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In ancient times the art of surfing was a deeply spiritual affair for Hawaiian people and surfing was not only recreational but a means for resolving conflicts and training for the Hawaiian chiefs. The Hawaiian people had rituals for building surfboards and the surfboards they built ranged from 10-16 ft made of solid redwood and the longer the board the higher your social ranking. During the early days the Hawaiian’s made two types of surfboards made from the Wili Wili, the Ula and the Koa tree’s.

The ‘Olo’ surfboard was ridden by the Chiefs or the noblemen usually between 14-16 feet and the ‘Alaia’ surfboard was between 10-12 feet in length and ridden by commoners.

Captain Cook witnessed natives surfing solid wooden surfboards when he visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1777 and his diaries are the first official documentation describing the art of surfing.

Later in the mid 19th century when the western/white missionaries arrived surfing almost died out in the islands. At the start of the 20th century the missionaries influence over the islands began to decline and Hawaiians along with the new European and American settlers began surfing again. One of these was George Freeth, who through his surfing, experimented with board design, and cut his 16 foot Hawaiian board in half. Making the typical solid redwood Hawaiian board of the time to around 6 to 10 foot long.

In 1926 one of the most famous names in surf history; Tom Blake designed the first hollow surfboard constructed of redwood with hundreds of holes drilled in it and was encased with a thin board of wood on top and bellow the board. The board was 15 foot long, 19″ wide, 4″ thick and weighed 100 lbs.

This hollow surfboard eventually became the first mass-produced board in 1930s due to it’s weight and the speeds it could generate.

In 1932 Balsa wood from South America became a popular material for building surfboards. The new balsa wood boards only weighed around 30 to 40 pounds apposed to the 90 to 100 pound redwood boards. Such a reduction in weight was a major step forward in board design, and became more and more in demand.

The end of World War 2 opened up new possibilities in surfboard design as many new materials had become available through advances in technology. Fibreglass and styrofoam were the most significant of these.

The shortboard first came to the surf scene during the late 60’s to early 70’s and the average length went from 10 to 6 foot, with an obvious reduction in weight. These new boards allowed surfers to ride in the pocket of the wave and Dick Brewer is credited with it’s design. These new boards allowed faster, more aggressive surf and more manoeuvrability. It was around this time that the twin fin was created, apposed to just the one.

In 1966, Nat Young won the World Championships on a shortboard called ‘Sam’ designed by George Greenough and Bob McTavish. This board allowed greater performance style surfing with sharper turns and greater acceleration, which kick-started the ’shortboard revolution’.

Shaun Parker has been at the forefront of the surfing industry bringing the latest in surf fashion to the public. Surf Shop

Bombardier is a manufacturer for all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and is a competitor for companies such as Honda and Yamaha etc. The company was founded by J.A. Bombardier back in the year 1942. Today, in the United States, Asia Pacific and Europe, the company employs nearly 7500 people.

One of its primary products is the Traxster Max ATV. It has been noted by many watchers in the all-terrain vehicle industry as being innovative and for its design and construction.

Traxster Max ATV

Some of the features of Bombardiers Traxster Max makes it an ATV that differs from others in its market. One of the Traxster Max’s defining features is that the engineers of the company decided to design it for two riders. The Bombardier Traxster Max is set up for tandem seating, which is kind of like riding a motorcycle, while retaining the same shape and size as a traditional quad. Conversely, manufacturers such as Polaris, John Deere and others only have seating that is side-by-side for multiple passenger off-road vehicles.

Both the passenger and the driver are provided with acceptable seating comfort. If you have ever taken a ride on the back of an ATV, you will be familiar with how less than comfortable it can be. Hitting any type of road obstruction such as a rock or a medium size branch can have some painful results to the rear passenger.

The Traxster ATV allows for ample leg protection as well as substantial support from the suspension so that each rider can experience a less harsh off-road experience. This ATV also has ample power, equipped with a four stroke, liquid cooled engine that is powerful enough to to handle most any task.

