What are the top ten wakeboarding tricks and who created them?

Tantrum

One of the classic stunts is the Tantrum, which in its simplest form involves an overhead backflip through the air. First created by Eric Perez, the Tantrum is now a stalwart of any wakeboarder’s arsenal of tricks.

Whirlybird
Once wakeboarders have mastered the Tantrum, it’s time to take on the Whirlybird. Created by Bill McCaffray, this trick is the same as a Tantrum except with an additional 360 degree turn and the handle held above the head.

Heelside Backroll
This is essentially a reverse cartwheel that is performed in mid air. The Heelside Backroll, again invented by Eric Perez, is a popular trick as it is one of the easiest to perform but still looks impressive.

Front Flip
Similar to the Heelside Backroll, this trick involves performing a cartwheel in the air, although this time the wakeboarder flips forwards rather than backwards.  Since this is a classic trick, it is not claimed by anyone.

Half Cab Roll
Another impressive looking trick that is relatively easy is the Half Cab Roll, which sees the wakeboarder spin sideways through a full 360 degrees before landing. This trick has been mastered most effectively by wakeboarding legend Parks Bonifay.

Scarecrow
This trick involves rolling forward through the air with an additional 180 degree turn added in. The Scarecrow was first created by Brannon Meek.

Elephant
After you have learnt the Scarecrow, you are ready to attempt the Elephant. This is the same as a Scarecrow but with a reverse 180 turn added. The credit for inventing this trick is generally split between Scott Byerley, Brannon Meek, and Gregg Necrason.

Crow Mobe
The Crow Mobe is another trick that is best performed by those with experience of Scarecrows. This is a toeside frontroll with an additional 360 turn and was again created by Scott Byerley.

Tantrum to Blind
The Tantrum to Blind is another stunt that should only be attempted by experienced wakeboarders. Essentially it is very similar to a Tantrum, although the boarder must perform an indy grab and a backside 180 to complete the stunt. This trick is the brainchild of Scott Byerley.

Mobius
One of the more difficult tricks to pull off is the Mobius, which includes a full 360 degree sideways spin with a 180 turn on the landing. The trick is hard to perform consistently well, which is why many wakeboarders do not attempt it in competitions. There are a few variations of the Mobius with one of the most well known, the Mobius 540, created by Jeremy Kovak.
If you are new to wakeboarding you may want to research these tricks further before trying them out.

The pros make them look so easy: like they’re on land in the water. Although they’re tough, they can be a lot of fun once you have them down, though!

Extreme Sports

Nobody can deny that the newest crazes with kids are the extreme sports. The phenomenon has reached all the way down to kids as young as early elementary school. Is it a problem, or is it a blessing? Much of it depends on whom you ask, but a deeper look will shed a little bit of light on the entire matter.

Why Choose Extreme Sports

The TV in your living room is starting to collect dust and burn less electricity while the video game system sits in the corner doing the same. It is exactly what you may have wanted all along, but it does mean that your child is likely deep into the fun that is extreme sports. Don’t let the name fool you, extreme sports can be used to describe a number of activities, but for your child, it is likely BMX biking, skateboarding, or trickblading (tricks on roller blades specially made for the job).

Trickblader

Essentially, a trickblader will use a special type of roller blades that have smaller thicker wheels, wider boots, and what is called a grind plate that allows them to slide across surfaces when so desired. The blades are made so that participants may perform many of the same tricks that skateboarders do, only now you will see them on roller blades, more or less.

BMX Bikers

BMX bikers are a different sport altogether. These are special bikes with pegs on the wheels for tricks, pads on the places where impact will most likely occur, and no front brakes. The bike is made for racing and tricks, but primarily to be used on dirt or certain types of urban setups.

Skateboarding

As for skateboarding, it is the sport probably most closely linked to extreme sports. For quite some time now, boarders have been hitting half pipes, grinding, and grabbing their board. Though you may associate the sport as a boy sport, many more girls are starting to get involved in these extreme sports and are having a great deal of success along the way.

Extreme Sports Advise

Go watch your kid working on his new extreme sports might just scare you. The first time you see your child “getting air” off of a ramp or pipe, you will be clinching with each landing. The important thing, though, is just to make sure they have the right equipment and they are as safe as with any other sport. In fact, one national safety organization performed a study and found that more injuries per participant occur in hockey, football, basketball, and soccer than in skateboarding. So you can breathe a little easier.

One important thing you can do is to make sure your child is wearing the right kind of safety equipment. Helmets, elbow pads, and kneepads are musts for the sake of safety. Most skate parks, in fact, will require kids to wear such protection before they are allowed to ride on the property. Falls are a part of the sport, but with proper protection your child will be in no more danger than on the football field or basketball court.

One problem that extreme sport kids have is finding a place to practice their new love. Many parks no longer allow extreme sports in the area, but the children need places to jump, grind, and try out new tricks. One solution that many cities have adopted is to erect extreme sport skate parks. In these facilities, ramps, half pipes, and even stairs and rails are provided so that kids can jump, grind, and get air all they want in an area free of traffic and pedestrians. This makes it safer, and in many ways more fun for the kids overall.

Summary

Future of Extreme sports are the wave of the future. Though you may not always understand these new sports your kids are into, they are still active and healthy sports. Competition is alive, but they may be perfected without 9 others or even one other kid around. A trip to the skate park alone can end in the perfection of new trick or technique. The idea is to just support your kids and allow them to compete how they want to. Get them the right safety gear and the right facilities and before you know it you may just have a world -class competitor on your hands.

For more articles related to this subject and others please visit ExtremeSports.info

A staple of any cheesy movie set in the jungle is the scene where somebody falls victim to the enormous, man-eating plant. Obviously this scene is impossible, plants are still nowhere near the point of hunting or eating people, but its inspirations are as real as they are fascinating. Carnivorous plants, parasitic plants, and other violent flora are found on most continents, and by now have been fairly well documented. Here are some of the coolest.

Cape Sundew

Mostly insects, but can be “fed” larger prey such as very small tadpoles.


Sustenance.


Secretes succulent-looking droplets from the tendrils on its leaves which attract insects. Once the prey has landed for a drink, the sticky nature of the secretions immobilizes it while the tendrils and leaves curl up around it and digest.

— The impressive colors and the unique nature of the sundew’s feeding system make it appealing to both the eye and to the sense of imagination. As such, it is one of the most commonly cultivated carnivorous plants around. A tropical plant, originally sprouting in the Cape area of South Africa, this sundew appreciates warm temperatures, high humidity, and plenty of fresh insect life. Given its tendency to retain leaves and old branches, the plant can become quite woody and cluttered looking over time without constant attention.

Splendid Pitcher Plant

Insects, very small frogs, reptiles, or mammals (only the largest pitchers can trap and digest food larger than big insects).


Sustenance.


Lures insects to the rim of the pitcher with bright colors and a sweet smelling nectar. Both the rim and the inside of the pitcher are very slick, and once an insect has fallen into the depths of the plant it is digested by the enzymes within.

— The splendid pitcher plant is generally considered the largest and most attractive of the Nepenthaceae family, or “Old World” pitcher plants. Like most Old World pitchers, it is a climbing plant which uses surrounding trees and shrubbery for support and then sprouts a series of hanging pitchers from its foundation. Unfortunately, its conservation status is now at vulnerable owing mainly to the El Nino disaster of ’98 and ’99 and the dry-spell that followed it. When in the wild, it is not uncommon to find a splendid pitcher providing a home for a forest creature, despite the corrosive enzymes in the water. Most notably, a spider in the forests of Borneo has learned that by hiding inside the pitcher it can simply wait for insects to be lured and detained and then remove them from the water and chow down. The largest animal ever recorded living in one of these pitcher plants is a small crab.

Butterwort

Small insects.


Sustenance.


Has extremely sticky, fly-paper leaves. Any insect that sets foot on the plant is cemented in place where it struggles to free itself and, in the course of its wriggling, covers its entire body in the mucilagenous secretions. After it has died, the insect’s nutrients are slowly absorbed by the enzymes secreted by the leaves.

— Butterwort is another commonly cultivated carnivorous plant. The ease with which it can be grown, and the very visual nature of its hunting habits make it one of the more popular starting plants for carnivorous plant enthusiasts. Butterworts generally grow in nutrient poor, alkaline soils, getting most of their nourishment from their prey. In the past, butterwort has been used to curdle milk and speed the healing of livestock wounds. The natural insecticide in butterwort helped keep the wounds clean.

Black Walnut

Any susceptible plant-life in a certain area.


Elimination of competition.


Roots secrete a deadly poison into the soil which kills or cripples much of the plant life in a close proximity.

— The black walnut tree is a devious killer. Its innocuous-sounding name and its appearance as just another pretty nut tree make it seem like an innocent addition to the landscape. Underneath the soil, however, it is much more vicious. The natural toxin, juglone, is produced by the leaves, nut husks, and especially the roots of the black walnut tree and inhibits many of the enzymes required by most plants for the metabolic process. Despite its herbicidal tendencies, the black walnut is still commonly cultivated for its nuts, its strong, beautiful wood, and the juglone which is used as a natural food coloring. Just don’t plant it too close to the garden:

Great Dodder

Healthy, vital host plants.


