Black Sheep Skates

By Phil Smart

 Talk about extreme sports and going skiing would be one of the typical activites that springs to mind. Mountain biking has also been a part of extreme sports and is massively popular in the Rockies of the United States. Have you ever considered combining those two extreme sports? In Vail, Colorado, skiers who are bummed out about the warmer summer season with no snow around have invented a way to have fun while waiting for the snowy season. They have combined both sports and have given some off work ski lift workers some summer employment. If you love biking and you love skiing, this combination of extreme sports is ideal for you.

Once the ski lifts have been opened up for the skiers, and for a nominal fee, they carry the skiers up to the top of the mountain with their cycles. They then take the ski-lift carrying their bikes with them. Once they get to the top, they jump off the lift - landing on the bicycle’s pedals with their feet and off they go. They can choose from a number of down hill slopes to speed down at break neck speeds. The only difficulty is that a hill with all the snow gone is often covered with rocks and other debris. These obstacles as well as the steep slopes make this sport dangerous and exciting - and of course - extreme!

If you have never tried this or any other extreme sports, you should ride with an expert the first few times. Protective gear is always necessary which should definitely include a helmet and pads. You are on a bike and not skis! The bike itself can injure you if you have a wipe out against some rocks. Handlebars can cause nasty gashes on you. Knee pads are recommended as well as thick gloves. If you fall off your bike going faster than thirty MPH, you will slide a long way - ow!

One way to stay a little safer is to follow the normal routes on the slopes by following the standard green, blue, black, and double black diamond. It is not advisable to go off the beaten track because the orange barrier fence that borders the run in the winter will probably have been taken away. Beginner extreme sports enthusiasts will discover that flying down ski slopes on a bike is harder than it sounds. You must be manouverable enough to jump your wheels to avoid obstacles and make tight turns.

Dry ski mountain biking can be done at Colorado and other areas in that locality. Call ahead and make sure that they will allow the bicycles on the ski lifts. It is also worth asking how much it will cost to buy tickets. Quite often, you can find ski resorts which are open for the summer purely so that people can hitch a ride and enjoy the view.

For bargain ski apparel check out our predefined eBay one click skiing equipment search sites.

Extreme Sports

skates

By Roger Munns

 Certain ski resorts in Canada plan to make their slopes more family friendly by removing all of their man-made snow jumps. This is good news to some, especially if your father is bunny hill material, yet he still pretends to be a stuntman from a James Bond film.

The Canadian resorts stretch from Quebec to British Columbia. They include Lake Louise, Fernie, Kimberley, Nakiska, Mont-Sainte-Anne, and Stoneham. The resorts want to put safety first and they believe that other major resorts will soon follow suit. Matt Mosteller, Senior Director of Business Development for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies states, ‘We are undertaking an industry-leading initiative. We have found that one of the main issues that increase the likelihood of serious injury on our mountains is big air. When we are making decisions about safety at our resorts, the big jumps in the terrain parks always come into the equation. We decided to make a change.’

Amateurs might be saved some serious injuries, but what about thrill seekers that actually know what they are getting into when they try to get big air?

Mosteller addresses this concern, stating, ‘We are committed to providing our guests with a safe experience at our mountains. We realize that this change may disappoint some guests who regularly use these man-made jump features. However, we believe we have a strong moral obligation not to compromise the safety of our guests.’ There will, of course, still be other resorts that cater to the more talented and adventurous.

But for people that think the idea of leaving the ground while on skis sounds like a worst-case scenario, this change of policy means the resorts will have more money to invest on other perks the average skier is more likely to appreciate. For instance, the same announcement mentioned that new rails and features for existing terrain parks are planned in Lake Louise, Fernie and Nakiska. The parks are also implementing new “family-friendly” terrain parks. These new parks feature small rails, boxes and rollers that help children get started on the slopes.

According to the RCR website, the company is aiming at ‘encouraging learning, safety and fun in a non-intimidating environment.’ This seems to be in line with the corporate vision of RCR, which states that the resorts should be “the ideal place to visit when you want to re-connect with your family, friends and nature.” The company, which has owned and operated the parks for the past five years, wants the parks to be family-oriented destinations.