An ATV For Work and Play

There are many reasons why people buy ATVs. For people that enjoy off-road racing, Bombardier has an ATV Rally series model DS90, for people who prefer off-road excurstions.

For the professional minded individuals, Bombardier has a model known as the Outlander. In the year 2006, Bombardier made a significant announcement that it was no longer going to produce its Quest and Traxter ATVs to be replaced by Outlander platform. The reason for this was because these machines were primarily made for work first, and recreation a distant second. They still stated that they were going to support the Quest and Traxter but were going to put significant effort into building and marketing the Outlander.

Bombardier’s Competitors

When considering buying a Bombardier ATV, you should also take into consideration other companies that manufacture off-road vehicles throughout the world. Companies such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Polaris and Kazuma. All these various manufacturers have a large loyal base of users who would support each one.

Corbin Newlyn is an expert in the field of extreme sports. If you would like to learn more go to All Terrain Vehicle Reviews and at ATV Trailers

While it’s thought of more as a daredevil event than a sport, buildering — also known as urban climbing, structuring, or stegophily — is the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. The word “buildering” combines the word “building” with the climbing term “bouldering”.

It’s not a sport for everyone. In fact, buildering has a small cult following. The most famous practioner of this ultra-extreme sport is Alain Robert, popularly known as “the real-life Spiderman.” Robert has climbed the Empire State Building in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Petronas Towers (twice) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, among others, all done without using any climbing equipment or protection.

Other famous urban climbers include: Dan Goodwin, aka Spider Dan, who climbed the Sears Tower in Chicago in 1981; George Willig who climbed the World Trade Center; Harry and Simon Westaway, who climbed Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster’s clock tower, in London as an anti-war protest for Greenpeace; Harry Gardiner, known as the Human Fly, who was the first recorded urban climber; and George Polley, also known as the Human Fly, who took up buildering in the 1910s.

If done without ropes or protection far off the ground, buildering may be dangerous and is often practiced outside of legal bounds, mostly undertaken at night. Builderers are often extremely experienced climbers who are seen climbing on buildings without authorization and are regularly met by police forces upon completing their exploit. Spectacular acts of buildering, such as free soloing skyscrapers, usually attract large crowds of passers-by and media attention.

The biggest draw of buildering is also its biggest drawback: Buildering almost always is illegal, so you should check to make sure it is not before you try it in Texas or anywhere else. And it won’t win you any popularity contests. Cops don’t like you; landlords don’t like you; most people think you’re, at best, unusual and, at worst, crazy.

The general public considers climbing on buildings shocking and irresponsible behavior. The first and most important rule is: Watch your butt. You alone are responsible for your actions. You have to be young enough to enjoy currying the disdain of passersby or not care about your reputation. You have to get up early or steal out into the night. The most important key to successful buildering is, “Go in fast and get out.”

Buildering can also take a form closer to bouldering, where climbers tend to ascend and/or traverse shorter sections of buildings and structures. While still generally frowned upon by property owners, some turn a blind eye towards the practice in many locations. Although it’s often done as a solo sport, buildering has also become a popular group activity. As in more traditional rock climbing, routes on structures are established and graded for difficulty.

Lesser known forms of urban climbing can be observed in demonstrations, as a means of protest, or at some public events such as street parades or concerts, where people frequently climb on sign posts and other small structures.

Unlike other fringe sports like skateboarding, most urban climbers doubt that buildering will ever crack into the mainstream. The problem is that many climbers find the sport is a little “too dangerous” for mass appeal. And buildering is more about the skill than the image and the huge risks involved make it less than appealing. For decades, buildering has existed under the radar and its popularity remains on university hubs, all of which seems to suggest intrinsic limits to its popularity.

As is the case in rock climbing, the trick in urban climbing is to find the perfect holds with the right overall body positioning and adequate balance. But the difficulty in climbing buildings is that the uniformity and evenness of the exterior make it difficult to find the grooves for holds. It is like a physical puzzle that can only be solved through ingenuity, persistence and foolhardiness. Buildering is both a lifestyle and a philosophy of taming the modern landscape.

While ultra-extreme sports such as urban climbing or buildering may help you develop great physical stamina and mental discipline, it is dangerous and must only be attempted by experienced climbing professionals. If you’re a young individual who’s drawn to this sport, make sure you’re in the best shape both mentally and physically.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

Imagine soaring down a road in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas at 70+ mph while lying on your back, just inches from the asphalt. That’s the sport of street luge, an extreme gravity-powered activity that involves riding a street luge board, or sled, down a paved road or prepared course. Street luge is also known as land luge or road luge and, like skateboarding, street luge takes balance and lightening quick reactions.

The only difference between street luge and the winter Olympic sport is the lack of snow and ice. Street luge was created in Southern California when downhill skateboarders found they could reach faster speeds by lying down on their skateboards. But, like regular luge, the concrete version picks its winners based on top speed.

In 1975, the first professional street luge race was held at Signal Hill, California, hosted by the U.S. Skateboard Association. The boards used in that race varied from basic skateboards to complex skate cars, in which the rider was completely enclosed by plastic or fiberglass. At the time, the sport was not referred to as “street luge,” but the term luge was used to describe some participants’ riding position. Most contestants stood up, however an opening in the rules enabled riders to choose their on-board position — including prone. By 1978, repeated injuries to both riders and spectators halted the races at Signal Hill.

Several dedicated riders from the Signal Hill races kept the sport alive by continuing to hold races in Southern California. Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, both underground and professional races continued to be held in Southern California by such organizations as the Underground Racers Association (URA), the Federation of International Gravity Racing (FIGR) and the Road Racers Association for International Luge (RAIL). Race organizers in the 1980s and 1990s started implementing many more equipment, safety and race regulations.

Meanwhile, in the early 1990s, some Austrian skateboarders started sitting down on their skateboards on the way back from teaching skiing in the Alps. This activity led to a classic style street luge race in Austria, riding wooden boards closer to large skateboards than the usual street luge, which is heavier, longer, has larger wheels and more trucks than a skateboard or classic luge. There is now a healthy street luge riding and racing presence in many European countries.

In the mid 1990s, ESPN’s X Games introduced street luge to the world and the sport was originally sanctioned by RAIL, then by the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA). NBC followed ESPN’s lead and created the Gravity Games, where the sport was sanctioned by Extreme Downhill International (EDI). Smaller events also appeared in Canada, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and the U.K. Qualification criteria for these events varied and was controlled by each of the sanctioning bodies.

While no longer a sport in either the X Games or Gravity Games, street luge is still a burgeoning sport in numerous countries, with competitions around the globe. There are approximately 1,200+ active street luge riders in the world.

The actual street luge itself hasn’t changed too much since the sport began. Street lugers still ride modified skateboards in the prone position. The design of these boards is based on the rules set forth from different governing bodies. Luge design elements include:

1. The use of lean-activated steering skateboard style trucks.
2. The prohibited use of mechanical brakes.
3. Front and rear padding.
4. Length, width and weight restrictions — details depend on sanctioning body.
5. The prohibited use of parts that enclose the rider’s body or hinder braking.

Current street luge boards are made from many materials including steel, aluminum, wood, and carbon fiber. The majority of the street luge boards are custom made, although commercial models are also now available. Actual board designs can vary, as the construction rules are extremely open and allow for numerous design considerations.

Riders participating in sanctioned racing events are required to wear safety equipment including: Hard shell helmet with chinstrap and face shield or goggles; leather or Kevlar racing suit; and leather or Kevlar gloves

Races are usually held on mountain roads but have also been held on city streets. Courses can range in length from 0.5 to 3 miles (1 to 5 km) and vary in layout, including the number and severity of turns.

Physically demanding sports such as street luge can be a great way to exercise to maintain good health.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

Parkour. You may have seen it performed in the latest James Bond movie, “Casino Royale,” and in the futuristic French movie, “District B-13.” Young, athletic men moving from rooftop to rooftop, room-to-room, sidewalk to balcony, using a variety of fantastic leaps, bounds and landings.

