Fashion in Sport - Veteran Murray gets a lesson from youngster Robson

Despite never having trained together their collaboration was good-humoured and incredibly well co-ordinated, right down to what they wore on court. Being a fashion conscious 15-year-old Robson ensured that she kept the older, less fashionable Murray on the straight and narrow when it came to on-court apparel. For although Murray has worked incredibly hard on the court to get to his current standing as the world's number four, it appears that less effort has gone into determining his on-court attire. Well, according to Robson, at least!

Various reports Robson texted Murray prior to their games to determine what he intended to wear during their doubles rubbers and on one occasion forced him to completely change his outfit to avoid a clash with hers! Instead of wearing white, blue and green as intended Robson insisted that Murray changed into an outfit that wouldn't clash with her purple sports apparel!

Not only did Robson dramatically alter Murray's wardrobe but she also questioned his grooming habits, especially his hand care. However, she didn't even wait until after their match against Andrey Golubev and Yaroslava Svedona but delivered her withering verdict on the state of his 'rough' hands while the score stood at 5-0 during the first set, causing Murray must amusement and also harbouring a doubt that she was taking the game seriously.

It transpires that Murray is delighted to receive tips on mens fashion from his 15-year-old doubles partner. Indeed, so much so that he is hoping that their new-found pairs relationship will continue to London 2012 when no doubt Robson will still be calling the shots when it comes to outfit selection; on-court and off! However, the chances are by the time 2012 comes around the young tennis prodigy will have progressed so much in terms of ability that she will be able to take her pick of sponsor's outfits, for both hersel f and Mr Murray.

For the rest of us non-professional sports people the availability of fashionable sportswear has increased significantly over the last decade. Now such on-trend sports apparel is not only available in sports shops but also many high street stores, especially for normal daytime wear. Come 2012 the choice is bound to be immense as the whole country goes 'Olympics crazy'.

Tipsters Service for Horse Racing

Horse racing is one of the oldest sports known to mankind. Today it is an equestrian sport. A tipster is someone who offers advice about betting on horses and shares some of the winnings that are a result of the advised bets being placed. The concept of tipsters is almost as old as horse racing itself because people interested in horse racing have always sought expert advice in order to increase their success rate.

Tipster services have now come in their online avatar. By making a very reasonable payment, you can become a member of the website of these services and then get high quality advice about the bets you should place in the upcoming horse races. These tipster websites give you the finest racing information directly from the horse's mouth on a daily basis. This includes a strength rating of each bet and any comments wherever appropriate. They also provide you with stable reports and the latest news bytes on horses. They also tell you in detail about bets which are not quite strong enough to be account bets. The best part is that they give you highly credible information about ante-post bets with odds well up to and over 50/1. Also they do a daily recap of the previous days bets with an analysis of both wins and losses. If they do have losses they include any further information they get from the horse trainers. By thorough analysis of their losses, they humbly try and understand their mistakes so that they are not repeated in the future and their clients and customers do not have to face even the least of financial losses. They also send out account bets via sms.

These horse racing tipster websites are extremely scrupulous and they do not follow any wrong means to know the outcome of the horse races. They do not make any attempt whatsoever to influence the result of these horse races to ensure that the bets that they advised to their customers and clients work out well. The extremely high number of the accurate predictions by them is a result of the hard work these racing tipster websites put into the research about horses, race tracks and jockeys. They keep a tab on all that goes on in the world of horse racing, both on the inside and the outside. They keep a track of all the interviews that the head honchos in the world of racing give to the press to get an idea about the future of horse racing. They consult the formbook extensively. The financial whizkids at these racing tipster websites are very good at understanding the varied implications of price movements that take place in the circuit and then using this understanding to their mathematical advantage in making calculated predictions about upcoming races. All the wonderful results that these tipster services have given over the years have been validated by credible and reliable agencies which are totally independent and have no financial obligations pending with these tipster services.

Private Pilot License Training - Fulfilling Dreams to fly an Aircraft

Pilot training is gaining a lot of interest and momentum these days especially among the aviation enthusiasts and hobby fliers who may wish to rent an aircraft and for those who own a personal aircraft. Owning an aircraft is no longer a symbol of status among the who's who. Learning to fly one's dream machine is what completes the whole package when it comes to flaunting one's wealth. This has resulted in mushrooming of many aviation academies in India like Chimes Aviation Academy, which boasts of providing private pilot training on the much famed Cessna 172 and is also one of the best aviation academies in the country.

To become a private pilot, one has to obtain a Private Pilot License (PPL) which permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately (i.e. he does not fly an aircraft for any remuneration). The requirements to obtain the license are determined by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), but the actual implementation varies widely from country to country.

While undergoing training at an aviation academy, the student is given a Student Pilot License. Student Pilot License is given to those with 10+2 with science and aged at least 16 years should register at a flying club which is recognized by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Government of India.

The second step is the Private Pilot License (PPL). PPL training includes sixty hours of flying of which about fifteen hours are dual flights, that is accompanied by the flight instructor and at least 30 hours of solo flights apart from five hours of cross-country flying. This makes one eligible for the Private Pilot License exam. The prescribed age for appearing for this exam is 17 years and an educational qualification of 10+2 along with a Medical Fitness Certificate issued by the Armed Forces Central Medical Establishment (AFCME).

Although there are various types of aircraft, many of the principles of pilot training have common techniques. All pilot training courses consist of some combination of theoretical learning conducted on the ground and practical exercises conducted in the air. Initial pilot training is often conducted in specialized training aircraft (most aviation academies use Cessna 172), which are designed for benign handling characteristics and lower costs compared to the aircraft which the pilot concerned is ultimately aiming to fly.

Aviation academies train an individual on the various skills required to fly an aircraft. It teaches a pilot the process of flying an aircraft through the air with proper direction and control. It also teaches the students to understand the weather forecasts.

Private pilot training program mainly require high level of innovative mind capabilities and great aptitude skills. This supports the candidate to get the concept in an easy manner.

However, with such busy and fast paced life, many passionate fliers do not get time to fulfill their dream. Thus Chimes Aviation Academy has come up with a Cruiser (Executive PPL) programme which enables the student to pursue flying with a convenient, personalized over the weekend schedule. The schedule is designed to make the student a Private Pilot License holder in just nine weekends. Currently, Chimes Academy has Bollywood actors Kunal Kapoor and Chitrangda Singh and ace golfer Jyoti Randhawa as its students.

This article is based on my experiences and knowledge as a pilot training student at Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA - http://www.caaindia.com/ppl.aspx )

Compression Athletic Wear

<a href="http://www.compressionstoreonline.com">

Compression clothing studies show that protection from compression could provide against a venous thrombosis. The studies show a increase in venous blood flow in the lower extremities. The use of elastic short; tights and vests has become popular amongst athlets and fitness enthusiasts.

Some of the clothing and gear are Wet Suits, Compression Pants, & Shirts, Belly Buster, Elbow Pads, Football Back Pads, Hip & Tailbone Pads, Knee Pads, and much more, by wearing the lower-body garments may reduce muscle fatigue by applying pressure to support muscles. It was started by a football player when he squeezed himself into a woman's girdle for added muscle support and in the process discovered that it helped prevent hamstring inluries, it is amazing how things get started sometimes. To help today's athletes, amateur or professional or just playing in the back yard, or in the city park these compr ession protection garments are a necessity. They keep the athlete playing a aggressive game and make them feel totally protected thus they will " go all out" in competition. The material in the clothing is vary unique and is a great need for all sports football sosser and the like, the wearer can be assured of comfort and protection. Hunter's & fisherman are also seeing the benefit from compression clothing, base layer is ideal as a stand-alone garment in cool weather or as a layering piece in cold weather. Thw compresson fit wears snug to your skin, so you hardly notice your wearing it under your clothes.

