Blob Jumping Catapults People into the Sky Like Angry Birds

From certain vantage points, blob jumping looks like Angry Birds — without the pigs. Photo: paintballfarmch via YouTube

A craze has swept the lake shore towns of Europe, particularly in German Switzerland: blob jumping, an activity which clearly demonstrates the physics of air displacement within a “blob” — essentially a giant, partially-inflated air mattress — by means of launching people up into the air like human cannonballs.  One or more people simultaneously jump off an elevated platform and land onto one end of the blob, where another person is lying on the other end.  At impact, this person is launched high up into the sky at varied trajectories — sort of like in Angry Birds without any of the porcine targets — and back down into the water.

The heights at which humans can go up in a blob jump are impressive, so much that it’s started to get a little competitive for the highest altitude.  In June of this summer, the Guinness Book of World Records entered a new number in their pages of superlatives: 17 meters (55.8 feet) after publicized blob jump in Cham, Switzerland.  How long that record will last has yet to be determined, but from the looks of things, it’s sure going to be fun trying to beat it. [via Gizmodo]

Photo: paintballfarmch via YouTube

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U.S. Wingsuit Flyer Soars through Tunnel in China

Photo: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

Daredevil BASE jumper/skydiver/wingsuit flyer (and former Stunt Junkies host) Jeb Corliss has crossed off yet another destination in his travels around the world in search of cool things to jump off of. He’s already jumped off the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Space Needle in Seattle, and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — but now he’s jumping through an iconic structure, a natural one at that: the arch of Tianmen Mountain in Hunan province, China.

With Red Bull endorsing helmet on head, Corliss, 35, launched from a helicopter flying 6,500 ft. above the southeastern Chinese mountain, spread his wingsuit wings, and flew through the hole — only 100 ft. wide — before releasing a parachute and landing on a nearby bridge. According to The Telegraph, he is the first wingsuit flyer — American or otherwise — to fly in mainland China.

Corliss’ high-flying feat was actually his second attempt; the first had not been successful due to non-functioning smoke brackets on his feet. Ultimately a second try was all he needed, and it was well worth it. “That was one of the greatest wingsuit flights of my entire life,” Corliss said. “Thank you China, that was amazing.”

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The World’s Top 10 Kiteboarding Spots

Photo: Darryl Leniuk/Getty Images

It takes more than wind to find an ideal kiteboarding spot. Granted, that’s a big part of it, but there are other factors to consider, like how flat, choppy, or wavy the water is, the weather (other than the wind conditions, of course), and location’s overall vibe. Sure, if you have your own kite, board, and harness, you can go kiteboarding at a place close and convenient to you — may it be a lake or your local beach — but when you’re looking for a destination to go to get your fill of this increasingly popular water sport, here are ten picks from around the globe. All you need is a will, a way, and some wind. (Maybe a wetsuit too):

1. La Ventana, Baja California

Photo: Dave G. Houser/Corbis

Situated near the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California is La Ventana, which translates from Spanish to “window” — it’s the gusts blowing across the Gulf of California that put the “wind” in this “window.” Kiteboarders come to this gulf, known locally as the Sea of Cortez — a sea declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its biodiversity and scenic beauty. And who wouldn’t want to kitesurf in that?

2. Nabq, Egypt

Photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

Moses might not have had to part the Red Sea to get across if he and his people had a kiteboards, especially if he was in Nabq. Located on the southeastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula between the glitzy resort hub of Sharm-el-Sheikh and the backpacker haven of Dahab, this desert beach town is a draw for kiteboarders from around the world who want to “kiteboard like an Egyptian” in steady winds across the Gulf of Aqaba.

3. Tarifa, Spain

Photo: Ben Welsh/Design Pics/Corbis

The Strait of Gibraltar forms the perfect wind tunnel between the European and African continents — perfect for the wind-powered water sport enthusiasts who flock there year round. Tarifa is one of the world’s meccas for kiteboarders, not only for Spaniards and other Europeans, but also for competitors from around the world.

4. Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Photo: Jane Sweeney/JAI/Corbis

Off the northern coast of mainland Venezuela is this tropical beach destination that attracts your regular suntanning beachgoer, along with travelers and locals toting kites and kiteboards. They come to play in the sun and catch the Caribbean winds, which blow consistently year round.

5. Le Morne, Mauritius

Photo: Ed Harris/Reuters/Corbis

The Le Morne rock formation at the tip of the Le Morne Peninsula may have historical significance being a former refuge from runaway slaves, but these days it’s a vacation destination — and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot. Located on the southwestern corner of this island nation off the coast of Madagascar, the Le Morne area harbors a flat water lagoon ideal for beginner kiteboarders and more formidable waves for veterans farther away in the Indian Ocean.

6. Boracay, Philippines

Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Boracay’s White Beach may be the face of tourism on this resorty island of the archipelago nation in Southeast Asia, but on the other, windier side of the island lies plenty of kiteboarders hangin’ with thehangin — the native Tagalog word for wind.

7. Boca Grandi, Aruba

Photo: Michele Falzone/JAI/Corbis

Aruba may be a popular island for cruiseliners to make port for the day, but if you stay awhile, you’ll see that it’s just the right place to cruise on a board instead of a boat — which is undoubtedly a lot more fun for the adventure tourist.

8. Cumbuco, Brazil

Photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

Football (aka soccer) may be the popular sport on land in Brazil, but in the water, kites dominate — especially in the northeastern shore town of Cumbuco, about 15 miles east from Fortaleza. It is here that Brazilians and visitors come to kiteboard in ocean waves and flat water lagoons, before dancing the samba at night.

9. Cabarete, Dominican Republic

Photo: Paul Souders/Corbis

The winds are consistent year round on the northern shores of this Caribbean nation — the perfect atmosphere for international competitions each June, and a laid back kitesurfer vibe every other time of the year, for locals and tourists alike.

10. Maui, Hawaii

Photo: Ron Dahlquist/Corbis

No list of the world’s top kiteboarding spots would be complete without mentioning Maui; it’s been credited for being the birthplace of modern kiteboarding in the 90s — in fact, it was the stage of the first competition of the sport. With that said, it attracts people of all levels, from the first-timer to the seasoned pro, to harness the winds of Kanaha Beach by day, and party at the luaus by night.

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Go to the Movies by Kayak in NYC

LIC Boathouse in New York City offers free kayaking programs, sometimes to the movies. Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

Ever think of going to the movies — via kayak?  That was one adventurous idea from Erik Baard, founder of the Long Island City Community Boathouse in Queens (one of a few community boathouses throughout the five boroughs of New York), a non-profit organization whose mission is not only to provide neighborhood New Yorkers with recreational kayaking programs, but also to educate and raise awareness about the local estuary ecology.  I was invited to a small, informal excursion with this group, led by Baard, to paddle four miles up and down the East River in sea kayaks to Socrates Sculpture Park for one of their nighttime outdoor film screenings.

Kayaking in New York's East River is a lovely alternative to sitting in traffic. Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

With snacks and popcorn packed into dry bags, we launched from Anable Basin near the LIC Boathouse one evening, just as the tides of the East River changed in our favor.  Despite a short-lived squall that drenched us immediately after launch, we shook ourselves off and paddled our way up the East River — under the traffic of the Queensboro Bridge — until we arrived in the sheltered waters of Hallets Cove.  It was there the movie screen was set up in the park; however, the screen was not visible from the water and there was no choice but land to watch it — which sort of defeated the novelty of kayaking to the cinema. And so, we opted to paddle back to the boathouse under the illumination of nighttime lights coming from the skyscrapers of Manhattan, and the bridges above our heads.

Like the others in this experimental kayak-to-the-movies excursion, I realized that the best part of kayaking to the movies is the actual kayaking — especially since you can’t watch the movie from the river. Watching a movie may be a nice escape to the routine of city life, but sometimes getting there by kayak is a nice escape too.

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All-expenses-paid Expedition Looking for Young Explorers! Do You Have What It Takes?

Photo: Dmitry Sharamov for Mike Horn

South African explorer Mike Horn faces a surprising conundrum: Three years into his Pangaea Project, a four-year round-the-world expedition that promises to chisel young adventurers into global ambassadors for the planet, he is still receiving a dearth of U.S. applicants. The news is a little confounding, considering that in addition to being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students between the ages of 15 and 20, the impossible-to-replicate-on-your-own, all-expenses-paid expedition is worth roughly $20,000.

Photo: Dmitry Sharamov for Mike Horn

“We’re not looking for a super jock or even a kid who is necessarily very well traveled,” says Pangaea spokesperson Mary Buckheit. “The focus is on authenticity—a kid who cares about the environment and sustainability, is active and healthy, and will share his message after the expedition is over. This is not about whether this experience will look good on a college application. And it’s not a vacation.”

With 8 of the 12 expeditions—which have included exploring the ice-cut fjords of New Zealand, the mangrove estuaries of India, and the Gobi desert of Mongolia—successfully completed, and applicants for the upcoming expedition to the Everglades already selected, Horn has only two more expeditions to fill: One to the Brazilian Amazon next April and one to East Africa in July.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Check out the Pangaea Application.

