cueva del Fantasma ("Cave of the Ghost" in Spanish) is a giant cave in southern Venezuela, located in one of the most biologically rich, geologically ancient parts of the world, along the slopes of Aprada-tepui. Large enough for two helicopters to land in the cave, the report from Zootaxa is said to be the first photographic evidence of such an immense cave. However, experts note, it is not technically a cave, but rather a collapsed, steep gorge.

Cave Diving

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Cave Diving

Cave diving is underwater diving in caves which are at least partially filled with water. The equipment used varies depending on the circumstances, and ranges from breath hold to surface supplied, but almost all cave diving is done using scuba equipment, often in specialized configurations. Cave diving is generally considered to be a type of technical diving due to the lack of a free surface during large parts of the dive, and often involves decompression.

In the United Kingdom it is an extension of the more common sport of caving, and in the United States an extension of the more common sport of scuba diving. Compared to caving and scuba diving, there are relatively few practitioners of cave diving. This is due in part to the specialized equipment (such as rebreather diver propulsion vehicles and dry suits) and skill sets required, and in part because of the high potential risks, including decompression sickness and drowning.

Despite these risks, water-filled caves attract scuba divers, cavers, and speleologists due to their often unexplored nature, and present divers with a technical diving challenge. Underwater caves have a wide range of physical features, and can contain fauna not found elsewhere.

History

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, co-inventor of the first commercially successful open circuit scuba equipment, was the world's first scuba cave diver. However, many cave divers’ penetrated caves prior to the advent of scuba with surface supplied breathing apparatus through the use of umbilical hoses and compressors. Scuba diving in all its forms, including cave diving, has advanced in earnest since Cousteau introduced the Aqua-Lung in 1943.

There are three main classifications of diving: cave diving, open-water diving and cavern diving. Open-water diving is where all divers start gaining experience, and it's defined as a dive in which linear access to the surface is directly available -- in other words, by swimming straight up, a diver should be able to get a head above water, and sunlight is easily visible. In cavern diving, on the other hand, a diver is exploring permanent, naturally occurring caverns and has a ceiling overhead, but an entrance and visible light from the sun are in sight. Both open-water diving and cavern diving are considered recreational activities that require recreational-level certifications and training, and divers usually limit descents to 130 feet.

Cave diving differs from the other two types of diving in that it's a form of technical diving instead of a recreational one. It requires a much different set of equipment and several years of training and certification, and professionals constantly stress the need for top-notch fitness and gear. But above all, they admire cave diving for its unique challenge and the potential to discover the undiscovered -- scientific research gathered from cave dives can lead to the study of rare organisms and even offer cures to diseases like leukemia.

Cave Diving Techniques

Moving around the cave

Since cave diving is different from other recreational diving activities, many of the techniques people use are also much different. Divers are taught to swim in a prone, or face down, position, with the knees bent and the fins elevated above the plane of the body. This is mainly a precaution against kicking the bottom of a cave and stirring up sediment, but it also offers a good streamline and creates little resistance to the water.

Cave divers move about a cave by using a simple technique called "pull and glide" -- using the tips of their fingers, divers look for crevices in rock for a place to hook onto. The rock is usually something hard and porous like limestone, so it should have lots of pockets and places to grab. After grabbing hold, divers pull and release, gliding through the cave with relative ease.

Cave divers learn how to use mostly their feet for directional changes along with short flutter kicks, and, in the case of solid limestone, some can push off a cave ceiling with their feet to propel themselves along.

Divers can also take along battery-powered diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) to make swimming easier. Although there are many different types, tow-behind DPVs are the most common, which pull divers through caves. DVPs help divers use less oxygen since they're not exerting themselves as much, and they can significantly increase the length of a dive.

Guidelines

Because there is little to no visibility in caves and cave divers must use their own source of light, guidelines must be placed to ensure people can find their way back to a cave's entrance.

Most caves already have guidelines in place from past explorers -- these are called "gold lines" because of their yellowish color. They consist of braided nylon string and are usually a bit smaller in diameter than regular rope at about an eighth of an inch. These are placed throughout the main tunnels of a cave. Labyrinthine caves also have smaller side tunnels, and these are provided with smaller, white lines. They don't contact the main line; instead, they usually end within 5 to 10 feet of the main line.

The main line of a cave does not extend to the exit -- this prevents open-water divers or untrained or uncertified people from viewing it as an invitation to enter the cave. Therefore, a main guideline typically starts 50 to 100 feet inside a cave.

Still, it's a cave diver's responsibility to run a temporary line, or entry line, along a reel from the outside of the cave in order to maintain a continuous guideline from open-water to the main line. This provides direct access to a cave's exit. To make an entry line, divers make an initial tie-off to something sturdy, like a big rock. A secondary tie-off is also made in case the first one comes loose. The diver must be able to swim along the line with his hand around it, making an "OK" sign, and with his eyes closed make his way out of the cave. The line shouldn't be run near obstructions in order to avoid snags and keep out of the way of other divers.

Dorf markers, or small, plastic directional arrows, can be tied to lines. These point toward exits, just in case a diver becomes disoriented. Clips, markers that resemble clothespins, are also used at points for notation reasons, including max penetration (the furthest point reached inside the cave) and points of interest for other divers.

The average cave dive will last in excess of one hour, but some can last for as long as 15 hours if the right equipment and gas supply is available. Divers generally use what's called the "rule of thirds" -- when one third of a diver's air supply is gone, he will stop the dive and begin moving toward the cave's entrance.

Cave diving venues

Grand Bahamas Island

The caves and caverns of Grand Bahamas contain an immense underwater cavern with a vast flooded labyrinth of caverns, caves and submerged tunnels that honeycomb the entire island of Grand Bahamas and the surrounding sea bed. The inland caves are not abundant with life, but do contain creatures living in the caves other than the migrating gray snappers. Residents of these caves include a type of blind cave fish and remipedia that don't pose any threat to cave divers.

The caves in the Bahamas were formed during the last ice age. With much of the Earth's water held in the form of glacial ice, the sea level fell hundreds of feet, leaving most of the Bahamas banks, which are now covered in water, high and dry. Rain falling on the most porous limestone slowly filtered down to sea level forming a lens where it contacted the denser salt water of the ocean permeating the spongy lime stone. The water at the interface was acidic enough to dissolve away the limestone and form the caves. Then, as more ice formed and the sea level dropped even further, the caves became dry and rainwater dripping through the ceiling over thousands of years created the incredible crystal forests of stalagmites which now decorate the caves. Finally, when the ice melted and the sea level rose, the caves were reclaimed by the sea.

Central and Northern Florida, U.S

The largest and most active cave diving community in the United States is in north-central Florida. The North Floridan Aquifer expels groundwater through numerous first-magnitude springs, each providing an entrance to the aquifer's labyrinthine cave system. These high-flow springs have resulted in Florida cave divers developing special techniques for exploring them, since some have such strong currents that it is impossible to swim against them.

The longest known underwater cave system in the USA, The system, near Tallahassee, Florida, has multiple interconnected sinks and springs spanning two counties (Leon & Wakulla). One main resurgence of the system, Wakulla Springs, is explored exclusively by a very successful and pioneering project called the Woodville Karst Plain Project (WKPP), although other individuals and groups like the US Deep Cave Diving Team, have explored portions of Wakulla Springs in the past.

One deep underwater cave in the USA is Weeki Wachee Spring. Due to its strong outflow, divers have had limited success penetrating this first magnitude spring until 2007, when drought conditions eased the out-flowing water allowing team divers from Karst Underwater Research to penetrate to depths of 400 ft (120 m) The current deepest known underwater cave in the USA is Phantom Springs Cave located in west Texas. Phantom Springs has been explored down to 462 feet in water filled cave passages. This makes it the deepest underwater cave in the USA as of 2013.

The Florida caves are formed from geologically young limestone with moderate porosity. The absence of speleothem decorations which can only form in air filled caves, indicates that the flooded Florida caves have a single genetic phase origin, having remained water filled even during past low sea levels. In plan form, the caves are relatively linear with a limited number of side passages allowing for most of the guidelines to be simple paths with few permanent tees. It is common practice for cave divers in Florida to join a main line with a secondary line using a jump reel when exploring side passages, in order to maintain a continuous guideline to the surface.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

While there is great potential for cave diving in the continental karst throughout Mexico, the vast majority of cave diving in Mexico occurs in the Yucatán Peninsula. While there are thousands of deep pit cenotes throughout the Yucatán Peninsula including in the states of Yucatán and Campeche, the extensive sub-horizontal flooded cave networks for which the peninsula is known are essentially limited to a 10 km wide strip of the Caribbean coastline in the state of Quintana Roo extending south from Cancun to the Tulum Municipality and the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, although some short segments of underwater cave have been explored on the north-west coast (Yucatán State).

In the Yucatán Peninsula, any surface opening where groundwater can be reached is called cenote, which is a Spanish form of the Maya word d’zonot. The cave systems formed as normal caves underwater, but upper sections drained becoming air filled during past low sea levels. During this vadose, or air filled state, abundant speleothem deposits formed. The caves and the vadose speleothem were subsequently reflooded and became hydraulically reactivated as rising sea levels also raised the water table. These caves are therefore polygenetic, having experienced more than one cycle of formation below the water table. Polygenetic coastal cave systems with underwater speleothem are globally common, with notable examples being on the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca) of Spain, the islands of the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, and many more.

As with all cave speleothems, the underwater speleothems in the Yucatán Peninsula are fragile. If a diver accidentally breaks off a stalactite from the ceiling or other speleothem formation, it will not reform as long as the cave is underwater so active cave conservation diving techniques are paramount.

In plan form, the Quintana Roo caves are extremely complex with anastomotic interconnected passages. When cave diving through the caves, the pathways then appear to have many offshoots and junctions, requiring careful navigation with permanent tees or the implementation of jumps in the guideline.

The beginning of the 1980s brought the first cave divers from the U.S. to the Yucatán Peninsula, Quintana Roo to explore cenotes such as , Naharon and Maya Blue, but also to central Mexico where Resurgence Rivers such as Rio Mante, and sinkholes such as Zacaton were documented.

In the Yucatán, the 1980s ended with the discoveries of the Dos Ojos and Nohoch Nah Chich cave systems which lead into a long ongoing competition of which exploration team had the longest underwater cave system in the world at the time, with both teams vying for first place.

The beginning of the 1990s led into the discovery of underwater caves such as Aereolito on the island of Cozumel, ultimately leading to the 5th biggest underwater cave in the world.

United Kingdom

UK requirements are generally that all people wishing to take up cave diving must be competent cavers before they start cave diving. This is primarily because most British cave dives are at the far end of dry caves. There are individuals that begin cave diving directly from the recreational diving, but they represent a minority in the UK, and represent only a few percent of the Cave Diving Group (CDG).

Australia

Australia has many spectacular water filled caves and sinkholes, but unlike the UK, most Australian cave divers come from a general ocean-diving background.

The "air-clear" water conditions experienced in the sinkholes and caves found in the Lower South East (now called the Limestone Coast) of South Australia (SA) has attracted many visiting divers with the first cave and sinkhole dives taking place in the very late 1950s. Until the mid-1980s divers generally used single diving cylinders and homemade torches, and reels, resulting in most of their explorations being limited. Mixed-gas and rebreather technologies can now be used in many sites. The area is usually known within the cave diving community as the Mount Gambier region.

A series of incidents between 1969 and 1974 in the former Lower South East of SA in which 11 divers died (including a triple and a quadruple fatality) in the following four karst features - Kilsbys Hole, Piccaninnie Ponds, Death Cave (also known as Alleyns Cave) and The Shaft - created much public comment and led to the formation of the Cave Divers Association of Australia Inc. (CDAA) in September 1973. The introduction of a testing program by the CDAA in 1974, which involved the assessment of prospective cave divers' cave diving ability lead to a reduced fatality rate. In 1989, this testing system was replaced by a training system which currently consists of 3 levels of qualification - Deep Cavern, Cave and Advanced Cave. Five further deaths have occurred since 1974; two died at Piccaninnie Ponds in 1984, one person died at Kilsbys Hole in 2010, and two people died in separate incidents at Tank Cave in 2011 including noted cave diver Agnes Milowka.

During the 1980s, the Nullarbor Plain was recognized as a major cave-diving area, with one cave, Cocklebiddy, being explored for more than 6 kilometers, involving the use of large sleds to which were attached numerous diving cylinders and other paraphernalia, and which were then laboriously pushed through the cave by the divers. In more recent years divers have been utilizing compact diver-towing powered scooters, but the dive is still technically extremely challenging.

A number of other very significant caves have also been discovered during the past 20 years or so; the 10+ (Lineal) kilometer long Tank Cave near Millicent in the Limestone Coast, other very large features on the Nullarbor and the adjacent Roe Plain as well as a number of specific sites elsewhere, and nowadays the cave diving community utilizes many techniques, equipment and standards from the U.S. and elsewhere.

The CDAA is the major cave diving organization in Australia and is responsible for the administration of cave diving at many sites. All cave diving in the Limestone Coast as well as at some New South Wales sites and the Nullarbor requires divers to be members of the CDAA, whether in the capacity of a visitor or a trained and assessed member. A number of other organizations participate in cave diving activities within Australia. The Australian Speleological Federation Cave Diving Group which was formed in 2005 coordinates projects focused on exploration and mapping at sites throughout Australia. The following diving training organizations offer courses in various aspects of cave diving via instructors either resident in Australia or visiting from overseas - Global Underwater Explorers, International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers and Technical Diving International.

Brazil

In Brazil there is cavern diving in Chapada da Diamantina, in Bahia state; Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul state; and Mariana, where there is also cave diving (visiting Mina da Passagem), in Minas Gerais state. For cave diving in Mariana a cave diver certification will be required.

Sardinia Italy

In the north west of Sardinia, close to Porto Conte bay, Alghero territory, there is the most important cave diving site in the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to the huge limestone cliffs of Capo Caccia and Punta Giglio there are more than 300 caves above and below water, with about 30 large, and many smaller, underwater sea caves. The Nereo Cave is the most important and it is considered also the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. On the east side of Sardinia there are many underwater cave systems starting from the Gennargentu Mountains, with underwater rivers which arrive at the sea by different, lengthy routes. Here one of the deepest fresh water caves exits at more than 110 m (360 ft) depth.

Cala Golone is a departure point for cave diving in Sardinia's largest cave systems which are usually reached by sea. Bue Marino is the longest known, and there are several others with various lengths and depths.

West Timor, Indonesia

There are a number of freshwater filled cave sites located near and within Kupang, the principal city in West Timor and the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara. At least 2 sites have been described: Gua Oehani (translates as the Oehani Cave) and Gua Kristal (translates as the Crystal Cave).

As of 1999, there was no requirement to hold cave diving certification to dive either of these sites. However, competence equivalent to CDAA Advanced Cave and Cave/Advanced Cave appears to be respectively appropriate for these sites.

Dominican Republic

There is a growing number of known water filled caves in the Dominican Republic, spread all over the island. Regions with underwater caves include Santo Domingo, Pedernales, Cabrera, Bayahibe and others.

Active exploration is being conducted by the Dominican Republic Speleological Society which is working together with local institutions as well as international scientists to further explore all the cave systems possibilities and focusing in the preservation.

The longest known cave in the island is El Toro which is about6, 000 ft (1,800 m) in length.

The best known caves in the island are Cueva Taina, El Tildo, El Chicho and El Dudu, which have easy access to the water and with a good level of safety outside of the water as they are in private properties or national parks.

Cave diving is playing a very important role in science in the DR, {in the last 3 years the DRSS team together with international scientists and "Museo del Hombre Dominicano" has found a new species of cave bacteria, a number of new and extinct bat species, the first evidence of extinct crocodiles in the DR, fossil snakes, birds, sloths and remains of long extinct monkeys and other ancient cave life. DRSS has cataloged over 120 new springs all over the island in which many have caverns and cave systems attached.

Cave Diving Equipment

The best way to tell a cave diver apart from an open-water diver or cavern diver is to look at the equipment in use. In this section we'll look at the different kinds of gear a cave diver brings on a dive.

It's important to remember that cave divers carry redundant equipment -- this means that for every piece of equipment they carry, an extra will come along for the dive. This is to make sure that if something undergoes failure, there's a replacement to take over and allow a safe return to the surface. It could be something seemingly unimportant like an extra mask, or a piece of equipment that ensures a diver's survival, like an oxygen tank.

1. Masks

While open-water divers usually use snorkels because they can easily reach the surface for air, cave divers could never afford to bring one along and have no use for it. Cave divers stay submerged in the water for long periods of time, and therefore bring along oxygen tanks for breathing purposes -- a snorkel would only create excess weight and extra drag.

Cave divers usually keep masks simple, preferring standard masks that are solid black. The reason dark masks are well suited for cave diving is because of the light-absorbing qualities of the color black. Any distracting light that might leak into the mask can be absorbed by the dark material of the mask and prevent a diver from losing sight of entrances or important spots. Cave divers also wear hoods made of nylon to protect their heads from water leaks and damage during dives.

2. Fins

Cave divers typically prefer black rubber fins, and ones that aren't very flexible. Light, stiff fins work best because divers already so carry much mass with them into a cave. Moving through the water, they need to use short, controlled kicks to avoid stirring up any sediment on the floor of a cave.

Stiff fins help cave divers move through the water easier, while dry suits keep them warmer.

3. Suits

Cave divers use either dry suits or wet suits for protection. The difference between the two kinds of suits is that dry suits are designed to seal off water from entering and getting a diver's body wet. Made of a synthetic rubber called neoprene, dry suits are the preferred choice for cave divers because they allow much less heat loss. The material is double-layered with a small space in between for insulating air, and divers have the option of wearing extra undergarments. Wet suits will still suffice for shorter dives and warmer waters, however.

Other equipment such as flashlights and small knives to cut away snags come along on a dive. There are also several gadgets that help divers during their ascent and descent. Different gauges give information on air pressure and depth, and they may all be fitted onto one device along with a compass for navigation.

Cave divers, of course, need to bring oxygen tanks, or cylinders, with them while underwater. To learn about breathing in deep, high-pressure water, read the next page.

4. Depth gauge and timer

Every diver carries at least one depth gauge and timer. These allow the diver to calculate what decompression stops to make when ascending at the end of the dive, using standard decompression tables. Alternatively, all of these functions may be combined in a dive computer which indicates depth, time and the required decompression stops.

5. Tanks, Back plate & Harness

The heart of a cave diver's equipment is the "doubles". These are two tanks held securely together by steel bands, and connected together by a manifold. The manifold has two outlets, each of which can be turned on or off independently in case of problems. The center knob allows the two tanks to be isolated if a problem cannot be solved by turning off one outlet.

Two fully independent air regulator systems are attached to the outlets of the manifold. Each regulator system has a "first stage", which reduces the pressure from approximately 200 atmospheres to about 10 atmospheres, and a "second stage" (the mouthpiece) which supplies air on demand at ambient pressure. A long hose on one regulator allows divers to share air if necessary while swimming in line through narrow caves.

A buoyancy compensation device, or "wing", is attached to the tanks. This is essentially an airtight bag which can be inflated to provide buoyancy. Valves allow air to be injected from the tanks or from the diver's mouth to increase buoyancy, or to be released to reduce buoyancy.

Valves allow air to be injected from the tanks or from the diver's mouth to increase buoyancy, or to be released to reduce buoyancy.

The back plate and harness bolt onto the doubles and holds the wing in position.

The harness is made from nylon webbing threaded through the back plate and holds the equipment firmly in place on the diver.

6. Safety Equipment

Each diver carries a powerful primary light. The canister contains a lead-acid "gel cell" of 6.5 AH (shown left), 9AH or 14 AH capacity and is worn on the harness. The light head is a 10W High Intensity Discharge unit and is connected via a wet connector which can be plugged and unplugged under water.

Primary lights fail fairly frequently, perhaps every 50 to 100 dives. Each diver, therefore, also carries two backup lights. These are extremely reliable, and provide sufficient light to exit the cave if all primary lights fail. The backup lights are clipped onto D-rings on the diver's harness.

Also attached to the harness is a short, sharp knife. This allows the diver to cut himself free in the event of entanglement in the guideline or other equipment. It is common for cave divers to carry more than one knife--we normally attach another knife to the handle of the light head.

Cave divers place directional markers (arrows) and non-directional markers (circles) on the guideline to record information. Directional markers point to the nearest exit from the cave, and non-directional markers are used for a number of purposes, including marking the entrance route.

Each diver always carries a small reel or spool of nylon line known as a "safety reel". This is used when conducting a search for a lost guideline or fellow diver, and to repair any breaks in the guideline.