In addition to the above clothing, it may also help people who are exerciseing by reducing the impact of hot and/or humid conditions on the body's thermoregulatory system. As you no that heat on the body will cause you to loose performance and the only way to cool the body is by sweating. When normal clothing is worn in exerciseing it increases the sk in and core temperature of the body thus a reduction of cooling efficiency happens. When co to the fabric.mpression clothing is worn it helps the rate of evaporation by faciltating a faster transfer of sweat from the skin

Musto Equestrian Clothing: Equestrians Keep Riding Despite the Recession

Over 60 per cent of horse riders have said that the recession has had little effect of their equestrian habits.

That's according to research by the performance clothing brand Musto, which surveyed a number of both professional and amateur horse riders and trainers.

The research found that around 40 per cent of riders surveyed spend between 10 and 20 hours per week with their horse(s), with 87 per cent of participants owning at least one horse of their own. Although a few participants said they had had to cut down slightly on bedding and accessories for their horses, overall the recent economic downturn has had very little effect on the typical equestrian's lifestyle.

50 per cent of participants in the survey said they had been horse riding regularly for over ten years, and 73 per cent compete regularly in various equestrian competitions, including show jumping, eventing and dressage.

When competing in such events it is important to have the right equipment, both for the rider and the horse. When asked about their favourite equestrian equipment brand, one in ten participants named Musto as their preferred choice for equestrian clothing and accessories.

For more information about Musto and their various clothing and equipment lines, visit the Musto website at http://www.musto.com/.

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The fleece top - Keeping you warm this winter

This winter has certainly been a cold one, with temperatures here in Britain dropping well into minus numbers. Up in the highlands of Scotland there was a recorded temperature of -22 degree Celsius! I've also read of these freak weather conditions hitting mainland Europe, with snow coming down on places than haven't seen snow for 50 years!

When we are going out in these extreme weather conditions, which surely must be attributed to global warming, we must make sure we are adequately protected, wearing many layers to keep warm. A fleece top is a great piece of clothing that keeps the warm in whilst being thin and stopping you from looking like the Michelin man.

Fleeces originally came from the sheep after it was sheared and used on the insides of coats to keep you warm. Nowadays they are man-made comprising of plastic, providing a better level of protection from the cold since the wool had (obvious) gaps in it. Thus they keep the hot air in and protect the body.

They are several types of fleeces available to but from basic ranges to more advanced technologies and designs being used which while providing added insulation and protection from the cold will be highly breathable, allowing moisture out, keeping your body nice and dry.

There are several stylish branded fleece tops available to buy that will have you looking very smart and cool as well as keeping you nice and warm such as Mammut fleece tops with their cool mammoth design. With this level of protection you no longer have to worry what Mother Nature will throw at you.

MTV Roadies 7.0 saga continues

The MTV Roadies 7.0 saga continues. The previous versions of roadies were simpler and more clear-cut. The roadies were selected directly from the auditions. It was worthwhile watching the expression of joy lighting up the faces of the aspirants as the VJ announced that they were chosen as the roadie. That was then. Now, this year's Roadies seems to be a totally different matter.

Perhaps the producers are looking to lengthen the duration of the show or maybe they are trying to choose the toughest of the tough as contestants for this journey, whatever said and done, there is a new hurdle that the aspirants have to undergo before being finally selected as a roadie. This new twist is called Ride with Ranvijay, where our aspirants embark on a journey with the dashing Ranvijay to prove their mettle, to prove to the world that yes they too can be a roadie.

Ride with Ranvijay is no different than the ordinary Roadies tasks, the contestants are split into different teams and tasks are assigned. One has to acknowledge the ingenuity of the tasks that the producers come up with. If you have watched the previous Roadies episodes, you will realize that while some of the tasks are challenging yet kept at the sensible level, some others are downright bizarre. Those who have watched the MTV Roadies 6.0 episodes might recall the task where the guys where chained to a flag post and punished with a sharp rap between their legs with a device attached to the flag post, for every wrong answer from their team mates. One hopes to see many more of such extremely bizarre and ingenious tasks from the producers of the show.

MTV Roadies 7.0 has finally come out with the list of their 14 Roadies who will be competing against each other for the prize money and the opportunity to travel to South Africa. To select the final 14 out of the 18 who rode with Ranvijay, 9 teams were formed and then they were given the task of getting to a destination 60 kms away without any bikes or money. The contestants had the option of walking, hitch hiking or even flying to reach the destination. The first 7 teams who reached would be the Roadies and the last two would be just riders who had a shot at making it as a Roadie but failed miserably.

The tasks that the riders were subjected to were as intense as the usual Roadies challenges that television viewers have grown so used to. The usual bitching, name calling and controversies are all part and parcel of this show as well. With the kind of mud slinging, trading of insults and humiliation that seem to be an integral part of the show, one cannot help but wonder what it is that the contestants hope to achieve by volunteering to go through such an immensely life altering experience. Being talked down and bitched about on national television is no mean thing, and the roadies contestants have their share or fame, rather notoriety, albeit for a short while.

If you want to take a look into the psychology of reality show contestants and what really goes on in the minds of producers and other crew members, grab the novel Überstar (www.uberstarthebook.com) by the Australian author Vaughn Alaine-Marshall. Reality shows are the same everywhere, the contestants aspire to achieve something through the show, fame, money or other such things, but do they really succeed?

The novel is honest and was written based on the accounts given by several reality show contestants who told their story to Alaine-Marshall. An enjoyable read for all reality show fans, while waiting for the next episode of MTV Roadies 7.0

Musto Performance Clothing: Save Up to 60 Per Cent on Winter Clothing in Musto's Winter Sale

With snow and ice blanketing most of Britain, and temperatures regularly dipping below zero, it is important to adequately protect yourself against the elements. , with performance clothing brand Musto offering up to sixty per cent off their everyday clothing products in their winter sale.

Musto are one of the world's leading performance clothing brands, providing specialist equipment for sailing and equestrian competitors, amongst others. Musto also has its own Lifestyles outdoor clothing range, including fleeces, waterproof jackets and walking boots, as well as the more casual everyday items such as jeans and jumpers.

Substantial discounts are available on a number of products from both the men's and women's winter Lifestyles ranges. For example, the men's Windstopper Fleece Jacket has been reduced from £140 to just £56 in the sale, while the popular Ladies Belted Primaloft Jacket is now half price at £95.

All of Musto's clothing is made using the best technology that allows them to withstand whatever Mother Nature may throw at you. A number of jackets in the outdoor range are made from GORE-TEX and Windstopper material, making them water and wind-proof, as well as highly breathable. Fleece products are made using Polartec fabric, which keeps the body warm and dries quickly, while jackets with Primaloft use a patented microfiber structure to help the body retain warmth and conserve energy.

Orders can be placed by post, online, or over the phone, or alternatively you can visit one of the many Musto stores right across the country, including the brand new concession at Austin Reed on Regent Street in London.

For more information about Musto, or to browse their online directory of performance clothing and accessories, visit the Musto website at http://www.musto.com/.

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Press release produced and promoted by Hit Search. Find out more about us and our services at http://www.hitsearchlimited.com. Tel: 0845 643 9289

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Musto Performance Clothing: Save Up to 60 Per Cent on Winter Clothing in Musto’s Winter Sale

With snow and ice blanketing most of Britain, and temperatures regularly dipping below zero, it is important to adequately protect yourself against the elements. , with performance clothing brand Musto offering up to sixty per cent off their everyday clothing products in their winter sale.

Musto are one of the world's leading performance clothing brands, providing specialist equipment for sailing and equestrian competitors, amongst others. Musto also has its own Lifestyles outdoor clothing range, including fleeces, waterproof jackets and walking boots, as well as the more casual everyday items such as jeans and jumpers.

Substantial discounts are available on a number of products from both the men's and women's winter Lifestyles ranges. For example, the men's Windstopper Fleece Jacket has been reduced from £140 to just £56 in the sale, while the popular Ladies Belted Primaloft Jacket is now half price at £95.

All of Musto's clothing is made using the best technology that allows them to withstand whatever Mother Nature may throw at you. A number of jackets in the outdoor range are made from GORE-TEX and Windstopper material, making them water and wind-proof, as well as highly breathable. Fleece products are made using Polartec fabric, which keeps the body warm and dries quickly, while jackets with Primaloft use a patented microfiber structure to help the body retain warmth and conserve energy.

Orders can be placed by post, online, or over the phone, or alternatively you can visit one of the many Musto stores right across the country, including the brand new concession at Austin Reed on Regent Street in London.

For more information about Musto, or to browse their online directory of performance clothing and accessories, visit the Musto website at http://www.musto.com/.

------------------- Hit Search Contact
Press release produced and promoted by Hit Search. Find out more about us and our services at http://www.hitsearchlimited.com. Tel: 0845 643 9289

-------------------- Unique Reference
HSLP0101AA147

Need An Outdoor Activity- Read Through

Planning an out door activity can be a very daunting task. Most individuals and families will go through this with mixed feelings and moods. It's not a surprise to find close family ties tried at these times; this is due to difference in ideas, opinion and so forth. However, to get the most on the set vacation experience days, lots of time and proper arrangements must be put in place to make the venture successful.

Can One Get Help In Planning An Out Door Activity?

Yes, there are many vacation sites and out door companies all over the world, all with unique packages for interested clients. Some of the common out door activities are motor sports, combat games, water sports, winter sports range shooting, sky diving and so on. These packages are tailor made to suite any family outing. Activity days may vary from one company to the other, but on summer holidays all companies have a high influx of people streaming in to enjoy themselves, its high season for these companies.

In the US and the UK, driving experiences are quite a popular activity for many. These driving experiences could pass out to be the ultimate gift experience for any car fanatic; packages to ride in one of any of ones fancy cars are readily available. Motor package will include a wide range of top of the class motor vehicles, be it an Aston martin or a Ferrari or just one of the classic car models you envy, you will definitely give yourself an opportunity to ride on it for a small fee. Rally sports activity days may vary from time to time, but this does not water down any other range of motor sport activity since there are several to choose from.

Most of the out door companies will work in partnership with other companies to bring a whole lot of experience to their clients. For instance, an out door company will collaborate with another company that may be known to offer extra curriculum activities such as team building, special massage packages and so forth. In fact in searching for this look for an out door company, that offer discount vouchers to this effect. You may land yourself great discounts to a service you've been longing for if you utilize this approach.

Companies that offer all round packages may come in very handy, especially if you have some children on board. However, there some activities that will appeal more to children than adults, but if engaged adults may have as much fun from this as the children. Better experience days are felt when people find fulfillment and satisfaction together from an activity they all enjoy.

What Each Group Member Should Note

For things to work out well, every member of a family or group should contribute on every aspect of the envisioned outing. This should include the envisioned activity days, time, dates and places to visit. It's highly recommended for families or groups to consider purchasing out door package plans from out door companies. This way, they would not need to worry about what to do and not to on their experience days.

Are You In The Uk? – Give Yourself The Best Out Door Gift Experience

Everyone loves to vacate, taking leave from the hustles and bustles of everyday activities can be very rejuvenating. Many people who take this sought of 'pullbacks' come back from their rest will lots of energy to work, which is very important for any individual to be productive and earn a decent living.

Planning a family vacation or a family out door activity in the UK can overwhelming, especially if the people involved want to put across an idea or two. It's normal for family bonds and ties to be tried during initial vacation planning sessions. However, it is not necessary, a family can easily purchase a vacation luxury package from any of the out door activity companies available.

Is There A Limitation Of People For Any Given Group?

No, these companies will offer various packages that will attract any family or target group. A target family package may cater for 10 to 20 people, all with specific out door activities. The most common activities are motor sports, combat games, and extreme sports. if lucky to visit some of the best activity companies you may have parachuting and associated activities as part of the packaged plan. All these package plans are tailor made to offer the best gift experiences for any individual or group.

Look for an out door activity company that has lots venues in their list. This way one will have a wide variety of choices to select from. One should be aware that some activities would require some sort of affiliates to be able to participate; this is due to regulations and safety requirements. Such activities may include Bi- plane flights. Other restrictions may be set in regards to age, height, weight and heath. For memorable gift experiences, it is very important for one to adhere to package instructions.

Easy Bookings

Booking has never been made easier! By just longing in to the internet, you can make reservations for gift vouchers to everyone in your group. Go to sites that offer interactive maps, choose from the venue that suits your requirement and the offer packages, remember to check out the dates, since activity days may vary from one venue to the other. Most sites will offer a booking confirmation portal; check it out, if not contact the customer service time via the phone numbers provided. Some gift experiences activity companies will allow you can pay for gift vouchers and have them sent over to a third party, smart move if you planning to surprise a friend.

Referrals Is The Way To Go To Easily Locate Offers

Before committing to any out door Activity Company, explore some other few companies. Compare price and package activities, you may end up saving some bucks here or there. Has a friend referred you to any company in particular, did you like what you heard? Check it out find out if it meets your specific needs, start out from there. Planning may not be that easy, but one is bond to get used to it after several engagements.

Next time a thought of having an outdoor activity passes through your mind, don't hesitate, act on it. It may be what you actually NEED; besides the recession is over!

Online bingo rises in popularity as snow covers the UK

Lately, weather forecasts in the UK have been awful. Car travel is very difficult and many routes are blocked with cars sauntering in the bad conditions. Public transport has also been affected and trains and buses are frequently disrupted by the weather.

Naturally, this is troubling to a number of people. Family members connect meet each other and friends are having to cancel plans to meet. For those with a fondness for bingo, the snow and ice is preventing them from going to their local hall to play their weekly hobby.

Many are taking the weather as an opportunity to try out online bingo on their desktop computers. Online bingo is already very popular. This piece focuses on the reasons why gamers choose to enjoy bingo online, rather than suffer the weather outside their homes.

Online bingo members do not have to exit their house in order to enjoy a few sessions of their favourite game. Players just have to load up their home computer and log into their prefer red online bingo website. Many online bingo members are dodging the cold conditions.

Online bingo has the same atmosphere as local hall. Indeed, conversation flows regularly in the online bingo chat boards. These message rooms allow gamers to enjoy witty conversation with other members. These chat rooms have a community vibe which meets that found in real-world clubs.

