Wingsuit Flying – The Greatest Adrenaline Rush

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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.

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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.

Fantasy Football: The Secret To Legalized Gambling

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If you are like me and don’t want to get drunk intentionally during Sunday football, I have a game for you. Take a drink every time you see a Fan Duel or Draft Kings commercial advertising the next big winner could be YOU!!!! By the end of next Sunday you will A.) Swear off drinking for the rest of your life B.) Call in sick to work at 4:00pm on Sunday or C.) Sign up for one of the sites, enter in a weeks’ worth of pay and be divorced by the following Sunday. In other words, nothing good really will come of this game, but you can say to yourself, ” I didn’t intentionally get drunk, it just happen because of the commercials.”

I cannot remember when I saw such a blatant in your face push of gambling. I mean Vegas doesn’t even push gambling that much. The commercials were almost running one after another. It got to a point that I didn’t even know who was who. I truly believe right now that you could go to either site, sign up and enter the promo code “poop,” it would double your deposit. All in the name of fantasy football which is somehow not gambling.

So you are saying that I put money down, pick my team and compete against other people in games ranging from $1 to $1000 (maybe more, but I am too afraid to even look, being the degenerate gambler that I am) in a winner take all at the end of the games each week and that is not gambling? This is ok to promote as not gambling? So, if I want to bet $100 on the Chiefs beating the Broncos on Thursday night, that is illegal except in three states. However, picking players from the teams is ok in any state? What am I missing here?

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The two fantasy leagues that I am in both require money to be paid out at the end of each season and I am trying my luck at starting and benching players week in and week out to win. That sounds like gambling to me. If there is money exchanged with a chance of losing it by luck and not by your action, then I would say it is gambling.

They don’t even hide behind the option that this is not a gambling site and you can play for free like the old poker site commercials. They are loud and proud to say “Enter you deposit, double your deposit, and win your millions.” And for some reason, the NFL is ok with all this, but won’t support gambling directly per game.  

The NFL will waste time, money and resources on deflated balls for the integrity of the game, but it will allow fantasy football gambling’s sites to dominate week 1 commercials. Not to mention the Draft Kings or Fan Duel spot light on ESPN or the push of the Draft Kings or Fan Duel promo on the NFL network. The integrity of the game just got sold out to promo code “Poop” and nobody even is batting an eyelash. Oh well, at least I will be drunk during  afternoon and evenings games.

One gambling tip I forgot to share. Usually a safe bet is betting against any West Coast team playing an East Coast team in the early time slot, especially college. Those poor West Coast teams just can’t get up for a noon game East Coast time. Easy money and you can tip me when you win big. Man, I am glad football is back.

by Saint Jimma

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Cave Diving – Is It In Your League?

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There are some people who like football. Others like basketball. Adventurist types may like rock climbing, scuba diving, or even parasailing. Then there are those who like to cave dive.

What on (or under) earth is cave diving? It is exactly as it sounds – diving into underwater caves. This is not to be confused with cavern diving – which is much safer, and considered recreational in contrast to cave diving. In cavern diving, the diver will go as deep as some 100 feet into the water – somewhere between the cave itself and the surface of the water. Their entry point is always visible. With cave diving, however, the diver goes well beyond sight of the entry point, through the cavern, and into the cave. These caves can be as shallow as a thousand feet. Cave diving, therefore, obviously requires some serious precautions, considerations, and equipment.

Hazards, and Keeping Safe Down Under

There are a few general rules that follow good practices of cave diving. The safety precautions that need to be learned are obtained through proper training, and exercised by always having a guideline, properly managing air/gas supplies, and having proper and sufficient lighting.

Training: It is non-negotiable that those desiring to go cave diving require special training. In these caves, there are strong currents. There may be a cave that is actually an inlet for a river that flows into it. Some caves are syphons. Caves with tunnels can have various currents as well – some going out, and some coming in. There are also special considerations to give as respects to buoyancy and navigation – which is not the same as it is in open water. The specialized equipment that cave divers have also require training for use, otherwise it can prove to be just as fatal as not having the equipment at all. Without proper training, a diver cannot expect to be successful.

Guidelines: Many divers who had sufficient training, proper equipment, and sufficient gas to last throughout their dive still did not find themselves successful at returning to the surface where they began. Considering the fact that you are trekking into an unfamiliar, underwater cave with many passages, it becomes quite evident that there is a chance of getting lost. It is extremely important to have a continuous guideline that will lead you back out of the cave, regardless of experience, equipment, or supplies.

