Photo of the Day (11.29.10)

by Mike Barish on

Whenever I pack for a trip, I am always incredibly worried that I will forget to pack underwear. Rather than face several weeks in one pair of underpants (or having to begrudgingly purchase several new pairs on the road), I always pack underwear first. Then it’s simply a matter of remembering to put on underwear every morning before setting out for the day.

Heading out sans underwear could lead to an unfortunate penis slip. You simply do not want that to happen when you’re in Thailand focusing on your takraw moves like the man in this photo by Flickr user Mark Fischer. Do yourself (and everyone who might see you) a favor and holster your gun with a solid pair of underpants.

Taken any great photos of underwear athletes on your travels? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Takraw in Thailand: hacky sack + volleyball = amazing

by Grant Martin on

Part of the fun in exploring other cultures is getting into their off-beat sports. Brazil’s Capoeira, for example, is a strange combination of dancing, fighting, spinning in circles and working out.

In Southeast Asia, the unique sport of choice is Sepak Takraw. Positioned on either side of a low net, two to three team members kick a wicker ball between them, ultimately bouncing the projectile over a net to the other team. Like volleyball, the sport has sets, spikes and a great deal of strategy, but the real finesse comes in striking the ball hard over the net. It takes amazing balance, a good jump and a near back flip to make a good play, the end result of which is an outstanding, acrobatic display. Take a look: