Posts Tagged ‘extreme sports’

I cannot believe I did this whole article, scheduled for release in May, only to find that on Friday, 12th March,  the Health and Safety Department in England have, in their wisdom, cancelled this hundreds-of-years old event – fearing for the safety of spectators as the event grows in popularity!!! Can you believe it?

I might as well broadcast the now-cancelled event anyway, and perhaps the Healthy and Safety department can see a way around their dilemma…

We’ve profiled this off-beat and wacky English competition once before, but this is the best photograph I’ve seen of it (courtesy of Will de Freitas)… Despite the many videos we’ve shown, it has been difficult to get through to you, our audience, exactly how steep this hill is. And NOW you know. The guy upside down here ended up in hospital…

I think he lived!

Hey, what’s life if you can’t take a risk or two?

Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling is proud of its more than 200 year old tradition. A 3.5 kg round cheese is chased down a vertiginous hill by hilariously mad, possibly drunk, idiots. A fun day out for all! Certainly a good spectator sport.

The festival was originally held at midsummer but was moved at some time to Whitsuntide, and now takes place annually on on Whit Monday. In 2010 this will be the 31st May.

Cooper’s Hill as viewed from the bottom and the top.

So what’s it all about then?

There are 5 downhill races, one is for ladies; and 4 uphill races for boys under 12’s, girls under 12 and men’s and women’s open with staggering prize money of £10 for the downhill race and £5 for the uphill one.

A master of ceremonies escorts an invited guest to the top of the hill and helps him/her to sit on the precipitous slope holding the cheese. At his command:

• one to be ready
• two to be steady
• three to prepare…

… at which stage the guest ‘roller’ releases the cheese. And at…

• four to be off

…the competitors, anywhere from 2 to 20, hurl themselves off the edge in hot pursuit. The first person to the bottom takes home the cheese. The second and third placed get £10 each… or so.

The slope has a gradient that is in places 1-in-2 and in others 1-in-1. Its surface is very rough and uneven and it is almost impossible to remain on foot for the descent. Injuries incurred are usually minor and competitors (particularly the successful ones) enter again year after year.

The 5 downhill races are held at twenty minute intervals.

The uphill race does obviously not include a cheese although the winner does receive a small one.

A Double Gloucester cheese, the real thing, is the prize and always has been, apart from a brief rationing period between 1941 and 1954 (not many people are aware of how long rationing continued in England after the Second World War). During this period the game was not forsaken, but a wooden substitute was used with a small niche cut into it which included an equally small piece of cheese!

This is a day out in true mad-dog-an-Englishman style… with much to recommend it and if you’re still doubtful, you might like to have a preview of the 2009 race (SoGlos):

As event organisers say: “You do not need any type of application form to enter. There are no qualifications and no entry fee. All you have to do is arrive at the top of the hill, make the decision (possibly check that your ‘Last will and testament ‘ is up-to-date!) make sure that you won’t need that pair of jeans ever again and ……… GO!!!!”

What are you waiting for?!!

… well, now you’re waiting for the Health and Safety Department to allow the event to continue!

This is Cut Across Shorty a VS 4c climb, courtesy of The Jersey Rock Climbing Club:

I was going to tackle the British Isles as a group, but Jersey has so much to offer – great climbing, surfing and scuba diving to name just a few of the recommended activities, that I am going to go no further than this jewel of an island where a weekend full of action is waiting for anyone looking for a variety of extreme sports in one small area.

Climbing is a great way to get a body workout, while at the same time challenging your mind, and Jersey has a wide selection for you. The island has some of the best climbing areas in Europe and the variety of rock and unspoilt scenery make it a spectacular experience for beginners and experienced climbers alike.

It’s an ideal place to visit: perfect days, un-crowded cliffs and great climbing, regular dips in the sea to cool off and great pubs to retire to at the end of the day.

From the impressive 50m tower of The Pinnacle to the extensive and confusing buttresses of Grosnes, through the delightful ‘mini-cliffs’ at Corbiere and out to the north coast, there really is plenty here to keep you busy.  Homesick Angle on The Pinnacle is one the the best HVS (hard very severe) routes you could possibly hope for.

All the routes on the island (there are 1100 listed in the book) are trad and most of them are on high quality granite. The island has long been a bolt-free zone – the local climbing club originally had just two rules for the members – abide by the Country Code, and no fixed protection!

If you want to arm yourself in advance with some useful information, ‘Jersey Climbs’ is the first guidebook to be produced for Jersey in twelve years. It has 188 pages with lists, grades, advice and details of the 1100 routes  to be found there.

And then there’s the surfing…

Jersey’s shores are bombarded by waves and not only are they some of the best waves in the British Isles but they are also some of the warmest… always worth bearing in mind.