Online bingo sites also offer a collection of amazing prizes. Many online bingo websites offer special prizes which can reach up to five hundred pounds. Some websites also offer monthly competitions, giving members the opportunity to win fantastic prizes such as gift vouchers for high street stores or tranquil weekend hotel stays.

Online bingo is becoming more and more popular. There's no finer way to hide from the winter conditions currently raging outside!

Charm bracelets have always been popular

Charm bracelets have always been popular.
These days, many people prefer to purchase sterling silver jewelries that have rhodium plating. This rhodium plating of silver 925 has also increased the demand and the popularity of the silver 925 jewelries among the buyers. If you have enough budget then you can easily opt for the silver 925 jewelries. Rhodium is listed among the rare elements and plating sterling silver jewelries with rhodium has given them a completely new look. Rhodium is considered ideal for the making of jewelry for its tough, stain resistant quality. It can protect the silver 925 jewelries from tarnishing. Silver 925 jewelries that have plating of rhodium will never turn dull.
Want to surprise your loved ones by gifting something that they will like? But do not have any idea of what they would like! Do not worry. Give him or her jewelry items. Jewelries appeal to everyone irrespective of their age. While purchasing the jewelry items for your near ones, take care of your budget. A large number of beautiful jewelry designs are available at a low price and they can fit your budget very well. When you are searching for sterling silver 925 jewelries at a budget price, then silver 925 jewelry items should be your best choice. Silver 925 jewelries are available at a wide variety of designs and can be gifted to anyone.
You can find rhodium plated sterling silver jewelries on different popular jewelry stores. You can find them on the authentic online stores too. By purchasing your jewelries online, you will be able to see a wide collection of jewelry. You will also be able to compare the price of jewelry offered by different stores and this will help you save money. Many online jewelry stores customize the designs dependin g on your choice. When you are purchasing jewelries online, never forget to check the authenticity of the store.Like gold and other precious metals, if silver 925 jewelries are kept properly then the shine of these jewelries remain the same for the entire lifetime of a person. Silver 925 jewelries can match with different kind of outfits and make a person look more attractive. These days, youths prefer to purchase silver 925 jewelries for its elegant designs. If you want to save money and impress someone by gifting a jewelry then sterling silver 925 can be your best choice. You can find different designs of silver 925 jewelries on the traditional jewelry stores as well as in the online stores.
These days, many people prefer to purchase sterling silver jewelries that have rhodium plating. This rhodium plating of silver 925 has also increased the demand and the popularity of th e silver 925 jewelries among the buyers. If you have enough budget then you can easily opt for the silver 925 jewelries. Rhodium is listed among the rare elements and plating sterling silver jewelries with rhodium has given them a completely new look. Rhodium is considered ideal for the making of jewelry for its tough, stain resistant quality. It can protect the silver 925 jewelries from tarnishing. Silver 925 jewelries that have plating of rhodium will never turn dull.

How To Catch Monster Carp

Hello!

A lot has been written on the subject of 'How to Catch Carp', obtain success, and more. With so many books/magazines, and not to mention all the advertisements for bait & tackle companies, it's enough to confuse any beginning or struggling carp angler. I really feel for the novice carp angler. So where does one start?

The first thing, is not to get bogged down with all these new baits and tackle that come on to the market every year, especially bait. This is one area that a lot of beginning carp anglers get obsessed with. For example whenever I catch, or some else that I'm fishing close by has just caught a carp; and if a newbie carp angler comes over for a chat - nine times out of ten they always ask 'what bait' did you catch that carp on?

Then there's the newbie carp fishermen who believes that having the latest carp rods with reels that cost an arm and a leg. But hey... the reels have numerous bearings no doubt gold plated! Their spools hold a mile of line and yes you can cast that distance as well! After a series of blank sessions they change the above mention gear once again in the belief that they will start catching! This is no joke as I have witnessed this over many years.

I think a lot of these newbie obsessed carp anglers are swayed by what they read in the weekly angling press. They see pictures of top carp anglers with huge carp using the latest carp baits and tackle and simply think this is the way to success. They don't realize that these top boys are being sponsored by the bait and tackle companies. These top carp anglers would still catch carp even if they were using bog standard carp rods, reels and mediocre bait, because they 'know' how to catch carp.

On one venue that I have fished on for many years, a couple of newbie 'faces' arrived at the start of the season and fished the lake every weekend throughout that season, they were really into the 'high protein' bait thing. In fact, they spent a small fortune on it, in the belief that expensive high protein bait equals consistent carp catches. Yet one angler at this same lake was on semolina based bait with an excellent simple secret attractor (you can purchase it from any Asian shop) yet his carp catch results were far better and consistent than the newbie guys who were on the protein baits.

A good point to make here is that, semolina based baits also known as 'crap' baits because they have no nutritional value, only last short periods - not in this successful anglers case he caught carp regularly right throughout the season why? Because he knew - how to catch carp.

If you are a novice carp angler and you want to know the real secret on How to Catch Monster Carp then take my humble advice and don't fall into the - must have latest bait and tackle trap. The number ONE success secret on how to catch carp is finding them! Your primary goal whilst fishing is to spend as much time as possible to find the carp, areas where they are feeding. Always keep this in mind.

Big tip - never decide where your going to fish whilst your making your way to the lake, always spend the first hour or two looking around the lake for signs of the carp. Remember its better to spend only a couple of hours in the right swim with carp present than a whole day or worst a weekend fishing a swim totally devoid of fish!

"How excited would you be if I told you that there is a carp fishing book out there with all the secrets from the top carp anglers...Exposed - saving yourself the frustration of trying to figure it all out on your own? You would be ecstatic wouldn't you?"

The great thing is just by reading this article YOU have...

Crossbows- TenPoint, Excalibur, Horton, Barnett, And The Evolution From Primitive To Perfection

The crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shots projectiles, often called bolts.They date back as early as 600 BC in China. Historically, crossbows played significant roles in warfare in early Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean . In the beginning days they were made of wood, as man progressed he learned to use metals such as iron and steel, which made these weapons much more powerful, accurate and deadly. Early crossbow strings were made of hemp as it was one of the strongest and least elastic fibers available. In ancient times the bolts for the stronger crossbows were several times heavier than arrows. An early advantage of the crossbow was that it was an ideal weapon for young boys, old men or a sick soldier. One of the disadvantages of the crossbow was that it could only shoot two bolts per minute, versus a skilled longbow user that could release between 10-12 arrows per minute. The crossbow was very popular with the ancient Greek and Roman ar mies . Many conflicts were determined through the use of this weapon. As things progressed the crossbow was introduced to medieval Europe in the 11th century. Fashioning the bows themselves also required great technical skills. As crossbows evolved the early ones could be cocked by hand, but as man improved them and made them stronger, they became harder to cock. The Europeans also improved the crossbow's strength around 1370 AD. They too began replacing wooden bows with metals. The crossbow was quite capable of penetrating the full armor of a knight. The increased power required a force greater than human muscle strength to cock. The foot stirrup evolved allowing humans to cock even stronger crossbows. One of the greatest developments in crossbow history was the "cocking rope" devise with two handles, which reduced pulling effort by 50%. Hand cranking devises were installed on crossbows, allowing the most powerful of all bows to be cocked. They were simply a hand crank that when turned pulled the string back. These improved crossbows were very accurate out to 360-400 meters. The crossbow remained a principle item in the arsenals of European armies until their gradual displacement by gunpowder throughout the 14th and15th centuries.