Sustenance and support.


Grows up the length of a host-plant’s stem. Once it reaches a certain point, inserts small needles into the stem of the host and starts draining nutrients and water.

— Great dodder, also known as European dodder, is a parasitic plant that grows widely throughout temperate to tropical climates. The plant begins its life as most other climbing plants do: rising from the soil, finding a stable base, and then using almost all of its energy for rapid climbing. After a certain point, however, the plant differentiates itself from other vines by shedding its roots and injecting several appendages into the body of its host. These appendages then suck from the host any valuable food or water that they can reach. Dodder can grow quickly and, in some areas, almost continuously, allowing it reach up to the very tops of the canopy in some cases.

Venus Flytrap

Insects, mostly winged.


Sustenance.


Lures prey into “mouth” with bright colors and appearance of moisture. Once the prey lands, the plant snaps shut very quickly and digests it by secreting enzymes.

— The Venus Flytrap is one of only a few plants capable of rapid movement. Despite its reputation as being difficult to grow (it naturally grows in extremely acidic swamps and bogs), the flytrap is probably the most commonly cultivated carnivorous plant due to the popularity of its hunting system. The feeding/digesting process can be easily triggered simply by dropping a small bug into the mouth of the plant and the resulting jump is always a crowd pleaser.

Kudzu

Everything and everyone in the world.


Just wants to grow.


Attacks with sheer strength of numbers. Like a zombie horde, the plant just grows and grows until everything is overwhelmed.

— Kudzu, also known as the vine that ate the south, is famous for being one of the fastest growing plants in the United States. Originally a Japanese plant, it was brought to America as an ornamental and forage plant. It’s growth was encouraged for some time until it was realized that the southern United States is absolutely perfect for growing Kudzu and, as such, the plant had begun to spread out of control. Estimated by some to grow up to three feet in a twenty four hour period, it soon enveloped fields, barns, houses, and anything else in its path. Indeed, the prominent lump in the picture above is a house that was completely overrun by kudzu. These days it is considered a nuisance by almost everyone and its cost, in terms of lost crop-land and removal expenses, is now estimated at nearly 500 million dollars a year in the U.S.

Mistletoe

Strong, healthy trees or shrubs.

Sustenance and support.


Attaches to healthy host tree via bird droppings and then absorbs water and mineral nutrients.

— Mistletoe, the same mistletoe that famously encourages holiday intimacy, is, in reality, a fairly toxic parasite with an interesting method of spreading its seeds. After the berries of the plant are eaten by birds, the seeds resist digestion and are eventually “deposited” in another tree or shrub. At this point the plant begins to grow, slowly at first, living off the nutrients in the bird’s droppings. Once it reaches a certain level of maturity, the plant then attaches to, and begins draining water and nutrients from, its host. As mistletoe has leaves and chlorophyll it is capable of at least rudimentary photosynthesis and therefore relies on its host mainly for water and mineral nutrients. While a small infestation of mistletoe can only harm growth of its host, a large infestation can easily kill a healthy tree.

Corpse Flower

Nearby, healthy stems and vines.


Sustenance.


Grows root-like tendrils that grow into the tissue of surrounding vines and absorb nutrients and water.

— The charmingly titled “corpse flower” is utterly dependent on the nutrients of others. With no leaves, stem, or roots of its own, it instead grows many tendrils which search for and then invade the bodies of other, nearby plant-life. Originally discovered in Indonesia, it is found throughout southeastern Asia, including Borneo, Sumatra, and the Philippines. Locals refer to it as corpse flower because it emits a horrible odor which many equate to that of rotting meat. It is believed that this smell attracts insects which help with pollination. Under the right conditions, these fragrant flowers can grow to startling sizes.

Sandbox Tree

None really.


Spreading of seeds.


Exploding seed pods. Seriously.

Becomes

— The sandbox tree is possibly the most intimidating plant known to man. Boasting toxic bark, enormous stiff thorns, and seed pods that explode with sufficient force to injure people or livestock below, it is certainly a violent specimen. It is not, however, a malicious one. While all of the other plants on this list go out of their way to cause harm to other organisms, the sandbox tree simply tries to spread its seeds and, in the process, catches the rest of the forest in its crossfire, which has been known to reach 100 meters from the tree. It is native to tropical areas of North and South America and, despite the obvious drawbacks, is occasionally grown purposefully for shade.

The man, Erik Rantzau, called in snake wrangler Chris Peberdy to deal with the 3-metre-long carpet python that had made his toilet its new home.

‘It’s not unusual to find snakes of that size in the tropics but you don’t find usually them in toilets,’ Peberdy told Reuters.

[via Metro.co.uk]

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