Waterproof notebooks, or "Wet Notes" are used for a number of purposes. One use is for communication under water, and another is to record reference information during the dive, either to help with navigation inside the cave or for later analysis and planning of subsequent dives.

7. Breathing Gasses

Air was the first gas used for scuba diving. It consists of about 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. The high nitrogen component limits the use of air. The reason is that the nitrogen is absorbed by the body tissues while diving, and can cause bubbles to form when the diver surfaces. In addition, the nitrogen acts as a narcotic at depths below about 30 meters, affecting the diver's judgment and performance.

For most of our dives we, therefore, use a gas mixture known as Nitrox 32%. This contains 32% oxygen and only 68% nitrogen. The lower nitrogen content reduces the amount of nitrogen which is absorbed by the body, reducing the risk of bubble formation. The mixture is still narcotic under pressure, and the high oxygen content can be toxic at depth. This limits the safe use of Nitrox 32% to depths of about 30 meters.

To help eliminate any bubbles during ascent, we make a number of decompression stops at different depths during the ascent. For the final stop at six meters, we breathe pure oxygen which rapidly eliminates bubbles. Risks of oxygen toxicity limit the use of pure oxygen to a depth of six meters.

For dives deeper than 30 meters, the narcotic effect of the nitrogen can be avoided by replacing it with another inert gas: helium. A typical mixture for depths up to 60 meters would be "20/50" - this consists of 20% oxygen, 50% helium, and 30% nitrogen. Mixtures of oxygen, helium and nitrogen are called Trimix.

Dives below 60 meters require special considerations. The amount of nitrogen must be reduced to a very low level in order to avoid narcosis. To prevent oxygen toxicity the amount of oxygen must be reduced as well. A typical mixture for dives up to 120 meters would be 10/70, containing 10% oxygen, 70% helium and 20% nitrogen. Breathing such a mixture at shallow depths would result in insufficient oxygen supply for the body and must be avoided.

8. Stage Tanks

When the breathing gas requirement exceeds the capacity of the doubles, extra gas can be carried in so-called stage tanks. Stage tanks are fitted with clips to fasten the tank to the diver's harness. Stage tanks can also be left clipped to the guideline - this is common on very long dives, to provide an additional safety margin during the exit.

Stage tanks are also used when different gas mixtures must be carried, most commonly for oxygen. When diving with several gases, it is important that no gas is taken deeper than its maximum safe operating depth.

Each stage tank has a regulator system attached, consisting of one first stage, one second stage, and a pressure gauge to show the tank contents. When not in use, the second stage and hoses are secured neatly in rubber tubes around the tank.

9. Diver Propulsion Vehicles (DPVs)

Normal swimming speed for a cave diver is 15-20 meters per minute. We use diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs or "scooters") when large distances must be covered, or when lots of equipment must be carried. These are capable of pulling a fully equipped cave diver with several stage tanks at speeds of 50-60 meters per minute. The small scooters have a range of about three kilometers, and the larger scooters have a range of about six kilometers. The scooters are powered by several large lead-acid get cells housed in the tubes.

The photo to the right shows an exploration diver with a scooter and one stage tank. This equipment configuration is suitable for cave penetrations of up to about two kilometers. For longer penetrations we take two or three stage tanks and tow a second scooter behind us. This allows penetrations of up to about five kilometers. Whenever we use scooters, we allow sufficient reserve breathing gas to swim out from the furthest point if all scooters fail.

Bungee jumping

2014-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

Bungee jumping

Bungee jumping, sport in which the jumper falls from a high place with a rubber (“bungee”) cord attached both to his or her feet and to the jump site, and, after a period of headfirst free fall, is bounced partway back when the cord rebounds from its maximum stretch. It traces its roots to the “land diving” practiced on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, in which divers jump off a high tower, their feet connected to it by a vine whose length is calculated to allow the jumper to fall until his hair just brushes the ground below. The Oxford Dangerous Sports Club, inspired by reports of the Pentecost Island divers, made the first Western bungee jumps, and bungee jumping was first offered commercially to the public in New Zealand.

~~History~~

The first modern bungee jumps were made on 1 April 1979 from the 250-foot (76 m) Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, by members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club. The jumpers were arrested shortly after, but continued with jumps in the US from the Golden Gate and Royal Gorge bridges, (this last jump sponsored by and televised on the American program That's Incredible) spreading the concept worldwide. By 1982, they were jumping from mobile cranes and hot air balloons.

Organized commercial bungee jumping began with the New Zealander, A J Hackett, who made his first jump from Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge in 1986.During the following years, Hackett performed a number of jumps from bridges and other structures (including the Eiffel Tower), building public interest in the sport, and opening the world's first permanent commercial bungee site, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge near Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand. Hackett remains one of the largest commercial operators, with concerns in several countries.

Several million successful jumps have taken place since 1980. This safety record is attributable to bungee operators rigorously conforming to standards and guidelines governing jumps, such as double checking calculations and fittings for every jump. As with any sport, injuries can still occur, and there have been fatalities. A relatively common mistake in fatality cases is to use a cord that is too long. The cord should be substantially shorter than the height of the jumping platform to allow it room to stretch. When the cord becomes taut and then is stretched, the tension in the cord progressively increases. Initially the tension is less than the jumper's weight and the jumper continues to accelerate downwards. At some point, the tension equals the jumper's weight and the acceleration is temporarily zero. With further stretching, the jumper has an increasing upward acceleration and at some point has zero vertical velocity before recoiling upward. See also Potential energy for a discussion of the spring constant and the force required to distort bungee cords and other spring-like objects.

The Bloukrans River Bridge was the first bridge to be 'bungee jumped off' in Africa when Face Adrenalin introduced bungee jumping to the African continent in 1990. Bloukrans Bridge Bungy has been operated commercially by Face Adrenalin since 1997, and is the highest commercial bridge bungy in the world.

In April 2008 a 37-year-old Durban man, Carl Mosca Dionisio, made bungee jumping history when he jumped off a 30 m (100 ft.) tower attached to a bungee cord made entirely of 18,500 condoms.

Most Extreme Bungee Jumping Destinations

· Victoria Bridge Falls, Zimbabwe

At 364 feet (110.95 meters), Victoria Bridge Falls in Zimbabwe isn't that much higher than the crane in the Catskills, but it does overlook the largest waterfall in the world. Overlooking the thundering water of the Zambezi River, the bridge is 107 years old and the second most visited tourist attraction in Zimbabwe

· Verzasca Dam, Val Verzasca, Switzerland

721.78 feet (220 meters), it took five years to build the Verzasca Dam, which generates hydroelectric power. Apparently, bungee jumping is permitted off the dam, steel pegs and all. In case you were wondering, you'll be jumping at your own risk, so you better follow the bungee team's instructions

· Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge, Canon City, Colo.

With spectacular views of the Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Bridge was built in 1929 specifically with tourists in mind. The gorge is framed by sheer cliffs. The bridge spans 1,260 feet (384.05 meters) and is 956 feet (291 meters) high.

· Bhote Kosi River Bridge, Nepal

Looking down on the Bhote Kosi River, the 524.93-foot [160-meter] span is Nepal's first bungee jumping site. Built by the Swiss, the bridge, which is nothing more than a narrow steel walkway, is less than three hours outside of Kathmandu.

· Macau Tower, China

At 764 feet (233 meters), jumping off the Macau Tower is the longest bungee jump in the world. The jump is the size of two-and-a-half football fields. Jumpers accelerate to a top speed of 124.27 miles (220 kilometers) an hour. It's a 4 to 5 second free-fall that then stretches the bungee cord 164.04 feet (50 meters).

Types

Catapult

In "Catapult" (Reverse Bungee or Bungee Rocket) the 'jumper' starts on the ground. The jumper is secured and the cord stretched, then released and shooting the jumper up into the air. This is often achieved using either a crane or a hoist attached to a (semi-)perma structure. This simplifies the action of stretching the cord and later lowering the participant to the ground.

Twin Tower

"Twin Tower" is similar with two oblique cords. There are two towers, each with a cord leading the jumper. When the cords are stretched the jumper is released and shoots straight up.

Trampoline

"Bungy Trampoline" uses, as its name suggests, elements from bungy and trampolining. The participant begins on a trampoline and is fitted into a body harness, which is attached via bungy cords to two high poles on either side of the trampoline. As they begin to jump, the bungy cords are tightened, allowing a higher jump than could normally be made from a trampoline alone.

Running

"Bungee running" involves no jumping as such. It merely consists of, as the name suggests, running along a track (often inflatable) with a bungee cord attached. One often has a velcro-backed marker that marks how far the runner got before the bungee cord pulled back. This activity can often be found at fairs and carnivals and is often most popular with children.

Ramp

Bungee jumping off a ramp. Two rubber cords - the "bungees" - are tied around the participant's waist to a harness. Those bungee cords are linked to steel cables along which they can slide due to stainless pulleys. The participants bicycle, sled or ski before jumping.

Suspended Catch Air Device

SCAD diving is similar to bungee jumping in that participant is dropped from a height, but in this variation there is not a cord; instead the participant falls into a net.

Records

HIGHEST BUNGEE JUMP

Curtis Rivers (UK) performed a bungee jump from a hot air balloon at 4,632 m (15,200 ft.) over Puertollano, Spain, on 5 May 2002 - thus achieving the highest altitude bungee jump.

He jumped using a 10 m (33 ft.) cord, which stretched to 30 m (98 ft.). After bouncing five times he freed himself from the cord and parachuted to the ground. At jump altitude the air was so thin that breathing equipment had to be used.

HIGHEST REVERSE BUNGEE JUMP

The highest height a human was catapulted using a reverse bungee system is 54.25 m (178 ft.) and was achieved by Ben Shephard (UK) on the set of Guinness World Records - Smashed, in London, UK, on 3 October 2008

HIGHEST BUNGEE JUMP FROM A BUILDING

The highest bungee jump from a building is 199 m (652 ft. 10 in) and was achieved by A.J. Hackett (New Zealand) who leaped off a platform at 233 m (764 ft. 5 in) on the Macau Tower, Macau, China, on 17 December 2006.

The key point here, is that the distance between the ground and AJ was 34 m (111 ft. 6 in).

This, naturally, is a lot different to people who claim to have bungeed off the highest building, but have used a short bungee cord, so only fall a few meters.

Ways to Jump

Body Harness

The most common ways to attach yourself to the cord are by using a body harness or a leg harness. If the only way of connecting yourself to the cord is a body harness you should have at least a sit harness and a shoulder harness, or a full body harness (see the harnesses section). Jumping with just a sit harness is not recommended.

If you are jumping with just a body harness you are afforded quite a bit of freedom to move around, your arms and legs are free to flail around. The cord will be attached to a point close to your belly (your center of gravity), making spins and flips easier. As you jump you can do many flips on the way down if the jumpmaster holds the spare cord and releases it when you jump (this is called 'spotting', the jumpmaster being the spotter).

Leg Harness

The leg harness comes in different styles. Some let you jump with just one leg harnessed, but most with both. You should always have a backup harness when using leg harnesses, usually just a normal climbing sit harness. This is especially important if you are to be brought back up to the jump point since being brought up upside down is uncomfortable.

The leg harness can really give you the feeling of flying and is the best ground rush there is (especially for water touchdowns). While you are rebounding, if you are at the right angle, you can tuck at the top and flip right over for another beautiful swallow dive for your second fall.

It is important when jumping with a leg harness that when the cord becomes tight your body is facing along the line of the cord, otherwise you will get thrown around quite a bit (and maybe even break your ankles).

Arm Harness

It is possible to jump with a harness on your arms; which is usually just a regular leg harness. Your arms are not usually used to support your whole body weight, so this could easily lead to dislocated shoulders etc... Jumping with an arm harness is not recommended.

Swallow Dive

By far the best way to jump - just take a nice leap away from the platform, arms stretched out wide and soar like a bird down towards the earth. By the time the cord starts to stretch you should be pointing straight down and the deceleration should be very smooth.

If you are jumping with just a body harness connected at the front you will need to rotate even more in the air so that when the cord becomes taut you will be facing upwards.

Back Dive

Slightly harder than a swallow dive to get right since many people that try it lean back a little, but end up falling feet first. You must really throw yourself into it so that at the bottom of the fall you are pointing towards the ground.

If you are jumping with just a body harness connected at the front you will need to either just drop backwards or rotate even more in the air so that when the cord becomes taut you will be facing upwards again.

Railing Jump

This is most common when jumping off bridges with a railing. Instead of climbing over the railing, you climb onto the railing. Two people stand behind you with their arms up and hands in a fist: By holding onto them you can balance right on the edge of the railing and then jump from there.

Top of Cage

Like a railing jump, but when you jump from a cage below a crane, climb on top of the cage and jump from the top. It really doesn't buy you that much more and the chances of accidents are high.

Bat Drop

You maneuver yourself so you are hanging upside down with your toes (or someone else) holding you to the jumping platform, then you just drop like a rock straight down.

Elevator (aka Pile Driver on Mil. Spec cord)

Like an inverted bat drop; just jump from the platform with your feet pointing down. When you get to the end of the cord, you will be flipped the right way round. With an all rubber (Euro/Kiwi) cord this is bearable; with Mil. Spec it will almost certainly hurt a lot (hence the Pile Driver name), and you could even break your ankles).

Pogo

When you jump with ankle harnesses, it's possible to end up so that you are standing on your ankle harnesses, holding onto the cord at the end of your jump. Most jumpmasters don't like you touching their cord, so make sure they know you're going to do this. Plus grabbing the cord is always dangerous, if you're lucky, you'll end up with rope burns on your hands. If you're unlucky, you could easily break your arms, wrists or fingers.

Thrown

Instead of jumping, why not get a gang of friends to throw you from the bridge! Check out these photos from Over the Edge Bungee in Idaho, or these from Icarus Bungee.

Water Touchdown

Many sites are so confident that they can judge how much the cord will stretch that they offer water touchdowns. You jump as normal, but at the bottom you will go into the water. This is best attempted over DEEP water (see this disaster).

The way you jump affects how much the cord will stretch, and whether there is a spotter (someone dropping the cord beside you). If you jump far away from the bridge you will drop less than if you were to jump straight down.

Cutaway

You can be facing forwards or backwards to feel the rush of a cutaway. A piece of webbing is tied to the platform and then to your waist so that you are leaning out at 45 degrees from the platform (you can be facing either up or down at this point). Make sure you are looking straight up or down and NOT at the webbing. The webbing is then slowly cut; eventually it will break, sending you plummeting to the ground. However you won't quite know when it will happen.

Tandem

Two jumpers jump at the same time. This is actually pretty dangerous since it's very easy to bang heads at the bottom or just get tangled up in each other. Plus the weight of two people are not the 'norm' that clubs are used to dealing with so there can always be errors made when selecting cords and harnessing.

There is also the chance of one person jumping and the other not, but since you're attached the 'chicken' will just get dragged down (and then bang heads at the bottom). This was well documented on video from MTV's Real World.

Sandbagging

This is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, and you really shouldn't try it, but I'll explain it here. You jump holding a heavy weight; once you get to the bottom of the drop, you let go of the weight. All of the extra elastic energy the weight put into the cord is now transferred to you, making you fly MUCH higher than the place you jumped from.

It's important to consider that you will fly back toward what you jumped from, which is usually pretty solid. Hence, you could fly back into the platform at great speed! If you jump from the opposite side of a bridge (opposite to the side the cord is attached) you may bounce back above the bridge (if you are lucky).

You need to account for your weight and the weight of the sandbag when working out what cord to use. Since subsequent rebounds will be just you (on a cord designed for a heavier weight), they will be pretty harsh. Plus, you must make sure you can hold onto the sandbag until the end of your first drop.

Some people actually use another person as the 'sandbag'. Dropping the sandbag/person early or late has even more serious consequences in this scenario. As demonstrated on an MTV show where they couldn't hold on the whole way and the sandbag guy dropped early (Bungeed without the cord) and broke his ribs and arm.

Ancient Sports

2014-01-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

Ancient Sports

Buzkashi

The national sport of Afghanistan, this game involves a number of mounted players fighting over the carcass of a headless goat after which each player tries to pitch it across a goal line.

Seepak Takraw

Sepaktakraw (Malay: "sepaktakraw" or "sepak raga"; Jawi: سيڤق تكراو or سيڤق راڬا; Thai: ตะกร้อ, RTGS: takro, pronounced [tā.krɔ̂ː];Khmer: "សីដក់" "Sei Dak"; Lao: ກະຕໍ້"ka-taw"; Filipino: "sipa"; Vietnamese: "cầu mây"),or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula.Sepaktakraw differs from the similar sport of volleyball in its use of a rattan ball and only allowing players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball. It is a popular sport in Southeast Asia.

Ulama

Ulama [uˈlama] is a ball game played in a few communities in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Descended from the Aztec version of the Mesoamerican ballgame, the game is one of the oldest continuously-played sports in the world, and is also notable for the fact that it is the oldest known game utilizing a rubber ball.

The word ulama comes from the Nahuatl word ōllamaliztli [oːlːamaˈlistɬi] a combination of ōllama [ˈoːlːama] (playing of a game with a ball) and ōlli [ˈoːlːi] (rubber). Ōllamaliztli was the Aztec name for the Mesoamerican ballgame, whose roots extended back to at least the 2nd millennium BC and evidence of which has been found in nearly all Mesoamerican cultures in an area extending from modern-day Mexico to El Salvador, and possibly in modern-day Arizona and New Mexico.Archaeologists have uncovered rubber balls dated to at least 1600 BC, ballplayer figurines from at least 1200 BC, and nearly 1500 ancient ball courts.

However, due to its religious and ritual aspects, Spanish Catholics suppressed the game soon after the Spanish conquest, leaving it to survive in areas such as Sinaloa, where Spanish influence was less pervasive.

Pankration

Pankration (/pæn.ˈkreɪti.ɒn/ or /pæŋˈkreɪʃən/) was a combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling but with scarcely any rules. The only things not acceptable were biting and gouging of the opponent's eyes. The term comes from the Greek παγκράτιον [paŋkrátion], literally meaning "all might" from πᾶν (pan-) "all" + κράτος (kratos) "strength, might and power".

In Greek mythology, it was said that the heroes Heracles and Theseus invented pankration as a result of using both wrestling and boxing in their confrontations with opponents. Theseus was said to have utilized his extraordinary pankration skills to defeat the dreaded Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Heracles was said to have subdued the Nemean lion using pankration, and was often depicted in ancient artwork doing that. In this context, it should be noted that pankration was also referred to as pammachon or pammachion (πάμμαχον or παμμάχιον), meaning "total combat", from πᾶν-, pān-, "all-" or "total", and μάχη, machē, "combat". The term pammachon was older, and would later become used less than the term pankration.

Pato

Pato, also called juego Del pato (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxweɣo ðel ˈpato], literally "duck game"), is a game played on horseback that combines elements from polo and basketball. It is the national sport of Argentina since 1953.

Pato is Spanish for "duck", as early games used a live duck inside a basket instead of a ball. Accounts of early versions of pato have been written since 1610.The playing field would often stretch the distance between neighboring estancias (ranches). The first team to reach its own casco (ranch house) with the duck would be declared the winner

Venatio

Venatio (Latin "hunt," plural venationes) was a form of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involving the hunting and slaying of wild animals.

Exotic wild beasts from the far reaches of the Roman Empire were brought to Rome and hunts were held in the morning prior to the afternoon main event of gladiatorial duels. The hunts were held in the Roman Forum, the Saepta, and in the Circus Maximus, though none of these venues offered protection to the crowd from the wild animals on display. Special precautions were taken to prevent the animals from escaping these venues, such as the erection of barriers and the digging of ditches. Very few animals survived these hunts though they did sometimes defeat the "bestiarius", or hunters of wild beast. Thousands of wild animals would be slaughtered in one day. During the inauguration of the Colosseum over 9,000 animals were killed.

Nguni Stick Fighting

One of the few sports on this list that is actually still practiced today, the name of this game just about sums things up. The Zulus would essentially beat the crap out of each other with sticks. Although people seldom died, the participants would often walk away with numerous scars that they would wear like badges of honor.

Nguni stick fighting (also known as donga, or dlala 'nduku, which literally translates as playing sticks) is a martial art traditionally practiced by teenage Nguni herd boys in South Africa. Each combatant is armed with two long sticks, one of which is used for defense and the other for offense. Little armor is used.

The object is for two opposing warriors to fight each other to establish which of them is the strongest or the "Bull" (Inkunzi). In modern times this usually occurs as part of the wedding ceremony where warriors from the bridegroom's household and area welcome warriors from the bride's household and area to meet to "get to know each other", other groups of warriors may also be welcome to join in. Warriors do this by engaging in combat with one another. An "induna" or War Captain / Referee from each group of warriors keeps his crew in check and keeps order between fighters.

Episkyros

Although modern soccer has plenty of shin kicking and ankle twisting, its ancient Greek predecessor was just downright brutal. In fact, sources indicate that even spectators would often emerge with broken bones and injuries.

Episkyros (Greek: ἐπίσκυρος) was an ancient Greek ball game also called έφηβική ephebike, "adolescence", and ἐπίκοινοςepikoinos, "commonball"). The game was played between two teams of usually 12 to 14 players each, with one ball and the rules of the game allowed using hands. Although it was a ball game, it was violent, at least at Sparta.The teams would try to throw the ball over the heads of the other team. There was a white line between the teams and another white line behind each team. Teams would change the ball often until one of the team is forced behind the line at their end. In Sparta a form of episkyros was played during an annual city festival that included five teams of 14 players. It was played primarily by men but women also practiced it.

Naumachia

The first known naumachia was given by Julius Caesar in Rome in 46 BC on occasion of his quadruple triumph. After having a basin dug near the Tiber, capable of holding actual biremes, triremes and quinqueremes, he made 2000 combatants and 4000 rowers, all prisoners of war, fight. In 2 BC on the occasion of the inauguration of the Temple of Mars Ultor ("Mars the Avenger"), Augustus gave a naumachia based on Caesar's model. As cited in Res Gestæ (§ 23), he created a basin on the right bank of the Tiber where 3000 men, not counting rowers, fought in 30 vessels with rams and a number of smaller boats.

Claudius gave a naumachia in 52 AD on a natural body of water, Fucine Lake, to celebrate the completion of drainage work and tunneling on the site. The combatants were prisoners who had been condemned to death. Suetonius' account, written many years after the event, has them salute the emperor with the phrase "morituri Te salutant" ("those who are about to die salute you"). There is no evidence that this form of address was used on any occasion other than this single naumachia.

Chunkey

Chunkey (also known as chunky, chenco, tchung-kee or the hoop and stick game) is a game of Native American origin. It was played by rolling disc-shaped stones across the ground and throwing spears at them in an attempt to place the spear as close to the stopped stone as possible. It originated around 600 CE in the Cahokia region of what is now the United States (near modern St. Louis, Missouri). Chunkey was played in huge arenas as large as 47 acres [Irish National Botanic Gardens] (19 ha) that housed great audiences designed to bring people of the region together (i.e. Cahokians, farmers, immigrants, and even visitors). It continued to be played after the fall of the Mississippian culture around 1500 CE. Variations were played throughout North America. Early ethnographer James Adair translated the name to mean "running hard labor". Gambling was frequently connected with the game, with some players wagering everything they owned on the outcome of the game. Losers were even known to commit suicide.

Jousting

Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horsemen and using lances, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim is to strike the opponent with the lance while riding towards him at high speed, if possible breaking the lance on the opponent's shield or armor, or unhorsing him.

Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. It transformed into a specialized sport during the Late Middle Ages, and remained popular with the nobility both in England and Germany throughout the whole of the 16th century (while in France, it was discontinued after the death of king Henry II in an accident in 1559).In England, jousting was the highlight of the Accession Day tilts of Elizabeth I and James I, and also was part of the festivities at the marriage of Charles I.

Pelota Purepecha

What was essentially field hockey for pyromananiacs, this ancient mesoamerican game used a flaming puck. Recenlty, it has actually started making a comeback as the Mexican government is pushing to revive its ancient past times.

The background to the game of ball purépecha to the origins of the first inhabitants of what is now dating Michoacán, centuries before it was common. It tells a legend in Mexico, when reborn Mars, the fifth star, and natural disasters unleashed against the Earth, Purepecha people invented the game ball as a remedy to level the cosmos. This practice goes by many names according to the mode and the area where it is practiced. The most popular method is the rag ball game, known as uárhukua or Pasiri to kuri. The felling of forests has changed the materials with which the balls were constructed. However, the Purepecha ball game refuses to disappear. It is known according to the community in which it is practiced, as Uárhukua, Uárhukukua, Papandu akukua or Pasiri to kuri. It is the most widespread method in the Purepecha region. According to data from the Mexican Federation of Sports and Games Indigenous and Traditional, 1 vestiges of this game, which is currently implemented by some 800 people across Mexico, dating from about 3500 to den.

Basque Pelota

Basque pelota (pilota in the original Basque language also pelota vasca in Spanish, pelote basque in French) is the name for a variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall (frontis or Fronton) or, more traditionally, with two teams face to face separated by a line on the ground or a net. The roots of this class of games can be traced to the Greek and other ancient cultures.

The term pelota probably comes from the Vulgar Latin term pilotta (ball game). It is a diminutive form of the word pila which may relate to a hard linen or leather ball filled with pilus (fur or hair) or to the Latin words for strike or spade and is related to the English word pellet

Yak racing
Yak racing (Chinese: 赛牦牛)is a spectator sport held at many traditional festivals of Tibet, Northern Pakistan and Mongolia, and can be one of the most entertaining parts of a Tibetan horse festival, in gatherings which integrate popular dances and songs with traditional physical games. For Tibetans in particular it is very special festive occasion

Horseball

Horseball is a game played on horseback where a ball is handled and points are scored by shooting it through a high net (approximately 1.5m×1.5m). The sport is like a combination of polo, rugby, and basketball. It is one of the ten disciplines officially recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.

BASE jumping

2014-01-10T03:34:00.000-08:00

BASE Jumping

BASE jumping grew out of skydiving.

BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E. jumping, is an activity where participants jump from fixed objects and use a parachute to break their fall. "BASE" is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: building, antenna, span, and Earth (cliff).

HISTORY

There were isolated jumps off fixed objects in the 1960s and 1970s, but they were one-off stunts that sometimes ended badly. In 1966, two skydivers jumped off El Capitan, but their equipment was not designed for a BASE jump, and they both suffered injuries. In 1975, a jumper leapt from the World Trade Center's south tower and was arrested when he parachuted to the ground.

Modern base jumping was invented by Carl Boenish in 1978. He became convinced that modern skydiving equipment could allow for a safe jump off El Capitan. After several scouting trips, Carl and four friends hiked to the top and Carl filmed the four of them jumping. Everyone landed safely. Shortly after that, Carl and several other BASE pioneers came up with the BASE acronym for this kind of jumping -- an early alternate idea was BEST jumping (Bridge, Earth, Span, and Tower).

Carl developed the BASE number system soon thereafter. Anyone who accomplishes a jump is recorded in a notebook. When they complete one jump of each type, they are assigned a BASE number in sequence of the people who have completed all four types before. Carl was BASE number 4. In 1984, he died while BASE jumping in Norway. Nobody witnessed the jump, but it is believed that he hit a rock outcropping

BASE jumping is often featured in action movies. The 2002 Vin Diesel film xXx includes a scene where Diesel's character catapults himself off the Foresthill Bridge in an open-topped car, landing safely as the car crashes on the ground. In the movie Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, includes the scene in which the main characters jump with wing suits from the IFC Tower in Hong Kong and fly over the Bank of China, finally opening their parachutes to land on a moving freighter. The stunt was done live, with no special effects, by base jumpers Martin Rosén and Per Eriksson, members of the Swedish "Team Bautasten". The scene was filmed by air-to-air camera man Mikael Nordqvist from the same team. Since the 1976 Mount Asgard jump featured in the pre-credits sequence to The Spy Who Loved Me, James Bond movies have featured several BASE jumps, including one from the Eiffel Tower in 1985's A View to a Kill, the Rock of Gibraltar in 1987's The Living Daylights, and in Die Another Day, 2002, Pierce Brosnan as James Bond jumps from a melting iceberg. Of the James Bond jumps only the Mt Asgard and Eiffel Tower jumps were filmed live; the rest were special effects. And in 2005's "Batman Begins", Bruce Wayne uses BASE jumping as inspiration for his memory cloth cape. A series of BASE jumps are featured in the video for a remix of M83's "Lower Your Eyelids to die With the Sun"

There are quite a few places to BASE jump legally. Kjerag, on Lysefjord in Norway is a very popular location, and jumps remain legal there. Various natural formations throughout Europe are available for legal jumping as well. However, man-made objects with legal jumping are difficult to find, so anyone with a BASE number has probably had to break a law to get it. Bridge Day is the one obvious exception.

The name "BASE jumping" is an acronym for the four types of objects that jumpers leap from:

Buildings BASE jumping from buildings and monuments is difficult, since most places have security, locked doors and other obstacles to prevent someone from climbing to the top and leaping off. Many BASE jumpers prefer skyscrapers that are still under construction for this reason.

Antennas Antenna towers are popular jumping points because they are often as tall as the world's tallest buildings, are easier to climb and have less security. They are often found in out-of-the-way places as well.

Spans (Bridges) Spans, or bridges, have to cross over large canyons or gorges to be suitable for a BASE jump. The most famous BASE jumping bridge is the New River Gorge Bridge, where U.S. Route 19 crosses over the New River near Fayetteville, WV. One day each year the bridge is opened to legal BASE jumping. That day (with the accompanying festival) is known as Bridge Day.

Earth refers to large natural formations that are suitable for BASE jumping -- cliffs, canyons, fjords and gorges. BASE jumping actually began on a massive rock outcropping in Yosemite National Park known as El Capitan.

~~The first person to jump all four BASE types was Phil Smith~~.

Some world records.

HIGHEST BASE JUMP EXIT POINT

· The highest altitude Base-jump is 6,604 m (21,666 ft.) set by Glenn Single man and Heather Swan. They both made a wing suit Base-jump from a ledge on Mt Meru, Garwhal Himalaya, India, on 23 May 2006.

LARGEST SIMULTANEOUS BASE JUMP (OUTDOOR)

· A total of 30 skydivers from over seven different countries performed a BASE jump from the Ostankino television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia on 3 July 2004

LARGEST SIMULTANEOUS INDOOR BASE JUMP

Ten parachutists performed the largest simultaneous indoor BASE jump at the Tropical Islands Resort near Berlin, Germany, on 31 January 2005, at an event arranged by the German BASE Association.

HIGHEST BASE JUMP FROM A BUILDING

· The highest BASE jump performed from a building was 672 m (2,204 ft 8 in) by Nasser Al Neyadi and Omar Alhegelan (both UAE) off the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, UAE, on 5 January 2010. The duo reached speeds of over 220 km/h [ The top speed of the world's fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa.] (137 mph) during free-fall.

