Favorite Hobbies: 2012

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Skateboards, Skills And Riders

Skateboards, Skills And Riders

A skate park is nothing neither more nor less than an athletic facility specifically for skateboarders, in-line skaters, and freestyle BMX riders. There are at least 533 in the US. California, with sixty-eight, has more than any other state; Colorado comes in as second with twenty-six, and Florida with twenty-five. So what does a skatepark offer? Most importantly, it offers a place for skateboarders to meet, perform their skills, and relax in a safe environment.

Most offer a variety of surfaces for different skill levels, from a kiddie course, through a main street course, to a vertical ramp and bowl for the most skilled. Usually, a skatepark needs between 18,000 and 25,000 square feet in order to meet all skill levels. In beginner areas, individuals with limited or even no experience can practice out of the way of intermediate and advanced skaters; the beginner areas can feature small hips, moguls, banks, curbs, and rail slides.

The skatepark designers’ association recommends that parks include street elements such as ledges, stairs, and rails familiar to non-skaters, to allow skaters to practice in safety. Not only will a place to skate, skateparks offer modestly-priced lessons to give students back information, skateboarding techniques, and safety gear. Skateparks are reused facilities, in that municipalities frequently develop skateparks from unused basketball, tennis court, or parking lots. In developing new skateparks from old facilities, architects are counseled to follow the ten quick rules for design, which are simplicity, smoothness of surface, no kinks, flatbottom, no overcrowding, pushing room, no ledges over your bellybutton, edges that grind, pumpable hips, and lights.

While some of these are clear, others require a bit more explication. Any skatepark needs flat bottom between obstacles, since skateboarders generate speed by pumping up and down transitions; maximum flatbottom allows more skateboarders to skate at the same time without collisions. Any wall, bank, or skate able pool’s edges must be hard and grind able; a slightly protruding edge allows a skater to feel where they are. Street elements—curbs, blocks, and walls—should be included in every skate park’s design.

There are two ways to accomplish transitions between flatbottom and included surfaces; either round, with a perfect radius, or banked, with a tighter transition curve; the wall’s height determines the transition, but the angle should never exceed 50 degrees. Skateboard parks offer safety. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that more than 15,600 people a year require hospital emergency room treatments for skateboard-related injuries.

More than half the injuries are caused by falls due to irregular riding surfaces. Wrist injuries lead, followed by sprains and fractures. A third of the injuries are sustained by those who have been skateboarding for less than a week. The best advice that the National Safety Council can offer is, ‘wear your protective gear,’ ‘learn how to fall,’ ‘use your skateboard properly,’ and ‘head to the skatepark.’

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Skateboarding Has Its Benefits

Skateboarding Has Its Benefits

Skateboarding is gaining popularity in many places around the world. Children, teens, and young adults alike are all becoming fascinated with the sport. Skateboarding parks are being built in many cities and towns around the world and kids are trading traditional sports like baseball or soccer for time spent enjoying the extreme activit of skateboarding.

Most people have a picture in their minds of the kinds of people that enjoy skateboarding, and their pictures are not always pleasant. Skateboarding is usually reserved for teens and young adults that haven't quite connected with other people or activities and who are looking for a place of identity. And while in some ways this is true for people who love skateboarding, isn't this what we love about so many of the sports and activities we choose to participate in? We love to try new and sometimes extreme things and we love to be identified with a group of people who all enjoy similiar things.

Skateboarding, like many other sports and activities, has its benefits. For starters, skateboarding gets people off the couch and outside being active. We all know that inactivity is one of the most dangerous lifestyles to adopt. I'd suggest that a teen or young adult who spends hour after hour doing hobbies that are inactive is actually in more danger than a teen or young adult doing an extreme activity like skateboarding. Children who begin skateboarding at an early age learn to love physical activity and will often enjoy the health benefits of that activity for years to come.

Skateboarding is also a great way for kids and teens to make friends and connect with people with similar interests. Everyone knows that a good friend isn't easy to come by, and that is why it is great for kids to enjoy a safe and healthy activity like skateboarding because it helps them improve social and relational skills greatly. Not every kid is cut out to play the sports that our mainstream culture glorifies, and choosing skateboarding instead can be a great alternative for many kids.

For the most part, skateboarding is an inexpensive hobby to enjoy. Beginners usually can start with an inexpensive and simple board to learn skateboarding. Grabbing a skateboard and a few pads is really all a kid needs to begin learning skateboarding. Parents will love that their children can get involved in something fun and active that doesn't cost tons of money.

So forget the picture of skateboarding you've always had and allow your children to get involved in an activity that will promote health, friendships, and identity. And plus, the more time your children are outside practicing skateboarding the more quiet time you can enjoy without them!

http://s-biz.org/userinfo.php?uid=3705
http://www.10hyou.be/userinfo.php?uid=596
http://theoffspring.us/userinfo.php?uid=5816
http://run2.jp/userinfo.php?uid=824
http://xoops.hypweb.net/userinfo.php?uid=4419
http://www.election-day.info/userinfo.php?uid=26412
http://stareslike.com/userinfo.php?uid=3030
http://scan60.com/userinfo.php?uid=6746
http://house-forum.jp/userinfo.php?uid=457
http://www.gimp.org.es/userinfo.php?uid=34950
http://www.mostai.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=1219
http://www.massbjj.com/userinfo.php?uid=1089
http://my-mobile.ru/userinfo.php?uid=18130
http://www.uribou.net/userinfo.php?uid=2797
http://urban-terror.jp/userinfo.php?uid=1116
http://www.hyuga-rc.com/userinfo.php?uid=756
http://www.oirak.jp/userinfo.php?uid=1362
http://fukushima-ot.jp/userinfo.php?uid=422
http://www.gcprm.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=779
http://russmedia.net/userinfo.php?uid=19409
http://tropicalfish.name/userinfo.php?uid=5466
http://harrietroberson.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=3188
http://apft-fr.org/web/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=267
http://en.moxie.com.tw/userinfo.php?uid=4173
http://night.hlvs.ylc.edu.tw/lsch/htdocs/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=3494
http://europeturist.com.mk/mk/userinfo.php?uid=626
http://timewarped.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=1360
http://www.off-road.de/home/userinfo.php?uid=5765
http://comunidadsanpablo.org/portal/userinfo.php?uid=1370
http://www2.tku.edu.tw/~tacx/html/userinfo.php?uid=5093

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Add Elegance To Grilling

Add Elegance To Grilling

Whether it's a small gathering of family members or an invitation extended to friends and neighbors, entertaining can take on a delightfully casual approach when it's done outdoors.

Add instant sophistication to a casual atmosphere with these entertaining and grilling tips guaranteed to impress every guest.

Be Courteous to Your Guests

Be sure to note any food restrictions or allergies and prepare alternate options.

Prepare ahead. Cut meats and vegetables, set the table, and toss the salad before the guests arrive. This will give you more time to relax and enjoy your company.

Create an Ambiance

White dinnerware always looks appropriate and pairs nicely with casual double-duty prep and serving pieces, such as rustic wood cutting boards for an outdoor meal.

Add instant elegance to your casual get-together with flowers. Just trim a few stems from the garden and arrange them in glasses or bowls.

Offer a few different bottles of wine at the table for a great conversation starter. The best wines to serve are ones that pair well with all types of food and do not require additional aging once purchased. For example, Rioja, one of Spain's oldest and most renowned wines, includes reds, whites and rose at all price ranges, aged to be ready to drink at purchase and complement meat, fish and vegetables.

Efficiency Is Key

To speed up grilling time, partially precook chicken, red meat, potatoes, carrots and other slow-cooking food in the oven or microwave. When grilling, if you need more than one cooking temperature, mound some coals on one side to create a hot section and spread coals out on the other side for a cooler section.

Grill Smart

When grilling food on skewers, cut pieces into chunks that are too large to fall through the grate. Or for easy cleanup, consider using foil packets to grill onion rings, slices of zucchini and squash or even pineapple rings.