In modern times the crossbow remains popular. In Peru, they equip their soldiers with crossbows and ropes to establish zip lines in difficult terrain. Brazil's Jungle Warfare Training Center also trains their soldiers in the use of crossbows. The US has been known to use Horton, Excalibur & TenPoint crossbows in the Middle East theater. In Cambodia they have been successfully used to detonate trip wires for land mines and booby traps. In Serbia, Barnett crossbows are used as counter sniper weapons.

Today is a totally different ballgame. The ancients would roll over in their graves if they knew of the the high tech crossbows of today. With materials like fiberglass, carbon, high grade aluminum, ect, no t available in ancient times, the crossbow has been refined into a modern day, state of the art, lethal weapon. Today's bolts, with razor blade broadhead, and aluminum / carbon materials for shafts have really made the crossbow a force to recon with.

TenPoint, Excalibur, Horton, and Barnett are among some of the most popular crossbows used today. These fine instruments are a huge market for hunters.

Excalibur - They arent big business cashing in on crossbow hunting, they are crossbow hunters making crossbows. Their priority is to make the most efficient, reliable, and accurate crossbows that money can buy. Excalibur has won the US National Crossbow Championship for the last 8 years and the Canadian 3-D Championship for the past 6 years, Excalibur guarantees that every bow is capable of shooting groups of less than 3 inches at 25 yards with broadheads or target tips. The lightning fast recurved limbs turn out more speed than other compound systems. The trigger mechanism has a pull that would make your rifle jealous. Many consider Excalibur to be the "Cadillac" of crossbows .

They arent big business cashing in on crossbow hunting, they are crossbow hunters making crossbows. Their priority is to make the most efficient, reliable, and accurate crossbows that money can buy. Excalibur has won the US National Crossbow Championship for the last 8 years and the Canadian 3-D Championship for the past 6 years, Excalibur guarantees that every bow is capable of shooting groups of less than 3 inches at 25 yards with broadheads or target tips. The lightning fast recurved limbs turn out more speed than other compound systems. The trigger mechanism has a pull that would make your rifle jealous. Many consider Excalibur to be the "Cadillac" of crossbows .

Barnett - From their beginning 40 years ago Barnett started as one man's dream. Barnett crossbows were designed by hunters that incorporate comfort and style i nto high performance, precision hunting equipment. Barnett engineers were pioneers in developing the most desired features in a hunting weapon. Lightweight, adjustable, and powerful, Barnett is a leading manufacturer of crossbows and other archery equipment.

From their beginning 40 years ago Barnett started as one man's dream. Barnett crossbows were designed by hunters that incorporate comfort and style into high performance, precision hunting equipment. Barnett engineers were pioneers in developing the most desired features in a hunting weapon. Lightweight, adjustable, and powerful, Barnett is a leading manufacturer of crossbows and other archery equipment.

TenPoint - Top of the line Tenpoint, remains a first in crossbow technology, innovation and accuracy. Today they hold 12 patents with many more currently in the developmental phases. TenPoint holds the patent for trigger technology unsurpassed by any other crossbow on today's market. They al so hold the patent on the DFI (dry fire inhibitor), ensuring their crossbows cannot be fired without an arrow. Their patented accudraw is a user friendly cocking aid to consistently load the crossbow every time. TenPoint's motto has always been "superior value, for your hard earned dollars". They received "Inside Archery's" Best Buy Award for 2005 and 2006.

Top of the line Tenpoint, remains a first in crossbow technology, innovation and accuracy. Today they hold 12 patents with many more currently in the developmental phases. TenPoint holds the patent for trigger technology unsurpassed by any other crossbow on today's market. They also hold the patent on the DFI (dry fire inhibitor), ensuring their crossbows cannot be fired without an arrow. Their patented accudraw is a user friendly cocking aid to consistently load the crossbow every time. TenPoint's motto has always been "superior value, for your hard earned dollars". They received "Inside Archery's" Best Buy Award for 2005 and 2006.

Horton - Producing crossbows for almost half a century makes them the oldest and largest manufacturer of crossbows today. Horton is a world leader in high performance hunting crossbows, steeped in tradition and performance, Horton proudly makes some of the finest crossbows on the planet.

Producing crossbows for almost half a century makes them the oldest and largest manufacturer of crossbows today. Horton is a world leader in high performance hunting crossbows, steeped in tradition and performance, Horton proudly makes some of the finest crossbows on the planet.

At 54 years old I have spent the majority of my lifetime in the woods hunting. My crossbow is an Excalibur Equinox. I currently reside in western Pennsylvania in an area known as Unit 2B, where crossbow hunting is legal. In 5 years I have added 4 trophy whitetail to my collection, thanks to this weapon. The power and accuracy of this crossbow is mind blowi ng! For my brother John, the Horton Legend SL is his weapon of choice. Two trophy whitetail in the the past two seasons. With the power of this weapon both shots were total "pass throughs". My cousin Joe demands the superior quality of a TenPoint Shadow CLS. Since he has just recently purchased it, no trophies yet, however the groups at 50 yards with this crossbow are unbelievable. Heaven help the next deer that mistakenly comes anywhere near his arena. It is easy to tell that the 3 of us are very thankful that we live in these modern times and have at our disposal these cutting edge high tech weapons. If you have never experienced the thrill of a crossbow hunt maybe the time has arrived. The rules and regulations regarding crossbows vary vastly state to state, so familiarize yourself with your particular states hunting laws and seasons, regarding crossbows. HAPPY SHOOTING !!!

Throwing Stars used by Ninja's

Throwing stars have been made popular today because of the mystical legend of the Ninjas. The throwing stars also known as the Shuriken "shu", "ri" and "ken", which is literally translated as "hand hidden blade" and are commonly known in the West as (throwing stars) that were generally for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing. A shuriken weapon is thrown on the striking surfaces on all edges. Unlike the popular throwing knife the throwing stars can damage an opponent regardless of the surface it comes into contact with. Many ninja stars used by the ninja started out as a tool or piece of metal used on the farm or old coins. When the tool was sharpened on the edges it quickly became a weapon that was perfect for the ninja weapons. Ninjas were master of deception and concealment, and these hidden weapons with their quick release along with numerous uses became a favourite killing tool.

Ophidian Shuriken Star: Originated in China and mastered by the Japanese, the shuriken was mainly taught as a minor, or more correctly, a secret part of the martial arts. This is a great Shuriken! In its folded position the star can be used as a dagger. Unfold the fourth side and be ready for long range combat. This Ophidian Shuriken Star has been designed by world renowned Tom Anderson.

Kohga Ninja Star: It originated from the town of Koka, modern Koka City in Shiga Prefecture. This school of ninjutsu specializes in the use of guerrilla warfare tactics. The Kohga Ninja Star (Kouga Throwing Star) features four sharp edges. This throwing star has always primarily been a weapon of the orient. They were originally developed in China. Later, the throwing star technique (also called Ninjitsu and Shuriken) was mastered by the Japanese.

Bo-Shuriken (spikes): The origin of the Bo-shuriken is considered to be Japan. This is partly because shurikenjutsu is a secretive art, and also to the fact that throughout early Japanese history there were actually many independent innovators of the skill of throwing long, thin objects. These spikes are usually single-pointed, but there are some that are double-pointed and is thrown in a number of ways, such as overhead, underarm, sideways and rearwards, but in each case, the throw involved the blade sliding out of the hand through the fingers in a smooth, controlled flight. Other items were also thrown as in the fashion of Bo-Shuriken, such as kogai (ornamental hairpin), kogata (utility knife) and hashi (chopsticks).