· Both Neyadi and Alhegelan are both national champion BASE jumpers.

Hardcore Sitting

2014-01-09T03:31:00.000-08:00

Hardcore Sitting

Aaron Fotheringham, the creator of hardcore sitting, was born with spina bifida in 1991 in Las Vegas, Nev. Spina bifida is a condition in which the spine never fully closes during the first months of pregnancy. The results vary from case to case, and for Aaron, it meant he needed a full time by the age of 8, after several surgical attempts to correct his condition.

About this time, Aaron watched his older brother Brian perform tricks on his bicycle at a BMX park. Brian suggested that Aaron try "dropping in" with the wheelchair. The idea made him nervous, but Aaron gave it a shot. Because nobody had ever tried doing BMX and skateboard tricks from a wheelchair, Aaron was self-taught from the beginning. He took advice and ideas from other skaters and bikers to create his own version of popular tricks, like grinding and 180 degree aerial turns.

He got a special wheelchair from the custom company Colours in Motion, which allowed for a smoother and sturdier ride. Over the years, that chair has been modified to suit Aaron's unusual needs -- adding a shock system as well as special metal bars to beef up the suspension and protect the shocks.

Aaron's extreme sitting safety precautions are similar to what you'd see in BMX or skateboarding. He wears elbow pads, gloves and a full-face helmet, and so far has only broken his elbow once and gotten the standard bumps and bruises. He's been competing alongside BMX bikers since 2005 and has more than 10 corporate sponsors. He won the trophy at the BMX Intermediate Vegas AmJam 2005 Finals and spends about 30 to 40 hours per week practicing the sport he invented.

Fotheringham calls his activity ‘WCMX’. He is the first person to successfully perform a back flip in a wheelchair at the age of 14, and a double back flip at the age of 18. He performs many other tricks in his wheelchair including 180 degree 'aerials', one-wheeled spins and rail grinds.He plans to fuse the back flip with the 180 aerial into what is known as a ‘flair'.

In 2010 Aaron joined the Nitro Circus Live tour, an action sports road show that tours Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States. On the tour Aaron performed on a fifty-foot ramp-to-ramp jump doing back flips, double back flip attempts and on February 9, 2011 in New Zealand, the world's first wheelchair front flip.

BmX

2014-01-07T10:37:00.001-08:00

BmX

(دراجة نارية, bisikleta motocross, 自行車越野賽, bicyclette motocross, Fahrrad Motocross, motorcross sepeda, motocross bicicletta, 自転車モトクロス, Suspendisse motocross, бицикл мотокрос, велосипед мотокросс, cykel cross, motocrós de la bicicleta,)

Bmx stands for bicycle motocross

BMX bicycles are available in these models types

Dirt

Flatland

Freestyle

History(BMX)

Bicycle moto cross (bmx) started in the late 1960s in California, around the time that motocross became a popular sport in the USA.

The motorized version of the sport was the inspiration for the human powered competition. Children and teenagers with the desire but not the means to participate in motocross sated their appetite by racing bicycles on self-built tracks. These young adventurers completed the imitation by dressing themselves up in motocross gear. The sport was given the name 'bmx' and the conception was complete.

Bmx racing offered exciting action at a low cost, close to home. It is easy to see why the sport was an instant hit. In California the sport was more popular than anywhere else. During the early 1970s a sanctioning body for bmx was founded in the U.S.A. This is considered as the official start of bmx racing. As that decade progressed, the sport was introduced on other continents too, among them Europe in 1978.

In April 1981, the International BMX Federation was founded, and the first world championships were held in 1982. Bmx rapidly developed as a unique sporting entity, and after several years clearly had more in common with cycling than motorcycling codes. Thus, since January 1993 bmx has been fully integrated into the Union Cyclist International.

Freestyle BMX is now one of the staple events at the annual Summer X Games Extreme Sports competition and the Etnies Backyard Jam, held primarily on the East and West coasts of the United States. The popularity of the sport has increased due to its relative ease and availability of places to ride and do tricks.

In 2003, the International Olympic Committee made BMX a full medal Olympic sport for 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and Māris Štrombergs (male, for Latvia) and Anne-Caroline Chausson (female, for France) became the first Olympic champions.

Many great BMX riders go on to other cycling sports like downhill, including Australian Olympian Jared Graves, former "golden child" Eric Carter, and youth BMX racer Aaron Gwin.

Bicycle motocross competitions

UCI BMX World Championships	X Games	Summer Olympics – Women's BMX	Summer Olympics – Men's BMX
Hoosier Nationals ABA	European BMX Championships

Bicycle motocross tracks

Centennial Park BMX Park	Cyclopark	Gene Mason Sports Complex
Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue	London Velopark	National Indoor BMX Arena
Gene Mason Sports Complex	Monster Skate park	Three Sisters Recreation Area

BMX RACING

BMX racing is a type of off-road bicycle racing. The format of BMX was derived from motocross racing. BMX bicycle races are sprint races on purpose-built off-road single-lap race tracks. The track usually consists of a starting gate for up to eight racers, a groomed, serpentine, dirt race course made of various jumps and rollers and a finish line. The course is usually flat, about 15-foot (4.6 m) wide and has large banked corners that help the riders maintain speed. The sport of BMX racing is facilitated by a number of regional and international sanctioning bodies. They provide rules for governing the conduct of the flying, specify age group and skill-level classifications among the racers, and maintain some kind of points-accumulation system over the racing season. The sport is very family oriented and largely participant-driven, with riders ranging in age from 3 to 70, and over. Professional ranks exist for both men and women, where the age ranges from 19 to 40 years old.

A BMX "Class" bike is a strong, quick-handling, lightweight derivative of the standard 20-inch (510 mm)-wheel

While BMX racing is an individual sport, teams are often formed from racers in different classifications for camaraderie and often for business exposure of a sponsoring organization or company. BMX racing rewards strength, quickness, and bike handling. Many successful BMX racers have gone on to leverage their skills in other forms of bicycle and motorcycle competitions.

There are all types of BMX jumps, ranging from small rollers to massive step-up doubles. There are pro staights which are for junior and elite men. They are all doubles which range from about 6 m to 12 m, while "Class" straights have more flow and have many more range of jumps.

How to Do BMX Tricks

First things first

1.     Wear socks that are high enough to at least cover your ankles while doing tricks.

2.     Make sure your bicycle is properly maintained before attempting any tricks.

3.     Wear flat-soled trainer or tennis shoes for proper adhesion to the pedals while performing tricks.

4.     Wear gloves that cover each hand entirely while performing tricks.

5.     Wear a full-face helmet while performing tricks.

Bunny hop.

1.     Start riding at a slow pace.

2.     Lift up the front tire by pulling up on the handlebars.

3.     Push the handlebars forward while in the air. This will raise the back tire. The entire bicycle should be in the air at this point.

4.     Land the bicycle.

Barhop.

1. Ride at a fast pace.

2. Raise your feet on the pedals.

3. Balance the bicycle with your body.

4. Jump over the handlebars.

X jump.

1.     Jump a ramp with your bicycle.

2.     Lean back.

3.     Center your knees on the seat.

4.     Turn the handlebars until your arms make an "X."

5.     Straighten the handlebars before landing.

180.

1. Ride at a moderate speed.

2. Lift up the front tire by pulling on the handlebars.

3. Push the handlebars forward while in the air.

4. Twist both shoulders and your head toward the back tire.

5.Land the bicycle.

You will be facing the opposite direction.

360.

1.     Ride at a moderate speed.

2.     Lift the front tire by pulling on the handlebars.

3.     Push the handlebars forward while in the air.

4.     Turn your head and shoulders toward the back tire.

5.     Keep your knees bent while doing this.

6.     Land the bicycle.

You should have completed a full rotation in the air.

Bar spin.

1.     Allow your bicycle to begin rolling.

2.     Slightly pinch the seat with your inner thigh.

Keep the pedals flat while you do this.

3.     Pull on the handlebars to raise your front tire.

4.     Spin the handlebars while the front tire is off the ground.

5.     Catch the handlebars once they make a full rotation

Front-jam endo.

1.     Ride at a moderate speed.

2.     Lift up either foot.

3.     Jam your foot in the fork at a 50-degree angle.

The fork is the area between your front tire and the frame of the bicycle.

Your back tire will raise, which completes the trick.

Wall ride.

1.     Ride towards a wall at a moderate speed.

2.     Do a small bunny hop (see the first trick) onto the wall.

3.     Pedal the bicycle as you lead toward the wall.

4.     Lean away from the wall and land the bicycle on the ground.

Tricks

Grinds

Grinds are where a rider’s bike will slide along a surface (such as a rail, ledge or lip of a ramp) on a part of the bike other than the wheels. Usually “stunt pegs” are used; these are short tubes attached in line with an axle that project out from the main frame so that they can slide along the surface which they grind. Some grinds also involve the cranks and pedals.

Double peg: The rider must bunny-hop on and land both pegs on the rail or ledge (wheels must be off the ground for all grinds).

Feeble grind: The most basic grind to do on a ledge. The rider must bunny hop and land the rear peg and the front wheel on the ledge. This is easy to do on a ledge because ledges are generally wider than rails.

Smith grind: The step up from a feeble. The rider must bunny-hop and land the front peg and rear wheel on the ledge or rail.

Luc-e grind: The rider must bunny-hop, turn the handlebars 45 degrees, and land the back peg and the pedal on the ledge and lean back, keeping the front wheel off the ground but not grinding the front peg on the top of the ledge either.

UnLuc-e grind: The rider bunny hops and lands the front peg and pedal on the ledge or rail, keeping the back wheel off the ground.

Rollercoaster grind: The rider must find two rails or ledges close enough together so they can bunny hop and grind with at least one peg on each rail.

Icepick grind: A rear peg grind where the rider is riding on the back peg only with the front wheel above the rail or ledge they are grinding on.

Crooked grind: When alternate pegs are on either side of the rail.

Predator grind: When the rider does a double peg grind on a rail then hops over to his alternate pegs.

Toothpick grind: The rider slides on the front peg only with the rear wheel in mid air.

Toothpick hangover: (Also known as Tooth-hanger) a toothpick grind where the rider hangs the rear end of their bike over the opposite side of the rail or ledge they are grinding.

Snaggletooth: This is an over to toothpick hangover.

Crank arm grind: This is when the rider hops onto a rail or smooth obstacle and grinds on the crank arm of their bike.

Air tricks

These tricks take place in the air. Freestyle dirt BMX involves many air tricks.

