Cannes Cam 2007

by Justin Glow on

Can’t make it to Cannes this year? Me either. But that’s okay — The IFC’s website is streaming a live video feed from a camera hovering over the red carpet at Grand Théâtre Lumière at the Palais.

According to IFC, “Most film premieres take place around 7pm and 10pm local time, or 1pm/4pm ET,” but action on the carpet is dead right now (save for a few birds and honking horns). Occasionally they will pan the camera around the bay to show off the billion-dollar boats bobbing up and down in the Mediterranean.

According to the festival schedule [PDF], LES CHANSONS D’AMOUR is set to premiere in less than an hour at the Palais, so keep an eye on the camera. [via]

Surfing in Pohnpei, Micronesia

by Jamie Rhein on

By the looks of this You Tube video, “Rip Curl My Search,” Pohnpei, Micronesia is one wow of a place to surf. Besides the totally awesome surfing moves by Pancho Sullivan, Raoni Monteiro, Darren O’Rafferty and Kieren Perrow that make you feel like you’re there, the video includes some island and fish images. If you’re interested in heading to Pohnpei, here is a link to the Pohnpei Surf Club. Make sure you look at the gallery page. The photos are gorgeous.

Tony Hawk’s Big Spin: New Roller Coaster in Two Places

by Jamie Rhein on

Dollywood isn’t the only amusement park to get a new roller coaster. Here’s another one. If the name Tony Hawk’s Big Spin makes you feel dizzy, it’s no wonder. This new roller coaster, made by Gerstlauer in Germany, is patterned after the moves of professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. Instead of zipping along on tracks where each time you ride you move in the same pattern of ups, downs and arounds, this roller coaster has cars that spin as if you’re free-styling on a skateboard. None of the spins match each other so each time you ride, the experience is different.

The cars are also what make this ride unique. Each seat only four people who sit across from each other. Both Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio and Six Flags St. Louis have one of these new rides.

The question I want answered before I climb aboard is how sick does the spinning make you feel? Because people sit across from each other, getting sick could be a bit of a problem. Here’s a link to the promotional video that gives a pretty good idea about what this ride is like. I’d get sick for sure. That’s a lot of spinning.

Helicopter…or UFO?

by Willy Volk on

I’ve ridden in two helicopters: once over Vic Falls and once over the Grand Canyon. Helicopters are a great way to see large chasms like these, because when you’re inside the chasms — or peering over their edges — you can’t fathom their enormity. However, each time I flew in a chopper, the blades rotated like mad, churning the air, and whipping up sand like crazy.

So…how can this helicopter fly?

[Via Digg]

The Barbecue Trail: 500 Miles of Eating

by Jamie Rhein on

The season for great barbecue is upon us. Here’s another barbecue story to add to Gadling’s mix of barbecue (or barbeque) options. North Carolina has The Barbecue Trail. This means 25 restaurants, deemed the barbecue best, are dotted along 500 miles of the state’s roads.

These aren’t the only barbecue joints in North Carolina, there are 100s, but these are the ones chosen by the North Carolina Barbecue Society to represent the state’s varieties. Each place has been in business for at least 15 years, makes its own sauce, and has barbecue that is distinct from the others. If you go to each place, you’ll cover the flavor and style gamut.

Steve Stephens, the editor of the Columbus Dispatch traveled these miles over three days licking his fingers while chowing down on pork. He discovered that his initial idea of just sampling at each place was futile. He couldn’t stop himself and basically ate like a pig. Here’s a link to the video on the trip.

The appeal to me about this trail is not just the food, but the variety of the places and people that serve up barbecue. This is one way to see some back country and meet folks who are passionate about what they do. If you want to take this trip yourself, or to see if on your way to somewhere else you might pass by one of these places, check out the barbecue society’s website. You’ll find a map and more.