VIDEO: HSA CHALLENGE 2014

HSA Challenge 2014...

It's time for the HSA Challenge 2014!

We introduced this concept in 2013 here on our blog with less success than we'd anticipated. But like all adventurers, we don't give up so easily

It's a new year and time to renew the challenge.

What is the HSA Challenge you ask? Well, simply put, 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.

TELEMARK SKIING: WHAT IS IT?

Telemark Skiing - Are You Up For It?

With January upon us and February around the corner, we here in the Northern Hemisphere enter the height of ski season.

Skiing has long been a great adventure sport, turned extreme sport for those who live in mountainous, snow-covered terrain. The Olympic Winter Games features skiing as the biggest attraction, along with snow boarding and biathlons. And of course, for those in flatter areas, cross country skiing is quite popular. But one of the more extreme styles of skiing is know as Telemarking. Telemark skiing is quite popular, so much so that there are magazines and organizations dedicated to the sport.   

What is telemarking you ask?

Telemark skiing, also known as "free heel skiing", is a form of downhill skiing using bindings where the boot is attached only at the toe (similar to those of Cross-country skiing), allowing the heel to come up from the ski. Because the heel is free, it allows the skier to go into a lunge position in order to turn. The act of lunging while turning is a technique called the telemark turn.

Telemark turns are led with the heel flat on the outside ski (which becomes the downhill ski at the end of the turn) with the knee at a 90-degree angle. The inside ski slides back under the skier's body with a flexed knee and raised heel. This position resembles that of a lunge. The skis are staggered but not quite parallel, and the downhill ski is pushed forward by the skier’s lunge. Normally the 50% to 60% of the body weight is distributed on the outside ski, depending on snow conditions.

Telemark turns are rounder and more graceful than alpine turns. They are also much more strenuous, so expect your quads to burn afterward — though, compared to downhill, Telemark skiing is considerably easier on the knees. 

Equipment for telemark skiing differs from traditional alpine skiing as unlike alpine ski bindings, which lock the heel and toe of the boot, Telemark skis only lock in the toe and leave the heel detached; for this reason, Telemark technique is sometimes referred to as ‘free-heel skiing’. Traditionally, the bindings are different as well. Older telemark bindings used a ‘three-pin’ system that locked the duckbill in place but for the last 30 years or so, spring-loaded cable bindings have been the most widely used models.

The next, and possibly largest difference, as explained above, is the telemark turn. Making a proper Telemark turn generally requires a lot of practice and beginners should first learn the skill on relatively flat terrain.

Here is a video to help you learn the basics of a Telemark turn. So sit back, watch, and enjoy. The get out there and give it a shot if you are up for it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR ADVENTURERS... HERE'S TO ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!

Another Year of Adventure...

My fellow Adventurers,

As we bring to close another year in the history of our lives, let us not look back and wonder what could have been... but look forward to what will be. We will have plenty of time for looking back when we are old, gray, and reminiscing with grandchildren.

The Human Spirit of Adventure has always been about moving forward and meeting challenges... from the early days when Columbus sailed the Atlantic in search of a new world, to the first moon landing, to Felix Baumgartner's super-sonic Base-jump from the edge of space, adventurers have always followed the road less traveled.

A wise man once said, "Tomorrow is the first blank page in a 365 page book... Write a good one."

We here at Human Spirit of Adventure plan to write a great one, and we hope that each and every one of you do as well. May all of your dreams come true in 2014, and may all of your adventures be exciting!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

CASTING CALL: REALITY SHOW NEEDING ADVENTURE DUOS

Story House Productions is Casting for Reality Adventure Show...

From time to time, we here at HSA are sent requests to post casting calls. Most times we don't because things sound a little fishy, or the production company can't be researched, or whatever. Well this time it seems like we were sent a legit request so we will post it here... 

Story House Productions is a television production company based out of Washington D.C. and is casting an adventure show--they are searching for a male duo who will compete in international challenges around the world... Read the call below...

