Free Running

Do you ever wish you were Tarzan? How about instead of swinging from treetop to treetop, you could run, jump, and scale over any obstacle in the city? I do but I’m not sure I up to the challenge physically (if you know what I mean). Still, for those diehard athletes out there who can’t afford a bike or skateboard, the newest form of taming a city’s obstacles is upon us. Welcome to free running.

First off, free running has gone by several names so I hope to clear the air here by separating what exactly each term represents. Free running is a form of urban acrobatics where participants use city and rural landscapes to perform movements through its structures. People often confuse this sport with the following two alternatives:

• Parkour (PK)- A physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, negotiating obstacles in the most efficient means possible.

o Pronounced in French as l’art du deplacement (English: “the art of moving”).

o Main characteristic is efficiency. Participants travel in the most direct way possible while free runners are keener to freedom movement and creativity.

o Unofficial motto is etre et durer (to be and to last).

• Tricking- A new underground sport that combines martial arts, gymnastics, and break dancing.

o Mainly incorporates back flips, 540 kicks from Taekwondo, butterfly twists from Wushu, and double legs from Capoeira.

After receiving attention from the film Casino Royale, militaries from different countries began looking for ways to incorporate parkour into their training. The British Royal Marines hired parkour athletes to train their troops and the art is slowly being introduced into the United States Marine Corps.

If you’re in good enough shape to learn this style of martial arts you should be proud of yourself for taking on this disciplined study. The websites club540.com and tricksession.com offer some decent quality tutorials with pictures and a couple videos. However, if you’re just looking for a place to watch some good parkour videos, parkour-videos.com pretty much says it all.

Lawnmower Racing

Have you ever wanted to get involved in racing but never had the money or advanced technical knowhow to get started? Well this recently born sport may be your lucky break to racing superstardom.

Lawnmower racing is a form of motorsport where competitors race modified, self-riding lawnmowers. The original engines are retained, but blades are removed for safety.

The sport was invented in 1973 in West Sussex, England by a group of men sitting in a pub complaining about the immense costs required to participate in any kind of motorsport. That quickly led to the first racing lawnmowers and the creation of the British Lawn Mower Racing Association.

The idea was later brought to the United States by the makers of a petrol, fuel-stabilizer called STA-BIL. Since then, organizations such as the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) and the American Racing Mower Association (ARMA) have led the way in the sport since 1981.

Like any standardized sport, there are plenty of rules and regulations. Since USLMRA is the premiere lawnmower racing organization in North America, I have chosen to secure my information from them. The following has come directly from their website. There you can read their blog, find official machine regulations, yearly event schedules, and much more.

Below is their list of the racing classes:

• Stock- As delivered from the factory.
• IMOW- front engine, highly regulated
• Prepared- Modified drive train, engine, etc.
• FX- Major modifications allowed.
• JP: For kids age 10-15.

**All riders must be 18 years old to compete, although 16 and 17 year olds are allowed with parental permission.**

If you want to try this new sport out for yourself, please think it over carefully before you go out and splurge on the new Ferrari of lawnmowers. You should have an ample amount of technical knowledge and patience when facing the inevitable blockades (there are no instructions for you to follow). Although, this link on insturctables.com is one man’s account in pursuit of his dream machine.

The website heymow.com is an online forum where fellow racers can share their knowledge and answer your questions along the way. ARMA's website has a forum service as well that is only available to registered users.

Did you know?- While these lawnmowers go an average speed of 25 mph, most courses are 500-700 feet long laps. If you don’t think that’s fast, see for yourself below.

Buckingham Palace

Britain…one of the most historically rich countries in the world.  With so many attractions, you could spend a whole lifetime on the island and still not see everything.  However, if I were to go to the United Kingdom today, there is only one thing I would want to do.  I would want to see how much sh** the guards in front of Buckingham Palace could take before they assaulted me! 

Originally named Buckingham House, the core of today’s palace was built as a townhouse for the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, Jeff Sheffield, in 1703.  It was later acquired by George III, king of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1761 as a private residence for his Queen Charolette.  During the 19th century, the palace was enlarged to form three new wings and a central courtyard. 

Buckingham Palace is known today as the official London residence of the British monarch.  This transition occurred in 1837 with the accession of Queen Victoria.  The palace’s last major additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries adding the East front which contains the well-known balcony on which the Royal Family traditionally congregates to meet crowds.

With 828,818 square feet of floor space, the title ‘palace’ seems very fitting.  Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms comprising of 19 staterooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms.  It also employs 450 people year round.  Three of the most notable areas of the palace are the Garden, the Royal Mews, and the Mall. 

The Garden is located at the rear of the palace and is the largest privately owned garden in London.  Containing an artificial lake, its huge size makes it look more like a public park.  The Queen of England holds her annual summer garden parties here along with celebrations for royal milestones. 

 aerial shot of Buckingham Garden

 

Next to the Garden is the Royal Mews where the royal carriages, including the Gold State Coach, are stored along with the horses. 

outside Royal Mews

 

inside Royal Mews

Gold State Coach

The Mall is a ceremonial approach route to the palace that was designed by Sir Aston Webb and completed in 1911, in tribute to Queen Victoria.  All cavalcades and motorcades of visiting heads of state, as well as by the Royal Family use the route for the State Opening of Parliament and “Trooping the Colour” each year.

the Mall

The Queen’s Gallery contains pieces from the Royal Collection open for public view.  The palace’s state rooms are open from late July through September. 

Did you know?- If the flag is flying on the flagpole on top of the palace, the Queen is home.

Now…as far as the guards are concerned, the only time to see them is during a ceremony called “Changing the Guards”.  A fact most people don’t realize is that these guards are also soldiers including some of the most elite fighters in the British Army.  All palace guards come from the Household Cavalry Regiment, which includes:

•    the Life Guards

•    Blues and Royals

•    Grenadier Guards

•    Coldstream Guards

•    Scots Guards

•    Irish Guards

•    Welsh Guards

These defenders will not move as a result of your actions, so be feel free to taunt away.  However, I must insist that you do not insult the guards’ country and/or person through the use of profanity or any other threatening language. 

For picture ideas with the guardsmen, watch Mr. Bean below.

I want to know…What’s the most outlandish uniform you’ve ever seen?  Post a picture or link to one in the comments section, and thank you everybody for reading!

Blarney Castle

“Yes...they’re always after me lucky charms.” We have all been exposed to some form of Irish culture. Whether it be leprechauns’ pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, getting pinched on St. Patrick’s Day (for committing the ultimate sin), or simply drinking too much beer. But I’m betting most of you have never heard of one of their most prestigious possessions. An item that when you are in its presence you are granted ultimate luck. Interested? Then you may have to plan a visit to Blarney Castle.

Rebuilt three times, the castle was originally constructed around 1210 A.D. It was later destroyed in 1446 but soon rebuilt only to be seized during the Irish Confederate Wars in 1646 by Parliamentarian forces. After the second restoration, the castle was endowed to Donough MacCarty who was named the 1st Earl of Clanarcarty.

Unfortunately (again), during the Williamite War in the 1690s, the castle was captured and sold a number of times before falling into the ownership of a Sir James St. John Jefferyes. Yet in an unexpected bout of bad luck, his family built a mansion overlooking the nearby lake that was soon destroyed by another fire.

The majority of the castle is no longer safe to venture into, but some rooms remain accessible for touring. At the top of the castle lies my true point of interest, the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone.

Stone of Scone (replica)

Built into the castle’s battlements, the Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone; a rock that goes by other names depending on its location of origin. These include: feldspathic sandstone, limestone, dolerite, and basalt. Legend states that the stone was presented to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in recognition of his support in the Battle of Bannockburn. There are many theories to the origin of the stone:

• Was part of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem brought to Ireland during the Crusades.

• Half of the original Stone of Scone (Stone of Destiny or Coronation Stone), a 336 pound block of red sandstone used in the coronation of Scottish and English monarchs in Scone Abbey, Scotland.

• Was the pillow Jacob used; brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah.

To acquire the stone’s magical benefits, one must kiss it ever so gently; following the “strict ritual” that has been completed by millions. The kisser must ascend to the castle’s peak then lean over backwards on the parapet’s edge with some assistance.

The castle is also surrounded by an extensive framework of gardens. Various attractions on the grounds include several natural rock formations such as Druid’s Circle, Witch’s Cave, and the Wishing Steps. Also, the Blarney House (the reconstructed Jefferyes’ mansion) became open to the public after its restoration in 1874.

Wishing Steps

For more information about the castle, visit their website at blarneycastle.ie.

Did you know?- “blarney” has come to mean clever, flattering, or coaxing talk.

Didgeridoos

As if the bagpipes weren’t noisy enough, you should hear their long-lost brother.  Meet the strangely played, looking, and sounding didgeridoo.

The didgeridoo (also known as a “didjeridu” or “didge”) is a wind instrument occasionally associated with a natural wooden trumpet or drone pipe.  Traditionally made from Eucalyptus, bamboo, and Pandanus trees that had their interiors hollowed from termite occupation or natural diseases, the instrument was developed by Australians at least 1,500 years ago. 

Musicologists classify the didgeridoo in the same class as that of bagpipes (I told you they were related.) as an aerophone.  Didgeridoos are cylindrical or conical in shape measuring 3-10 feet long.  The longer the pipe, the lower the pitch or key of the device.

Modern didgeridoos are constructed out of PVC piping, hardwoods not native to Australia, fiberglass, metal, or agave.  These designs typically have an upper diameter of 1 ¼” going down to a flared end ranging between 2”-8” in diameter.  While traditional types have mouthpieces rimmed with beeswax for a better seal, modern varieties are more likely to be fitted to the individual user’s mouth.

wax mouthpiece

The instrument is played with the user vibrating their lips using a special breathing technique called “circular breathing”.  This process begins when the user fully inhales and begins to blow into the pipe.  When their lungs are almost empty, their last amount of air is stored inside the mouth, inflating the cheeks.  Then the person must suck in enough air through the nose before the supply in the mouth depletes so continuous play can be sustained. 

If you want to learn to do this, a good way to practice is to try to inflate your cheeks only by breathing in through your nose.  If that sounds difficult, that’s because it is!

Did you know?- Musician Mark Atkins in Didgeridoo Concerto (1994) plays for over 50 minutes continuously.

Clapsticks (also known as pair sticks and “bilma”) traditionally accompanied didgeridoos as beat holders. 

With the coming of the 20th century came the advent of many new modernized didgeridoo designs.  The didjeribone (also known as a “slideridoo/slidgeridoo”) was invented in 1981 by Australian musician Charlie McMahon.  Constructed of two pieces of plastic tube (one slightly less in diameter than the other), the smaller piece slides inside the larger tube similar to the process of a trombone.  You can find the instrument’s official site here and Charlie’s personalized webpage here.

Marko Johnson from the United States invented the “DidjBox/DidgeBox” in 1995.  This is a more compact and lightweight version of an original didgeridoo that still maintains its signature sound.  Marko’s websites didjbox.com and the newly created rounddoor.com show a cornucopia of his magical didgeridoo and native drum designs respectively. 

The keyed didgeridoo was invented by a U.S. didgeridoo player named Graham Wiggins (stage name is “Dr. Didg”).  He built the instrument from a physics workshop at Oxford University where he later earned his Ph.D.  

 

Did you know? (Again!)- A 2005 study in the British Medical Journal found that learning and practicing the circular breathing technique used in playing the didgeridoo helped reduce snoring and sleep apnea by strengthening muscles in the upper airway, reducing their tendency to collapse during sleep.

If you have family members and/or neighbors willing to put up with your beginner play, then you may find no reason to start looking towards acquiring your own didgeridoo.  Didgeridoostore.com and didjshop.com are two sources that you will find incredibly useful.