Category: Uncategorized

The good news is that I am posting today (at least I hope that’s good news). The bad news is I am heading to California for two days (well, that’s not bad news from my point of view…). So I’m going to try to pop a few things onto the site to get you to Friday. Look at ’em all at once if you like, or stretch them out.

Here’s Thursday’s ration, the Amazing Flyak (thanks to a tip from TWC reader IainDuthie). We all know that when backyard Wetass engineers get bored they always turn to a simple solution: the add foils to whatever peice of plastic and fiberglass they take onto the water. Sometimes the results are ridiculous, sometimes they are exciting. The Flyak (great name…), I think, is pretty cool result of the foil itch. What does it look like in action? Here’s a video of a Flyak sprinting. Here’s another one. And here’s the best one of them all (guy blows by conventional kayak; oddly, he doesn’t appear to have any legs…). So many toys, so little time…

“Boy, are my arms tired…”

Here’s Wednesday’s shot of Wetass methadone. It comes courtesy of one of our most prolific tipsters, the one and only Uncle Bob. It’s good to have him back in the game. I’ve always sead BASE jumpers make the best videos. And this one is both good…and long. So if you have nine minutes to watch a series of crazy, acrobatic, poetic jumps, click here, and grab your popcorn and beer…

“I’ve got to get a real job…”

What can you say? Losing the stick is a massive bitch, particularly when you are on a replica 157-foot pilot schooner. Last month the Pride Of Baltimore II was in the Bay Of Biscay when the masts came tumbling down. Here’s the full story from crewman Joshua Koerpel. And here’s a taste of what it was like:

“I made my way toward the starboard side of the boat and my sporadic thoughts were interrupted by a cracking and popping coming from up forward. It was our foremast and reefed topsail tilting back toward us and crashing onto deck port side. Running further to the starboard rail, a thought of jumping overboard flashed through my head, followed directly by the thought of never getting back to the boat if I did.”

You can find more info (and contribute to the rebuild; come on you cheap bast*rds!) here. We post ’em so you don’t have to live ’em…

I’m off on another reporting trip, and I’m not sure when I will be back (probably on the 17th). So I thought I would live you with something very cool, a great dive video which features a site in the Red Sea–the Blue Hole–which is famous for it’s spectacular diving, and the number of dead divers who got suckered too deep by the beauty and exhilaration of the place. The video was given to me by the record-breaking South African, Nuno Gomes (check out his very cool website here). This past June at Dahab Nuno dove to a world record depth of 318.25 meters (which is more than ONE THOUSAND FEET DEEP). Unbelievable. Anyhow, this video is a good one. And if you decide you have to go dive it yourself (here’s another good site), then Planet Divers are the people to hook up with…

Le Defi Wind is an annual windsurfing race in the south of France that attracts hundreds of sailors. Even better, they always make a great video. Last year, TWC brought you the 2004 version (this one has great music). And now we’ve got the 2005 race too. Love the rabbit starts, using a very fast powerboat, which still has to change course to avoid killing the odd over-eager starter…

Le Defi Dangereuse: Sick Start…

The Eagle’s Nest sinkhole in Florida is one of the world’s most famous cave diving sites, featuring a mile of marked passages and depths up to 300 feet. It is also dangerous, if you are not very, very careful. Since the Dave Shaw story I always take note of any cave diving stories that pass across my screen. And this one is both a cautionary tale and a tragedy. Here’s the set-up:

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., they began a fairly normal descent, said the 52-year-old Banks.

Divers must breathe different mixtures of gas at different depths, so Bedard breathed from a tank of pure oxygen until she had descended about 30 feet. Then she switched to nitrox, a combination of oxygen and nitrogen.

About 130 feet down, she switched to her primary tanks, which were supposed to contain a blend of oxygen, nitrogen and helium appropriate for that depth.

They didn’t.

Cave diving. It’s off the charts…

Weedy Whacker: Eagle-Eye View Of Eagle’s Nest…

Off to London this afternoon. Back Monday. Until then, stay cool and enjoy a smoke or two…

Roll over, Jules Verne. Japanese scientists have just managed to capture your mythic giant squid on film, using a remote camera to audition a 26-footer (a relative baby, really) 3,000 feet down (see the story here). Here’s an excerpt:

“We believe this is the first time a grown giant squid has been captured on camera in its natural habitat,” said Kyoichi Mori, a marine researcher who co-authored a piece in Wednesday’s issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

The camera was operated by remote control during research at the end of October 2004, Mori told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Mori said the giant squid, purplish red like its smaller brethren, attacked its quarry aggressively, calling into question the image of the animal as lethargic and slow moving.

“Contrary to belief that the giant squid is relatively inactive, the squid we captured on film actively used its enormous tentacles to go after prey,” Mori said.

Want to watch this baby in action. Well, then click on “play Video” link on the story page. I’m squirming…

Giant Garbo?: “I want to be alone…”
(Thanks to TWC Asst. Editor For Cape Cod, Trey Ruthven)

Scows. Don’t know much about ’em, don’t really undertand ’em, never sailed one. But all those sailors out in the middle of the country swear by them. And judging from this trailer (sorry, don’t know how to deal with MP4 format; download and open with Windows Media) to a movie about the history of A-scows (check out the film website here; and the class association is here), maybe they are onto something. So grab your popcorn, settle in, and consider the possibility that there is a scow in your future…

Scowabunga…

WTF? Officials in upstate New York wanted to attract some addition pub for their wildlife festival so they decided that they had better drag a chimpanzee named “Charlie” along and take him fishing. They were very happy when ol’ Charlie–stuffed into a promotional t-shirt–managed to catch two. You can watch the video here. Awww. It’s all so sweet…until you see that “Charlie” has a chain noosed around his neck. This is another video that doesn’t quite have the ending I was hoping for. I was thinking about something more in the vein of “When Animals Attack”…

Planet Of The Dopes: “I am not an animal…!”