And there are great scuba diving opportunities here too, whether you want to investigate an old wreck or float amongst black faced pennies, corals and luminous jewel anemones in pinks, blues, greens and oranges. The summer months are even more interesting when the warm waters bring in  exotic marine wildlife  such as sea horses, dolphins and basking sharks. Jersey’s coastal seawater is of award-winning cleanliness and this is reflected in the abundance of sea life to be found there.

Other things you can do in Jersey besides rock climbing, abseiling and surfing are BloKarting on the beach, Sea Kayaking, Caving, Coasteering, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Cycling, Golf, Powerboat Trips, Fishing Excursions, Horse Riding and Zorbing. I’ve probably missed some out.

Not just a banking paradise then…

With all the hype over the Winter Olympics, other sporting contests out there tend to get overlooked and this is one that nearly passed us by: the 4th annual Burn River Bank Show … Italy’s best snowboard event of the year.

Burn River Jump is the only Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour event in Europe ranked with 5 stars and its fourth edition will take place in Livigno from February the 24th to the 26th, sponsored by Burton Snowboards in collaboration with Mottolino, APT Livigno and Skipassion Livigno. After the success in the past years of River Jump, the slopestyle and big air format is back at this delightful and unusual site.

“With an amazing park, open terrain, accessible off-piste, a warm Italian reception, and prices far cheaper than most other resorts in western Europe, Livigno is one excellent Italian job”

Yesterday, the 24th, more than one hundred riders participated in a qualifying race for the final being held today. These racers will be competing for the podium with invited riders and wild cards in an extravaganza that has become known as ‘the Grand Finale’.

The show starts at sunset with an incredible night show in downtown Livigno  with the jump over the river Spoel. It is a unique showdown, where the 10 classified riders of the 5Star Slopestyle Contest will compete against the 8 invited riders and the 4 wild card riders.

Swatch Mottolino Snowpark, one of Europe’s best snowparks, has prepared special courses on the Livigno area of over 120 thousand square meters and it is also giving, to all riders and week-end bombers, a brand new jibbing area,  the METRO.

Terrain Park on Carosello
Photo: Steve, WSG

The Friday event will be broadcast live on web page www.riverjump.it thanks to the support of Keepod.

There’s no such thing as “too old” – or not in Poul Rasmussen’s case. At 85 years old his passion is kitesurfing (AdvanceCopenhagen).

There are many much better and much longer videos, but unfortunately all with a lot of interviews included – and the language is Danish. Now, I have nothing against the Danish language, but I’m not sure how many of our readers are fluent in it! So I apologise to Poul, but the quick snip I’ve shown of a man to emanate will, I hope, whet your appetite to keep reading!

So that’s kitesurfing out the way, what about some of our other favourite sports?

Donna Vano is the oldest pro-snowboarder in the world. At 56 she is a legend in the snowboard and skateboard industry- an action sports veteran in every sense of the word. For 16 years she  has competed in Superpipe, Slopestyle, Boardercross, Slalom and Giant Slalom. She currently holds three Guinness World Records as the Oldest Inline Vert Skater in the World, the Most Gold Medals in the USASA in all 5 disciplines, and the Oldest Female Amateur Snowboarder Competing in Pro Tours in the Superpipe. She also runs the South Tahoe Snowboard Series USASA Nationals, which was the top for 8 years in a row and has been top in the series for 12 years. “I’m not getting older, I’m getting better,” she says.

The oldest person to have climbed Mount Everest is a Nepalese Sherpa called Min Bahadur Sherchan. He was 76 years and 340 days old. The second oldest is 75-year-old Japanese Yuichiro Miura, who reached the top two days after him, and the third is another Japanese, 71 year old  Katsusuke Yanagisawa, a teacher by profession.

In 2009,  Amanda Richmond, 54, a PE teacher from Ipswich, England, battled electrical storms, giant snow plumes and freezing temperatures to scale the 8,850m mountain, the highest on earth and so became the oldest woman to have climbed Everest.  She said: “It was incredible. I feel privileged to have been in that situation – to stand on top of the world.”

I’m trying to find the oldest wingsuit flyer, but in the meantime I have come across the oldest skydiver. Frank Moody, aged 101, made a tandem jump in 2004. Now that’s quite something isn’t – anybody who ‘doesn’t dare’ should be ashamed of themselves!!!

Still struggling to find the oldest wingsuit flyer, I have to allude to Yves Rossy – or ‘jet’ or ‘fusion’ man as he is also known. At 50, he has to be the oldest and most successful person to have achieved sustained human flight with the aid of a jet-powered fixed wing strapped to his back. His next project is to fly across the Grand Canyon. Rossy is both a highly experienced skydiver and a veteran aircraft pilot.

