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One of the hottest new extreme sports is called adventure racing. Far from being a sport with one set of rules, it features a variety of competitions like an Extreme version of the Olympics.

The name tells you all you need to know about the makeup of the sport: it’s all about competing and winning. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins. Be forewarned! The combination of a highly competitive sport matched with the extreme sports makes for an adrenaline rushing experience.

As a touch of information to those of you who are new to the thought of extreme sports: competing in an extreme sport isn’t about having a some kind of death wish or enjoying getting hurt, or even a desire to take crazy and outlandish chances. Extreme sports competition is all about challenging yourself to beat the odds, no matter what. It’s about achieving a level of focus and determination, which results in accomplishments you had previously doubted yourself capable of. Several sports “officially” qualify as adventure racing. We’ll take a look at some of them.

Many of these races can be quite long and involve training as rigorous as marathon or triathlon training and in fact many of the athletes cross-train in other sports. Adventure races often have an element where navigation is a stand-alone event, but even where it’s not it’s still an important component in every event. Navigation is all about your ability to read a topographical map, use a compass, and find a target location before your competitors. Again, this is similar to paddling in that it’s many competitors’ weakest skill.

The next is Hiking or Scrambling which is held on any and every terrain and in any kind of weather. These competitions often start with a run from an easy starting point to and through tricky terrain which requires hiking and scrambling. FYI: scrambling is climbing difficult terrain without ropes and using only your hands for balance. You can’t grab things to pull yourself up. We’ve all paddled a canoe, rowboat, or kayak, but it’s usually across a pool, a gentle lake or a calm bay. Adventure racers paddle in all water and weather conditions. Being good at paddling in all conditions is a huge advantage in adventure racing because for many adventure racers it’s their weakest event.

Many races will include a climbing or rappelling element. This is an important event to practice so you can stay safe and be fast. You need to buy lightweight climbing gear and only bring what is absolutely necessary so you don’t weigh yourself down needlessly.

Most people think that for a mountain bike race you should get rid of the extra weight like the headlight. This is a bad idea in the world of adventure racing because there’s a good chance you’ll be racing at night. A good idea is to employ a powerful lightweight headlamp with high and low settings. Tip: everyone on your team should have the same bike so you can swap parts when necessary, which can be often.

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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as racing accessories at www.racingandmotorsportstore.com

The rapidly growing sport of paintball like all other sports requires supplies in order to participate in game play. The paintball supply list that is needed for play basically falls into two categories - reusable and disposable.

Having the right types of both can make or break a round of play.

The first category is an absolute must for playing paintball. Reusable supplies are the nuts and bolts of the game. In this category, of course, would be your paintball marker or gun. This is the number one paintball supply. There are many different styles and types of paintball markers to choose from, depending on budgetary constraints and the type of game play scenario desired. A fairly inexpensive Spider, for example, doesn’t cost a fortune, but it is solid for all types of game scenarios. A more costly Ego is ideal for speedball.

Beyond the marker, a beginning player will need to have a high pressure air or Co2 tank to power the paintball marker. Both types of tanks come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The type of tank to purchase will depend on the paintball gun in question. Some markers might only function using Co2.

The next on the list of must-have paintball supply items are pieces of safety equipment. A paintball mask, for example, is probably the most important piece of equipment needed to play the game (beyond the gun). When looking at these, comfort and protection should be the two biggest determining factors for picking out a mask.

Other safety considerations include such things as optional protective padding. These paintball supply items aren’t required in every game, but they can make play more enjoyable. The types of padding include chest guards, leg guards, gloves and knee pads. These are all generally single-time purchases on a paintball supply list.

The other type of paintball supply items falls into the disposable class, or items that have a one-time use and must be replaced. The number one thing on this disposable list is, of course, paintballs themselves.

Choosing the right paintballs is like picking out all other paintball supplies. It will be necessary to try them out and see what fits personal style and game play the best. Paintballs are generally sold by the case. There are 2,000 paintballs to a case of paint and they range in price from about $35 to $85 a case, depending name brand and quality.

First-time players generally are just fine starting out with more affordable paintballs. If the game is liked and regular play is anticipated, better balls might be added to the paintball supplies list the next time out.

Other paintball supplies that might be needed on the field include such things as clean rags to tidy up the gun between games, plenty of water and even a few snacks. While some fields have refreshments available for purchase, this isn’t always the case. Make no mistake, it can get very hot playing paintball.