Hira shuriken (throwing stars): It has a wide variety of forms and they are now usually identified by the number of points the blades possess. They often have a hole in the center and possess a fairly thin blade sharpened only at the tip. The hole also had aerodynamic and weighting effects that aided the flight of the blade after it was thrown. In ancient times it was used as a nail removing tools and are constructed from thin, flat plates of metal from a variety of sources, such as hishi-gane (coins), kugi-nuki (carpentry tools), senban (washers), and as such do not generally look like what is usually conceived of as the ninja star.

Sporting Events Are No More a Problem Thanks to Rent a Friend

In today's world, we have a lot of money but little happiness, a million friends but even fewer close relationships, a thousand reasons to whine about but hardly any to be grateful for. The materialistic world we live in now has started becoming a steady reason for depression for many. An example would be that you go to an annual function, showing up single and being surrounded by couples. This is where Rent a Friend can be helpful. Rent a Friend is another method of saying "I want to make your day" by sparing you any kind of embarrassment you fear you will have to face in any type of sporting event or other social gathering. Because of the economic conditions, a lot of people are willing to stage as actors and are part of this Rent a Friend service.

Rent a Friend is today's new kind of a social service which helps one get out of their depression and void and be confident enough to f ace everyone. It is a Japanese solution to issues such as being lonely and single. Rent a Friend agency hired professional actors to play the desired parts. This works best for those who like keeping their marital status, employment history and similar issues a secret.

Rent a Friend can be very effective on occasions such as sporting events as well. Whenever you participate in such social events, it gives a person boost of confidence if you have someone by your side to experience it with. You can Rent a Friend and join any type of sporting event and participate enthusiastically without bearing in mind your social status. This can be useful in other ways as well since your mind is at rest that you are not being seen alone in public hence, you coming out of your void.

All you need to do, to find yourself a partner for sporting events, is to specify the age and pers onality traits. In this scenario, you could say that you are looking for an enthusiastic, sporty person. You need to keep in mind the social circumstances for the role you need to be played. You could even look for a person who has an outgoing personality or someone who would completely compliment you. However, you need to keep a few issues in mind before going out to rent a friend for the desired sporting event you are going to. After you submit the requirements, you will need to compensate with the company about what rate you can pay. You can even interview or audition the candidates before settling on to the person you want to fill in as your sports partner.

At the sporting event, your rented friend can cheer you up on various activities you take up on and you both can enjoy a day as perfect sporting buddies. Let it be a two legged race or a relay race, your rent a friend will be with you on every s tep of that day's journey!

Make Your Photography, A Memorable Experience

Photography is something, which has so much to do with. People who love the nature and its beauty, people of varied and diversified cultures, food, tradition and various other aspects of human life, they are in love with the activity of clicking pictures. They want to capture their most important and lovable moments in their cameras. In this way, a person can cherish his memories, for the rest of his life. Those who are inclined towards photography, they are very much close to the realities and truthfulness of life, as they capture the moments and events, which speaks up the truth of life. Such people love to travel to different places, in order to fulfill their passion for this activity.

Traveling alone can be much more learnable experience for these people, as they will be alone and doing all what they would love to. No one is going to bother or disturb them, as to click pictures, which hare close to life is not a matter of inattentive behavior, but one has to show great level of attention and pay sheer concentration on the happenings around him. This is the reason, why a successful photographer spends time alone and travels more. To get your passion fulfilled does not mean that you cannot talk to people around you, but it means that get into relationship with those people, who also have interest in clicking pictures. If you are going to travel to a place, where you have never been and want to make this traveling experience of yours, memorable for the rest of your life, then you should know the importance of finding a local friend, who will give company to you and will guide you just like your close friend.

It is only going to benefit you, if you will make a friend, who has the same kind of nature like you have. You will definitely expect to accompany with a person, who is inclined towards valuable and worthy photography. Only then your relationship with your new friend is going to become strong and successful. You cannot find s uch friend on the streets, in trains or buses, but the best way is to get yourself registered on www.rentafriend.com. On this site you will find a local fiend of that area. In order to make your search easy and valuable for yourself, you should enter your specifications and in this way the end result is going to be fruitful for you. When you will find such friend of that area, you will feel high confident, as he is going to make everything feel good to you and you will not feel as if you have just met a person, but he is going to show high level of friendliness and comfort.

Both of you are going to make the experience of photography, something really excited and entertaining. The company of your new friend will help you in increasing awareness about the new culture, about people, their interests, new sites and a lot more. He will take you to the places, from where you can get more information and know-how abo ut that place. Doing photography with the local friend is going to make it a learning experience. Both of you are going to have a lot of fun, with each other, for the interest of you and your friend is going to be mutual and common

Whatever You Buy; Athletic or Casuals- Buy the Prefect One

Shoes are something that should always be seen as one of the most time taking and important shopping for everybody. The shoes that you buy should be perfect for your foot. It should never hurt your ankle or your foot. Some people choose their shoes just by looking at their making or rather go by the looks. But in actually sense; a shoe is meant to be worn on the feet and your feet should decide, whether it wants it or not.

The casual shoes which are worn in the day to day lives should be very comfortable as you wear them almost for the entire day. Thus, before purchasing your casual shoes, a bit of research is a must. Before buying wear the shoes and walk for some time. See if they hurt you or if you are uncomfortable. There should be enough space for your feet to breath. Thus, a bit of loose shoes should be worn so that they are comfortable and does not hurt you.

The same thing goes with the athletic shoes also. The people who are athletics are involved in a lot of tough routines like rappelling, climbing, sports, etc. Thus, it is very essential that your shoes are durable otherwise you will end up buying new pair of shoes every time you go for some sports.

It is always advisable that you do not buy the fake and imitation products as you will at last hurt your own feet. A good pair of shoes be it casuals or athletic shoes is a must as walking is one thing that we do most of the time in a day.

Becker Shoes is one big firm that offers the best and most comfortable shoes. It is a self owned unit that has been into this business since a long time. It is a reputable company and completely looks for the comforts of the people wearing their shoes. It offers a brand, style and class to your feet! If you are looking for the athletic shoes or the casual shoes, then it has the best shoes at a very competitive price.

Pub Style Pool Tables

Pool tables that are pub styled are a bit different from the general lot. These tables are used by players who love playing the game apart from sharing a drink. The space has to be a little larger than the standardized pool table because of the crowds that pubs usually accommodate. A pub pool table is available in a lot of timber like oak, mahogany and walnut. The cabinet designed by craftsmen is generally kept robust with an internal ball return system attached to it. The ground slate is mostly fixed at 19mm with the top frame corner being made up of metal chrome. The feet get fabricated from brown metal and can also be adjusted to adjust the level according to convenience. This way, whenever players feel like moving the pub pool table can do it swiftly.

The table cloth is also obtainable in numerous colours. The whole package comes with balls, a couple of cues, a chalk and a triangle. The best thing about the pub pool table is that it is made to suit the needs and requirements of players showing up for a game. Most of them look forward to a lavish table on which they can play the way they want. The cloth has to be smooth as the force behind the shots keep varying. The balls have to be nicely enclosed so that their trajectory remains desirable. They are also kept adjustable so that multiple players do not have to think before joining the game.