According to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, “Parkour or art du d’placement (English: art of displacement) is a physical art of French origin, the aim of which is to move from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible, using principally the possibilities of the human body. It is meant to help one overcome obstacles, which can be anything in the surrounding environment — from branches and rocks to rails and concrete walls — so parkour can be practiced in both rural and urban areas. Male parkour practitioners are recognized as traceurs and female as traceuses.”

It’s not quite an extreme sport, but more of a martial art that’s now practiced by thousands of individuals on university and college campuses in Dallas, Houston, elsewhere in Texas and throughout the country. According to parkour founder David Belle, “The spirit of parkour is guided in part by the notions of ‘escape’ and ‘reach,’ that is, the idea of using quick thinking with dexterity to get out of difficult situations, and to be able to go anywhere one desires.”

According to Belle, when you’re in a hostile confrontation with an individual, you’ll be able to speak, fight or flee. And since martial arts train for the fight, parkour trains for the escape.

An important characteristic of parkour is efficiency. This means that a traceur must not merely move as fast as he can, but move in a way that is the least energy-consuming, while simultaneously the most direct. And because parkour’s unofficial motto is tre et durer (to be, or to exist, and to last), the quick efficiency also involves avoiding injuries, both in the short and long-term.

Parkour got its start in Paris twenty years ago when two teens began devising moves to swiftly get from one point to another to rescue someone or escape in an emergency. The sport, also sometimes called free running, has been creeping into U.S. culture in recent years through YouTube clips.

For all its risks, parkour encourages good habits and pushes discipline and self-improvement. True traceurs aren’t smokers, because it would hurt their endurance. Nor do they drink or take drugs while running, because it would hurt their balance and agility. Parkour web sites post daily exercises such as push-ups and other calisthenics that focus on strength and flexibility. Veteran traceurs often urge newbies not to show up for training sessions until they can finish a hard three-mile run.

When it comes to performing parkour, there are fewer predefined movements than in gymnastics and other extreme sports. Parkour is not a sport that’s made up of a list of appropriate “moves”.

Every obstacle a traceur faces presents a unique challenge on how they address it and overcome it effectively and efficiently. This will depend on an individual’s body type, speed and angle of approach, the physical make-up of the obstacle, etc.

Parkour is actually primarily about training the body and mind to be able to react to obstacles appropriately with a technique that works. But many times the technique used defies classification and is not given a name. In many cases, effective parkour techniques depend upon rapid redistribution of body weight and by incorporating the body’s momentum to perform seemingly impossible or difficult body maneuvers quickly.

The adsorption and redistribution of energy is also important, because as body rolls during a landing, it needs to reduce impact forces on the legs and spinal column. This allows a traceur to jump from greater heights than those often considered sensible in other forms of acrobatics and gymnastics. According to David Belle, you want to move in such a way that will help you gain the most ground as if escaping or chasing toward someone or something. Despite this, there are many basic techniques that are emphasized to beginners for their versatility and effectiveness.

Most important are good jumping and landing techniques. The roll, used to limit impact after a drop and to carry an individual’s momentum onward, is often stressed as the most important technique to learn. Many traceurs develop joint problems from too many large drops and rolling incorrectly.

Unusual and physically demanding sports such as parkour can be a great way to exercise to maintain good health.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

Rock climbing can be divided into two main types i.e. indoor and outdoor rock climbing. There are a variety of styles of rock climbing. Two of the most common styles are: The Traditional and Sport style. Rock climbers use other styles too. Most of them prefer to use the style that suits them the best. This article will provide you with the different styles of rock climbing and its features.

Traditional style:

Traditional rock climbing is also commonly known amongst climber as trad climbing. A traditional rock climber is known as trad climber. This style involves exploration and establishment of new routes. This style requires a lot of skill including self control, gear placement, route finding, down hill climbing, etc. This style came into existence before the sport style of climbing. This style is unaided with permanent anchors to help while ascending. It is more physically and mentally challenging than sport climbing. A trad climber uses a rope and places nuts and hexes in crevices to ensure safety.