When basting, use two brushes -one green and one red. Use the green brush to baste raw meat. Once the meat has begun to cook, switch to the red brush to continue the process. This will help to avoid contamination.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

A Look into Professional Skateboarding

A Look into Professional Skateboarding

Skateboarding has become one of the most popular activities of the youth nowadays. It has evolved from being just a rebellious activity back in its older days to a fully-blown extreme sport that it is today.

According to recent statistics, there are over twelve million skateboarders worldwide and more than 80 percent of these skateboarders are under 18 years old. It has touched the younger markets quite well and has a firm grip on them. Some of these skateboarders skate as a hobby or as a means of transportation, but very few of these skaters go on into the big leagues to become a professional skateboarder.

The industry of skateboarding is a big one. Armed with a huge market, skateboarding has become a multi-billion dollar industry. The mere fact that it is very popular with the young generations and getting into skateboarding is quite easy, there is a lot of money to be made from selling products, advertising and events organizing.

What does being a professional skateboarder exactly mean? Well, as in any other sport, going professional means using the sport as a means to earn money. If you get paid for your skateboarding abilities and skills, then you are a pro skateboarder.

Many of the great skateboarders such as Reese Forbes, Kareem Campbell and Ron Bertino began their careers from humble beginnings. The dynamics of commercialism really gives the much needed financial value to the sport that is skateboarding. But, how does one earn from skateboarding?

One popular way of earning from skateboarding, as many people would see it, is to join and win skateboarding tournaments. Yes, indeed, there is some money to be made from regularly joining these tournaments and these tournaments provide avenues for skateboarders to be recognized, but in reality, the real money in professional skateboarding does not lie in winning tournaments. The bulk of the money comes from deals arising from the endorsements of skateboarding products.

The journey of a professional skateboarder would start in the streets, where he would take endless attempts to do new tricks and perform new stunts. These tricks and stunts are to be displayed in tournaments which the different sponsors are carefully keeping an eye on. If a certain company sees a skateboarder with much talent and has a promising career, they would give him free stuff for him to use. This move is also advantageous for the company since the skateboarder will sort of “endorse” their products. When a skateboarder has become a crowd favorite and catches the attention of everyone, then talks are usually made for endorsement deals, and the money will come in.

Skateboarding shoes and other apparels are the real cash cows in the skateboarding industry and not the skateboards themselves. Actually, other shoe lines have suffered losses because of the rise in popularity of “urban” shoes which cater to the lifestyle of skateboarders.

If you really love the sport that is skateboarding, you’d probably dreaming of being a professional skateboarder someday. There’s no harm in dreaming such things since being a professional skateboarder can really bring in lots of benefits. Going pro can bring things like money and fame into the table, but at the end of the day, what really matters is that you enjoy what you are doing.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Do You Know Your Skateboarding Trick?

Do You Know Your Skateboarding Trick?

Skateboarding is one of the many sports that involve displays of skill and expertise. It is essential to know a skateboarding trick or another to be considered a real skateboarder. Many skateboarding tricks have been developed through all the time people have been skateboarding. Here are just some of the most popular tricks:

1. Aerials – also known as airs, these general kinds of tricks are typically done on quarter pipes, pools or half pipes where vertical walls with transitions are available. Aerials are usually combined with other tricks such as grabs and rotations. Among the most popular subtypes of aerials would be the 540, 720, 900, Benihana, Body Jar, Caballerial, Christ Air, Finger Flip air, Gay Twist, Gnar Jar, Judo Air, Lien Air, Madonna, McTwist, Samba Flip, Sean Penn, Sloth Air, Stalefish, Rocket Air, and Method Air.

2. Ollie – this is known as the father of skateboarding tricks because most tricks are derived from this. Invented by and named after Alan “Ollie” Gelfand, this trick involves getting on air without grabbing the skateboard but instead by stomping or popping the posterior end of the board. Variations of the Ollie involve the Nollie, switch Ollie, Fakie Ollie, Power Ollie, Boned Ollie, Ollie North, and Pressure.

3. The Flip – as its name suggests, the flip is a skateboarding trick that involves the flipping or spinning of the board in the air. This trick was originally developed by Rodney Mullen, who then called it the Magic Flip. Among the most popular variations of the flip are the heelflip, kickflip, Casper Flip, Anti-Casper Flip, Backside Flip, Big Spin, Cab Flip, Disco Kickflip, Ghetto Bird, Hardflip, Hospital Flip, Impossible, Late Flip, Mother Flip, Pop Shove-it, Sal Flip, Salabanzi, Sex Change and the Scissor Flip.

4. The Grab – as these tricks are named, grabs involve holding the skateboard, usually during aerials. Grabs are quite useful in keeping the skateboarder on the board during in mid-flight. Examples of grabs are the Airwalk grab, Backside grab, cannonball grab, Crail grab, Christ Air, Early grab, Frontside grab, Gorilla grab, Indy grab, Japan grab, Melon grab, Mosquito grab, Nose grab, Roast Beef, Seatbelt grab, Tail grab and the Tucknee.

5. The Grind – this is a kind of trick where a skateboarder would hide on hangers of the skateboard truck. This trick can be done on any smooth object where the truck can slide. Some of the variations of the grind are the Barley grind, Crooked grind, Darkslide, Fandangle, Freeble grind, Gurl grind, Hurricane, Losi grind, Nosegrind, Novacaine, Overcrook grind, Pole Jam, Salad grind, Smith grind, Sugarcane, Suski grind, Willy Grind, and Csmit grind.

6. The Slide – sliding is somewhat like the grind, but instead of gliding through the trick, this involves gliding using the board itself. Some important slides are the Bertlemann slide, Bluntslide, Boardslide, Booger slide, Crail slide, Ces slide, Darkslide, Lipslide, Noselide, Powerslide, and the Tailslide.

7. Lip Tricks – this skateboarding trick is done on mini ramps, quarterpipes, and half pipes. They are called so because they need to balance on ramp lips. Notable lip tricks are the Andrecht Invert, Axle stall, Blunt, Disaster, Egg Plant, Fakie-Bonk-off, Frontside Invert, Good Buddy, Ho-Ho, New Deal, Nose pick, Nose stall, Pivot, Pogo, Rock and Roll, Smithvert, Tail Stall, Staple Gun, Stelmasky Plant, Sweeper, Tail Block, Tucknee Invert, and the Woolly Mammoth.

There are many other skateboarding tricks out there, and many others are still being developed. To now more about skateboarding tricks, you can read the leading skateboarding magazines or ask a skateboarding expert.

http://www.derangedrecords.com/index.php/member/412068/
http://www.hollistaggart.com/member/211700/
http://www.jesusclips.com/uprofile.php?UID=10124
http://www.golfxtz.com/uprofile.php?UID=2352
http://allgoodnews.tv/uprofile.php?UID=1881
http://www.ikaworld.com/videotv/uprofile.php?UID=668
http://www.uboomerutv.com/uprofile.php?UID=1631
http://www.bondi.tv/tv/uprofile.php?UID=783
http://www.airlinetv.net/uprofile.php?UID=3609
http://www.livewriters.com/uprofile.php?UID=8852
http://www.kushcomedy.com/uprofile.php?UID=1253
http://surfbirds.com/video2/uprofile.php?UID=6877
http://www.worldblackbeltvideo.com/uprofile.php?UID=482
http://www.tantrictube.com/videoshare/uprofile.php?UID=702
http://www.worldsport.co.uk/uprofile.php?UID=909
http://www.cuidardaprofissao.org/userinfo.php?uid=4267
http://www.elbassit.com/userinfo.php?uid=5020
http://www.saitama-itc.org/npo/userinfo.php?uid=556
http://palmier-savoir.net/userinfo.php?uid=2242
http://www.yllight.org/userinfo.php?uid=920
http://www.kktsd.jp/tsd/userinfo.php?uid=1363
http://www.malamutedealaska.com/userinfo.php?uid=2041
http://www.tp-zhejiang.org/userinfo.php?uid=646
http://www.marimba.org/ja/userinfo.php?uid=596
http://www.greencoffeeassociation.org/index.php/member/356621/
http://www.handyman.co.nz/hmx/userinfo.php?uid=5198
http://www.jasonshannonmusic.com/index.php/member/152512/
http://svetv.videokijken.nl/uprofile.php?UID=660
http://www.worldsport.co.uk/uprofile.php?UID=910
http://www.senegalhit.com/uprofile.php?UID=54632
http://myjica.com/userinfo.php?uid=1366
http://www.bondi.tv/tv/uprofile.php?UID=784
http://www.airlinetv.net/uprofile.php?UID=3610
http://www.livewriters.com/uprofile.php?UID=8861
http://www.kushcomedy.com/uprofile.php?UID=1254
http://www.melitonline.net/html/userinfo.php?uid=2724
http://aikidziaki.pl/memo/userinfo.php?uid=331
http://www.tagliapietre.net/userinfo.php?uid=1890
http://www.aseem31.com/userinfo.php?uid=1341
http://www.davidetrebbi.com/public/portale/userinfo.php?uid=1982
http://www.psycheforum.it/userinfo.php?uid=429
http://www.basic.msxall.com/userinfo.php?uid=1811
http://www.studioloschiavo.eu/userinfo.php?uid=673
http://www.pfarreneusimmering.at/userinfo.php?uid=415
http://telejoke.com/index.php/member/215082/
http://www.marimba.org/en/userinfo.php?uid=37320
http://tuckersblues.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=4929
http://www.xoopstr.org/userinfo.php?uid=4160
http://toycarscollection.ru/userinfo.php?uid=1617

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Adding Almonds May Let You Reign In Spain

Adding Almonds May Let You Reign In Spain

For many, warmer weather means eating lighter and healthier. Here's a quick, new recipe for a Summer Delight Salad. The sliced almonds help to give it a Mediterranean accent.

Summer Delight Salad

3/4 cup Sunkist® Almond Accents® Honey Roasted sliced almonds

8 cups torn spinach or mixed greens

1 (5-oz.) pkg. yellow teardrop tomatoes

1 cup quartered fresh strawberries

1/3 cup sliced red onion

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

raspberry vinaigrette dressing

In large bowl, toss half the Sunkist® Almond Accents® Honey Roasted sliced almonds and the next 4 ingredients. Arrange onto salad plates; top with blue cheese and remaining Sunkist® Almond Accents® Honey Roasted sliced almonds. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad.

Makes 4 to 6 salads.

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Almonds are nutrient dense, vitamin rich and have long been used to add flavor and crunch to dishes from different parts of the Mediterranean. Sunkist® Almond Accents® are dry roasted with no added oil and have no cholesterol, no saturated fat, and just 1-2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. And now, using almonds in any dish may earn five lucky contestants a trip to Spain.

A Culinary Adventure

A seven-day, six-night epicurean adventure for two to Barcelona, including round-trip airfare, hotel, optional cooking lessons, food and wine tastings, excursions to wineries and local food producers and guided tours of historic sites, is the grand prize in a contest that celebrates the variety, flavor and health benefits that dishes that use almonds have to offer.

A Slice Of Spanish Flavor

Sunkist® Almond Accents® will send five grand-prize winners of its Barcelona Culinary Sweepstakes on the all-expenses-paid trip for two to Barcelona, Spain.

Two hundred first prizes, consisting of a set of hand-painted, hand-thrown dishes, will also be awarded.

