When the Surf is Down, the Skimboard Can Still Let You Get Wet and Wild

Woody Classic Skimboard

Summer maybe winding down and even if the waves aren’t up for you to catch, you can still make like a surfer with a very different type of board. Enter the skimboard, a three to four-foot wooden plank that literally skims on just inches of water. It is one that is easy to learn, and can better still doesn’t require that would be riders need be near a large body of water.

Thus the sport has been catching on in many parts of the country, especially those regions where it isn’t always possible to catch the big waves. According to a recent story in The Bellingham Herald in Washington, skimboards have been around since the early 1980s as an alternative to surfing, but this year has seen a pick-up in the sport. As the article notes skimming can also be relatively cheap when compared to surfing or even snowboards. Continue reading When the Surf is Down, the Skimboard Can Still Let You Get Wet and Wild

This Bamboo Holds Water

With all the eco bottles on store shelves, you expect to see stainless steel or BPA-free plastic for the newest offering. Bamboo? Does it hold water? Glass? Won’t it break? Together they make a sturdy and attractive bottle to tote around your non-potable.

The Bamboo Bottle Company combines sustainable bamboo and glass to make its new bottle. The 17 oz. “original” bottle is BPA-free. It is constructed of a bamboo tube with a glass insert and top and bottom caps. Bamboo was selected for the outer because of the species’ stability, hardness and strength. Phyllostachys Pubescens bamboo, also known as Moso and Mau Tzu bamboo, are grown and harvested, then hand selected and hand cut for the bottle. While bamboo is sustainable, the hand harvesting allows for maturing and flowering strands of the plants to remain flourishing to their full 90 feet, which takes about nine months. It also avoids the use of heavy machinery to minimize impact on the ground soil. The cut bamboo continues to grow as it is a type of grass. Continue reading This Bamboo Holds Water

Zoom Boom Golf Club Swings Into Action

Inventor and self-professed “golf nut” Lance McWilliams is looking to change the game. He’s in the swing of things with a newly launched training aid, the Zoom Boom. The 44-year-old Fort Worth native had already gone from average golfer to the creator of the 15 Minute Golf instructional system, and now he’s looking to truly revolutionize the way golfers make their swings. To this end he actually studied not just the way the game is played but also the players too, and found that it might not be the golf clubs that are what is at question, but rather the way they’re used that really needed to change.

In an article for The Fort Worth Business Press, McWilliams explains, “I studied all the greats and then I’d go the driving range and study the not-so-greats. I tried to figure out what makes this golfer different from that golfer.” It was seeing the so-called “not-so-greats” that was the epiphany for the erstwhile marketer turned designer. He saw that many golfers failed to stay on plane and finish their swing in a balanced position. Continue reading Zoom Boom Golf Club Swings Into Action

Conquer the Course With This New Bike and Tri Wear

When it comes to doing a triathlon you can complete or you can try to conquer the competition. That’s what the makers at Australian-based Conquest Bike Wear also seemed to have in mind, with its latest line of new triathlon and cycling attire. Our friends at Trizone reported that the company has announced several new products, many of which have been upgraded to feature the latest material and technical components.

These include the Conquest trisuit, a protestional-level kit constructed of hardwearing “Lyrca power.” The fabric is reported to be chlorine and salt water resistant, as well as offering sun protection rated at UV50+. Making sure that the clothing can stand up to the harsh conditions is a real plus, as is the additional use of hydrophobic fabric to repel water quickly. This means that you won’t have to feel you’re sitting on damp sponge as you hit the bike. Continue reading Conquer the Course With This New Bike and Tri Wear

New Performance Fabrics Processed with Plasma

It’s the gas in your TV. And now it’s the gas that created the surface of your clothes. Plasma is a gas created by applying electrical fields to pure gas or gas mixtures in a vacuum chamber. A Swiss company called Eschler is using plasma to cause systematic surface modifications to fabrics. Translation: A process that creates water-resistant, water-absorbing and dirt-repellent fabrics through the use of electricity and an ionic gas rather than the use of chemicals or excessive water. Plasma changes the surface of the fabric to grant these properties through particular textures whether they’re smooth or mottled. The process has traditionally been achieved through the use of wet processing with chemicals and lots and lots of water. The chemical process often makes the fabric too stiff, and wears away with repeated washing.

Continue reading New Performance Fabrics Processed with Plasma

Stan is the Man Thanks to His Tubeless System

During the Second World War many nations relied on bicycles to transport soldiers in rear areas, and to carry messages. Some nations, such as Japan, even used bicycles to rush troops to the front lines. This worked well until the bikes got flat tires – and with rubber in great demand many bikes proved to be sort of worthless, a feeling any rider with a flat probably feels. However, the Japanese solution was simply to ride on the rims until those bent out of shape. Fortunately today bicycle tubes are still just about the least expensive part on the bike, but that’s little comfort when you get a flat and have to change the tire – unless you think of riding on the rims.

So we’re not exactly sure who this “Stan” might be, but he invented one cool product – at least as long as you’re not the maker of bicycle inner tubes, or like riding on your rims with flat tires. The Stan’s Tubeless System is essentially a kit that allows for most standard bike tires to hold air without the use of a tube. This innovative system uses a rubber rim strip to cover the spoke holes along with a liquid sealant to prevent air from leaking through the tire. Continue reading Stan is the Man Thanks to His Tubeless System

Cyclist Uses Twitter To Call for Help

Even after her crash Leigh Fazzina couldn’t stop “Tweeting”

Ready for the big cycling race? Have your check list ready for a safe race: tubes, check; water, check; helmet, check; gloves, check; first aid kit, check; mobile phone with Twitter account, what you say? The last item might seem like a stretch, because after all, who needs to make a call or send a Tweet while they’re in the middle of a race. But for Leigh Fazzina being able to send a Tweet to her Twitter follows may have just saved her life.

After getting lost in a 300-acre Connecticut woods last Tuesday during the downhill stage of a mini-triathlon, Fazzina crashed when her front wheel hit some roots. The 36-year old was bleeding, and unable to walk. Instead of panicking, she tried to use her mobile phone to call relatives, but as the calls failed, she resorted to using Twitter to reach out to 1,000+ “followers.” Continue reading Cyclist Uses Twitter To Call for Help

Not Your Dad’s Topsiders

You can't walk on water, but Sperry's Ping with SON-R technology let you walk in water.

Back in the ’80s topsiders were popular as the preppy shoe of choice. They faded into the background to be kept afloat by sailors and other boaters. But while the traditional style is still available from manufacturer Sperry, some new designs use tech specific to water sports. The Ping uses SON-R technology that gives the wearer feedback of the surface he’s walking on. Made to go on land and under shallow water for launching boats and small boat water sports like Kayaking and canoeing, the Ping has an “outsole-to-insole-to brain” sensory feedback system constructed of multiple pads comprising the same sole. This SON-R system lets you feel the rocks under your feet and navigate different surfaces even when you can’t see them under water.

Continue reading Not Your Dad’s Topsiders

Brain Bucket for the Slopes

Salomon Patrol C.Air Mike Douglas Ski Helmet

A decade ago chances were you’d be more concerned with keeping your head warm while hitting the ski slope than with actually protecting it. But as helmets have come to be standard gear for biking, so too have the brain buckets have become part of the outfit for skiing. Getting a helmet to fit properly has never been easy – so when Saloman decided to introduce a new ski helmet they turned to Whistler-based pro skier Mike Douglas to help with the design.

To truly make a “one-size-fits-all” helmet, Salomon utilized a built-in inflatable pump. The same technology has been used in previous models, but the Mike Douglas pro-model features lightweight and breathable design that will be good for all sorts of weather conditions – because the last thing you want is a helmet that is hot or uncomfortable. If the helmet doesn’t fit right people simply won’t wear it. Continue reading Brain Bucket for the Slopes

Hit 18 Holes Without Actually Going Outside

With the aboutGolf simulator you won't have to search for lost balls in the woods

People pay good money to join a golf club, and even more money to travel to some of the world’s most scenic courses – but despite this fact there are times when you just can’t get outside for a round of golf. One way to avoid the weather and still get in a full 18 holes is to take advantage of the latest indoor golf simulator technology. And we’re not talking about a simple putting green in the corner or even golf on the Nintendo Wii, because while the video game experience is good, it isn’t quite like the real deal. For that you’ll have to turn to companies such as aboutGolf, which recently announced that it was the “secret weapon” in Canada’s University of Waterloo recent season.