If you’re one of 16 selected from roughly 125 applicants from around the globe, Horn will bring you to his training camp in the Swiss Alps, where you’ll be fitness-tested, learn mapping skills, and begin your environmental education. For a quick recap on what goes on, check out the below.

At the end of the two-week camp, Horn and his crew select the lucky eight.

Mike Horn teaching the crew. Photo: Dmitry Sharamov for Mike Horn

So what’s the secret to being selected? According to Henry Stanislaw, the only American student out of two men and four women on Pangaea’s 2008 maiden Antarctica voyage, it all boils down to outlook. “Attitude is everything,” Stanislaw says. “Like any expedition, a positive attitude makes all the difference.”

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10 Negara Salju Terindah

Hampir semua negara yang berada di luar garis 40 derajat lintang selatan dan 40 derajat lintang utara selalu mengalami hujan salju pada periode tertentu. Salju yang turun kadang bisa menambah keindahan, tapi juga bisa memperburuk keindahan. Banyak sekali negara yang justru mempunyai pemandangan yang indah dikarenakan salju yang turun.

Dan dari sekitar enam puluhan negara yang merasakan hujan salju, ada daftar 10 negara yang dianggap sebagai negara salju terindah. yang dimaksud dengan negara salju terindah ini adalah negara yang mempunyai pemandangan indah dikarenakan adanya salju yang turun.

Berikut adalah negara tersebut :
1. Swiss

Swiss adalah salah satu negara di Eropa tengah yang mempunyai pemandangan yang Indah. negara yang berbatasan langsung dengan Jerman,Prancis, Italia, dan Austria ini sebagian besar merupakan wilayah lereng pegunungan Alpen yang terkenal keindahanya, maka dari itu tak heran jika swiss memiliki pemandangan alam salju terbaik di dunia.

2. New Zealand

Dari daftar 1o negara salju terbaik ini, New Zealand adalah satu-satunya negara yeng berada di belahan bumi selatan.Negara kepulauan di Barat daya samudera barat pasifik ini mempunyai keindahan alam pegunungan yang sangat luar biasa

3. Alaska (USA Territory)

Dalam hal ini, Alaska dianggap sebagai negara bagian. Hal ini dikarenakan alaska merupakan negara bagian Amerika serikat yang letaknya terpisah dari negara Induknya. dari semua negara bagian Amerika serikta, alaska adalah negara bagian yang memilik pemandangan alam salju terindah.

4. Kanada

Negara yang terbentang dari samudera Atlantik dan selat davis sampai samudera pasifik ini merupakan negara amerika yang terletak di bagian paling utara.Di padang rumput Kanada yang luas dan datar terdiri dari provinsi Manitoba, Saskatchewan dan Alberta, menyebar menuju Pegunungan Rocky ini akan berubah menjadi surga salju di musim dingin karna saking indahnya.

5. Prancis

Walaupun Prancis adalah salah satu negara di eropa Barat, tapi perancis adalah salah satu negara yang dilalui oleh lintasan pegunungan Alpen. tak heran jika pemandanganya indah, Apalagi jika ditambah dengan pemandangan pegunungan mount Blanc yang berada di pesisir selatan Eropa Barat ini, maka akan semakin menambah keindahan pemandangan alam Prencis.

6. Norwegia

Memang tak salah jika Norwegia mempunyai pemandangan salju terindah, Hal ini dikarenakan letak negara norwegia yang berada di semenanjung skandinavia dan berbatasan langsung dengan samudera atlantik. Norwegia adalah negara yang bergunung-gunung dan sebagian besar tertutup oleh gletser.

7. Islandia

Islandia adalah negara yang sebagian tertutup oleh Salju Es, oleh karna itu negara ini dinama iceland atau islandia (tanah Es). Neagara yang berdekatan dengan Greenland ini terletak di bagian utara samudera atlantik.

8. Jepang.

Negeri sakura yang memiliki pemandangan alam padang salju yang indah. negeri ini terletak di sekitaran 41 derajat lintang utara. jika tiba musim dingin, maka pemandangan kota akan tampak seperti negeri dongeng, terlebih lagi jika kita melihat pemandangan salju di lereng gunung Fuji.