Authorities from pubs ordering these tables are often given a dry run on the assembling of a pub pool table. This ensures that they stay well aware of the way the pub pool table can be set up and arranged so that players at their convinient best. The pool tabls can also be customized. The timber used for the woodowrk and the material used as table cloth can all be selected by the buyer considering the offbeat apperance it ought to have incomparison to standard pool tables, a fact that pub hopping people really admire and appreiate. Most of them play while they are revelling under the hang over, so that want more facilities than the normal table offers. This includes a permanent chalk attachment to the table, a port where the cues can be kept horizontally and the automatic frame system where players do not have to arrange the balls manually while starting a game.

Pub pool tables are one of the most sought after pool tables across the world. This is because of the fact that pub goers often look for other sources of entertainment apart from radio and television and a game of pool is perhaps the best way to de-stress. Most of the blokes can be seen either playing the game and those who wait for their chance are seen admiring and passing on tips. So to augment the intensity in the game, pub owners go out of their way to ensure that the facilities are at their best.

Breo Roam Sports Watches Review

This cool Scottish brand and have a great selection of watches available. The most popular one is the Breo Roam Sports Watch which comes in a variety of colours including Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, Grey, Purple, Orange and White. The watch comes in three different sizes with the small being suitable for children, the medium for ladies and the large suitable for men. They are made for a durable rubber strap that makes it easy to get the watch on and off. The screen is digital and displays the month and day, as well, of course, as the time!

Its really quick and easy to set up and one of the bonuses is that its water resistant to 10 metres, so can be used in and sport. The watch weighs next to nothing and no matter what sport you do, it should work very well. A twelve month warranty comes as standard so you have piece of mind of your purchase.

Breo Roam watches have been a big hit in the celebrity world with numerous celebrities spotted wearing these cool watches. So good that the watch was awarded the Good Design Award in 2008. Please see below for full details on the specification:

Specifications Case Size: 17mm x 10mm Strap Width: 5mm Weight: 10g Material: Soft Touch Rubber Dial Colour: LCD Movement: Digital Water Resistance Depth: 10m Warranty: 12 Months

We have loads of colours on offer so for more information check out our Surf Shop.

A brief history of artificial grass

Astro Turf, the forerunner of today's artificial grass, was patented in the USA in 1967. At the time it most definitely looked like a synthetic surface, but recent advances in technology have led to the development of a series of artificial grass products that are more natural looking and also provide a better surface for leisure purposes.

Artificial grass is well-known for providing alternative sports surfaces, especially for indoor arenas, in which it would be difficult to successfully cultivate a natural grass playing surface. Today it is also being more widely used throughout the world for decorative and domestic residential purposes.

Indeed, baseball and American football were the first two sports to widely use Astro Turf as a synthetic playing surface when it was installed in the Houston Astrodome during the 1960s. At the time both Houston professional sports franchises - gridiron's Houston Oilers and Major League Baseball's Astros - played at the stadium with spectators' seating being rapidly re-organised depending upon which sport featured in the venue.

However, first generation Astro Turf was widely criticised by players for not providing enough give and was likened to playing on concrete, leading to serious compression injuries and its constant redevelopment in order to make the surfaces more suitable for contact sports. Early versions of the product also proved unsuitable for outdoor use as the fibres used were not resistant enough to climatic conditions.

However slightly more than 40 years on, technology has allowed the development of artificial grass surfaces that can not only withstand all the rigours of sporting use but also look decorative and at first glance cannot be easily distinguished from real grass. That means that not only does it provide a real alternative to grass for sporting use, it can als o be used for external residential developments.

Available in a wide range of colours, textures and finishes the latest artificial grass is also U.V. stabilised meaning that, unlike its forerunners, it will not fade. Many of the modern products take out all the hard work of looking after an extensive lawn and so are known as 'lazy' grasses; no cutting, no weeding and no watering required!

For sportsmen the advances in technology mean that they no longer have to suffer grazes, burns or compacted knees when playing on an artificial grass surface. Even the uneven bounce of a football, which was the main reason why the brief experiment in Astro Turf pitches in the UK failed, is no longer a problem; meaning that the FA may overturn their objections to artificial surfaces and we could see them return in the UK.

09/06/2009: Mark Shemilt’s World Record is now official

09/06/2009: Mark Shemilt's World Record is now official

Congratulations to Mark Shemilt from the worldwide Ultramagic team. Mark Shemilt's World Record is now official!

Meanwhile Michael Boelling and his father in Brigachtal, Germany were making me a miniature double burner, using their extensive knowledge of building model balloons. We also developed a paraffin burner based on the sheen weedkille burner, which worked well when preheated, but became a flamethrower when it cooled, so I decided to stick with good old propane.

Michael suggested I look into a new insulated balloon fabric that had been developed by Alex Borman of Aeroix and Berlin University during their HEIDAS project, or steam powered balloon. This fabric termed 'Aerofabrix' is essentially two layers of 45gsm silver woven ripstop separated by flock dots that serve to keep the 2 fabrics apart by a fractional distance. I gathered that much research had gone into the optimal separation di stance between the twin skins (without touching) and in its reflective properties. The other attraction of this fabric was that it is relatively robust; the Festo 105 has already racked up 150hrs. Ultramagic have the sole rights to this fabric and after a trip to Igualada and a chance to fly their Aerofabrix duo I commissioned my small envelope. However all my queries into the fabric's fuel consumption in such a small envelope were met with shrugged shoulders, there were simply too many variables. Along with Paul Dickinson and Josep Lladó of Ultramagic we designed a sphere on cone design, with a simple Velcro rip (parachutes tend to leak on this size) and the smallest mouth we could get away with to retain heat. The balloon had stub load tapes and no horizontal tapes to save weight.

However there are two major disadvantages of Aerofabrix. Firstly its weight at 90gsm is the same as Hyperlast and I was gambling that if I used this fabric that its miserly fuel consumption would be worth the extra weight. Secondly the fabric is eye wateringly expensive, ostensibly in order to recover the developmental costs.

The Boelling model burner was pure genius. Using miniature valves and fittings, and a separate pilot light feed fed from a 1 litre Ali bottle. My fuel tanks were small composite bottles which are available all over Europe in different guises (check out butagaz' viseo bottle). I simply removed the outer plastic casing and then shaved all extraneous fibreglass and resealed with resin, until I had a 20 litre tank weighing 2kg empty. Don't try this at home folks! We pressure tested them to 20 bar but undoubtedly had compromised their integrity. My harness was a lightweight paragliding number and the plan was to drop tanks as I used them, further increasing performance.

Probably the hardest part of any serious record attempt is the necessity of the pilot having to lose weight to become what Hempelman Adams calls an anorexic whippet ! My weight normally is 80kg and I wanted to get down to 65kg (still a long way off Pauline Baker's petite 45kg). I managed 67kg by living off cups of tea, but with all the warm weather gear, I added another 4kg.

I should add at this point that for a record attempt, there is also a lot of paperwork and permissions that have to be obtained (especially from the NAC of the country in which the record is to be attempted). Any homebuilt/historical or record balloon under new EASA rules is eligible to be listed as Annex 2, which as long as it UK registered and insured, makes it exempt from a permit to fly or a certificate of airworthiness, which is one hell of a concession and I would have thought a boost for homebuilding.

The last annoyingly intangible facet of balloon record breaking is of course the weather and temperature. I elected to trial the balloon in the French Alps, near Morzine ,where I have spent the last 4 years renovating a barn and an area I have balloo ned many times and although at 1000m, occasionally very cold. It became apparent on its maiden flight from St Jean D'Aulps in a balmy 5 degrees that the balloon fuel consumption was incredible and very competitive.

Preparing to go in G-CFMR - (jpeg M. Shemilt)

Sue Carden, a BBAC observer came out the next week, with my trusty crew, we met at 6am on Sunday 7th December in the field below the house in a disappointing minus 5 degrees Celsius. My first set back was that my thermocouple wire opened the vent when we stood the balloon up, so I removed it thereby denying myself the ability to monitor envelope temperature at take off. In light of the decidedly uncompetitive ambient temperature I elected to carry less fuel than planned.

As I launched, I was glad to see the first glimmers of sunlight, and remembered Don Cameron's advice that a cold but sunny day was optimal duration record breaking conditions. Apparently any flying in the dark will gobble up fue l. My fuel tank drops passed without event and despite adiabatic winds pulling me up forested slopes around Morzine, I felt unconcerned as I knew this balloon had the legs for a long flight. Possibly the scariest bit of the flight was when my pilot lights went out and I discovered my 1 litre vapour tank was empty after 5 hours airborne (this was bizarre as we had previously run the pilot lights for a good 10 hours previously on this tank), perhaps I had them turned up excessively. Because I was over trees my trusty 3 euro gas match came into its own, acting as a pilot light to each burn, which by now was about once a minute. Never in my life have I held onto something so tightly! As I passed the ax2 existing record mark, I was aware my last tank was getting light and as I reached the ax3 record at 7hrs 30mins (sadly I needed to exceed this by 1% or 7 mins to beat it) it became clear that the burner note was changing and I landed straight away in the town centre of Morzine.

Clearly this envelope fabric is something special and I feel really to do it Justice I should take it somewhere colder and carry more fuel. I now want to try a distance record in this balloon which stands at about 85 miles. The Alps are not a place for distance records in a hopper, the one time I experienced some wind shear was hair raising and deflected the flame burning some mouth panels. You feel very exposed in a harness under a balloon, so small that you can see the stitching at the top of the balloon whilst you get sucked up 3000m summits."
Mark Shemilt.

FAI has ratified the following Class A (Free balloons) World record:

Claim number: 15234
Size category: AX-02 (Hot-air balloons: 250 to 400 m³)
Category: General
Type of record: Duration
Course / location: Bas-Thex / Morzines (France) Performance: 7h 26min 56s
Pilot: Mark SHEMILT (UK)
Balloon: Ultra Magic V-14
Date: 07/12/2008
Previous recor d: 7h 09min 46sec (13/01/2006 - Pierrick Duvoisin, Switzerland)

FAI congratulates the Pilot on this splendid achievement.

Congratulations Mark on a wonderful achievement and thank you for putting your trust in Ultramagic.
Here is part of an article written by Mark Shemilt about his balloon and the record breaking flight just after the flight in December 2008:

"I love the technical and developmental side of small balloons and for a long time have felt that just about all balloon equipment is too heavy. A duo airchair when fuelled still takes 4 people to lift the bottom end! Having set some British records with stock balloon equipment, I wanted to have a go for a world record and felt ax2 was a class that appealed.

It was obvious from the start that twin skin for the envelope was the way to go, despite an increase in weight. Both Pierrick Duvoisin and Steve Griffin had favoured Mylar, and yet Rich Jaworki's woven fabric ax4 twin skin had retu rned awesome duration. I didn't fancy flying under a foil balloon held together with tape with its low tear resistance, so looked into lightweight woven fabrics (weighing as little as 23gsm) and even the possibility of a solar balloon like the Michaelis balloon of Julian Nott (translucent outer envelope and opaque inner). However small balloons have very little core temperature and I felt that the advantages of a solar balloon would be lost on a 400m3 or 14000cu ft.

Mark over Morzine in G-CFMR - (jpeg M. Shemilt)

http://www.ultramagic.com

Cycle and Hydration Packs from Caribee

Many people view cycling as a summer pursuit, but, with proper care and attention to cycle maintenance, clothing and an awareness of differing road conditions, there is no reason not to enjoy cycling year round.

Cycling allows you to get closer to the environment and see seasons changing and enjoy all of the beauty that Mother Nature offers.

Riding a bicycle on a daily basis can help to improve or maintain a fitness level, which can form part of a fitness regime that, also, helps to reduce stress and prevent SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

No need to worry about the train being late, the bus not arriving at all, car congestion or the ever increasing cost at the petrol pumps. In fact, spending a few pounds, yearly, on cycling maintenance and cycling, itself, is virtually cost-free and totally reliable.

Studies have shown that a cyclist will be caught in the rain, a total of eight times throughout the year, following a daily cycling journey and that the months that gave cyclists the greatest cause for weather concern (Feb and Mar) are actually two of the driest months of the year.

Wear warm gloves and socks, a lightweight wind and rainproof jacket that can be easily folded into a cycle pack when not in use and reflective clothing or reflective hydration or cycle pack, are all the extra clothing necessary. Remember, although, the weather may be cold, cycling will, quickly, warm you up.

Check lights regularly to ensure that you are seen and safe, even, whilst utilising reflective clothing or cycle packs.

Fitting mudguards to cycles will reduce splash back from roads, should you happen to get caught in rain.

Ensure brakes, both, work and do not rub against wheel trim.

Keep cycle tyres pumped up and check regularly for wear or damage.

Keep your bike chain oiled.

Check cycle gears are working smoothly and, if not, adjust accordingly.

Keeping your cycle under cover, when not in use, will prolong its life, as will, prompt action when scraping, squeaks or rattles are heard.

With a little forward preparation and with care taken with road conditions (i.e.: ice and wet) cycling can be an enjoyable pursuit for all twelve months of the year.

Caribee has created cycle and hydration packs that will help keep those cycle wheels turning.

Helping Build Better Lives…

Kali Majapahit's Filipino martial arts programs offer a curriculum that is deeply rooted in tradition, and is balanced with progressive and innovative teaching methods and philosophies. Featuring stick, kickboxing, empty hand, knife and grappling techniques which are safe, simple, and effective methods of self protection. It offers focus, mental discipline, practical self-defence and a great way to workout in an exciting environment.

All these concepts are woven together into a complete and very effective system. Any improvement in one aspect of the art will accelerate progression in the others.

Specific programs as available for kids from 3 to 14 years old, using Filipino Martial Arts as a tool for education and growth.

The dedication that is put by the instructors in the teaching of Kali Majapahit and attention to details truly makes the difference in the way it is delivered to their students. A pinch of humour and plenty of fun during training does not sacrifice the focus and necessary discipline that is needed to take martial arts students to the next level-wherever that maybe. The profile of the instructors can be found on the website: www.kali-majapahit.com.

As much as each student comes for different reasons -fitness, martial arts skills, cultural experience, health, etc- they all end up getting an overall system that provides them with benefits that stretches beyond their training.

For the martial arts savvy, you might want to know that Kali Majapahit is the first to have a school recognized by the reputable Baguio Council of Masters outside of the Philippines and is the only school affiliated to the International Kali Arnis Eskrima Federation (IKAEF) in Asia.

A new class of Panantukan (Filipino Kickboxing), a first in Singapore, was also launched recently, bringing a great alternative to popular Muay Thai in Singapore.

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, India

For more information visit our website http://www.commonwealthgames-india.com