When a paintball supply list for a beginner is created, most will find there are two major categories of buys that are necessary. How much or how little these will cost will depend on the type of gear desired, but certain items are must-haves. Things like the gun itself, paint and safety gear are absolutely required. A few other purchases can be made down the road on an as-needed basis.

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www.paintballexcursion.com brings you the latest on paintball. Paintball is gaining in popularity, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Be sure to check out our latest information page on paintball supply.

Skateboarding is back in the UK and this time, after a couple of false starts since it first emerged in the USA in the 50s, it looks like it is finally here to stay.

It is bigger and badder than ever before and has spread its influence, not only into sports stores because of the range of skateboarding equipment available but into UK fashion, music and language. Local councils across the length and breadth of the British Isles are bowing to the growing pressure for more suitable skate parks to be provided and the number of kids taking up street sports is growing. Since ESPN and other sports channels have become more widely available in the UK, it has fueled their interest further.

The main difference between the skateboards that first hit the UK and those being used now is the level of skill that the riders aspire to from watching professionals taking part in the X-Games and other extreme skateboarding championships around the world. We are finally catching up. Awesome! Ask any self-respecting teen who Tony Hawks is and they won?t say he is the bloke off the insurance advert but more a modern god of professional extreme sports. Among the hottest selling games for the various types of gaming consoles are those by the man himself and other titles that involve skateboarding. His range of skateboarding equipment is, not surprisingly, highly sought after by skateboarders and those who use aggressive skates, too.

Aggressive skating is also taking the UK by storm. The days of those dodgy roller skates with four wheels that you had to fasten red straps over your trainers or pumps, as they were then, are long gone. They were replaced by roller boots. Those were big in the 70?s and 80?s when roller discos and ankle warmers were all the rage. Roller blades then began to become popular. These were recreational inline skates that have retained a similar style ever since. Now, aggressive skates are also popular for those who want to perform tricks. What has changed dramatically is the aggressive style of skating and the ever daring tricks that the professional skaters pull off.

The essentials of skateboarding equipment are now more widely available than ever before. Prices have dropped to the point that boards, helmets, pads, aggressive skates and other accessories are within the budget of UK teens. It is not just the skateboarding equipment that is on the shopping list but also the clothing and music. No self-respecting boarder or skater would be without their cargo pants and beanies and Linkin Park and Avril Lavigne are sure to be on their mp3 player. While most of the skate boarding and aggressive skating scene in the UK was imported from the States, our teens can be proud to know that they started the baggy clothing scene and it traveled Stateside.

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James Johnson who has been skateboarding since he was a young boy. Has broken more skateboard equipment and bones than most. Aggressive skates are also something that James is ‘comfortable’ on.

What are the determining factors in naming a sport extreme? There are many sports considered to be extreme sports today but how did they become to be known as such? Some came from seemingly benign beginnings and have evolved to more dangerous sports.

The addiction to these sports it seems comes from the associated adrenaline rush that comes from the participation in them. Let’s look at some examples of extreme sports.

Skateboarding is considered the best known of extreme sports and was actually started in the sixties by bored surfers looking for a way to get exercise and cross train when the surf wasn’t up. The sport took on a life of its own and soon national competitions were being held bringing the cult sport into mainstream America. From its humble beginnings the sport has now garnered worldwide attention.

The cold weather sister to skateboarding is snow boarding which takes the same movements and more onto the snow. This extreme sport has really caught fire today and in the last winter Olympics the snowboarding events were among the most popular. As its popularity has grown many resorts have added specialized snowboard trails and trick spots.

The sport that takes biking to the extreme is BMX biking. There are a couple of different versions of this sport with one being like traditional racing with dirt jumps and obstacles. Freestyle BMX is more closely related to skateboarding as they use the same courses as the skateboarders use and perform tricks on their bikes.

Have you seen the skiers that do all the crazy tricks and flips coming off of ramps on the slopes? This is freestyle skiing and is one of the most popular of the winter extreme sports. Like snowboarding, this sport has its own tricks and its own language.

An extreme sport mainly for the more mature of participants has recently evolved to be called sport climbing. With sport climbing there are preset handgrips and a designated course to climb with the goal to prove one’s strength and athletic ability.

Ever felt the urge to jump out of an airplane? Most people don’t, but still this has become a very popular sport that gives an enormous adrenaline rush from the initial jump. Parachuting teams work together to form shapes and perform choreographed aerial maneuvers while freefalling.

There is no doubt that as our culture seeks new ways to create excitement there will be new extreme sports introduced that may prove to be just as popular as the ones we see now.

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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as www.performanceunderwearplus.com“>Performance Underwear at www.performanceunderwearplus.com

In 1929 M.J. Burchett tried to slide down a snowy hill with his feet strapped to a single board. This is the first recorded attempt at snowboarding that we know about.

He tied his feet to the board with a clothesline and some horse reins. Just the thought in ones mind makes you laugh but this is how inventions are made. If his attempt had been successful, he would be a rich man today. Snowboarding is not unlike standing up on a sled or on one ski and sliding down the hill standing up. It makes one wonder how many have tried something like that.

Snowboarding is a very popular winter sport today and someone has become rich from the invention. Dimitrije Milovich began making snowboards in 1969. He called them Wintersticks. He designed his with the idea of a surfboard, which was flexible like skis. Then in 1977 Tom Simms invented his version by gluing carpet on top of a portion of a skateboard, then putting a piece of aluminum over the bottom of it. After these attempted failures, a man named Burton designed the first official successful snowboard. In 1982 the first National Snowboard Race took place in Woodstock, Vermont. The rest is history.

Today there are different types of snowboards designed to do different feats. Some of the different styles include the Burton 2006 Custom, Ride 2006 Havoc, M3 2006 Discord SPX 88- Men’s, Pro FS- Men’s, Poison-Women’s, and Cinch 05- Women’s. There are also Boots such as Burton ION-Men’s, and Burton Supreme- for women, and we cannot forget the Backpacks. Camelbak SnoBound and Camelbak SnoDawg. Every business has to have accessories and needs to keep adding to their products to stay in business so wonder what the next product will be?

Sledding and skiing has been a favorite activity for kids and adults anyplace there is snow in the winter. For many years kids and adults could be seen on the hills with the first inch of snow on the ground and they will be there every new snow until the spring thaw. Whether they use a sled, skis or a car tire or even a car hood, the snow is going to get some action from people of all ages. The cold is practically ignored when they are out on the slopes. Today we have the snowboards to enjoy but they will not replace the memories of days gone by and all of the other devices, which were used to enjoy that inch or twelve inches of snow. The Snowboards will live on for a long time and one day another snow device will be invented and the snowboard will be a thing of the past but there will linger those many fun memories of it.

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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as snow sport accessories at www.snowsportsaccessories.com

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’.

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

Snowboarding has become a very popular winter sport in the past few years. Increased number of people of all ages and gender turn to snowboarding due to which specific types of gear also took birth in the process, for example men and women snowboarding goggles, gear and boots.

What Makes A Pair Of Goggles For Women?

First and foremost women’s snowboarding goggles are smaller in order to fit smaller faces; second they are more feminine such as, colorful, stylish and cute. There are many famous brands that make women’s snowboarding goggles today however, it is not the brand name you should look for in goggles but the quality and durability they provide while on the slopes. Here are a few points to look for when shopping for women’s snowboarding goggles:

Snowboarding goggles must be lightweight so they don’t bother you for long periods of time when you have to wear them on the slopes; they should have anti glare inbuilt so you don’t get blinded by either the sun or the snow and they should have ventilation while they fit close to your face.

Comfort is the most important feature as even if they have all the above mentioned professional aspects covered, if they are not comfortable you will not be able to wear them at all therefore, make you try the glasses before you purchase them. While some snowboarding goggles are specially designed for women some are universal and I feel you should not discriminate them when looking for women’s snowboarding goggles as there are some great finds amongst them.

Helpful Tip

When purchasing women’s snowboarding goggles get a strap that can go over your helmet that way you don’t have to worry about them once you take off your helmet, as they will stay attached to the same.

Ensure the fit is right not too loose but not too tight either, as that will definitely bother you when on the snowboarding. Goggles are an important part of the snowboarding gear, without them you cannot snowboard at all as your eyes will be exposed to high winds and freezing temperatures not to mention the sun and snow glare. Therefore, take your time and pick the goggles that will work for you while snowboarding and not cause an obstruction.

While shopping for women’s snowboarding goggles ensure you cover the above points besides great looks and famous brand name and you will be able to enjoy your favorite sport comfortable this season.

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For more information on womens snowboarding goggles visit www.snowboarderbasics.com/ or snow-boards.blogspot.com/