about surfing

Surf Articles

Find out more about the origins and history of surfing
Where did it all start? How did today's sport of surfing develop from the Pacific Islands and ancient Hawaii? Find out; we have three articles that look at just that. They talk about where things started, the Hawaiian influence, and early Californian surf culture.
Find out more about the history of surfing >>
Surfing in ancient Hawaii >>Early Californian surf culture >>

 

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Find out more about performance boardshorts
We've managed to get hold of this great guide to performance boardshorts. The guide looks at the latest offerings from the top surf brands including Hurley, Quiksilver, Volcom and Billabong. It's for the new 2010 ranges, but look out for an new version next year.
Find out more about performance boardshorts >>


 

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Find out more about the dangers of surfing
Ever thought about just how dangerous surfing can be? We have put together ten of the worst dangers that you face every time you go for a surf. Rips, sharks, and drowning all make an appearance in our (not very) scary little article.
Find out more about surfing dangers >>
 

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Find out more about surfing etiquette
Want to know how to behave while in the surf? This essential guide is a must for beginners and great for refreshing a more experienced surfer's knowledge. The article covers the right of way, respecting others, and being an all round decent surfer!
Find out more about how to behave in the surf >>

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Mountain Bike

A mountain bike or mountain bicycle (abbreviated MTB or ATB (all-terrain bicycle)) is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines, on dirt trails, logging roads, and other unpaved environments — activities usually called mountain biking. These bicycles need to be able to withstand the stresses of off-road use with obstacles such as logs and rocks. Most mountain bikes use wheels with rims which are 559mm in ISO sizing, colloquially referred to as "26-inch", although the term is inaccurate as it covers too many rim and tire sizes to be meaningful. Wheels used on mountain bikes usually use wide, knobby tires for good traction on uneven terrain and shock absorption. Since 2000, front wheel suspension has become the norm and full front and rear suspension has become increasingly common. Some mountain bikes are also fitted with bar ends on the handlebars to give extra leverage for hill-climbing.

Since the development of the sport in the 1970s many new subtypes of mountain biking have developed, such as cross-country (XC) biking, all-day endurance biking, Freeride-biking, downhill mountain biking, and a variety of track and slalom competitions. Each of these place different demands on the bike requiring different designs for optimal performance. MTB development has included an increase in gearing, up to 30 speeds, to facilitate both climbing and rapid descents. Other developments include disc instead of cantilever or V-brakes.

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RC (Remote Control)

Radio-controlled (or R/C) cars are self-powered model cars or trucks that can be controlled from a distance using a specialized transmitter. The term "R/C" has been used to mean both "remote controlled" and "radio controlled", where "remote controlled" includes vehicles that are connected to their controller by a wire, but common use of "R/C" today usually refers to vehicles controlled by a radio-frequency link. This article focuses on radio-controlled vehicles only.

Cars are powered by various sources. Electric cars are powered by small but powerful electric motors and rechargeable nickel-cadmium, nickel metal hydride, or lithium polymer cells. There are also brushed or brushless electric motors. Most fuel-powered models use glow plug engines, small internal combustion engines fueled by a special mixture of nitromethane, methanol, and oil (in most cases a blend of castor oil and synthetic oil). These are referred to as "nitro" cars. Recently, exceptionally large models have been introduced that are powered by small gasoline engines, similar to string trimmer motors, which use a mix of oil and gasoline. Electric cars are generally considered easier for the novice to work with compared to fuel-driven models, but can be equally as complex at the higher budget and skill levels.

In both of these categories, both on-road and off-road vehicles are available. Off-road models, which are built with fully-functional off-road suspensions, can be used on various types of terrain. In comparison, on-road cars, which generally have a limited or non-existent suspension, are strictly limited to smooth, paved surfaces.

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