Sport style:

Sport style of climbing unlike traditional climbing lets the climber use permanent anchors for protection. These anchors are fixed to the rock face to assist the climb. Sport climbing requires gymnastics abilities, endurance and strength. Sport climbing is safer compared to traditional climbing. The gear too is different. It includes bolts and quick draws i.e. a small sling, which has carabiners on both ends. Sport climbing can be both indoor as well as outdoor. Indoor sport climbing developed because climbers wanted to practice climbing throughout the year.

Bouldering:

This style of climbing requires the climber to have great strength, endurance and concentration. The climber needs to use all these skills to work a way through the boulder route. This style is more dangerous and requires experience. This style is practiced indoors as well as the outdoors. While bouldering, climbers usually do not get their feet a couple of feet above the ground surface. Bouldering does not include any ropes or belay placed at the bas of the cliff. The only gear required for this type of rock climbing is shoes, crash pad and chalk. Bouldering involves a series of problems known as routes. These routes are series of moves a climber needs to practice over and over again. Additional moves will increase the challenge. It is advised that bouldering should not be done at great heights.

Solo style:

The solo climbing style is the most dangerous style of climbing. It is also considered by most of the climber as the freest style of climbing. This is so because the climbers climb alone i.e. without any partner, protection or rope. This style of climbing is best left to the experts. The main aim of such a climb is to reach the summit.

Ice climbing:

As the name suggests, this style of rock climbing includes climbing on ice. One does not need to be told that it is going to a cold climb. Ice climbing means climbing a vertical wall of ice and this ice wall may be formed by a frozen waterfall. The tools required for ice climbing are quite different from the tools used in the other styles of climbs.

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Rock climbing is an extreme sport that people do indoors and outdoors. On a basic climb the only things that would be required is a good pair of shoes, a fit body and a sound mind. All this can make the climbing experience worthwhile, but when going on a climbing trip it takes a bit more of effort. When making such climbing trips, beginners and even the intermediates forget to get the essential equipment for climbing and the camping. So the list below can be used as a checklist when going on a climbing trip and can be of great help to a rookie climber. Also an important concept that should always be considered is to go light, because climbing is supposed to be a fun and adventurous experience, no one would like to spoil it by carrying any extra weight.

So the things, which are needed to be bought on a climbing, trip are-

. The basic requirement is a tent when going on a long climbing trip to protect you from the elements of weather.

. A sleeping bag is another necessity when on a climbing trip. The sleeping bag has to be warm enough and should be capable of keeping you warm in low temperatures.

. Having a sleeping pad can be an added advantage, when the terrain is rough this will help in keeping you comfortable and warm.

. A headlamp is also useful in the dark, and any light in the dark is always beneficial.

. The climbing gear is the most important equipment on the climb; it all should be double checked before leaving for the trip.

. Water is an essential on a climbing trip that should be carried always. You can either find out if the water is drinkable or get a water treatment when going on a climb.

. The food and stove on a climb help in warming canned food and nourishing your body. The food that is brought should be rich in carbohydrates like potatoes, fruits, etc.

. The weather should always be monitored before a climb and warm clothes or raincoats should be brought along to protect when on a climb.

. The First Aid kit is very essential on the list and should be in the pack of a climber always, since it is never known when it will be required.

. The guidebooks or Topos should be got as per to the location of the climb and the use is quite obvious to the climbers.

These are the items that need to be brought on a climbing trip. There are other minute things that have to be looked into as well. But to remove the benefit of doubt a few of them are listed: extra pair of socks, hand towel, a knife, a set of clean clothes for the ride home, credit cards in case of an emergency and what would make it better is to have a good partner on the climb, to support and encourage you on.

Rock Climbing Wall manufacture Extreme Engineering is a leader in Rock Climbing Walls. Check out our new Spider Zone Climber at http://www.extremeengineering.com.