Skiing in general is one of the more dangerous sports. Clearly, bowling might be a bit safer than flying down a hill on two sticks at very fast speeds. But the resorts no longer want the added liability of “kickers,” as skiers often call such jumps.

The Resorts of the Canadian Rockies also announced its plan to host a Rail Jam series that will take place at Lake Louise Mountain Resort, Fernie Alpine Resort and Nakiska in the same press release,. “Features used in the Rail Jam series will be suitable for a high level of competition, while also adhering to safe practices,” according to the RCR. So, expert skiers that are not particularly concerned with family fun will have some new features to look forward to at the RCR parks.

The removal of RCR’s “kickers” is the subject of quite a bit of online controversy, but it appears that the RCR is unlikely to reverse its decision in the near future. Perhaps this isn’t a bad thing for families, since daredevils will now feel a little less compelled to imitate the pros. This initiative will certainly save at least a few broken bones across Canada this winter.

Skiing holiday information in Andorra and beyond is available at YourAndorra.com - and the ski holidays guide includes details about Arinsal ski holiday resort.

Other ski holidays information for the 2008 season is included, with a section about the ski holiday company Crystal ski holidays

Extreme Sports

extreme sports

Author: SETE18PROD

Keywords: SKI SNOW SOUTH AMERICA SNOWBOARD SKIING SNOWBOARDING CHILE ARGENTINA RADICAL SPORTS TRAVEL

Added: March 12, 2009

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Extreme Sports

snow board

By John Edmond

 With winter quickly approaching, people who live in some of the colder regions of the country are preparing for the ice fishing season. Ice fishing is a charming sport in that people who do it often feel as though they are slipping into character.

As you put on the several layers of warm and dry clothing, you can’t help but feel as though you are playing the role of some experienced, seasoned fisherman who is about to conquer the hostile environment of the winter’s ice and snow.

Ice fishing is more than just finding a spot on the ice to dig a hole and drop your line through. It’s not as easy as it looks. But what can be so difficult about sitting on the ice waiting for the fish to bite? There is more to ice fishing than simply staying warm.

There is a lot of hard work that goes into having a successful day out on the ice - after all, it is called ice fishing for a reason! If you don’t catch any fish, what’s the point? Everything from making the hole to releasing the fish and all the little things in between require attention to make your day worthwhile.

Once you have arrived at the lake, it is a good idea to make a pattern of the holes that you want to drill. Generally, the experts say to start your first hole about 10 feet from the shore. You should then drill about four to eight holes in a line. You may want to drill several lines of holes that create a grid or fan shape in order to thoroughly cover the structure on which you are working. Be sure to do all of your drilling when you first arrive. As you might imagine, fish are frightened by the noisy drill. Do the drilling once, and they will return to the spot before you know it.

There are two basic approaches to ice fishing. There is the active and the passive approach. The active approach is jigging (done by hand or with a wind-operated tip-up), while the passive approach is done by using a set line. Most ice fishing is accomplished using set lines. A set line is exactly what it sounds like. It is a line sitting still with a minnow on the end waiting for a bite. If you use this method, you are able to fish more than one hole at the same time, as well as do other things, such as cook or make a fire.

A set line will usually be rigged with a single small wire hook tied to the end and a split shot attached six to eighteen inches up the line. A minnow is hooked and the line is sent to within inches of the bottom or into the strike zone. You may also use bear paws to add dropper lines to your main line. This lets you fish at multiple depths. Once you’ve put the lines down the hole, all you have to do is wait for a hit to set off a flag.

You’ve caught the fish, now what? When bringing in the line by hand, you have got to make sure the line doesn’t go slack. As you are pulling with one hand, grasp the line with the other before letting your first hand go. You are going to also have to judge quickly how green the fish is before it reaches the surface. If it’s too active, the fish will be harder to bring up through the hole, and you will run the risk of losing what you have worked so hard to catch. Once you do have the head through the hole, the fish is all yours. Now that you have the basics, what are you waiting for? Get out on the ice and start fishing!

John Edmond runs and writes regularly for Living And Camping Outdoors where you can read many more articles on fishing and outdoor living skills. Also go to Well Spoken Audio for a range of entertaining fishing audiobooks and much more.

Extreme Sports

skates