The technology was utilized by the University of Waterloo’s engineering school, which took it to a new level with UW golf equipment and biomechanics researchers. This included studies of the technology, where engineering students used the aboutGolf PGA TOUR Simulator with new shaft and clubhead deisgns, as well as biomechanic modeling, motion capture, and golf ball simulation and optimization. This collaboration allowed UW’s men’s and women’s golf teams as part of their training for the 2010 season. Continue reading Hit 18 Holes Without Actually Going Outside

Apple Spins Patent for Cycling

Apple's diagram for its Smart Bike patent application currently in development.

Looking for a cycling computer? There’s an app for that. Apple recently filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for various concepts of a newly-advanced Smart Bicycle System. Reportedly in development, the app will use the iPhone’s (or iPod iTouch) accelerometer and gyroscope to measure speed, distance, time, altitude, elevation, incline, decline, heart rate, temperature, weather, wind speed and other factors relevant to cycling. A few other add-ons such as a heart rate monitor strap and sensors to place on the wheel will likely be required to take full advantage of the app.

Other news outlets are reporting the iPhone and app that pro cyclists could adopt and even used to communicate while racing in a stage. Most teams already have cycling computers that read all the same settings and report back to the team’s manager in the team car. Garmin-Transitions Slipstream, for example, has Garmin as a sponsor and part of the GPS manufacturer’s commitment is in supply of cycle computers and other equipment. It is possible some teams will opt for the iPhone app, and certainly will be open to a sponsorship. Several new teams have been announced and it wouldn’t be all too surprising to see an Apple team form in the next year or so.

Whether the app is used by competitive cyclists, expect to see plenty of hipsters on track bikes with their iPhones mounted to the handlebars. We just hope they refrain from text and ride practices.

[via: Patently Apple and Huffington Post]

Hands On: Hitting the Trail With the Montrail Sabino

Montrail Sabino Trail Shoes

Over hill, over dale, I hit the dusty trail and the Sabino carried me along. After years of primarily being one to pound the pavement, I laced up with a pair on Montrail Sabino shoes and got off road. Now truth be told, given the state of many roads and even sidewalks in much of the country these days, finding “off road” isn’t as hard as it seems. But these performance running shoes are really designed for stability in true trail conditions.

The Sabinos are heavier than many of today’s lightweight running training shoes, but that’s because these need to stand up to harsher terrain. In other words you wouldn’t use a sports car where a SUV needs to go – then again, many SUVs probably couldn’t go where these shoes will take you. Made of synthetic leather and lylon mesh upper materials and thermoplastic midfoot shank, the Sabinos fit like a glove and were just right for the rather humid and warm day when I hit the trail. Whether we’ll be able to say if these were neither too hot nor too cold will have to determined at another time, but it is safe to say that these will do the job in a variety of weather conditions. Continue reading Hands On: Hitting the Trail With the Montrail Sabino

Phoning in Your Workout

No, you can’t send your phone on a run, but you can take it along with you for added benefits. The new touch screen handset Samsung Eternity II, available through AT&T, is packed with features including apps and GPS. The GPS allows for fitness tracking so you can chart your routes and where you biked, ran, or otherwise traversed in a cardiovascular manner. If you explored the trails at a local park and aren’t sure how far you actually went, you can review your journey post-workout and map the trails plus tabulate the distance.

What’s unclear is whether the GPS app just tracks distance, or also calculates grade and elevation so you can see your progress on those hill repeats. The Eternity II also has expandable memory up to 32 GB leaving plenty of room for music to take along on your workout. The two features, plus any upcoming apps available through the AT&T AppCenter, reduce the number of gadgets you take with you for a workout, and puts more power behind that muscle.

AT&T product page