Tabletop: While in the air the rider will bring the bike up to one side of him/her by turning the handlebars and using body movement making the bike look like it is flat like the top of a table.

Superman: The rider removes both feet and extends them outwards to resemble Superman in flight.

Superman Seat Grab: A variation of the Superman where the rider takes one hand off and grabs the seat while extending their body before grabbing back on to the bars and landing

Bar spin: Spinning the handle bars 360° while in the air.

Tail whip: The rider throws the bike out to one side while still holding onto the handle bars so that the frame goes 360° around the steering tube; the rider then catches the frame again and stands back on the pedals.

Decade: Similar to the flatland decade, the riders throw themselves around the bike while still holding on the handlebars before coming back round to meet the bike and land on the pedals.

Backflip: Both rider and bike do a backward flip while in the air, usually from one ramp to another.

Front flip: Both rider and bike do a forward flip while in the air, again, usually from one ramp to another.

Flair: Both rider and bike do a backflip combined with a 180, to land facing back down the ramp. Usually performed on a quarter pipe.

180°: The rider and bike spin 180° in the air and land backwards, in what is called fakie (riding backwards).

360°: The rider and bike spin 360°.

540: The rider picks up the bike and spins it 540 degrees.

X-up: The rider turns the bars at least 180 degrees, so the arms are crossed and then turns them back.

Can: The rider brings a foot over the bike to the other side.

No Footed Can: The rider does a can but takes the other foot off the pedal as well, so that both legs are on one side of the bike.

Tire grab: The rider grabs the front tire.

Toboggan: The rider takes one hand off the bars and grabs their seat, then returns their hand to the bars before landing.

Tuck no Hander: The rider tucks in the handlebars and takes both hands off.

Turn down: The rider will whip the bike out to one side and turn the handle bars into his or her legs wrapping them around their leg.

Crank flip: The rider bunny hops and kicks the pedals backwards so the crank arms make a 360° spin and then feet are placed back on pedals to stop the cranks.

ET: The rider is in midair and pedals quickly as though he is riding normally.

TE: The rider is in midair and pedals backwards quickly. A Backwards ET.

Bike flip: The rider flips his bicycle without moving his body in midair.

Truck driver: The rider spins the bike 360 degrees whilst doing a bar spin in midair.

Half cab: The rider fakies/rollouts and gives extra pedal pressure to pick up the bike and make a 180 degree rotation, completing the fakie, rollout.

Full cab: The rider fakies/rollouts and gives extra pedal pressure to pick up the bike and make a 360 degree rotation, making the bike return in the same position, and having to finish the fakie/rollout.

540 cab: The rider fakies/rollouts and gives extra pedal pressure to pick up the bike and make a 540 degree rotation, with no need to finish to fakie/rollout.

Variations and combinations of these tricks also exist, for example a 360° tail whip would be where the rider spins 360° in one direction and the frame of the bike spins 360° around the steer tube, both bike and rider will then meet again, with the rider catching the pedals, facing the same direction as before the trick.

Flatland tricks

BMX, butand tricks usually involve much balance, more often than not with only one wheel in contact with the ground.

Wheelie or Catwalk: The most basic of flatland tricks, the wheelie is when the rider rides the bike on only the back wheel whilst pedaling.

Endo: Basic flatland trick where the rider uses the front brake or a curb to lift the back wheel and balance on the front tire.

Front or Back Pogos: Basic flatland trick where the rider stands on the wheel pegs (front or back), locks the wheel's brake, and hops with the other wheel in the air.

Manual: A step-up from the wheelie, the manual is essentially the same only the rider does not pedal; this makes the trick more difficult to perform as point of balance between the front and back of the bike has to be reached. Professional riders can often do this until their bike runs out of momentum.

Pogo: The most popular advanced basic trick. Created in the 80's, it is executed by swinging the bike to a vertical position on its rear wheel while the rider sits and hops on it to maintain balance.

Nose manual: The same concept as a manual, only performed with the back wheel in the air and the front wheel on the ground.

Bunny hop: A bunny hop is achieved when a rider jumps the bike into the air from flat ground (this can also be done close to the lip of ramp to gain more height) so that neither wheels are touching the ground.

Dork manual: When rider puts one foot on the peg, and the other foot in the air, controlling balance, and ride down the street in a manual with the foot on the peg.

Fork manual: When a rider puts one foot on the front peg and spins the handlebars around, to lift the bike up into a fakie manual, with both feet on pegs.

Foot jam tail whip: The rider jams his/her foot in the fork to start a foot jam endo then kicks the tail of the bike around. When the tail of the bike goes 360 degrees the rider puts his/her foot back on the pedals. An alternate trick is to jump the frame as it comes around repeatedly until the rider elects to put his/her foot back on the pedals.

Foot jam: The rider jams his foot between the forks and tire, stopping the bike, and he balances with the back tire airborne.

Hang-5: when the rider does a nose manual whilst having one foot on the front axle peg and the other foot dangling, usually used to keep balance and steady.

Steamroller: An Advanced trick. The rider stays on front peg, and sends the bike to front with his other foot, then balances on one wheel while holding the body of bike with one hand and moving at front.

Time machine: An extremely hard trick. Rider stands on one back peg, then starts to make a manual, after balances it, changes hands on bar while manualing and grabs the front peg with his free hand. After that, rider starts to turn at extremely high speed as like he’s drawing a "O" on ground.

Indian giver: This is where the rider fakies/rollouts in the opposite direction than the way of that they spun in. This is usually easily fixed by learning how to fakie/rollout the correct way, thus making the execution and finishing look cleaner.

Pro Hop: Similar to the bunny hop besides you bring the front wheel up before the back wheel when you hop.

Freestyle BMX

Freestyle BMX is a synonym for bicycle motocross stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports.

It consists of five disciplines:

Street

Park

Vert

Trails

Flatland

Disciplines

Freestyle BMX riders participate in several well-established disciplines. As in the other forms of freestyle riding, there are no specific rules; style/aesthetics, skills, and creativity are stressed. Street riders tend to have no brakes. If they do, it is mostly straight cable, not gyro. Usually they have front and back pegs on one side of the bike. They also have a tendency to ride without flanges on their grips. Some people like this because the flange gets in the way when they are doing a bar spin trick. Others mostly just like it because of the clean look.

Park

Skate parks are used by BMX riders as well as skateboarders, inline skaters and freestyle scooter-riders. Skateparks themselves can be made of wood, concrete or metal. Styles of riding will depend on the style of the parks. Wood is more suited to a flowing style, with riders searching for gaps and aiming to higher air from the coping. Concrete parks usually tend to contain bowls and pools. However, it is not unusual for riders to merge the two styles in either type of park.

Concrete parks are commonly built outdoors due to their ability to withstand years of exposure to the elements. Concrete parks are also often publicly funded due to their permanent and costly nature. Parks made from wood are popular with commercial skateparks due to ease of construction, availability of materials, cost, and the relative safety associated with falling on wood instead of concrete. Parks designed with BMX use in mind will typically have steel coping that is less prone to damage than concrete or pool coping.

Vert
Vert ramp

Vert is a freestyle BMX discipline performed in a half pipe consisting of two quarter pipes set facing each other (much like a mini ramp), but at around 10–15 feet tall (around 2.5 to 3.5 meters) high. The biggest ramp ever used in competition is the X-Games big air ramp at 27 feet (8.2 m) tall. Both ‘faces’ of the ramp have an extension to the transition that is vertical, hence the name. Coping is a round metal tube at the lip of the vert that helps freestyle BMXers do grinds, and stalls on the lip of the vert.

Riders go up each jump, performing tricks in the air before landing into the transition having turned 180 degrees (assumptively. variations include 540, 900). A typical run involves going from one side to the other, airing above the coping each side. Also possible are 'lip tricks' - tricks on the platform at the top of the ramps before dropping into the ramp. Many tricks consist of the rider grabbing a part of the bike or removing body parts off the bike.

Trails

    Trails are lines of jumps built from dirt (heavily compacted). It can also be named as a pack such as a 4 pack, 6 pack and 8 pack. The jumps consist of a steep take off, called a lip, with an often slightly less steep landing. The lip and landing are usually built as separate mounds, divided by a gap. The gap is measured from the topmost part of the lip, horizontally to the topmost part of the far side of the landing. Gaps typically range from only a couple of feet to over twenty feet. A moderate gap is around twelve feet.

Trails riding is sometimes also referred to as “dirt jumping”. Most trails riders maintain that a subtle difference exists in the style and flow of “dirt jumps” and “trails”; trails riders focus more on of a flowing smooth style from one jump to the next while performing more stylish tricks, while dirt jumpers try to perform the craziest tricks they can over larger, less flow-oriented jumps.

Although many regard trails and street as being completely opposite, the attraction is similar — trails riders build their own jumps so their riding is limited only by their creativity and resourcefulness.

Trails riders usually run a rear brake only as they have no use for a front brake, and usually a rotor (gyro) to make it easier to do barspins, so they do not have to spin the bars back the other way to untangle them, which is hard to do on trails. In general, trail/dirt jumping bikes have longer wheelbases (chainstays) than other BMXs to aid with stability, the added stability is important in trails riding.

Flatland

BMX Flatland rider Caleb Rider at Santa Monica beach.

Flatland BMX occupies a position somewhat removed from the rest of freestyle BMX. People who ride in the above disciplines will generally take part in at least one of the others, but flatlanders tend to only ride flatland. They are often very dedicated and will spend several hours a day perfecting their technique.

Flatland also differs from the others in that the terrain used is nothing but a smooth, flat surface (e.g. an asphalt parking lot, basketball courts, etc.). Tricks are performed by spinning and balancing in a variety of body and bicycle positions. Riders almost always use knurled aluminum pegs to stand on to manipulate the bike into even stranger positions.

Flatland bikes typically have a shorter wheelbase than other freestyle bikes. Flatland bikes differ from dirt jumping bikes and freestyle bikes in one way. The frames are often more heavily reinforced because the people riding flatland often stand on the frames. This shorter wheelbase requires less effort to make the bike spin or to position the bike on one wheel. One of the primary reasons flatlanders often ride only flatland is the decreased stability of a shorter bike on ramps, dirt and street.

A variety of options are commonly found on flatland bikes. The most unifying feature of flatland bikes is the use of four pegs, one on the end of each wheel axle. Flatland riders will choose to run either a front brake, a rear brake, both brakes, or no brakes at all, depending on stylistic preference.

