I guess I should start this post with “Happy Fourth of July!” But honestly today I’m more concerned about the first day of one of the most famous annual cycling events. That’s right, it’s time for the Tour de France (be sure to say that with a French accent), and we’re pretty sure that there are a lot of Wend readers out there planning to be glued to their television and cycling blogs over the next three weeks…
So for a little Tour kickoff, we’re giving you a few trivia questions to figure out just how well do you know the Tour de France:
How many kilometers does the Tour cover?
How old does the Tour turn this year?
How do you say Yellow Jersey in French?
On average, how many calories does a Tour de France rider consumer per day?
How many teams will be riding in the Tour?
How fast did Mario Cipollini cycle when he clocked the fastest stage in 1999?
When it comes to BASE jumping videos, there’s no better background than Switzerland, which is why we’re bringing you another vid from the most extreme of neutral countries.
Yup, as a kid, I had NASA posters all over my room, and have been a sucker for anything space related ever since. On June 12th, 2009, thanks to a serendipitous position in orbit, astronauts at the International Space station were able to get images and video of the Sarychev volcano eruption. The volcano is located on Russia’s Kuril Islands, northeast of Japan. Sarychev Peak is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Island chain, located on the northwestern end of Matua Island. Wow, how cool is this?
Cycle Ball, or Radball, is a soccer-like game where players on specialized bicycles use their front tires to strike a small ball towards a lacrosse-style net. The bikes used in Cycle Ball are fixed gear, heavier than average, and cost upwards of 2,000 Euros. They also have vertical handlebars for stability and to make it easier to pass or shoot the ball. According to the video, Germany has the best Cycle Ball team in the world, but I think I could round up a few Portland bike messengers who could beat them…
Summer’s heat is upon us and because this is the season for enjoying water, be it at the beach, on the river or in a lake, we decided to go with a Friday Photo theme that would inspire protecting our waterways. Our first photo for this month’s contest comes from Stacey, who took this image of the Essequibo River in Guyana while flying above it in a small plane. Stacey points out, ”
.hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt; font-family:Verdana } rivers are the life blood of Guyana (the name itself refers to many or fast flowing waters), serving as major transportation routes and livelihoods for many.”
Stacey scores a Klean Kanteen™Classic with Sport Cap 2.0 and an S-biner; filling up a reusable water bottle means not having to buy a disposable plastic one, and therefore creates less pollution in our waterways.
Do you have a great waterway photo? It can be anything from horrific plastic pollution to an active coastal cleanup — just something that inspires us to protect our waterways. Submit your shots to our Flickr pool and then send a description of your photo(s) to fphoto@wendmag.com.
I’m the middle of reading Saltwater Buddha right now, and anyone that believes in living a simpler lifestyle, loves to surf or simply has an obsession with being near water will certainly want to check it out.
Luckily for Portland, Powells on Hawthorne will be welcoming the book’s author, Jaimal Yogis, tonight for a reading. If you’re in town, go check it out!
What: Author Jaimal Yogis reads from his celebrated book “Saltwater Buddha”
When: Thursday July 2nd, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Powells on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
What do you get when you combine one problem solving, one part teamwork, one part urban adventure and a dash of craziness? The GO Urban Adventure Race. Having kicked off in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, GO Urban will be bringing the race to thirteen different cities throughout the next year, encouraging people to get outside and live healthier lifestyles.
The race’s “primary purpose is to get people outside and into the city to explore its best known spots as well as its secrets.” Teams of two will compete by searching for a series of points that provide clues to follow on. The cool thing is that GO Urban is an initiative started by The Vallon Institute, a non-profit that focuses on sustainability and health, which means that the race organizers choose “local places that try to do things in a better way for the environment that lead to a healthier lifestyle.”
We support that, plus, what’s more entertaining than competing in an urban adventure competition? Not much… which is why you should check out whether or not GO Urban is making its way to your town and sign up to participate!
Yup, this is probably the most special place on earth. Sweet waves and mythical creatures. Actually, this was sent to me by friend with the subject line, “Surf trip? My treat.” Yeah, I got suckered.