9. Swedia

adalah sebuah negara Nordik di Skandinavia, Negara ini berbatasan dengan Norwegia di barat dan Finlandia di timur laut, Selat Skagerrak dan Selat Kattegat di barat daya, serta Laut Baltik dan Teluk Bothnia di timur. dulu negara ini pernah menjadi negara termiskin di eropa pada abad ke 19, tapi karna keindahan alamnya, negar ini menjadi tujuan wisata terkenal dan kemudian bisa membangun negara ini menjadi lebih baik.

10.Korea Selatan

Korea adalah salah satu negara 4 musim yang topografinya berupa pegunungan. Pegunungan di wilayah timur umumnya menjadi hulu sungai-sungai besar, seperti sungai Han dan sungai Naktong. Di musim dingin, pegunungan di korea selatan berubah menjadi pegunungan salju yang sangat Indah. Selengkapnya...

Dodola, Pulau Surga di Maluku

Laksana surga yang dicampakkan ke bumi. Pulau surgawi itu bernama Dodola. Terletak di Kepulauan Morotai, Maluku Utara, Pulau Dodola terdiri atas dua pulau. Pulau Dodola Besar dan Pulau Dodola Kecil.

Kala air surut, kedua pulau akan menyambung oleh pasir putih memanjang. Sebuah pola guratan nan magis tampak di sepanjang pasir penyambung. Guratan-guratan yang muncul akibat angin dan ombak. Dari Dodola Besar perlu waktu sekitar lima menit berjalan kaki untuk mencapai Dodola Kecil.

Selain pasir yang menyambungkan kedua pulau, air laut yang surut menampakkan karang-karang penuh rumput laut. Sebaliknya, saat air pasang, Dodola pun bercerai menjadi dua pulau, terpisah oleh air laut bagai selat.

Pulau Dodola cocok menjadi lokasi snorkeling dan menyelam. Namun sebagai tempat untuk sekadar berjemur menatap keelokan pantai pun begitu memikat. Pastikan untuk berenang karena air yang begitu biru sangat menggoda diri untuk mencebur ke dalam hangatnya air laut.

Bagai perempuan yang bersolek, bumi Dodola berdandan dengan bedak putih. Ya, pasir putih di Dodola sangat lembut, nyaris serupa dengan bedak atau tepung. Dodola adalah gadis perawan yang rupawan. Pulau tak berpenghuni nan sepi. Hanya sesekali nelayan yang mampir melepas penat.

Saya sempat bertemu dua orang nelayan yang sedang mencari ikan di tengah lautan. Mereka beristirahat sejenak di Pulau Dodola. Ketinting atau perahu tradisional khas Maluku diparkir di tepi pantai. Jika Anda ingin bertandang ke pulau elok itu, Anda bisa menumpang Ketingting.

"Lima puluh ribu sekali jalan," begitu kata salah satu nelayan. Anda bisa juga menyewa speedboat untuk mencapai Pulau Dodola. Namun, menumpang ketinting sambil mengikuti kesibukan nelayan melaut tentu memberi kesan yang lebih mendalam.

Di Dodola Kecil sama sekali tidak ada sentuhan manusia. Berbeda dengan Pulau Dodola Besar yang memiliki dermaga kayu dan bangunan semacam vila. Namun vila itu tak terawat dan dibiarkan telantar. Pemerintah kabupaten memang berencana mengembangkan pulau itu sebagai obyek wisata lengkap dengan penginapan persis di tepi pantai.

Kabupaten Morotai sendiri terdiri dari gugusan lebih dari tiga puluh pulau. Sebagian besar adalah pulau-pulau kecil yang tak berpenghuni. Morotai terkenal sebagai lokasi bersejarah yang berperan besar pada Perang Dunia II. Jepang dan tentara sekutu pernah bertempur di pulau itu. Karena itu, kedua kubu pernah bermarkas.

Sampai kini, sisa peninggalan bersejarah masih bisa terlihat jelas di dasar laut. Karena itu, aktivitas menyelam di Morotai bagai mengabungkan wisata bahari dengan wisata sejarah. Firman, penyelam asli Morotai, menuturkan, ada 13 titik laut yang ada peninggalan sejarah.

"Lima lokasi sudah ada dokumentasinya. Sisanya masih berupa cerita-cerita rakyat, jadi belum terbukti," kata Firman. Kelima lokasi tersebut ada di Wawama, Totodaku, Mira, Buhobuho, dan laut di antara Dodola dengan Kelerai.

"Di Wawama dan Totodaku, ada pesawat sekutu dan jip. Kalau di Mira ada kapal karam. Di Buhohubo dan dekat Dodola ada pesawat tempur," katanya. Firman bertekad untuk terus menyelam demi menyingkap laut Morotai yang menyimpan sisa-sisa Perang Dunia II.

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