Air management: Do not let your supply drop beneath two-thirds before deciding to return to the surface. In order to be prepared for the unforeseen (loss of lighting, possible loss of guideline, needing to share air with another diver, lost/broken apparatus) the rule of “two-thirds” should be followed: use no more than a third of your air supply during penetration, and use the rest for the return. A diver should also be cautious to use the proper breathing media, as some are meant to be used in shallow waters, and others in deeper waters. Improper usage can have physiological effects that result in pulmonary distress and/or failures.

Having proper lighting: Not only should a diver carry the proper lights, but he should also have backup lights. Three lights total: one primary, and two backup. Eventually every diver experiences light failure. The last thing anyone wants to happen is to be blinded in an underwater cave. Carry extra lights, please.

Never go beyond the depth for which you are trained. Gasses react differently in the body, the pressure and circumstances increase chances of complications every 30 feet, and our circulatory and pulmonary systems are not built to naturally withstand large, sudden pressure changes (such as rising too quickly from hundreds of feet below). Apparatuses can break under rising pressure, and bodily movements become different, and more complex. This is a very technical sport that merits certification.

Equipment Required for Survival

The deeper someone decides to go into the water, the more things he will generally need to have a safe return. Depending on the depth, basic scuba gear and some add-ons may suffice. For more serious diving, there will be some additional necessities. For cave diving, a few of the things you need will be along the lines of suits, masks, fins, exposure protection, harnesses (side-mount, back plate, and/or wing), line arrows and guidelines, safety reels, propulsion devices/vehicles, buoyancy control devices and weights, gas supply, instrumentation , knives, and dive lights. As every circumstance is different, it is best to investigate what devices and outfitting are needed for each dive.

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So, When You Do Decide to Go Cave Diving…

…consider:

Florida and California offer the best spots for cave diving for the North America. A few of Florida’s dive spots are called Manatee Spring, Cow Spring, Telford Spring, Little River, Devil’s Eye, and Jackson Blue. Mexico boasts Dos Ojos, Mayan Blue, Temple of Doom, and Cenotes of the Riviera, just to name a few. Hawaii has the popular Maui’s Bubble Cave, which is at it implies: there is an air bubble in this cave, in which divers can actually remove their masks and breathe!

In South America, The Great Blue Hole can be quite the adventure for those in Belize. It is named such because when above the water, it looks like a great blue hole. For those wanting to explore a vertical cave, this is the most aesthetically-pleasing dive for you. The Dive Peninsula in Papagayo, Costa Rica may not have impressive seascape that many other caves feature. Perhaps the seahorses and other marine life will make the dive totally worth the plunge. For those looking specifically for notable marine life, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil is the place to see anything from dolphins to manta rays.

Africa’s very own Sleeping Pool or Chirorodziva (Pool of the Fallen) in Makonde District, Mashonaland West Province, in central, northern Zimbabwe offer unusually high visibility ranges (upward of 160 feet). It is part of one of the most extensive cave networks accessible to the public.

Europe’s France has a few caves, notably Fontain de St George, Emergence du Russel, and Trou Madame. If you are looking for colorful reefs and passages, you will want to go to Chios Island in Greece. The Alghero Caves in Italy in the Sardinian waters near Porto Conte Bay have the best caves in the Mediterranean. While there are some above-water caves, there are more than a couple dozen below water that are available for exploration.

While the Asian Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar technically offers caverns versus caves, they are teeming with colorful aquatic life – the likes of which are rarely seen. The Malaysian Island Pulau Sipadan has a limestone cave. However, if you are an animal lover you may not want to go – as this cave has tons of passages with turtles that never made it to the surface for air.

Piccaninnie Ponds in Australia hosts a rather bright ‘Cathedral,’ limestone cave beneath the sinkhole. Underwater visibility is particularly good here.

Why Go Cave Diving?

Despite the hazards and many fatalities reported, people go cave diving because you can literally explore other worlds. It is not every day you see sting rays, or colorful reefs; stalactites, stalagmites, and lime-covered rock walls lining paths to sea-life unseen. The marvels of the aquatic biosphere are simply beyond justification by words – and every cave diver knows that.

by

Angelique Harris

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Sandingboarding: A New, Thrilling Sport

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Introduction to Sandboarding

Sandboarding is an awesome board sport very similar to snowboarding; only difference is that instead of snow covered mountains it takes place on sand dunes. You will find board sport lovers throughout the globe. It is mostly prevalent on the coastal areas with beaches covered with sand dunes or the desert areas.

It is a fun sport full of thrive and adventure. It involves standing on the board with your feet strapped on it and riding down or across the sand hills, some of the sand boarders use the board without the bindings as well. Sand boarding is less popular than snowboarding mainly because a mechanized ski lift is difficult to build on sand hills therefore the participants have to walk the way back top, which most people find tiring. Some of the sand boarding places have a ride back to the top like the dune buggy or the all-terrain vehicle. On the other hand, sand hills are available all through the year while snowboarding is seasonal.

Equipment Required for Sandboarding

The base of the sand board is much harder than that of a snowboard. The materials used to make the boards are laminex or formica. Before a run can begin the bottom of the board is waxed using a wax which is paraffin-based for its easy gliding over the sand. The bottom of the board has a grainy look but with the ‘Race Base’ polish the look is more lustrous and suave.

Full size sandboards are made of wood, plastic composite and fibre glass while terrain sandboards are made of hardwood ply.

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World’s Top Destinations for Sandboarding

1. Peru

The world’s largest sand dune is located in this South American country and is known as Duna Grande in Ica. You need to be a braveheart if you wish to go sandboarding on the dunes of Peru as they can be perfidiously steep and require a lot of proficiency to sail down with your sandboard. The dunes of Nasca and Arequipa are famous too.

2. Australia

The continent has a huge collection of massive sand dunes, making it the perfect destination to sway your sandboard. The southern part of Australia has naturally made sand dunes on the Kangaroo Island and these dunes stretch as far as almost two square kilometres. The Tasmanian region and the Stockton dunes near Sydney have adventurers flocking to enjoy the thrill of the sport. If you are new to the sport yet want to try then you can visit the Lucky Bay sand banks where you can enjoy sandboarding tours with trained guides.

3. Nicaragua

If you are really looking forward for adventure then Nicaragua is the ultimate destination for a fun-filled experience of sandboarding. You could experience sandboarding down the slope of an active volcano. Guided by an expert you can climb the Cerro Negro active volcano and after exploring the summit skiing down the precipitous slopes of the mountains is the ultimate experience you might have always longed for. The black sands are wonderful to sandboard on. There are many companies functioning from the town of Leon who can make provisions for sandboarding there.

4. Chile

The complete northern part of Chile is famous for this sport. The Atacama Desert has many ideal places for sandboarding making it the hub of all the sandboarders. There are many fast routes down the hill of Cerro Iman in Chile which is why besides regular sandboarding an annual sandboarding contest is also held. More places for this sport in Chile are Valle de la Muerte, Punta de Choros, Mendanoso and Cerro Dragon.

5. Namibia

Sandboarding is better known as sand-skiing in Namibia and instead of boards a ski is used to glide down the sand. Namib Desert dunes around Walvis Bay and Swakopmundare, the areas where this sport is enjoyed as it is here that the most beautiful sand dunes are located. If you can manage a special permit you will be able to ski the sands of the world’s highest sandbank in Sossusvlei. There are two ways in which you can sand-ski:

• ‘Lie Down’ style where the skier lies down on a board sliding headlong on the sand dunes
• ‘Stand Up Boarding’ where the same method and tactics are used to slide like snowboarding.

There are many sports and competitions which are held throughout the year, there has also been records set on the dunes of Namibia. A German residing in Namibia set a Guinness Book of World Record on June 6, 2010 when he speeded down the dunes at an unbelievable speed of 92.12km.

6. United States of America

The world’s first sandboard park is in Florence in the United States of America. The park is named Sandmaster Park. The sands in this region widen from Florence to Coos Bay and have the biggest span of coastal dunes in North America.    

7. Dubai

The famous desert of Dubai is among the most sought destinations for sandboarding today. The administration is wonderful and you will easily find many touring agencies that offer the proficient help required. Ensure you set your clock early in order to reach the dunes in the desert on time to enjoy surfing the sands.

Competitions and Events

Sandboarding World Championship (SWC)

Held in Hirschau at Monte Kaolino in Germany the place boasts of the largest sand dune in all of Europe. There are dune which go as high as 300 feet and more which land in a water landing at the bottom of the hill. The Events held in the competition are ‘sandboard cross’ and ‘slalom freestyle’.

Sand Master Jam

An event which takes place in the spring, the event is conducted in the famous Sand Master Park of Florence in Oregon.

Pan-American Sandboarding Challenge

Many young sand boarders and professional take part in the events of jump and freestyle sandboarding which is held in the month of July at Prainha Beach in Aquiraz, Ceara, Brazil.

Sand Sports Super Show

It is a three day event which is conducted in the month of September at the Orange County Fair and Expo Center in Costa Mesa, California.

Conclusion

Sandboarding is a new, thrilling sport that requires minimum equipment and cost to participate. So purchase a sandboard, get some instruction, and head for the dunes. A new, extreme adventure awaits you. 

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Thrill Girl Cali Miles