A colleague started a training course a few years back for a job that they had just got. As part of the introduction to the course everyone was encouraged to step forward, give their name, history etc., and also their hobbies. It was an IT related training course and when asked he gave surfing as his main interest He did not realise at the time that he should have qualified this with saying that he was actually a surfer of waves and not of the internet. It seems strange how some people when hearing the word ‘Surfing’ automatically associate it with the Internet, and not not with surfing waves on a surfboard (perhaps this may only seem strange to a surfer). Still, for the purpose of this site they could be both right. Here we are talking about surfing waves, the sport of surfing, the lifestyle of surfing. For the favoured few in the world, surfing’s elite such as Kelly Slater and Andy Irons (but to name two of many professional surfers out there), it is their job. For a greatly increasing amount of others it can be one of the most enjoyable pastimes there is.
Surfing Lessons. Your Friends. Surf Holiday October 22, 2008
I guess how you start surfing can be pretty different for everyone. Personally, we here think that the best way to start surfing is with your mates. It does not matter whether they can actually surf or not, the important thing is about having fun. Becoming a good surfer takes an awfully long time and a hell of a lot of practice.
You will forget about how many times you have fallen off or how many mornings following a day of surfing that you wake up hardly able to move your stiff arms. If you happen to be a coastal dweller of Hawaii, Australia or similar you will not need to be reading these pages – surfing is a way of life. Your dad surfs, your mates surf – even your little sister surfs. That is just the way it is. If you happen to live in Arizona then it is a little different. If you are land locked then the best start is to arrange a trip with a friend or two with the sole purpose of giving surfing a try. If you are lucky enough to have a mate who can lend you his surfboard for a try then all the better. If not you are looking at having to hire the surfing equipment you need, or taking part in an arranged surfing lesson or two. Surf schools are springing up all over the place (although not quite sure about Arizona yet!). It is not a good idea to get all the gear before you actually find out if you like it or not – there is a considerable cost in getting yourself kitted out for full time surfing.
Switzerland’s Mont Blanc Walk October 21, 2008
Considered to be one of the finest routes in the Alps, the Mont Blanc circuit allows you to experience this fantastic area in a relaxing way. It offers an unusual variety of spectacular scenery, from terrific glaciers, the Mont Blanc Massif to alpine lakes, mountain streams and charming villages. Here nature reserves have protected the rare wild flora and fauna that abound in the higher reaches. Your trip starts in Argentiere, nestled in a bustling valley at the foot of the highest range in Europe, the Mont Blanc Massif. On a clear day, a visit up the Aiguille de Midi (3842 meters above sea level) is breathtaking-you will feel on “top of the world”. You then start your walk following the mountain streams along the valley bottom from Chamonix to the town of Argentiere. During the next walking day, you will cross from France into Switzerland to the village of Finhaut at 1237 meters above sea level which (as the name implies) is perched high on the mountain with spectacular views. Cable cars and chairlifts enable you to ascend to Emosson Lake.
Travelling October 20, 2008
Driving up US 19 through Dunedin, Florida, just above Tampa Bay, you would never suspect that adjacent to the coast is a wonderful undeveloped State Park on an island with a virgin pine forest.
Honeymoon Island State Park sits at the west end of Curlew Road (Hwy 586). A long curving causeway with beaches of its own takes you out to the island. It’s a popular park, but there’s plenty of room for everyone with several miles of beaches, including nature trails, a beach set aside for dogs and shallow-water grass flats that are teeming with fish and perfect for wade-fishing.
Fisher October 18, 2008
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who gathers fish shellfish, or other animals from a body of water. Although the term usually addresses people who fish commercially or as a means of subsistence, it can also be used to identify recreational fishermen. It may be used to describe both men and women.
History Backpacker October 16, 2008
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“Backpacker” was originally a slang term from the 1980s for a graffiti artist who always wore a backpack containing his music collection and, more importantly, his spraypaint cans, markers, and spray tips. Typically, the music collection would consist only of local underground rap/hip-hop music artists. The sub-genre or sub-categorization of the music means nothing, as long as they are a local unsigned (no recording contract) artist. A backpacker’s music selections are based upon three principles: 1) no mainstream, 2)
the music is commercially unavailable, and 3) the music was given/sold to them “hand-to-hand” from the originating recording artist. However, these principles eventually became very loose, and soon many people who listened to commercially available underground rap or “indie rap” became known as “backpackers.
The term gradually came to refer to someone with this musical taste, and now has almost nothing to do with graffiti (although certain “backpackers” may participate in graffiti “tagging.”)
TRAVELLING October 15, 2008
Quabbin’s ‘Accidental Wilderness’ Draws Nature Lovers, History Buffs
HIKING October 15, 2008
Hiking
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History
Thru-hiking’s origins date back many years, when long-distance foot travel as a means of transportation began to merge with hiking for its own enjoyment and as a means of seeing the world.
One famous thru-hike involves the story of Lillian Alling, a young 27-year old Russian immigrant living in New York City, who became homesick and decided to return to her family in Russia. Lacking funds, but armed with a strong will, she chose to walk the 12,000 miles to Russia, traversing Canada and into Alaska [1]. She was last seen preparing to cross by boat at the Bering Strait to Siberia[1].
After the completion of the Appalachian Trail, a thru-hiker named George W. Outerbridge completed the first section hike of the newly completed AT in 1939; trail promoter Myron Avery had previously section-hiked during the process of trail blazing.
In 1948, Earl Shaffer became the first to have publicly thru-hiked the AT [2]. A 1994 report claiming that a group of Boy Scouts had done so twelve years earlier has never been adequately documented and is considered highly suspect in most hiking circles (see Appalachian Trail).
Backpacker October 15, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Backpacking_in_Grand_Teton_NP-NPS.jpg
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used interchangeably with backpacking. The factors that traditionally differentiate backpacking from other forms of tourism include but are not limited to the following: use of public transport as a means of travel, preference of youth hostels to traditional hotels, length of the trip vs. conventional vacations, use of a backpack, an interest in meeting the locals as well as seeing the sights.
TRAVELLING October 15, 2008
Australia’s Untamed Tasmania Walk
Tasmania offers a variety of sights, landscapes, flora and fauna, perhaps not expected of an island so its size. During your walk you will experience the full
breadth of Tasmania, as you walk through forests, around mountains, and along beach paths. Be on the look out for the famous Tasmanian Devils, the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world and found only on this southern island. The human population here has always been small, so you will explore untouched wilderness and wildlife on your walk around the island. Tasmania is a retreat for the thousands hikers and explorers that visit each year.