Aggressive inline skating

2014-01-04T11:00:00.002-08:00

Aggressive inline skating

(Agressif roller, Skating inline agresif, Agressivo patins em linha, العدوانية التزحلق, Агрессивный катание на роликовых коньках, Patinaje en línea agresivo, 進取輪滑)

History

In 1980, a group of ice hockey players in Minnesota were looking for a way to practice during the summer. Scott and Brennan Olson formed the company Rollerblade, Inc., to sell skates with four polyurethane wheels arranged in a straight line on the bottom of a padded boot. In 1988, Rollerblade introduced the first aggressive inline skate, the Rollerblade Lightning TRS. Aggressive inline skating finally developed as an organized sport in the early 1990s.The Aggressive Skaters Association (ASA) was formed by a number of aggressive inline skaters in 1994 as a forum to develop rules governing competitions and equipment. The sport was included in the first X-Games in 1995 and included vertical ramp and street event competitions. It reached its height in popularity in the late 90s, with mainstream movies like Disney's Brink! and other films. The "Senate" brand, run by Arlo Eisenberg, was very popular during the 1990s

In addition to speed, fitness, artistic, or recreational skating, some skaters prefer to skate aggressively. Aggressive skating is referred to by participants as rollerblading, blading, skating or rolling and includes a variety of grinds, airs, cess slides, toe/heal rolls and other advanced skating maneuvers. Types of aggressive skating include Park and Street.

Park skating refers to doing tricks within a skate park. Street skating specifically refers to tricks performed on non-allocated obstacles

Aerobatics

2014-01-02T10:19:00.002-08:00

Aerobatics

(هلوانات جوية, acrobaties aériennes, aerobatic, acrobacia aérea. высший пилотаж, acrobacia aérea, 特技飛行表演)

Essential to aerobatic technique is the ability to fly an aircraft inverted (upside down), which was first demonstrated on September 1, 1913, by the Frenchman Adolphe Pégoud, test pilot for aviator Louis Blériot. Pégoud also flew other advanced maneuvers as part of a research program. Other aerobatic innovators include the Russian military pilot Petr Nesterov, who was the first pilot to “loop the loop,” on September 9 (August 27, Old Style), 1913.

The term aerobatics came into use in early 1914 after being suggested in the British magazine The Aeroplane and was originally synonymous with stunt flying. However, although it is still loosely used to describe many such types of aerobatic performance, it has gradually acquired a more specific meaning since the development of the organized sport of aerobatics, wherein the term has come to denote the precise and accurate execution of defined maneuvers of varying difficulty.

Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders fortraining, recreation, entertainment, and sport. Additionally, some helicopters, such as the MBB Bo 105, are capable of limited aerobatic maneuvers. The term is sometimes referred to as acrobatics, especially when translated.

Aerobatics Maneuvers

Chandelle: This is a combination of a vertical climb and a turn. It's actually a basic flying fundamental, rather than a true aerobatic move. But you'll see stunt pilots do it as part of more complicated maneuvers.

Dive: This one's just like it sounds. The plane's nose is turned downward, though the plane is not necessarily completely perpendicular to the ground. Diving causes an increase in air speed, which the pilot can use to pull up at the right moment.

Wingover: A wingover is a left or right 180-degree tight turn at the top of an upward quarter loop.

Hammerhead or stall turn: Contrary to its name, this maneuver doesn't actually involve stalling. The plane soars upward and then abruptly turns 180 degrees and descends.

Cuban eight: The plane does five-eighths of a loop to the 45 degree line, a half-roll, another five-eighths of a loop back to the 45 degree line again, another half roll, and then three-eighths of a loop to level out. If that's too complicated to picture, imagine a Hot Wheels car doing a figure eight on one of those loop-de-loop tracks. The variations include the Half Cuban Eight and the Reverse Half Cuban Eight.

Half Cuban eight: From level flight, 5/8s loop to the inverted 45° line, 1/2 roll to erect down 45° line, pull to level flight.

Reverse Half Cuban Eight: From level flight pull to the 45° up line, 1/2 roll to inverted 45° up line, then 5/8s of a loop to level flight.

Immelmann; Immelmann turn; Roll-off-the-top; half loop, half roll: 1/2 looping up followed by half a roll. There should be no pause between the end of the looping section and the start of the roll to erect flight.

Split S: Essentially an Immelmann in reverse. Half roll (from erect to inverted) followed by positive pitch to give a half loop. Converts altitude to airspeed, and reverses direction.

Vertical up: Fly the aircraft so that the fuselage is perpendicular to the ground (along the wings' Zero lift axis). The attitude of the aircraft is judged, not the flight path, therefore the aircraft may drift downwind during a vertical maneuver.

45° up line: Fly the vertical attitude plus or minus 45°. As for vertical lines the attitude of the aircraft is judged, not the flight path as viewed by a ground observer, which may differ depending on whether the figure is flown into or with the wind, and the wind strength.

Loop: A loop is when an aircraft flies upward and then, at the top of its arc, begins to slow down, so that it turns down and completes the circle. You can do an inward or outward loop.

Inside loop: A vertical circle entered from straight and erect level flight. A positive pitching movement is used at all points in the loop to draw the circle, so that the aero plane canopy is pointing inwards. Both the inside and outside loop are sometimes casually referred to as a 'loop the loop'.

Outside loop: A vertical circle entered from straight and erect level flight, canopy pointing out of the loop. Loop can be above or below the straight and level entry altitude, from erect or inverted attitude. (Draws extreme negative G)

English bunt: Half an outside loop starting from upright, straight and erect level flight. (The pilot pushes the stick forward and draws a half circle in the sky from the top down.)

Erect spin; Inverted spin; Flat spin: A family of auto-rotational maneuvers, consisting of normal or "flat" spins, either upright or inverted. Two components must exist to spin an aircraft: 1) critical angle of attack (COA), which means that the aircraft is stalled, and 2) yaw.

Tail slide, the Bell: 1/4 looping up, straight vertical (full power) until the aircraft loses momentum. The aircraft falls backwards, tail first, until the nose drops through the horizon to a vertical down position. 1/4 loop (push or pull) to recovers to level flight

Roll: A roll is a 360-degree revolution along the plane's longitudinal axis.

Barrel roll: A barrel roll is a combination of a loop and a roll. The flight path is the shape of a corkscrew.

Snap Roll; Flick roll; Flick: A family of rapid auto rotational or "horizontal spins," not unlike spins. Rotation is induced by a rapid pitch input followed by rapid yaw input, thus stalling one wing further than the other. This imbalance in lift causes the high speed roll.

Lazy eight; 1/4 looping up, wingover (left or right), 1/2 looping down up, wingover (right or left), 1/4 looping down

Lomcovak; family of auto rotational, tumbling figures. In all varieties, the aircraft appears to tumble out of control. For example, one style involves the aircraft tumbling (simultaneously) nose over tail and wingtip over wingtip in a negative-g, gyroscopic condition. Introduced by Slovaks such as Ladislav Bezak, and others.

Pugachev's Cobra; the nose of the aircraft is pulled up suddenly. The aircraft pitches up to 90–120° angle of attack. The nose then falls back to the horizontal, and the aircraft accelerates away in the original direction.

Kulbit; post-stall maneuver similar to Pugachev's Cobra, but going to 360° pitch angle, flying a "loop"

Aileron roll; 360° revolution about the longitudinal axis at maximum roll rate. It consists of a pitch-up followed by a roll which is uncontrolled in the pitch axis, resulting in an initial climb, and then descent to the original altitude.

Slow roll; roll around the longitudinal axis slowly, maintaining level flight by cross-controlling the elevator and rudder inputs.

Hesitation roll; roll around the longitudinal axis, stopping momentarily at various points during the roll. Common variations include a two-point roll, three-point roll, four-point roll.

The Scissors; flying in a zigzagging pattern, either horizontal or rolling.

Standing eight; inside loop, 1/2 roll (inverts the aircraft), inside loop (towards the ground) 1/2 roll on top of the loop

Wingover; left or right 180° tight turn (yaw) at the top of a 1/4 looping (up)

Zoom climb; dive followed by extreme nose up attitude (not necessarily vertical). Consists of an initial airspeed gain resulting in an increased rate of climb, followed by airspeed loss and decreased rate of climb, returning to the original speed and altitude.

Falling leaf; motor off, wings-level stall, allowing the plane to side-slip in one direction, then countering the slip with rudder before a spin develops, allowing it to side-slip to the other direction, countering with rudder again, diving to exit the maneuver.

Extreme sports

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Extreme sports (also called action sports, aggro sports, deportes extremos, sports extrêmes, الرياضة المتطرفة, 极限运动, 極限運動, ekstremaj sportoj, Extremsportarten, sport estremi, 極限スポーツ, 익스 트림 스포츠, extremum sports, sporty ekstremalne, esportes radicais, экстремальные виды спорта, extrema sporter, انتہائی کھیلوں and adventure sports) is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger.These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialized gear.

HISTORY

"There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games."

The implication of the phrase was that the word "sport" defined an activity in which one might be killed. The other activities being termed "games". The phrase may have been invented by either writer Barnaby Conrad or automotive author Ken Purdy.

The Dangerous Sports Club of Oxford University, England was founded by David Kirke, Chris Baker, Ed Hulton and Alan Weston. They first came to wide public attention by inventing modern day bungee jumping, by making the first modern jumps on 1 April 1979, from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, England. They followed the Clifton Bridge effort with a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California (including the first female bungee jump by Jane Wilmot), and with a televised leap from the Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge in Colorado, sponsored by and televised on the popular American television program That's Incredible! Bungee jumping was treated as a novelty for a few years, then became a craze for young people, and is now an established industry for thrill seekers. The Club also pioneered a surrealist form of skiing, holding three events at St. Moritz, Switzerland, in which competitors were required to devise a sculpture mounted on skis and ride it down a mountain. The event reached its limits when the Club arrived in St. Moritz with a London double-decker bus, wanting to send it down the ski slopes, and the Swiss resort managers refused.

Other Club activities included expedition hang gliding from active volcanoes; the launching of giant (60 ft) plastic spheres with pilots suspended in the centre (zorbing); microlight flying; and BASE jumping (in the early days of this sport).

In recent decades the term extreme sport was further promoted after the Extreme Sports Channel, Extreme.com launched and then the X Games, a multi-sport event was created and developed by ESPN. The first X Games (known as 1995 Extreme Games) were held in Newport, Providence, Mount Snow, and Vermont in the United States.

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