Category: Extreme Sports

Whistle Away the Winter Blahs at Warm Acapulco: Sensational Sunsets & Cliff Divers

January 11th, 2013 Permalink

Winter Blahs? It’s currently cold and dreary outside in many places in the United States, so let’s heat things up with a virtual visit to warm and sunny Acapulco, Mexico. From romantic sunsets to playing on the beach, kicking back to relax, or going out to mix and mingle, there is something for everyone. Extreme sports fan in Acapulco can watch the La Quebrada Cliff Divers diving 125 feet (35 meters) from the high cliffs of La Quebrada into the sea far below. The music video “Whistle” by Flo Rida was filmed in this big party place, so enjoy your virtual globe hopping trip to play in Acapulco. [40 Photos, 1 Video]

Acapulco Sunset, Silhouettes & Shadows

Acapulco: Sunset, Silhouettes & Shadows. Photo #1 by Esparta Palma

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New Year’s Day Adrenaline Rush: Polar Bear Plunge [50 PICS]

December 29th, 2012 Permalink

If you are adventurous and like adrenaline rushes, then have you considered starting off the New Year with a polar bear plunge? “Polar Bear Swims”, “Plunges”, or “Dips”, are a New Year’s Day tradition in numerous countries. Thousands upon thousands of brave souls race toward the icy cold water and then make a mad dash back out. In the USA, folks are freezin’ for a reason as most polar bear plunges are to raise money for a charitable organizations. In Canada and the Netherlands, polar bear plunges are associated with New Year’s Day. 36,000 people participated in ‘Nieuwjaarsduik’, New Year’s dive, January 1st 2012 in the Netherlands. Since 1960, every New Year’s Day, at least 10,000 people dive collectively into the icy cold sea water at Scheveningen which is the Netherlands’ main beach resort town. While New Year’s Day is not the only day for taking up such an extreme sport, for some it is Superbowl Sunday, one thing is the same worldwide for people in polar bear swims . . . the look of shocked faces as if they cannot believe the water is that cold or that they took part in a polar bear plunge. Whether it’s brave, stupid, or simply invigorating, kudos to all those folks! [50 Photos]

Polar Bear Swim in Kangasala, Western Finland

Polar Bear Swim in Kangasala, Western Finland. The photographer added, “Polar bear swimming on Christmas Eve. It was -26 C (-14 F) out and +90 C (+195 F) in the sauna.” Photo #1 by Karri Ojanen

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Hauntingly Beautiful Abandoned Europe: Meet Urbex Master Andre Govia

October 21st, 2012 Permalink

Urbex guru Andre Govia has an uncanny ability to take the most amazingly beautiful photos of creepy abandoned places. If you like abandoned, creepy, spooky, scary or haunted, then you could disappear for hours into Andre’s photostream. He’s a master of capturing hauntingly beautiful shots of abandoned mansions, hospitals, asylums, industrial complexes, hotels and about anything else you can imagine that might be abandoned across Europe. Andre Govia is on an urbex European madness tour; the fear factor is off the charts and some of the photos could scare the snot out of you. He’s been urbexing all over the globe and in 22 different countries. He and his adrenaline junkie buddies have Fright Night down to a fine art, exploring places caught in a time-warp, locations where history is frozen in time, and capturing ghosts of the past. Interesting at any time, it’s downright spooky to view his artistic photos around Halloween. Be ready to take a trip through some of the creepy, haunted locations. Andre granted Love These Pics an interview and offers tips for urban explorers and secrets to get the killer shots. His photos offer something for everyone, from elegant and hauntingly beautiful, to a scare factor that is the stuff of nightmares. Meet Andre Govia. We love these pics! [47 Photos, 1 Video]

Rooms full of old toys and decay at abandoned manor house

What happened at this once elegant mansion with its rooms full of furniture and beloved old toys as if the family fled at a moment’s notice and never returned? Mr. Button Eyes was at least 100 years old and is still hauntingly beautiful. Andre Govia was kind enough to also give an interview and tips to urban explorers. He said, “My main occupation is Film and cameraman for a TV Company; I also undertake Film edit work for US and UK networks. I am a explorer by heart and was urbexing for 6 years before I even had the idea of getting a camera to document the abandoned buildings. I was given a camera as a gift (canon20d) and it all started from there.” Photo #1 by © Andre Govia

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49 Phenomenal Photos from National Geographic Traveler Photography Contest