“My biggest concern is what happens when I get bored with this (wingsuit flying),” says veteran BASEjumper Phil Smith on the risks of wingsuit jumping from buildings, bridges and cliffs, and that’s about the last word I have on the oldest wingsuit flyer. I know Dwain Weston was 30 when he died practicing the sport he loved, but as for the oldest wingsuit flyer?  Mum’s the word.

Since 2006, Russell Allen, an American cyclist has been the oldest living American Olympian Cyclist – he got his medal in 1932. But cycling has a venerable reputation for more aged participants. The oldest participant for the ‘Les 24 Heures Velo’ – a team-endurance cycle event to be held in August this year at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit – will be 82 years old. Whereas, In 2007 in Ladysmith, South Africa, Mkhulu Mkhize, was given a brand new set of wheels at the venerable age of 112. Ok, fair enough, he’s not about to be competing at that age – but to still be cycling yourself around the countryside is quite something.

And as for the Olympics, it seems like our sportsmen are going on for ever and ever. The 2008 event was a real eye-opener. Japanese horseman Hiroshi Hoketsu lead the pack at Beijing, returning to the Games after a 44-year break, aged 67. Laurie Lever turned 60 in October 2007, the last thing on his mind was retirement with the Australian show jumper focused on riding in his first Olympics. The title of oldest Olympian is held by Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, who collected his sixth medal at the 1920 Antwerp Games aged 72 years and 280 days. “We are a fitter generation,” said Lever, whose appearance on Ashleigh Drossel Dan in the show jumping in Hong Kong is believed to make him the oldest debutant at the 2008 Games.

Laurence J. Brophy of Wales at 77 years old took part in last years’ RacingThePlanet Atacama Crossing – surely one of the most testing of the ultramarathon/endurance races. He didn’t complete all stages, but he did most of it. An extraodinary undertaking for any human being let alone one on the other side of 70 and at 74, Jack Denness of the UK, took part in  the Sahara Race. He said: “It is fantastic to be here. I love it. It is great for my ego as even the front runners give me lots of respect because of my age.”

Sports academics are not surprised by the ability of athletes to remain competitive longer and expect increasing numbers of over 40s to stay competing at top level sport as training techniques and technology continue to improve.

“Ageing is inevitable for humans. But if you have goals in life, you should go through the physical and mental training, forget about age and embark on the challenges,” said Yuichiro Miura.

Something to think about, isn’t it…

The system of terraces around our house are not meant to be waterfalls, but with the endless rain of the last few days they bare a strange resemblance! Although certainly not navigable, I couldn’t resist comparing them to these falls and screening this great kayaking video to brighten up a very dull day… Thanks avavidaloca

From the fusion of mainstream sports, Olympics and extreme sports the Ultimate Athlete will be found.

Athletes have always been strong, fast, and coordinated, but they are mostly specialized.  In today’s sports’ world that is not enough. The best of the best must also be versatile, daring, and able to adapt to all environments and arenas.  The Ultimate Athlete, the one who will win this event, must also excel at riding, swimming, skiing, surfing, climbing, skating, and much more.

I know we’ve previewed that video before, but it’s time to remind you that the search continues, and time is beginning to run out.

The SFUA U.S. championships start in June 2010. It will be a 6 day event featuring 20 sports and disciplines and will have the best all-around athletes, both male & female, going head to head in the same arena. No age category, no division, no invitation… and only one winner.

And ultimately only 24 athletes will compete in the 20 disciplines to discover who is the ultimate one. As one interested observer says “I just hope they include synchronized swimming. I’m not kidding. When I interned at the US Olympic Committee in college, a man in my office used to say he could be good at any sport – give him time and he could be really good. So one day someone invited him to try synchro. Funniest thing I’ve ever seen..” !!!

However, I’m not sure that sychronised swimming will be on the agenda… as, as far as I know, it has not yet been decided what the 20 sports are going to be, but if you think of the diversity of Oregan and cast your mind even further to the Gorge Games where kiteboarding, windsurfing, open water swimming, kayaking, and climbing were all on the agenda – well, the choice is wide. Add to that the perfect location for the already established and popular  sports of trail running and biking plus, it is being presumed, that the event will also bring in a large number of “traditional” sports such as road racing – on both foot and bike, and such everyday sports as golf, basketball and/or tennis.

The organisers plan to take advantage of Portland’s natural wonders – the Gorge and the Coast to showcase their event.

You are going to have to be an all-rounder to qualify in the last 24…

The prize money? A not to be sniffed at  $100,000.

Of slight concern is that there still does not seem to be a registration form so I do hope this event gets off the ground, but if you are interested, as an athlete, in getting more information you could always try contacting athlete@searchfortheultimateathlete.com