You are here: Home >Posts Tagged ‘air

Wakeboards

If you are water sports lover and are the adventurous type and want to spend your summer in the water, then wakeboarding is simply the perfect sport for you. Though this particular sport is rather new it has been well accepted and has also gained popularity within a very short period. This sport includes wakeboards and wake-ropes. The length of the wakeboard varies between 120 and 150 centimeters and the width ranges between 40 and 45 centimeters.

Various kinds of wakeboards:

If you are a beginner then you should start with longer wakeboards that come with square edges or square rails. These kinds of wakeboards are much more stable and trouble-free to control, whereas it is much easier to land with the round-edged wakeboards. Being round edged, these wakeboards allows you to gather speed much conveniently. They also provide quicker lifts during air tricks.

Some of the wakeboard riders also take the fins, rockers, design and the bindings of the board into consideration. The main function of the binding, which is also known as the boots, is to provide a secure attachment to the boards. These bindings also provide a comfortable support for your ankle as well as for your heel.

Wakeboard Ropes:

The ropes used for wakeboarding generally vary in length and elasticity. The normal length of a wake-rope ranges between 60 and 70 feet. Some of them are one-piece that come without any length adjustments, whereas others come with additional adjustment loops.

Wakeboard Towers:

These days, most of the wake boards come with wakeboard towers. In such boards the rope is s mounted on this tower, instead of being tied on the back of the boat. The length of the tower is usually 2 to 3 meters from the water level. These wakeboard towers help the riders to achieve a better pull and stability as well as allow them to gain more height while performing air tricks. They further provide supplementary space wakeboard speakers, for wakeboard racks, and lights.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Summer Snowboard Practice: the Trampoline

I may be starting to sound redundant always talking about trampoline but that’s because the trampoline is the greatest tool a snowboarder could own! With the exception of slides and presses, which require some sort of obstacle to execute, any trick you ever attempt in snowboarding should first be mastered on the trampoline. Just jumping and spinning on a trampoline won’t help you in snowboarding though.

This next statement might confuse some of you, but learning a trick on a trampoline is way different from taking it to a snowboard. So how can a trampoline help you get better at snowboarding then? Here are some tricks and techniques to use on your trampoline that will benefit you when you take them to the snowboard slope.

Springs Only!

We all know that those springs can snap and come flying. What you didn’t know is I guess somebody sued and now they make these really lame trampolines with elastic wraps instead of metal springs. The result: an almost unusable trampoline. It doesn’t bounce right, it doesn’t bounce high, and it’s a huge waste of money and time.

So in using the tips on this article, I am talking about a metal spring trampoline. The originals. You can usually get them super cheap just by looking in your penny saver or the classifieds. Trampolines are big cumbersome objects that people like to get off of their lawns once the kids grow up (I never grew up though… sorry mom). I found mine for a whopping $40 and it’s lasted going on two years.

Starters

JUMP! The first thing to do with your trampoline is jump as high in the air as you can. A couple things to concentrate are how you are timing the jump and your body’s orientation in the air.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Practical Guide To Buying Paintball Guns?

You have made up your mind. It is time to buy a paintball gun. You begin your research and quickly find out there are so many choices and features. What does it all mean and what should you buy? This article will help narrow the choices.
The first thing we usually ask people is where are you going to play? Will you be playing on an organized field or will you be playing around your own land or a friends land in the woods? The answer to this question will guide you to certain models of guns due to the air supply. If you are going to play at an organized field, they will have resources for compressed air or CO2. The type of air you have access to, will lead you to choosing an applicable gun.
If your paintball gun choice is limited to using CO2 tanks, then you should stick with paintball guns that are happy using CO2. Care must be taken to choose paintball guns that are made to run on CO2. CO2 is a liquid gas and is damaging to paintball guns or paintball markers that are not made to handle the liquid. You could buy an expensive paintball gun and damage it beyond repair with just a few uses. We recommend sticking with good quality name brand paintball markers that are designed to run on CO2.
There are many models of CO2 paintball guns. The main brand names are Spyder, Smart Parts and Tippmann paintball guns. You can choose electronic or non-electronic. Popular models of paintball guns are the Spyder Victor, Xtra, Sonic, Pilot, Electra, VS1, VS2, Smart Parts Vibe.
CO2 paintball guns with a military look are the Spyder MR1 and MR2. Smart Parts has the SP1 model designed to run on CO2 and a military scenario look. New releases from Tippmann are the Tippmann Alpha Black Series. These paintball guns are packed with features at competitive prices. Tippmann also has its more rugged and upgradeable Platinum Series Custom 98, A5 and X7 paintball guns. They are all great brand names backed with good warranties.
We left the compressed air paintball guns until now because generally the compressed air markers are a little more expensive to a lot more expensive. Paintball guns range from the low $150′s to close to $2000.00. This is often where the range and choices on the market confuse everyone. Simply stated, at this point it is about features, price points and you get what you pay for. You really have to determine what it is that you are looking for. Are you a recreational player, or are you playing competitively? There are several main features and so we will briefly explain some of these popular features.
One of the main features on the market is if a gun is electronic or not. Electronic guns have modes that allow you to set the marker firing modes. Electronic triggers or “egrips” often allow you to change the paintball marker from single firing mode (one shot, one trigger pull) to 3-shot burst (one pull, 3 paintballs fired), to semi-auto (one pull, one shot to ramping up to auto if you pull the trigger within a set time period) to full auto( one pull, multiple firing). There are various features that help enable the gun to rapid fire such as anti-chop systems (ACS), electronic eyes etc. The key statistic to key on is the balls per second or bps.
We like to ask if you are the type of person that likes to take things apart and rebuild them? Or are you more likely to play, clean and put away until next time? If so, please buy a paintball gun that is easily maintained. Smart Parts has some very easy guns to maintain as are the new Tippmann Platinum Series paintball guns. Cleaning and lubricating your paintball guns is the key to longevity and happy ownership. If on the other hand you like to tinker with your equipment, there should not be any limitation in your choice. There is plenty of help with manuals, manufacturer internet sites, and help videos on Youtube.
Another key consideration is upgradeability. Are there upgrades available for your model of paintball gun? Do you want to be able to upgrade it in the future? Most people answer yes, as by nature we become bored of the same old thing everyday. Also, many of us like paintball because of the military replica or scenario aspect of the paintball games. If this is you, then you may want to be able to change your paintball gun from an M16 to an AK 47. Our suggestion for those of you that want to have the maximum flexibility with military upgrades is the Tippmann X7 paintball gun.
This article was the beginning of the fun involved in finding out what you really want and need. Decide on the air you have access to and match your style and type of play to the paintball guns you are interested in. Compare features and price ranges. Narrow in on your choices and finally buy a paintball gun and take out your friend or enemy in style!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Bungee Jumping – Why, You Ask?

The first question that comes to mind for this particular extreme sport is, “Why.” Why would you jump off a perfectly good bridge? Or crane? Or why would you jump off a platform? Or hot air balloon? The question that follows closely behind in the observer’s mind goes something like this – “Is that a rubber band tied to their feet?” The answer to the first is simple: To fly, bounce and fly again. To we land based humans, the desire to soar through the air has been with us throughout history. Bungee jumping offers the sensation of flying from the initial free-fall to the repeated rebounds. And, the answer to the second question is, well, yes. It’s a rubber band!

Bungee jumping, or some non-elasticized form of it, has been documented for centuries. As far back as the Aztecs people have been plunging headlong into space with some sort of lifeline tied to their bodies. Back then it was vines – not much give I imagine. Today, the “rubber band” is actually much more that. It is thick pre-stressed braids of latex shock cord. Most jump companies have added a body harness to the attachment fittings for added security. There have been injuries and fatalities, but they are very few considering the several million jumpers since its modern beginnings in 1979. All equipment is provided at the sites whether on a bridge or at a commercial jump site. Just bring your confidence!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Wakeboards For Thrill And Action

If you love to spend your vacation in the water and you are the adventurous type, then wakeboarding is just the sport for you. This board sport is relatively new but has gained popularity during the last few years.

In wakeboarding, a boat with a rope tows the rider. The rider rides on a buoyant board, called a wakeboard, and uses the wake to launch himself up into the air and then back into the water. Though this may sound simple, there are quite a few tricks and spins to learn before you can master the sport.

The essentials for wakeboarding are wakeboards and wakeropes. Wakeboard length varies between 120 and 150 centimeters and the wakeboard width is between 40 and 45 centimeters. Beginners should begin with longer wakeboards with square edges or square rails. Square-edged boards are more stable and easier to control, though round-edged boards are easier to land. Round edges also allow boards to easily gain speed, providing quicker lifts during air tricks. Krown, Hyperlite, Liquid Force and CWB are specialized wakeboard manufacturers and their wakeboards cost between $350 to $600.

Experienced wakeboard riders also take into consideration the rockers, fins, bindings and the design of the board. Bindings or boots provide a secure attachment to the boards and should provide a comfortable support for the heel and ankle.

Wakeboard ropes vary in elasticity and length. The length of a wakerope is normally between 60 and 70 feet. They may be one-piece, which does not allow any length adjustments, or may come with adjustment loops. A tighter and stiffer rope allows little stretch and is used to perform air tricks.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS