Showing posts with label Extreme Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Extreme Sports. Show all posts

LABOR DAY WEEKEND - END OF A SEASON

Photo - HSA

The End of Summer is Here

Labor Day Weekend is upon us; the traditional North American weekend that, for all intents and purposes, signifies the end of summer.
While the calendar may say otherwise, for most school children, parents, and vacationers the season is done.

The long weekend is the last opportunity for many to enjoy one last day at the beach, one last weekend camping, or some other adventure before the fall season will be upon us.

While Fall and Winter have their own grandiose adventure opportunities such as skiing, snowboarding, winter hikes and such, it is Summer that has always allowed many of us the most joy.

So as we say goodbye to a spectacular season, HSA asks everyone to do something fun this weekend... do something challenging... give yourself a reason to say that you enjoyed the summer...

In fact, it could be a perfect opportunity to take us up on the HSA Challenge... either way, leave a reply to this post, or hit us up on our Facebook page and tell us what you did with your Labor Day Weekend.

As we here at Human Spirit of Adventure are quite fond of saying, "What Will You Do???"

 

WARRIOR WOUNDS...

Photo: HSA

Warrior Wounds - Post your Pics

Warrior wounds... we all get them. To an adventurer, its just part of the lifestyle. Cuts, bruises, blisters, and broken bones, while painful at the time, eventually remind us of the things we've done and the places we've been. Scars serve as a trophy for pushing ourselves to go farther and higher.

I got this one while sending a little boulder in one of the city parks on Padre Island. It seems someone had fun breaking beer bottles at the top of the boulder...

HSA would love to see pics of your warrior wounds!

Post pics of your wounds on our Facebook Page and tell us how you got them... It's not adventure without a little blood!

www.facebook.com/Humanspiritofadventure

What Will You Do???



TAKE THE HSA CHALLENGE: What Will You Do???

Take the HSA Challenge!!!

What is the HSA Challenge you ask? Well, simply put, We here at Human Spirit of Adventure challenge our blog readers, our Facebook followers, and indeed the world, to put a little adventure into your lives. All too often people are bound to their desks, chained to their cell phones, or glued to the TV. Many of those people say to themselves, "If I only had the time I would do ______." Yet, for some reason, they never do.

In comes the HSA Challenge...

We challenge you, our readers and fans, to add some adventure to your lives and document it for the world to see. Here is the concept...


  • Pick at least one day each week to do something adventurous
  • Document the adventure with photos or video
  • Share the adventure with us on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Humanspiritofadventure)
  • And (most important of all)... HAVE FUN
That all there is to it...

Pics do not have to be professional quality... they can be shot with a cell phone in the crappiest conditions. Vids don't have to be professionally shot or edited... this is NOT an editing contest.

This is about human beings breaking away from self-imposed bondage and servitude by injecting fun and adventure into their lives. It's about rekindling that spark down deep within all of us. It's about showing the world that the human spirit is still alive.

I hope that you will all join us in this endeavor...


INTERVIEW: 10 QUESTIONS WITH IGW FOUNDER MIKE COOK

International GoPro Weekend Founder Mike Cook

Interview - IGW Founder Mike Cook

Today marks the release of Trailer #2 of the upcoming IGW2013 movie. International GoPro Weekend movies have become a great benchmark in adventure films and we here at Human Spirit of Adventure are fortunate enough to score an interview with IGW's founder Mike Cook.

Mike is an adventurer/filmmaker out of Colorado who we at HSA consider ourselves lucky enough to have developed a friendship with over the last several months... Read the interview and see the new trailer below...

  1. Tell us, what is the IGW? In a nutshell, IGW is an annual 3-day event where GoPro fanatics from around the world capture something with their camera during this 72 hour window. They then submit their footage and I make a movie that shares our concurrent experiences from this one weekend… International GoPro Weekend. IGW is the most central event of our community, the GoWorld GoPro Project. Our community is here to have fun together, all while sharing our stories with the world using GoPro cameras. IGW is one of those avenues.

  1. What inspired the IGW? In 1986 David Elliot Cohen made a book called “A Day in the Life of America.” The theme: photographers, professional and amateur, all take a photograph on the same day. He then complied the photos and made a book showing what was going on in America on this one day. It was a really simple premise, but it always struck me as powerful. That, and well, I’m actually in one of the pictures. My older sister submitted a photo that made the final cut. I decided to borrow this theme, only using GoPro cameras. As for this theme of sharing concurrent experiences during a specified duration of time, it has gone on for a while. In 2011 Ridley Scott, YouTube, and National Geographic made an online movie called, “Life in a Day”, that had this same theme, but using video. “Life in a Day”, hmmmmm, I wonder where they got that name and idea?

  1. When is the IGW2013 film set to debut? July 15, 2103


 READ MORE AND SEE THE TRAILER AFTER THE JUMP


  1. What was the response to the first IGW film?  The response was really good. Better than I had imagined. From what I remember within a few days of posting it, it had several hundred views, both on Vimeo and YouTube. It racked up a few hundred more in the months that followed, and close to 1,700 combined views once promotion for IGW2013 started. I think since IGW2012 was the first go around, the viewing audience was specific to contributors, and maybe 2 or 3 degrees of separation beyond that. The movie was upwards of 40 minutes. So the fact that many viewers were willing to dedicate that amount of time to an internet video said a lot. It was also during this time that the GWGP Project and IGW started to snowball, something that surprised me and had not planned for. Much of that snowball effect had to do with the release of the IGW2012 Official Trailer and, of course, the final film. Non-participants who had seen those two videos started inquiring, asking how they could get involved and when the next IGW would take place. The release of the final film was supposed be the end of the journey for the GWGP Project. Instead, it was just the beginning.

  1. How has IGW grown since its inception? IGW (and its community, the GoWorld GoPro Project) are only 18 months old, and in that short time both have grown substantially. For IGW2012 I think I had about 38 contributors from 12 countries… This year I had 127 contributors from around 30 countries (I haven’t done a final country count yet). The numbers tripled. Also, when promoting the actual IGW2013 weekend I didn't have to reach out to people individually, asking them if they wanted to take part. GoPro was “liking” the promo videos on YouTube, henceforth 1,000's of people were viewing them and discovering what I was doing. That was definitely not the case for IGW2012. For that one I had to send a lot of messages to GoPro enthusiasts on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc… it was a lot of work. Also, in that short 18 months GWGP Project videos have been viewed over 100,000 times, we have over 1,100 fans on FB, and over 200 contributors from 40 countries submitting content. And now, because of demand for participation I've initiated other GoPro “projects” such as Far Side Project and GoPanoramic (also, keep your eyes pealed for Through Our Eyes and IGS Montage.) The Project has also caught the eye of GoPro. I've been in contact with them about supporting our community. As you might already know, they hooked up a bunch of awesome stuff to give out to the fans of the Project.


  1. How did you get into making adventure films? I've been fond of video editing for over 10 years… long before I ever knew I’d become a video editor. I always thought it would be cool to make skiing films of my buddies and me. But back then the appropriate technology was only accessible to people who could afford it, and things like social networking/media were nonexistent. Thanks to the explosion of digital technology, hardware and software that once would have cost tens of thousands of dollars is now only a few 100. And with platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, you can easily make your content available to the masses.

  1. Who are your influences as a filmmaker?  I’m fanatical about Stanley Kubrick, Oliver Stone, Christopher Nolan, Seb Montaz, and the Cohen Brother. Quentin Tarantino is up there, too, as is my sister Katie Cook. However, I've never really noticed if my videos have trace elements of any of these fine people. Maybe more so in the Far Side Project videos? Those videos have creative editing techniques as well we emotional overtones that are intended to be heavy, powerful, and sometimes unsettling. Actually, come to think of it, Seb Montaz has been a direct influence with some of my videos, specifically with musical flavor. Seb directed "Flight of the Frenchies" which was this visually stunning documentary about some French BASE jumpers. I watched that movie several times for inspiration while editing the IGW2012 movie.

  1. Who is your favorite professional adventurer? Luke Hively. You may not have heard of him yet, but you will… trust me. Luke has contributed to the Project in the past. He’s an aspiring BASE jumper, jumping with his team DBC (Dallas BASE Crew). Because of the Project, I developed a relationship with him and have even gotten to meet him in person. On all levels, Luke’s one of the most grounded, insightful, and inspiring people I've ever met. He’s got a lot to offer, both as an athlete and as a human being. I really hope to see him on top of the game, and soon. (If you want to see him and his team in action, check out “Lucid Dreams 2” on YouTube. It will drop your jaw. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0OEblw70OA).

  1. What do you personally like to do for adventure? Skiing, snowboarding, telemarking, biking, hiking, a little skydiving, and the occasional beer or five.

  1. Would you like to give any shout outs? Absolutely. First off…Sébastien Barrier. He was originally a contributor to the Project, but soon teamed up with me to take on all of the editing for IGW2013 (which there was a lot). To all the people who are a part of the GoWorld GoPro Project community, past, present, and future… THANK YOU. You really don’t know how much your enthusiasm means to me. Also, to the people who said they've been inspired by the Project… the pleasure’s mine. Just remember to pay that inspiration forward. An FYI, I enjoy communicating with the fans more than anything else. Please don’t hesitate to drop a line. It may take a few days for a reply, but I always reply. I would also like to give a shout out to all of the people who have inspired me as well as helped me navigate the difficult times. Lastly, I want to thank GoPro for their continuing support and for hooking up the gear to give out to the fans! GoWorld, GoWild, GoPro!!!





HSA FOUNDER HONORED...

HSA Founder Honored in Feature...

Human Spirit of Adventure's founder and managing partner, Joe Vulgamore, was honored this week when he (and HSA) was chosen as the "Featured Participant" by The GoWorld GoPro Project. 

"I first ran across The GoWorld GoPro Project on Facebook. They were releasing trailers from a past movie as promotion for their upcoming movie, IGW2013. I thought their concept was so cool... they were uniting people from across the world using a common theme, which is exactly what we at HSA wanted to do as a 'community blog'. One thing led to another and we became fast friends and I'm honored that they chose me for the feature, and even more proud to say that their ideas have been a huge influence on HSA... Thanks Mike, for everything!" 

We ask all of our readers to check out The GoWorld GoPro Project at: http://thegoworldgoproproject.com
Also check out their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-GoWorld-GoPro-Project

Visit them often...

As the time draws closer for the IGW2013 movie premier, we will have an interview with Mike and you can get to know them better by reading the story as Mike sees it.

We can't wait...


Sick Mountain Biking Video...

Courtesy - fatman2ironman.com

When the urge hits, but due to work or whatever reason I'm unable to get out and ride, I just love to scour the web for sick mountain biking videos.

I stumbled on this video on such a day. I found it on YouTube and I've watched it at least a dozen times.

This video is very well shot and has 4 sick riders just tearing it up...

Check it out below!





Upcoming Projects for 2013...

Human Spirit of Adventure has a few projects on tap for 2013.

We are currently working out the details for a video series of DIY survival videos, How-to videos, and will be putting together a small documentary on Adventure Sports in Texas.

The documentary will feature surfing, mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, and much much more!

We do not yet have any final release dates for any of these projects, as they are still in the planning stages, but our tentative timeline is to begin posting the survival and how-to videos around June and to have the documentary release by the end of the year. We will definitely announce them here and on our Facebook Page as the details become clear.

We are very excited about these projects and hope you will enjoy them and find them useful as you adventure forward!

Thank you all for your support!



2013 Enduro World Series

Fans of Enduro style mountain biking are in for a real treat in 2013 as the EMBA (Enduro Mountain Biking Association) has created the Enduro World Series slated launch this year.

"Cool," you say, "but what is enduro style mountain biking?"

Simply put, enduro is a combination of XC fitness with Downhill riding. There are sections of pedaling with plenty of trail and downhill skills needed to deal with the course. One of the things that appeals to many riders is that contests can be run on traditional trail bikes with only minor modifications, the events are popular with riders who don’t have, or want to buy, specialized downhill or XC race bikes.

With this in mind, the new Enduro World Series announced in November of 2012 a schedule of seven races to be held in four countries (U.S., Canada, France and Italy).

Below is the schedule:


May 18-19 - Superenduro PRO - Punta Ala, Italy
June 29-30 - Enduro Series - Val d'Allos, France
July 6-7 - Crankworx Les 2 Alpes - Les 2 Alpes, France
July 27-28 - Colorado Freeride Festival - Winter Park, United States
August 10-11 - Crankworx Whistler - Whistler, Canada
August 24-25 - Enduro Des Nations - Val d'Isere, France
October 19-20 - Superenduro PRO - Finale Ligure, Italy


You can read more about this new series at www.enduroworldseries.com or just click HERE

Mountain Biking Skills... Pt. 2 - Downhill Skills

Photo courtesy of Extremesportsx.com
So you have yourself a decent bike, you've been out on the trail, and you've read our post on Mountain Biking Skills... Pt. 1.

You've been up late at night scouring Youtube for videos of the worlds best downhill riders, watching DVDs, and now you want to get ON it...

Slow down, Cowboy... if you've never blasted downhill at break-neck speeds over rough terrain before, you must realize that its not as easy as it looks. Downhill body position is extremely important to ensure balance, stability, and control of your bike as you test your mettle.

Zeptechniques Mountain Bike Camps has put together the perfect tutorial video for you. This video has very detailed explanations and a good rider to show you how it's done...

Watch the video below, learn your bike and your skill limitations, and then Get ON it!




Mountain Biking Skills... Pt. 1 - Basic Skills

Photo source: Wikipedia.org
For most of us, a bicycle was our first real mode of transportation.

We learned to ride as a child when our dads would push us off, running behind us to catch us if we fell. Later, when we were pre-teens, our mothers would clean our skinned knees and elbows.
As teenagers, we began to push our limits, ramping our bikes off of home-made ramps of cinder block and plywood... some of us eventually graduated on to half-pipes and grinding hand rails.

Eventually our bikes faded away as we learned to drive cars... after all, it's hard to take a date to the movies pumping them on the handlebars.

Now that we are older, grown adults with jobs, families, and responsibilities, it seems as if those biking days are gone forever... we remember them though as we push our sons across the lawn and run behind them.

For many, the thought of getting back on a mountain bike is exciting... blasting down a trail, dodging obstacles, and peering over sheer drops gives us an adrenaline rush at the pure thought of it. Slow down... trail riding isn't as easy as it looks... if it's been a while since you rode a bike, take the time to reacquaint yourself with the basics.

CycleActive has produced a mountain biking video that takes you through the basic mountain biking skills you will need to venture back into your childhood... This well thought out video familiarizes you with such skills as basic climbing, basic descending, drop offs, and much more.

Watch, enjoy, then Get ON It!






...

Be Adventurous... Get Out and Do Something!

Every day there are people pushing themselves to the edge, seeing how far they can go, testing the boundaries, and exceeding their ouwn expectations.

Too often we sit at our desks, or on the couch, saying that we want adventure. There are few of us who actually seek out the adventure. We don't have the time, we're too busy, or we're too lazy... plain and simple, we are not motivated.

No matter what it is you like to do... hiking, biking, surfing, climbing, or riding motorcycles... there should always be an element of adventure. Adventure is what makes humans go farther.

One of our Facebook followers posted this video. It is very inspirational and adrenalizing. It is quite simply motivating. So watch it... then go outside and get your adventure on!



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