 CALLING ALL ADVENTURERS!!!

Are you adventurous? Are you athletic? Do you accept crazy challenges?! If the answer to all three of these questions is, 'HECK YEAH!' then we want to hear from you! 

We're looking for unique male duos that love extreme sports, will try anything once, like to crack jokes all day, and have a “balls to the wall” type personality to engage in insane challenges all over the globe.

...you've got to be ATHLETIC enough to compete in life endangering events, FUNNY enough to be a host personality, and last but not least, you need to be HANDSOME men in your late 20’s to early 40’s. That's right good-looking, I'm talking to you!

Please submit if you’re a good-looking dynamic duo--you can be brothers, cousins, or best friends whose personalities compliment each other (and if one is more outgoing and willing to do absolutely anything while the other is more hesitant...perfect!)

You could end up on our new TV series travelling the globe--and you'll have a few bucks in your pocket too! If you can do all of this while having a great sense of humor and a pint or two of booze, please submit to this call by emailing castingSHP@gmail.com with pictures of you and your duo, video of the two of you doing something crazy (if possible) and a paragraph statement about your relationship, how you met, and the adventures on which you like to embark.

**You must have a duo in mind to apply. No solo submissions will be accepted.

--End of Call--

Thanks for your consideration,

Story House Productions

So there you have it... good luck to those who apply!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM HSA...

Merry Christmas from Human Spirit of Adventure...

We here at Human Spirit of Adventure have had an awesome year of adventure. We consider ourselves fortunate to have been able to share some of our adventures (and misadventures) with all of you. We could not do this without your continued readership and love of adventure.

Tis the season for all of us to count our blessings, share our love, and be thankful for all that we have... I know that for me personally, I am very blessed for the friends that I have, the family that I enjoy and the life that I lead. I am sure you all are too.

HSA wishes each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year!!!

Adventure is anywhere you find it!!!

VIDEO: IGW 2014 PROMO

IGW 2014 Is Coming...

Time is coming soon for the 3rd annual International GoPro Weekend. Our friends at The Goworld Project are already setting the stage for what is quickly becoming one of the biggest yearly events in adventure sports.

Read this blurb from their website...

What is International GoPro Weekend? IGW is an annual 3-day event in which we ask GoPro fanatics from around the world to film something using their GoPros. We then compile the footage they contribute to make a movie that shares our concurrent experiences from this 72 hour window… International GoPro Weekend! For IGW2012 we had 37 people from 14 countries submit content! For IGW2013 we had 127 people from over 40 countries. IGW2014 promises to be even bigger!

When is International GoPro Weekend? The 3rd annual IGW (aka IGW2014) will be held March 14, 15, and 16. Holding the event over a period of three days gives everyone the flexibility to pick a day to film that’s most convenient for them. However, it is NOT a requirement that your clip be filmed during this period; we just strongly encourage you to film on these three days, so that we can share our concurrent experiences.

How do I participate? To officially sign up, please send an email request to: IGW2014@GoWorldProject.com. We will respond with more details about the event, specifics about the content desired (resolution, fps, subject nature), general guidelines and how to go about submitting your clip(s) once IGW2014 has taken place. DON'T FORGET... we give out a ton of prizes at random for participation. In years past, we've given out: SD cards, GoPro accessories, stickers, posters, a HERO3 Silver and Black Edition!!! (Shouts out to GoPro for hooking up the cameras and gear!)

Check out the Promo Video Below!!!

VIDEO - HIGHWAY IN THE SKY - PT. 2

BASE Jumping Video - Highway in the Sky Pt. 2

Professional skydiver Rob Pelon and our friends at Negative 4 Productions have just released another video, Highway in the Sky Pt. 2

These guys are doing some amazing things. Check out the wonder, the beauty, and the adrenaline as you soar with Rob in this video!

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.

2. 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?

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

 READ MORE AND SEE THE TRAILER AFTER THE JUMP

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!