Posts Tagged ‘Extreme Sport’

Besides the fact that you look incredibly cool, kitesurfing is gaining in popularity because it combines so many other sports – wakeboarding, windsurfing, paragliding, snowboarding, and power kite flying, all rolled into one exhilarating extreme sport.

Who wouldn’t want to look like Ruben Lenten (ridersmatch)?

Of course it will take a fair amount of practice, perseverance and skill to get to this level of expertise but it ain’t impossible.

And its not only all about tricks. There’s nothing wrong with straight flat out kiting. The Crathorne family have just broken 3 records by being the first family to kitesurf across the English Channel, the busiest shipping lane in the world, from Dungeness to Boulogne in just 3 hours and 40 minutes. And the records they broke?

1. Lucy and Polly are the first Women to kite surf the channel to France
2. Polly is the youngest person at 16 to have kite surfed across and
3. Ralph is the oldest (for the moment) at 51.

And there’s been another landmark crossing. Having had to wait a year for the right weather conditions, 5 friends, Fraser Dooley, Martin Sandwith, Stuart Wood, Nick Elliott and John Flynn, have just successfully crossed the Irish Sea – a 110 mile 9 hour crossing from Cloghy in Northern Island to Silloth in West Cumbria. A massive undertaking. But despite the 9 hours battling the elements they had enough stamina left for a champagne celebration on the beach with family and friends!

Sir Richard Branson intends to kite the channel for his 60th birthday present to himself, accompanied by 5 time world champion Aaron Hadlow and Laird Hamilton of Big Wave surfing fame. “Kitesurfing is one of my favourite sports. I absolutely love the amazing rush you get when going at high speeds, in high winds, with the most beautiful kite acting as your only guide,” he said and added “My wife [Joan] swears I get more barking as I get older. This year I’ve almost crippled myself running 26.2 miles in my first marathon. Now I’m putting my poor 60-year-old bones through an arduous 24.4 miles, over water, hanging on to a giant kite.”

He too is making it a family affair – his daughter, Holly, son, Sam and his nephews will be kiting with him.

“Get the knowledge. Get the training. Get the insurance” says BKSA (British Kitesurfing Association). Good advice to follow if you are thinking of  getting started in this very popular extreme sport…

Yesterday we caught a bit of Top Gear and were fascinated by the extreme race Richard Hammond took on – a Volkswagons’ new Touareg 4×4 against 2 snowmobile champs in Sweden… it was quite a race from the top of a mountain to the bottom (cross-country for the snowmobiles) and then 6 miles across a frozen lake. And even more amazingly – the Touareg won!

What really surprised us was what those snowmobilers can do.

… the above video is not from the Top Gear show but from martinifilms240 and the Winter X Games 2010, with thanks, but a worthy video showing what snowmobilers are getting up to nowadays – certainly extreme and therefore suitable to give a glancing reference to on our website.

Snowmobiling has a rich and exciting history and has firmly planted itself within the enclave of extreme motor sports.

Originally intended as a winter utility vehicle to be used where other vehicles cannot go, snowmobiles have rapidly expanded into the recreational field where it has quickly and quite naturally moved into extreme sport with its diversity of activities such as snowcross/racing, trail riding, freestyle, mountain climbing, boondocking, carving, ditchbanging and grass drags.

Even before 1900 people were experimenting with prototypes of vehicles to travel on snow, but it was in the United States  that the first patent for a snow-vehicle using the now recognized format of rear track(s) and front skis was issued to Ray H. Muscott of Waters, MI on June 27, 1916. Many individuals later modified Ford Model Ts with the undercarriage replaced with tracks and skis following this design.

However it was in 1960 when engines became lighter and smaller that Bombardier invented what we know as the modern snowmobile in its open-cockpit one- or two-person form, and started selling it as the “Ski-doo”. Progress hasn’t slowed since that time and the performance of snowmobiles has improved exponentially since their inception with a sharp spike in performance in the last 15 or so years.Nowadays some of the higher powered modern snowmobiles can achieve speeds in excess of 150 mph (240 km/h). Drag racing snowmobiles can reach speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h).

And as the sport grew so too did the challenges. Aerial manoeuvres became the norm and a must with every available spot being turned into a ‘jump’ to get some air. Uncharted terrain is a magnet to trailblazers who ‘boondock’ deep into virgin territory. Landscapes with no paths are the ultimate challenge (thunderhvn).

It’s not without its dangers – but hey, when has that ever stopped anyone? It is worth noting though that due to their inherent maneuverability, acceleration and top speed capabilities, it requires skill and physical strength to control a snowmobile and that snowmobiling injuries and fatalities are higher than those caused by on road motor vehicle traffic!

What more does an extreme sport need but a real hint of danger. Extreme snowmobiling was here to stay.

Another excellent video here from hbombfilmscom. I suggest you dream about these tricks rather than trying them out! Unless, of course, you are a budding Caleb Moore…

I have to admit that my heart is not fully behind this sport. It’s noisy, it’s environmentally unfriendly, it upsets the local floral and fauna… but it is a sport that is here to stay and I’m sure it’s a whole lot of fun and as long as local laws and requests are adhered to then invasive snowmobiling can be controlled.

I am so glad I write articles on extreme sport – the things people come up with… and to think I might have missed this!

Try this one on for size… a parachuter surfing on the back of a wingsuit flyer, and poised and accomplished enough (the both of them) to hold the position for 20 seconds – that’s like an hour when you’re doing a crazy stunt like this!

It’s Jonathan Tagle with the parachute and Jeff Nebelkopf in the wingsuit. Phil Peggs is the estimable photographer.

Make no mistake – this was a daring stunt and a first ever.

“It was a challenge to line up underneath him because I had to estimate where he’d be based on the last place I saw him as I was sliding in. He would then get his feet around my rig. It changed my centre of gravity when he hooked onto me – made me fly a little more head low, so I had to compensate a little bit,” said Nebelkopf.

After securing the position the pair held the pose for 20 seconds before breaking and heading off to make their own way back down to the earth.

Tagle said: “The weird thing about the break off was that I had the feeling I needed to pull, but I was already under a good canopy.”

Quite something… hats off, well done, congratulations, etc etc….

We have done several articles on scuba diving around Europe recently, so I thought I’d go off at a tangent today and take you somewhere a lot further away, but somewhere absolutely glorious and completely unspoiled. It also has seriously fantastic diving…

… Mozambique, Mocambique or, simply, Moz.

Most dives in Mozambique are run to South African standards which means, generally, PADI dive centres catering for all levels of experience including the beginner. If you are a true lover of this extreme sport you will be glad to know that Mozambique is an ideal location for obtaining your open water or advanced  diving qualification license.

“I learned to dive here and many of the people I dived with were very experienced and they all agreed that it was the best diving they had ever seen. Better than the Red Sea, better than Australia… the best”, says one contented visitor, and thanks to 2flyndive for this vid. of diving in the Inhambane/Tofu area, surprisingly not as clear as the sea can be but still abounding with marine life.

“Tons of tropical fish, honeycomb eels, parrot fish, turtles, and beautiful coral. I also saw two Humpback Whales up close at this site. There is a great swim through here too.” says Tiffany from the USA, about Paradise Island or Santa Carolina as it is also known – a particular favourite of ours. It is part of the Bazaruto Archipelago, a proclaimed marine national park.

There are numerous sites for diving in Moz. and most of them can guarantee crystal clear and uncrowded waters. It is a very special place. Prices on the whole are great – small change compared to the rest of the world. Friendly people, seriously addictive way of life!

The Bazaruto Archipelago is one area we know well and there are dive sites everywhere – in fact the marine life is so prolific that you can just walk into the sea off the beach and spend many contented hours snorkeling or scuba diving. But 2 Mile Reef is a favourite spot for scuba diving. It is neither 2 miles long nor 2 miles away from Vilanculos on the mainland, but it is the name that has been given to the reef lying outside Benguerra Island and Bazaruto.

The site is actually a long barrier reef that breaks the water at low tide and can be dived at various depths down to around 20 meters. Due to its length there are numerous dive locations offering a variety of different environments, including swim through walls and coral outcrops. There is a great chance of seeing one of the 5 species of turtle that live in the area along with a friendly reef shark, an inquisitive dolphin or a skulking nurse shark. There is a wide abundance of reef fish and big Game fish and Devil Rays regularly swim in from the deep. If you’re very lucky you might even see an elusive Dugong.

The lure of Mozambique are the unspoilt crisp squeaky-white beaches, the warm azure sea, and the vast proliferation of marine life from Nemo to manta rays, from seahorses to whale sharks and dugongs. There is an immense variety of hard and soft corals which provide a diverse and productive ecosystem. Marine life includes many brightly coloured tropical fish, sea anenomes, starfish, crustacians, triggerfish, wrass, Moorish Idols, Parrot, Angel and Butterfly fish and many species of gamefish, sharks and rays – and that’s only a few of the hundreds you will see.

Five of the world’s eight turtle species are found along the Inhambane coast and around the Bazaruto Archipelago. Green turtles are the most common here with leatherbacks and hawksbill being spotted occasionally. They are still relatively common here although their numbers are threatened worldwide.

“Lots of small stuff and big stuff. Nudis, so many, leaffish, Potato grouper, turtles, jacks, shrimps. Everything but sharks……..for them do Pinnacles, but no guarantees,” says Edwin from the Netherlands in 2008.

And he is right. Diving at Pinnacles in 2008, Melinda had this to add: “Pinnacle at 35 m with Shark on every dive; Bull, Tiger, silver tip, Hammerheads, Manta, devil rays.” as did Richard in 2009 “Hammerheads and tons of mantas. 40 m viz and 28 deg C water temperature.”

If this is the sort of excitement you seek, then you can find Pinnacle at Ponta do Ouro in southern Mozambique just 10 kms from the South African border. It is a brilliant deep reef dive at 28 – 40 metres and is renowned for its sharks, and “Bass City”. where “Bert”, a huge Potato Bass, has made his home. It’s about 20 – 30 minutes out from Ponta do Ouro and is a difficult dive to find, so don’t waste time trying to find it on your own. The beauty of this dive, apart from the adrenaline kick of swimming with sharks, is that it is very very uncrowded.

And if you’re wondering what else you can do in Mozambique, get an eyeful of this video from pipasforjaz.

If you’ve got some time on your hands you could do both a dive and a safari tour of Mozambique… now THAT’S something to think about isn’t it! And quite apart from that, check out the wind in the first video – at Tofu… great kite surfing area too.

p.s: I’ve only mentioned a handful of places to scuba dive – the whole coast is a gem… and it’s a very long coast.

And another postscript… most of these beautiful photos come from Odyssea Dive in Mozambique. If you’re looking for someone to organise the perfect diving holiday for you, please contact them directly at: www.odysseadive.com

Extreme marathon runners are in Australia for one of the world’s most grueling endurance foot races which starts this weekend. They will face conditions unlike anything they have encountered before.

RacingThePlanet’s challenge down under will start near Doon Doon, outside Kununurra in The Kimberley region of Western Australia on April 25 and is their annual roving event. Racing the Planet also organises the notorious 4 deserts races which includes the Gobi March (China), the Atacama Crossing (Chile), the Sahara Race (Egypt) and The Last Desert (Antarctica).

The inaugural event in Australia has attracted 200 competitors from around the world who will have to scramble over rocks, swim across flooded gorges and traverse vast spinifex plains, covering 250km in seven days, before finishing at the spectacular El Questro Wilderness Park resort.

The race will boast a very competitive field with eight former race champions and 22 top-ten finishers at the start line.Some of those vying for outright honours include Spaniard Salvador Calvo Redondo, 47 and Stephanie Case, 27, of Canada.

Among the competitors representing 35 countries will be 66 Australians, including Peter Jong who is aiming to become the first Australian to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam and there are 8 members of one family from Perth competing

Other well known Aussies running include Gabriel Szerda,  who represented Australia in wrestling at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and former television presenter Anna Coren.

In the far north of Western Australia Kimberley is typified by hot, humid weather and a landscape of soaring rocky outcrops and mountain ranges broken by plains of spinifex grass, rock pools with stunning waterfalls and salt flats. Competitors will also have to take to the water at times to cross flooded sections. Adding to the degree of difficulty is a late wet season rain that has turned parts of the course to mud.

RacingThePlanet founder and CEO Mary K. Gadams said everyone involved was excited to be bringing the race to Australia for the first time. “The level of interest in the race was phenomenal……… it’s been a great experience planning the race here — the support we have had from the local community has been indispensable”

RacingThePlanet: Australia 2010 will be a true test of physical and mental endurance with competitors carrying all their own supplies and equipment as they tackle the toughest terrain Australia has to offer.

Redondo won the roving event in 2009 which was held in Namibia – and as you can see in the video below from desertrunrdude this is not a race for the faint heated although competitors do have great fun. We wait in anticipation to see whether Redondo can win again. Good luck to all who are involved and ‘bon courage’.

For more information on Racing the Planet’s endurance marathons you can visit their website by clicking on this link http://www.racingtheplanet.com/

Kite surfing, still one of the most extreme sports around, is an ever evolving sport – it started on water but is now done on any suitable surface – deserts, beaches, snow plains, alpine mountains… you name it and someone will try it, if it hasn’t been tried already!

Ivanpah Dry Lake in Nevada is one of the best buggying places in North America and kite buggying enthusiasts from around the world come here.

It is about 40 miles outside of Las Vegas near Primm and is just off Interstate 15 which connects Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Nice and easy to find. The 13-square-mile (34 km2) lake is almost entirely within California and is closed to motorised vehicles.

We covered the Spring Break Buggy Blast the other day, so today we are merely going to elaborate further on what this area has to offer apart from the SBBB… now known, since 2004, as the NABX (the North American Buggy eXpo).

The NABX are justly proud of themselves. They are an environmentally conscious organisation which aims to combine an abundance of fun while putting an emphasis on sharing knowledge, encouraging education, and supporting the kite traction movement.

All buggies are suitable for using on the Ivanpah Dry Lake, but it is recommended that you come with one you are comfortable with. There is enough space on the dry lake for cruising long distances in a race style buggy or trick riding in a freestyle model.

The lake bed is hard and fast.  If you are used to buggying on grass or sand, you’ll find that you will be using at least one kite size smaller than you normally use for a particular wind range until you get used to the speed and the lake bed. Speeds here normally exceed 30mph and you will feel like you’re crawling along. So bring kites ranging from 3 to 7 metres. You’ll usually end up using all of them over the course of the week.

Safety equipment is adviseable for all pilots. The lake bed is hard and if you fall, which you probably will, it will hurt, so take a helmet in addition to elbow and knee pads. Some wear full motor-cross body armor. Wearing trousers and a long sleeved shirt is a good idea to help minimize road rash should you have an accident.

A mobile phone is a good idea too. The lake is 4 miles wide in places and 7 miles long. You could well be stranded out of sight whether it be a crash or lack of wind, and it would be nice to know that all you have to do is “phone home” – and this lot had to do!

The lake bed is abrasive so 2-ply tyres will not last long. Experienced buggiers tend to use the thicker 4-ply, but it is also adviseable to bring a spare set – there’d be nothing worse than getting out there, having an absolute blast, and then find some socking great holes in your tyres. The most well-known and popular brand of buggy 4 ply tires for desert conditions are made by Carlisle and known as “smoothies”. The standard size of most buggy tires is 4.80 x 8.