Wingsuits: For Extreme Skydiving

by Willy Volk on

I went tandem skydiving once. After landing on earth, I trembled for an hour. It was terrifying and wonderful all at once. Who knew it could get more intense?

This short clip — ripped, I think, from Warren Miller’s epic 2001 film Cold Fusion — shows a man in a wingsuit zooming over snow-covered, shard-like mountains. Totally amazing.

Class time:

  • A wingsuit is a customized jumpsuit with flaps under the arms and between the legs that harness the wind, letting you engage in controlled falling/flying.
  • Sometimes called a “birdman suit,” a wingsuit makes you look like a flying squirrel — but not as hairy and rodent-like.
  • If you’re interested, you can buy your own wingsuit and take some wingsuit classes.

Three more very-worth-checking-out wingsuit vids after the jump:

Here’s a clip of formation wingsuit-ing:

Weekend In Miami: The Venetian Pool

by Willy Volk on

After enjoying our fine cafe con leches in Little Havana, we decided to get some exercise. Though we had visited the beach the day before, we wanted to test the waters of the Venetian Pool. I know, it sounds weird to visit a pool when you’re in Miami. However, this isn’t just any pool. The Venetian Pool is “world’s most beautiful swimming hole.”

Originally a coral rock quarry, in the 1920s the Venetian Pool was converted into a swimming pool. Today, it’s filled with 820,000 gallons of cool — and I mean cool! — spring water. Featuring two waterfalls, as well as coral caves and grottos you can swim through, this isn’t just the “world’s most beautiful swimming hole” — it’s the world’s coolest swimming hole.

Located in Coral Gables, the Pool is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Playing host to thousands of families and visitors who want to swim in artesian water and pretend — if only for a while — that they’re on a movie set, the Pool is a great way to kill a few hours under the glare of the Miami sun.

Upon entering, visitors enter a small foyer celebrating the history of the Pool.

Thereafter, the building opens up into an expansive courtyard…

…and, of course, the Pool itself. There’s a small island on which people may lounge.

But the focal point of the Pool is definitely the large waterfall in the corner.

The Pool is so big that there are plenty of places to splash and play and not bother other people. In fact, during its heyday, visitors to the site enjoyed gondola rides! Entire orchestras surrounded the Pool, serenading poolside dancers and visiting dignitaries.

Don’t feel like swimming? There’s a good-sized beach on one side of the pool for relaxing.

My favorite part of the Pool is the caves you can swim through. Situated right below where I’m standing when I took this photo…

… the caves are so cool, I spent most of my time in them. I even shot this short video. Come with me on my tour of the caves.

Don’t like caves? Here’s a 360-degree look at the Pool — from inside the Pool.

If you want to chill out in Miami but the beach isn’t your bag, this is the coolest place in town to kick it.

Now that we were cooled off, it was time to do some more sight-seeing. Biscayne Bay, anyone?

Previously: Weekend In Miami: Calle Ocho & The Hunt For The Perfect Cafe Con Leche

Weekend In Miami: Star Island, Palm Island, & Hibiscus Island

by Willy Volk on

Of course, not everything worth seeing in Miami is on South Beach; there’s plenty to see and do off the island.

On the morning of our second day, we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the Greenview and headed across the causeway to the city of Miami. On the way, we decided to swing by Star Island, Palm Island, and Hibiscus Island. These three islands — tucked between South Beach and the mainland — are home to some of the wealthiest Miamians. Although we didn’t see any famous people pulling weeds in their shrub beds, I understand J Lo, Liz Taylor, Shaquille O’Neal, and Gloria Estefan all live here. We just wanted to see how the other half lives.

Evidently, they live very well.

Since the roads on these islands are public, they have to let in non-residents. However, there are guard shacks placed at the entryways, to intimidate you. Drive up, tell the guard you just want to look around, and they’ll let you in.

This wasn’t the most fun part of our trip, but it was worth a few minutes.

The entryway to Hibiscus Island.

Next door to the above property was this vacant lot. I’m sure it’s for sale. If you’re looking to move, let me know, and I’ll get you the phone number.

If you want to get a better sense of what Star Island looks like, you can watch this minute-and-a-half clip we shot while driving down the island’s single street. Please ignore the irony wherein we note how “quiet and private” the area is.

If you want to see what the homes look like from the water, check out this 9-minute clip.

Finally, if you’re looking for a more formalized tour of this area, several companies provide excursions, including:

Tibetan Sand Mandalas: East Meets West

by Jamie Rhein on

With this being the time of year for rebirth and renewal, here is a link to a Tibetan sand mandala ceremony that follows this theme. I’ve watched monks in the process of creating a mandala, but have never seen what happens after it is completed. This video begins once the mandala is finished.

There are some close-up shots of the mandala’s details before the monks sweep it together into a pile of sand and then send it on a journey down a stream. Besides the music and ceremonial details, an interesting part of this ceremony is that it’s taking place in Wittenburg, Ohio. This is a real example of east meeting west. Here is another one. To see how painstaking it is to make a sand mandala, check out this video from an event that celebrated the reopening of the Phoenix Art Museum this past November.

Join the Great Turtle Race of 2007

by Justin Glow on

Leatherback sea turtles are some of the largest reptiles around, second only to crocodiles. They’re also an endangered species. The obvious thing to do is race them, right?

A handful of sponsors, including Yahoo! and Travelocity, have joined together to organize the Great Turtle Race of 2007. Eleven leatherback sea turtles will be outfitted with satellite tags and tracked from Costa Rica to their feeding grounds at the Galápagos Islands — a trip that is expected to take around 14 days. Here’s where you come in. Log into the site and choose your favorite turtle; each is given their own name (I picked Genevieve) and trading card complete with a biography and a range of statistics. Once you choose a turtle, you’ll be notified via email as to its progress as it makes its way to the Galápagos Islands.

The Race was organized to benefit something, no doubt, but the website is pretty sparse on details. The ‘donate’ button takes you to Network For Good, but their website only tells you who you’re donating your money too, not what it goes to benefit. After a lot of digging, I finally came across a report on Leatherback Trust Inc — the company soliciting donations — whose mission simply states (in all caps!), “TO SAVE THE LEATHERBACK TURTLE AND OTHER SEA TURTLES FROM EXTINCTION THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEANS.”

The race is less than a week away, yet much of the site seems to be unfinished. This is surprising, since it’s branded with a “Powered by Yahoo!” badge. Not too flattering. Even so, it’s an interesting way to generate interest in the leatherback turtle. For more information, head to GreatTurtleRace.com, or check out a video after the jump: