Wingsuit Flying – The Greatest Adrenaline Rush

http://thethrillsociety.com is your link to Thrilling Stuff! This article is just a taste!

The famous Greek mythology of Icarus and his father flying out of Crete has been a figment of fantasy for many children as they were growing up. While flying like a bird has been man’s dream for centuries now, wingsuit flying also known as proximity flying, is the closest anyone can get to the bird-like experience of flying.

A Century Of Trial And Errors

It has taken us approximately a century to perfect this extreme sport, which is still known to involve fatalities. The earliest attempt in wingsuit flying was made by Franz Reichelt, who was a 33 year old tailor. On February 4, 1912, Franz lost his life as he jumped off the Eiffel Tower to test his invention.

Eighteen years later, in 1930 a successful use of wingsuit was recorded by Rex Finney in Los-Angeles. Materials like canvas, wood, silk, steel and whalebone constituted the early wingsuits which were considered rather risky and did not gain much popularity.

In mid 1990’s innovators started modernizing the wingsuit with the availability of new materials. Patrick de Gayardon of France adapted a wingsuit model from the model used by BASE jumping pioneer, John Carta. The suit continued to evolve as creative inventors tried to achieve a fully functional wingsuit however, commercialization of the wingsuit did not happen until 1999.

Click HERE to visit the TTS store filled with original products! 

Jari Kuosma of Finland and Robert Pecnik of Slovenia created the first commercial wingsuit making the sport accessible for adventure seekers. BirdMan International Ltd. established by Kuosma was the first company to offer wingsuits to skydivers and covered the safety of proximity flying through an instructor program.

Coming back to today’s world, all wingsuit manufacturing companies have instituted coach training programs, however, the risks of the sport are clearly outlined and fatal accidents are yet to be eradicated completely. BASE jumpers have adopted wingsuit flying to add to the adventure of their sport which led the sport being commonly known as WiSBASE jumping.

Image credit: “Dubai Wingsuit Flying Trip (7623583596)” by Richard Schneider 

The Mechanism

Wingsuit fliers utilize a wingsuit and a parachute to enjoy proximity flying. Those who choose to jump out of fixed objects like a building or a cliff fall in the category of BASE jumpers, while wing-suit jumpers who exit out of aircrafts are skydiving jumpers.

Similar to the rudder of the ship, a wingsuit allows the jumper to glide through the air and move in the direction they choose. Different types of wingsuits have different capabilities when it comes to the fall rate and the forward speed for fliers. Wingsuit fliers can reduce their vertical fall rate to 60 to 120 seconds as opposed to 8 to 15 seconds of free fall without a wingsuit.

Innovations To The Wingsuit

With the extreme sport gaining substantial popularity, developments to the wingsuit continue to bring more adventure into the sport. Wingpack is a hybrid of a hang-glider and a wingsuit where the glide ratio is higher when compared to wing suits.

Jet-powered wingsuits are also being considered by inventors and although it has been used successfully by people, commercialization of the product is yet to happen.

Records

Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) is the world governing Airsports body and it has established judging criteria for wingsuit formations in February 2015. A 61 person formation of wingsuit fliers holds the record of formation wingsuit flying since October 17, 2015 as they flew over Perris Valley Airport near Perris, California.

Russian WiSBASE jumper Valery Rozov achieved the record of highest WiSBASE jump when he jumped from a height of 7220 meters from Mount Everest’s North Col on May 5, 2013.

The longest WiSBASE jump of 7.5 kilometers is held by Dean Potter as of November 2, 2011.

The fastest speed reached in wingsuit flying was 363 km/h by Shin Ito on May 28, 2011. He also holds the record for the greatest horizontal distance covered in a wingsuit which was 26.9 km.

Colombian skydiver Jhonathan Florez set the record for the highest altitude – 11,358 m and the longest duration – 9 minutes and 6 seconds – spent in wingsuit flying when he jumped from La Guajira, Colombia.

Risks Of The Sport

Extreme sport lovers may enjoy the thrill of WiSBASE jumping, but the adrenaline rush created by this sport can hardly veil the dangers of wingsuit flying. Fatalities have reduced over the years, but there is hardly much statistics to support the safety of the sport. Wingsuit coaching is highly advised for all aspiring wingsuit fliers. Licensed skydivers who have completed 200 skydives in the last 18 months qualify for wingsuit flying.

After Thoughts

While extreme sports are named rightly after the extreme risk involved in them, proximity flying is an adventure that can hardly be ignored by the extreme sports lovers. A thorough training and the right choice of wingsuit can ensure safety of the fliers without losing the sense of exhilaration they crave for.

Get Closer For Better Photos

http://thethrillsociety.com is your link to Thrilling Stuff! This article is just a taste!

I look at a lot of photos via social media and magazines everyday. One major problem with photographs I see over and over is the splotch of distraction that doesn’t go with the subject. For example if the subject is a beautiful, yellow flower that takes up 3/4 of the photograph, the splotch of distraction would be a crap brown, out of focus, god only knows what the hell it is taking up 1/4 of the photograph. My eyes don’t even look at the beautiful, yellow flower. They immediately go to the crap brown, splotch of distraction.

How does a photographer get rid of the crap brown splotch of distraction? Take two steps closer to the subject. If that doesn’t work, take two steps closer and so on. Super easy to solve, but unfortunately not accomplished often enough.

Let’s take a look at the photo below for an example.

This photograph is of the steps leading up to the Newport Bridge in Oregon. What really caught my eye about this scene is the amazing lines formed by the concrete structure. On either side of this scene is graffiti some enterprising, artistic youth was kind of enough to share in a hideous, neon pink color. If I would have included the graffiti the entire scene would have been ruined and not have showcased the amazing lines of this concrete architecture. Instead all the viewer would be able to focus on is the hideous, neon pink graffiti. 

Click HERE to visit the TTS store filled with original products! 

So lets take this getting closer concept up one notch. One of the main reasons a photographer gets a crap brown, splotch of distraction in their photograph is because they plop their tripod down and then try to make the shot work. This is a major tripod usage foul! A better technique is to walk around until you have the scene where you want it, then plop the tripod down.

Let’s look at the photograph below for an example.

This photograph is a night shot of a pier in Cairns, Australia. What I am trying to capture is the line of the hand railing in conjunction with the line of lights. A bonus feature is the red clothing of the fisherman providing contrast. Funny thing is there was a massive sign right behind me clearly stating that there was no fishing off the pier past this point, but that didn’t phase Mr. Red Outfit. Fishing violations aside to make this shot work I had to line the hand railing and line of lights up just right. This took a bit of moving around to get it right. Once I got the shot where I wanted it, plop goes the tripod and let the long exposure fun begin!

Another way to avoid the crap brown, splotch of distraction is to take a look all around the viewfinder before snapping the pic. If there is a crap brown, splotch of distraction then make the adjustment before hitting the click button.

95% of the time getting closer to the subject would make a better photograph. However, 5% of the time getting too close can be the problem. Those 5% choppers of essential subject matter leave the viewer wanting more. There often times is a delicate balance of being too far away and being too close. This balance is a fun, challenging aspect of photography that has to be thought out for every photograph.

Next topic: ON A BUDGET? BUY USED PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR.

Bryce Canyon National Park: What To See

http://thethrillsociety.com is your link to Thrilling Stuff! This article is just a taste!

Bryce Canyon National Park is a National Park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).

The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.992 sq mi; 14,502 ha; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of and 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than Zion National Park. The weather in Bryce Canyon is therefore cooler, and the park receives more precipitation: a total of 15 to 18 inches (380 to 460 mm) per year. Yearly temperatures vary from an average minimum of 9 °F (−13 °C) in January to an average maximum of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, but extreme temperatures can range from −30 to 97 °F (−34 to 36 °C). The record high temperature in the park was 98 °F (37 °C) on July 14, 2002. The record low temperature was −28 °F (−33 °C) on December 10, 1972.

Click HERE to visit the TTS store filled with original products! 

The national park lies within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America and straddles the southeastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau west of the Paunsaugunt Fault (Paunsaugunt is Paiute for “home of the beaver”). Park visitors arrive from the plateau part of the park and look over the plateau’s edge toward a valley containing the fault and the Paria River just beyond it (Paria is Paiute for “muddy or elk water”). The edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau bounds the opposite side of the valley.

Bryce Canyon was not formed from erosion initiated from a central stream, meaning it technically is not a canyon. Instead headward erosion has excavated large amphitheater-shaped features in the Cenozoic-aged rocks of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. This erosion exposed delicate and colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that are up to 200 feet (60 m) high. A series of amphitheaters extends more than 20 miles (30 km) north-to-south within the park. The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles (19 km) long, 3 miles (5 km) wide and 800 feet (240 m) deep. A nearby example of amphitheaters with hoodoos in the same formation but at a higher elevation, is in Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is 25 miles (40 km) to the west on the Markagunt Plateau.

Rainbow Point, the highest part of the park at 9,105 feet (2,775 m),is at the end of the 18-mile (29 km) scenic drive. From there, Aquarius Plateau, Bryce Amphitheater, the Henry Mountains, the Vermilion Cliffs and the White Cliffs can be seen. Yellow Creek, where it exits the park in the north-east section, is the lowest part of the park at 6,620 feet (2,020 m).

Little is known about early human habitation in the Bryce Canyon area. Archaeological surveys of Bryce Canyon National Park and the Paunsaugunt Plateau show that people have been in the area for at least 10,000 years. Basketmaker Anasazi artifacts several thousand years old have been found south of the park. Other artifacts from the Pueblo-period Anasazi and the Fremont culture (up to the mid-12th century) have also been found.

The Paiute Indians moved into the surrounding valleys and plateaus in the area around the same time that the other cultures left. These Native Americans hunted and gathered for most of their food, but also supplemented their diet with some cultivated products. The Paiute in the area developed a mythology surrounding the hoodoos (pinnacles) in Bryce Canyon. They believed that hoodoos were the Legend People whom the trickster Coyote turned to stone. At least one older Paiute said his culture called the hoodoos Anka-ku-was-a-wits, which is Paiute for “red painted faces”.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryce_Canyon_National_Park

American Whiskey: What Makes It Stand Out

http://TheThrillSociety.com It’s wicked Thrilling!

One Of The Finest Whiskies

American Whiskey has the hallmark of vanilla sweetness, spice, and a crisp flavor. While bourbon is one of the most popular types of American Whiskey, rye, Tennessee, and corn are some of the other types of American Whiskey. With the many micro distilleries which have come up from California to New York and everywhere in between. People around the world are getting acquainted to American Whiskey and its intoxicating flavors.

Types of American Whiskey

Bourbon

Bourbon is exclusive to the country and is produced primarily in Kentucky. It is made of a minimum of 51% corn. It is aged in new, charred, white-oak barrels that gives the whiskey its sweet flavor.

Corn

This type of whiskey contains 80% of corn in the mash bill, which is the recipe. Corn whiskey is aged for a short time in uncharred, oak barrels.

Rye

Rye has a bitter and peppery taste and is fuller-bodied than other bourbons. It uses at least 51% rye and is aged in new, charred-oak barrels. The availability of rye makes it easy to use in the mash bill to create some of the best American whiskies.

Tennessee

Tennessee whiskey adds the Lincoln County Process to bourbon. The process requires the whiskey to be filtered slowly through ten feet of sugar-maple charcoal. The whiskey gets a smooth and sweet finish which reflects the taste of Tennessee whiskey. The world famous Jack Daniels owes its exotic flavors to this type of whiskey.

Wheat

Using 51% wheat, this whiskey is slightly softer than rye and bourbon. It is aged in new, charred white-oak barrels and has a smooth and sweet flavor to it.

White Dog

Commonly known as moonshine or white whiskey, White Dog is unaged whiskey, which is bottled right after distillation. Usually water is added to reduce the strength of the whiskey.

Others

Innovation leads to the creation of many flavor infusions. Other American whiskeys may result out of a blend of American Whiskeys and small changes in the process of creating whiskey.

History

American whiskey traces its origin to the states of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. It was produced mainly as a rye based liquor during the 18^th century. The availability of corn in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee favored the production of whiskey in these states by Irish pioneers.

By the 19^th century, whiskey had become popular throughout the country. The whiskey trade at its peak saw many unscrupulous traders trying to sell non-whiskey drinks in whiskey bottles. Sealed and labelled bottles became the only way to stop illegal trade.

The practice of sealed bottles was started by George Barvin Brown who sold whiskey to physicians and medical practitioners who used it to cure certain maladies. The practice of sealing bottles gradually became commercialized.

Click HERE to visit the TTS store filled with original products! 

Between 1922 and 1933, America saw the prohibition of whiskey as a result of abuse of alcohol. The supporters of the prohibition found the drink to be the reason behind many anti-social activities. During this period, six companies had the license to sell medicinal whiskey. Patients with a prescription could go to a pharmacy and buy bottled whiskey for medicinal purposes. The failures of the prohibition started becoming very clear and the prohibition was lifted in 1933.

Bourbon became one of the most popular American whiskeys and the US congress acknowledged it as ‘a distinct product of the USA’. Specific standards were set for bourbon to ensure the distinct flavor of the whiskey was not lost. Over these centuries, American whiskey has created a niche for itself in the world with its rich history.

Mash bill

The ingredients that are used in American whiskey vary on the type of whiskey that is being created. Corn, rye and wheat are some of the common ingredients. Most of the distilleries try to keep the recipe a secret. The process and ingredients give each type of whiskey its flavor.

What Makes American Whiskey Stand Out?