August 25th, 2012 Permalink

National Geographic Traveler magazine reported receiving more than 12,000 entries from 6,615 talented photographers in 152 countries around the globe for its 24th annual traveler photo contest. Photos, like music, are subjective and stir up different emotions for different people. What makes each of us unique also guides us to individually interpret art as it influences us. The winners have been chosen, but it must have been extremely difficult to select the best from four travel photography categories: Sense of Place, Outdoor Scenes, Travel Portraits, and Spontaneous Moments. Over the 14 weeks of the contest, the editors picked their favorites among the many awesome shots and turned them into wallpaper. Here’s a look at few of those winning photos and many more that seemed like winners to us. While National Geographic often runs various photo contests in different categories, did you know that it also has photography guides and free tips like the “Ultimate Field Guide to Photography” to help photographers take better photos? Even if you don’t travel, if you keep your camera handy then you might be ready to snap a spontaneous moment that happens around you. Maybe next year you can enter the traveler’s photo contest? We can’t encourage you strongly enough to browse through the 12,000 traveler photo entries. You can be awed while virtual globe hopping and have a ‘staycation’ if you can’t afford a vacation to travel right now . . . all thanks to National Geographic which is kind enough to share these images with all of us. Congratulations and thank you to all the talented photographers! Keep up the great work and fantastic captures! [49 Phenomenal Photos]

Family Time Outdoor Scenes a mother's love

Family Time: One of the Outdoor Scenes in the National Geographic Travel Photo Contest. The winners have been chosen, but all of these photos seem like winners to us! There’s nothing like a father’s and a mother’s love. “A lion and lioness share some quality time with their cubs.” Location: Governor’s Camp, Kenya. Photo #1 and “quoted” caption by © Brandon Harris/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

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Climbing the Extraordinary Excalibur Wall in the Netherlands [21 PICS, 2 VIDS]

July 19th, 2012 Permalink

The area around Groningen, Netherlands, has been described as “flat as a pancake” which leaves climbers with nothing to climb outdoors . . . that is until the massive climbing tower Excalibur was built. Klimcentrum Bjoeks is considered one оf the best Dutch Climbing Centers. It has a boulder area both outside and inside, as well as 18 meters (59 feet) high indoor climbing walls for route climbing. Outside Bjoeks looms the mighty Excalibur, a spectacular and curved climbing tower that is over 121 feet high (37 meters) to reach the thrilling peak. The overhang curves 36 feet out from the base and offers numerous routes up, from the slabby side, to the “steep” side that requires some thought and climbing muscle. Being adrenaline rush fans, we thought it looked pretty cool. Even if it’s not made by nature . . . climbing to the top would allow adventurers, adrenaline junkies and extreme sport participants to see for miles. It would surely feel as if you reached the summit of Dutch mountain. [21 Photos, 2 Videos]

Balloon festival Groningen -- T-Rex vs the 37 meter high Klimcentrum Bjoeks climbing wall

Balloon festival at Groningen, Netherlands. T-Rex vs Excalibur, the 37 meter high Klimcentrum Bjoeks climbing wall. Photo #1 by © Gerrit Stel the Netherlands

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Adrenaline Junkies Cave Diving Vortex Spring [Pics, Videos]

June 28th, 2012 Permalink

Vortex Spring produces 28 million gallons of crystal clear freshwater, not saltwater, and holds at a steady year-round temperature of 68 degrees. It’s located right outside Ponce de Leon, Florida. Yet instead of the famed Fountain of Youth, the commercial dive location is famous for teaching people how to cave dive . . . and a bit infamous for all the cave divers who have died there. We had not heard of this unusual yet beautiful piece of paradise, but we hope you find it as fascinating and mysterious as we do. From professional cave divers to curious adrenaline junkies, adventurers travel far and wide to dive the Vortex. There are more than 1,600 feet of underwater passageways. At 310 feet down, there is a locked steel gate that bars the way into the cave so the inexperienced and uncertified will not risk the underwater grim reaper. Sometimes even qualified divers get lost; sometimes they dive into the Vortex but they don’t come out. [32 Photos, 5 Videos]

Friendly fish at Vortex Springs

When you think of Florida and diving, “freshwater” might not be your first thought. But Vortex Spring is a popular diving area for professional, experienced and even beginning divers. It offers training classes for scuba diving as well as being a top ranked spot to become certified. The water is cool, a constant 68° and does not become stagnant due to the constant flow of water that also helps keep it clear. The photographer called this ‘Larry’s pets.’ Photo #1 by © Barry Shively

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Whitewater Adrenaline Rush: Extreme Kayaking [45 Photos, 5 Videos]