http://modellus.fct.unl.pt/user/view.php?id=32031&course=1
http://www.zelkovavc.com/index.php/member/16552/
http://www.ccajax.org/index.php/member/11897/
http://www.bullieswithabadge.org/S=e10a144241d3f03d538c1da23675cc3af37cd812/member/1147
http://visual-branding.com/member/493594/
http://www.themadisonfoundation.org/index.php/member/337523/
http://mypukafam.com/index.php/member/32310/
http://www.derangedrecords.com/index.php/member/412824/
http://www.hollistaggart.com/member/212289/
http://www.genersys-ireland.com/index.php/member/32319/
http://theaterchurch.com/forum/member/315824/
http://www.northrupkingbuilding.com/member/501073/
http://ezwayselfstorage.com/index.php/member/274518/
http://ediblecity.com/member/12593
http://www.michaelfroese.com/member/210210
http://www.shakespearetavern.com/index.php?/member/891/
http://www.newlifelincoln.org.uk/index.php/member/748/
http://www.maraedirectory.com/index.php?/member/1093/
http://www.innoveer.com/index.php/member/1023
http://rosannecash.com/index.php/S=e9602bf2668c985a0cb336c99e33ef6c902ee6c2/member/17844/
http://www.nightlifeweblink.com/user_detail.php?u=fcarnell29
https://developer.berlios.de/people/viewprofile.php?user_id=62785
http://modellus.fct.unl.pt/user/view.php?id=31810&course=1
http://cyberjaya.name/cmx/userinfo.php?uid=7690
http://www.freddyandma.com/index.php/member/29692/
http://rightfromtheheart.org/member/2731/
http://www.allshowcases.com/index.php/member/181556/
http://www.kandnmobile.com/kn/member/104935
http://www.gregljohnson.com/index.php/member/244964/
http://www.cfbr.ie/member/58321
http://www.thehomecinemacentre.co.uk/index.php/member/17382/
http://fzilla.com/index.php/member/254590/
http://www.cammonline.org/index.php?/member/936/
http://dirtyoilsands.org/member/870
http://www.clonakilty.ie/index.php/member/656/
http://www.independenttribune.net/special/index.php/forums/member/134671/
http://www.stopworkforhire.com/member/38043/
http://www.castlelake.ie/member/237780/
http://www.careerlifeconnection.com/member/376397/
http://www.maritisblog.com/index.php/member/18814/

Monday, September 10, 2012

Barbecue. The secrets of the Greek way!

Barbecue. The secrets of the Greek way!

I have taste grilled meats around the world. Before i will guide you to the various technologies (gas barbecues, charcoal barbecues, Mongolian, sauces, recipes ) i will tell you about the Greek way. We Greeks like good food so i will start from the meat. Whatever the technology, the recipe and the sauce, if the meat is from a producer which feeds his animals the traditional way the taste will be superb. Period.

There is no equivalent of a natural rosen meat of beef ,lamp or pork. The taste is magic ! If you come for holidays in Greece you will see in the morning or in the afternoon the old lady with the two or three cows , or goats. These animals will be served in the local taverna. For this meat i am talking about. If we talk about the islands where the goats are drinking sea water and eating the local wild weeds we are talking about a superior quality meat almost presalted.
If you ever go in CRETE taste it, you will remember my words. In case you will visit northern Greece try local Veal stake. You can locate the good food where you will see no foreigners at all.

So lets move around Athens and check the best ones. One of the best barbecue tavern in Athens area is Telis in Evripidou Str.
Telis is the master of pork chops. This is his specialty. If you order for a plate you will notice about four to five pieces above fried potatoes. He is all day open and very economical also. Its a kind of fast pork steak food. It is a must taste since you visit Athens. Another must taste is Thanasis kebab souvlaki in Thision. It is mixed lamp and veal chopped meat over charcoals. You may eat a plate of four of them , with grilled tomatoes, or you might taste the traditional way in a pita. Any way its very difficult to eat only one. If you like hot papers ask them.

One more must eat souvlaki in Athens is LEIBADIA in KANIGOS SQUARE. There you can have the traditional pork souvlaki with all the village bread you can eat. They produce all day long so whenever you will be there you will taste it straight from the charcoals.

All around Greece we like to barbecue on charcoals. The device we choose must be proven in producing our favorite taste. Our meat are premarinated with olive oil, salt, pepper, origanon. During grill we add a little of olive oil-salt-origanon mix in order to produce the tasty smell, which gives this delicious aromatic taste to the meat.
The fire must be strong but not so strong to provoke fires under the meat. For this purpose we have a bottle of vinegar to extinguish it in case of. We add fresh lemon just before we consume them. We don't take out the fat before we grill our meat because we like the taste of the smoked meat.

One more famous place for barbecue souvlaki is the Corinth bridge. This is the bridge which you enter Peloponnesus. Do not pass the bridge and miss the taste of this souvlaki. Thousands of people stop every day to taste this local delicacy.