American whiskey is usually characterized by a sweeter and smoother taste. American whiskey is produced under strict standards to avoid adulteration. The regulations set for creating authentic American whiskey have ensured the whiskey retains its quality over years.

Conclusion

American whiskey has gained popularity because of the authenticity of the whiskey created in America. The potent flavors are considered to be one of the best. Bourbon still remains the most common type of American whiskey but micro distilleries are crafting whiskies of various blends which offer a great new taste to the usual whiskey.

Six People You Should Never Sleep With

http://TheThrillSociety.com It’s wicked Thrilling!

Oh, sex. How we love thee. Here, let us count the ways.

In, out, reverso-change-o (sometimes that helps), back to front, around and all the way down…

way,

way down.

It’s almost impossible to believe that something so fun is good for you, too. But experts have long toted the benefits of giving the old dog a bone.

Sex boosts your immune system and keeps your blood pressure in check. It also lowers stress levels and can be a good workout. Then there’s that glow only a good orgasm can give you….

Nonetheless, while (consensual) sex is akin to the feeling of a first-class ticket to Vegas, while you’re crapping bars of gold, on Prozac, there are just some things you don’t do. That is, people you don’t do.

There’s the obvious list – your boss, your roommate, your relative, Donald Trump – but the proverbial buck (‘scuse the pun) doesn’t stop there.

Here is a list of six folks you should absolutely, under no circumstances, ever sleep with. No matter how much you’re champing at the bite or how willing they are to accommodate you.

ONE: PEOPLE WHO DON’T READ BOOKS

 

John Waters, that pencil pornstache guy who rose to fame in the seventies, should be known for more than Hairspray and Pink Flamingo.

The famed actor/filmmaker coined the phrase: “If you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t fuck ’em!”

And I couldn’t agree more.

Click HERE to visit the TTS store filled with original products! 

When you’re done with the nasty you’re going to have to talk and what are you going to talk about with a person who doesn’t read more than the ingredients on their cereal box.

Come on, you’d get more engaging conversation from your vibrator and/or blow up doll.

Leave these folks to dwell where they belong – in the shallow end of the kiddie pool.

TWO: A KENNEDY

You don’t need to be Marilyn Monroe to know that this would be a bad idea.

Best case scenario, you’d end up being the mistress in a long line of mistresses.

Worst case scenario, you’d end up dying due to an alleged “overdose” of barbiturates, as you call your lover to attempt to save you from the men in black. Apparently, the Kennedys had a bit of a mouth on them and liked to reveal matters of the state to their bedroom conquests.

And definitely don’t do a Marilyn and double dip into the gene pool. Imagine comparing the moves of one, over the other. Shudder.

No, no. Get thee out of their bed and into a cab stat.

THREE: A BOBBITT

This is a slightly self-explanatory one, unless you’re into that stuff.

In 1993 the Bobbitts made headlines after wife, Lorena, cut off her husband, John’s, penis.

His crime? Sexual and emotional abuse, infidelity and rape – making him no prize.

The list of allegations against John Bobbitt also included being a selfish lover.

“He always have orgasm [sic], and he doesn’t wait for me to have orgasm. He’s selfish,” Lorena once told police.

The penis was returned to its “rightful” owner and, after surgery, John went on to star in two adult films. One was titled “Uncut.”

Lorena, was found not guilty.

You can uncross your legs now.

FOUR: THIS GUY

FIVE: KIM JONG-UN

Sure, that sexy middle part and all the cage-rattling may appeal to some but standing this guy up after a casual swipe on Tinder could cost you more than your dating reputation.

Just look at what happens when little Kim becomes displeased with a relative:

Add to Thaek’s supposed brutal end, Jong-un ordered that images of his uncle be edited out of documentaries and photographs. Ouch.

For these reasons and many more, should you see Jong-un on Tinder, for the love of God, swipe left. SWIPE LEFT!

SIX: KANYE WEST

Sorry, Kim, but this guy is two gaffs away from jumping up on a sofa and publicly announcing he’s in love.

Well, more specifically, that he’ll run for president in 2020.

Add to his recent spectacle, it seems Kanye is a tight-ass lover.

Reports have stipulated that Kim needs to beg her “candidate” of a husband to sleep with her.

Come on, “President” West! Getting willing partners to have sex with you is already hard enough. Now you’re going to hold out on Kim?

Kardashian, do yourself a favor, honey, and abort mission.

So, kids, should you be tempted to ever get a leg over this lot, I strongly urge you to go home and have several cold showers.

Better still, book a therapy session to discover what it is about these people that make you hot under the collar. There’s definitely something going on there.

Follow Milly @style_child on IG