Extreme Sports

Snow, South Tyrol and sports are three inseparable words. The love for snow in people never seems to die out. Whether it’s viewing the wide stretch of the white sheet or indulging in activity sports, snow always tends to give you an adrenaline rush in one way or the other. The best time to benefit from the snow is winter season. In most of the countries winter is a favorable time to come up for air and get away from the gloomy feeling of day-to-day routine. People looking ahead for winter activity holidays must think about visiting South Tyrol as this place never runs out of snow and hence is a good spot for winter vacation.

South Tyrol is a small province in Italy which is bordered by the snowy and craggy peaks of the Alps and the Dolomites. During winter the snow thickness increases to a great extent and thus acts as a wonderful platform for hikers, bikers and snow surfers. The trails along the snowy slopes of South Tyrol offers incredible views of the valleys characterized by sparkling pastures and rich green meadows. The beautiful South Tyrolean valleys are outstanding features which enhance the beauty of the place. These valleys are overlooked by the dramatic mountains of the Dolomites and have merged cultures of the Germans and Italians.

South Tyrol is a great place to start off with your adventure activity holidays. The plateaus provide ample space and its sophisticated skiing and snowboarding facilities running all the way down to the sunny valleys is a real treat for ski lovers. The best aspect for skiers is that even if you are new to skiing you need not be afraid as the skiing areas are laid with instructors who guide you through the routes and help you get started on your venture. As for the experienced riders, they primarily look forward to improve their technical skills. Apart from skiing, there are other adventurous winter activities like snowboarding, snow shoeing and sledging. Any of these activities can be carried out with ease as South Tyrol has the perfect base meant specifically for snow sports.  Read more...

Snowboarding has quickly become a popular winter sport with enthusiasts from countries all over the globe. The rush and exhilaration of sliding downhill is an experience of a lifetime. Ever wonder where it all began? Let\’s take a quick look at the history of snowboarding.

There is speculation that the first snowboard was a version of a skateboard, flat on the bottom, with a rope to hold on to for control. There were no “traditional” bindings but you had a way of adhering your boots to the board. Talk about having to learn to use your balance to keep yourself steady! What a way to learn! During the late 70\’s and throughout the 80\’s, snowboarding really took off, causing the design to evolve to more of what we see today.

In looking at the history of snowboarding there were many concepts in finding the right design for a board that would give proper control and function in snow. In 1972, a company called Winterstick, pioneered by a surfer named Dimitrije Milovich, began to develop snowboards deriving from the basic concept of the surfboard. In the mid 70\’s a couple of Welsh skateboarders developed a plywood deck, with a smooth polished bottom and boot bindings, which was shorter than snowboards used at the time. Although this concept allowed it to move quickly over snow, it offered little control to the rider.

The Pando Ski Lodge in Grand Rapids, Michigan hosted the first World Snurfing Championship in 1979 and was the beginning of taking snowboarding to a competitive level. Snurfing as it was originally called was a combination of surfing and snow. Competition evolved in 1982 to the first National Snowboard race held in Woodstock, Virginia and the first World Championship Half-Pipe Competition in Soda Springs, California, held in 1983. In 1985 it became recognized as an official sport in the first World Cup held in Australia. In 1994, the International Snowboard Association was founded and began to develop official rules for competition worldwide.

The old saw about women being the weaker sex has, in recent decade, come up for debate as increasing numbers of women have begun to excel at many of the sports which were once considered the exclusive provinces of men. Women have even begun to compete in extreme sports, including mountain biking.

There is no anatomical reason why women mountain biking cannot manage the strong pedaling required, and enough of them have now taken up the sport that they are no longer a rarity on the mountain biking trails. But mountain biking, like any sport, can cause long-term health consequences in its participants.

There us a question of whether or not women mountain biking are endangering their reproductive systems. Research has indicated that male mountain bikers significantly increase their risk of scrotal damage overtime; there is good reason to think the women might also be at reproductive risk.

The Risks Of Women Mountain Biking

The studies done on men show that they may experience the growth of either benign or malignant scrotal masses as a result of mountain biking, and those results may imply that women mountain biking can develop assorted reproductive illness. One proven effect of women mountain biking is, in a few instances, hymenal rupture.

Even though there many be negative consequences for their reproductive systems, enormous and increasing number of women mountain biking today is a sign that most women think the benefits of mountain biking outweigh its risks. The strength-building, cardiovascular benefits, heightened reflexes, improved coordination, and tremendous self-confidence which women who mountain bike experience are certainly desirable effects.

And the large number of women mountain biking has had another effect; there are now several women’s groups organized to educate women about the health and safety issues surrounding women’s mountain biking.  Read more...

So you are thinking about getting your scuba diving certification but aren’t sure what it entails? We’ll go through the details here.

Scuba diving is a wonderful sport and you will be able to enjoy it for many years to come. There’s nothing like floating effortlessly underwater and seeing all the beautiful fish, coral, wrecks, etc. Certification will open up a whole new world for you.

First, let’s start with the basics. What exactly is scuba diving certification?

In order to go scuba diving with any reputable dive shop, you must have a certification card (more commonly known as a c-card). You obtain this card by taking and passing a dive certification course. Once you pass this course, you receive your c-card and you are good to go.

The two main certification agencies are PADI and NAUI. Other agencies, such as YMCA and SSI, also offer scuba diving certification but NAUI and PADI are the most widely recognized.

The dive shop (or other entity) that you take your training from will be affiliated with one of these agencies. That is who you will receive your card from.

The most common scuba diving certification for recreational divers is the open water diver. Once you finish this course and pass the tests and dives, you receive your c-card. Once you receive your card, you are certified for life. There is no other mandatory training. There is other optional training you can do, but nothing more is required before you can start diving.

What are the requirements for taking a certification course?

As far as age goes, for PADI you must be 10 or older to take the course. Students younger than 15 will receive the PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification. It can then be upgraded to PADI Open Water Diver certification upon reaching 15. For Naui, you must be 12 or older to take the course.  Read more...

Snowboarding has quickly become a popular winter sport with enthusiasts from countries all over the globe. The rush and exhilaration of sliding downhill is an experience of a lifetime. Ever wonder where it all began? Let\’s take a quick look at the history of snowboarding.

There is speculation that the first snowboard was a version of a skateboard, flat on the bottom, with a rope to hold on to for control. There were no “traditional” bindings but you had a way of adhering your boots to the board. Talk about having to learn to use your balance to keep yourself steady! What a way to learn! During the late 70\’s and throughout the 80\’s, snowboarding really took off, causing the design to evolve to more of what we see today.

In looking at the history of snowboarding there were many concepts in finding the right design for a board that would give proper control and function in snow. In 1972, a company called Winterstick, pioneered by a surfer named Dimitrije Milovich, began to develop snowboards deriving from the basic concept of the surfboard. In the mid 70\’s a couple of Welsh skateboarders developed a plywood deck, with a smooth polished bottom and boot bindings, which was shorter than snowboards used at the time. Although this concept allowed it to move quickly over snow, it offered little control to the rider.

The Pando Ski Lodge in Grand Rapids, Michigan hosted the first World Snurfing Championship in 1979 and was the beginning of taking snowboarding to a competitive level. Snurfing as it was originally called was a combination of surfing and snow. Competition evolved in 1982 to the first National Snowboard race held in Woodstock, Virginia and the first World Championship Half-Pipe Competition in Soda Springs, California, held in 1983. In 1985 it became recognized as an official sport in the first World Cup held in Australia. In 1994, the International Snowboard Association was founded and began to develop official rules for competition worldwide.