April 7th, 2012 Permalink

There are many types of kayaking which can include paddling down gently moving water, but these kayakers are into demanding, dangerous whitewater. If trapping your legs into the cockpit and kayaking over insanely treacherous whitewater river rapids is not enough of an extreme adventure sport, then how about going over a waterfall in a kayak? Professional kayakers drop hundreds of feet going over falls. Extreme sports photographers captured these whitewater kayakers river running, rolling, creeking, playboating and during other extreme kayaking. We’re not quite sure if these kayakers are on drugs . . . or need to be. Or maybe all these adrenaline junkies need is the natural drug, an adrenaline rush? [45 Photos & 5 Videos]

A rocky kayak ride Great Falls Park just outside Washington DC

At Great Falls, near McLean, Virginia, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it plunges over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. It’s considered so dangerous, that ironically the National Park Service warns, “Swimming, wading, and entering the river in any manner are prohibited year round. Dangerous currents, rocks, and rapids make the river extremely hazardous.” Here’s an adrenaline junkie running a rocky kayak ride at Great Falls Park. Photo #1 by O Palsson

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A Lost World Where Angel Falls Plunges off Devil’s Mountain [38 PICS]

October 15th, 2011 Permalink

Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall, is on the table-top mountain of Auyantepui which means “Mountain of Evil” or “Devil’s Mountain” in the native Pemon people’s language. This amazing waterfall is 3,212 feet high and plunges 2,648 ft over the edge of the Auyantepui mountain in the Canaima National Park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Angel Falls is 19 times higher than Niagria Falls and is one of the 28 finalists in the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition — in fact it is considered to be a highly probable winner. Although this famous waterfall is one of Venezuela’s top tourist attractions, it’s not so easy for the faint of heart to reach. Traversing through the jungle is a surreal adventure in itself and has been compared to traveling through a “Lost World.” There is an isolated jungle to trek, a flight to reach Canaima camp, and then a river trip to reach the base of the falls. Some adrenaline junkies make this journey for one reason, adventurous ‘angels’ come to fall off Devil’s Mountain. [38 Photos & 2 Videos]

Angel Falls world's highest free-falling waterfall

Angel Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall, is located deep within the Canaima National Park in Venezuela. The trek through the jungle is a surreal adventure in itself and has been compared to traveling through a “Lost World.” Photo #1 by My[confined]Space

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Paragliding: When Humans Soar like Eagles (42 PICS)

August 26th, 2011 Permalink

Paragliding is a simple form of human flight and also an adventure sport that people all over the world compete or participate in for high-flying fun. Much like an eagle, paragliders can soar in flights which last several hours and cover many hundreds of miles. The longest paragliding duration is 11 hours and covered more than 310 miles! Since paragliders are light, some adventurers choose to hike way up in the mountains; meaning paragliders have flown off of nearly every major peak in the United States and Europe, including Mt. Everest. By taking advantage of thermal lifts, paraglider pilots can stay aloft for 3 or more hours, climb to elevations of 15,000 feet, and go cross-country. Woot! As Leonardo da Vinci said, “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” [42 Photos]

Paragliding at Muriwai Beach, New Zealand

Paragliders are easy to transport, easy to launch, and easy to land. And it offers humans a dream come true, the ability to fly and soar like an eagle. The glider is made of rip-stop nylon wing. The pilot sits in a harness which can be a comfortable as a lounge chair and actually uses the glider to fly like a bird like this photo of paragliding at Muriwai Beach, New Zealand. Photo #1 by Travis Wiens

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Amazing Cliffs of Norway: Adrenaline Junkies’ Paradise [33 PICS]

June 6th, 2011 Permalink

Norway has absolutely beautiful landscapes, including crazy cliffs that call to people to climb up them and then BASE jump off the top. Here’s a look at some of those incredible cliffs as well as insanely dangerous switchback roads to get to those amazing cliffs in Norway. Thrillseekers, photographers, hikers and climbers take in these majestic views of nature. And then, there’s BASE jumpers who have a much more extreme need for adrenaline. Charles Lindbergh once said of his adrenaline rush, “It is the greatest shot of adrenaline to be doing what you have wanted to do so badly. You almost feel like you could fly without the plane.” Here in Norway, as if they’ve turned into Superman, some adrenaline junkies do fly without a plane.
[33 Photos]

Preikestolen, Norway

Preikestolen cliff goes by many names. The massive cliff is 604 meters (1982 feet) above Lysefjorden, Norway. Photo #1 by Arjan Veen

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