Their snowboards are no doubt Liquid’s most popular offering, known for their lightweight yet durable construction and high responsiveness. Liquid snowboards are particularly favored for freestyle snowboarding, lending themselves especially well for grinding and off-air jumps, although they work just as well for other styles. It’s this versatility that makes it a popular first snowboard for those who have a bit of experience and want to invest in their own gear.

Prices are competitive considering the quality you get for a Liquid snowboard. The construction is solid and has passed rigorous stress tests, and the shape allows for a combination of speed and smoothness. Users especially like doing off-air jumps, grinding, and power boarding, made possible by the board’s excellent balance and weight distribution. The intricate graphics on the exterior are also a welcome perk.

Liquid offers several snowboard models, each designed for a specific snowboarding style. The Liquid Storm is perhaps the most popular and comes highly recommended for freestyle riding. The Venture also works well for this style, although users find it less functional. A more versatile model is Horizon, which is designed to suit all skill levels. Nitrogen is known for its durability and smooth flow, while the Cyclone is a rugged model designed for all-terrain use.

A few users have complained that the bolts tend to fall loose easily, which can pose serious risks on the slopes. Some have also complained that the wood chassis makes grinding tricky, and that their lightness necessarily compromises strength and responsiveness on rugged terrains. However, others argue that lightness has always been a plus for snowboards, and that it allows for better control whether you’re on smooth or rocky ground.

Liquid snowboards and other accessories can be bought from major sports retailers; a list of distributors is available on the company’s website. Most buyers prefer to buy online, however, as the selections are likely to be larger and there are more price options. Some of the most popular online retailers are Amazon, Edge Riders, Snow Sports For Less, Board Kingdom, and Edge Boards.

The problem, of course, is paying for it. How much does it cost to skydive? Plane tickets and insurance aside, a skydiving trip can run you back at least a few hundred dollars. There’s no set price range, but prices are affected by several factors. these include whether or not you’re skydiving alone (you may want to pay an instructor to fly with you), whether you’re bringing your own equipment or renting them, what else you’re doing on the trip, where you’re going, how competitive the company is, what other services you’re getting, and the time of the week (weekends are usually more expensive).

A tandem skydive, where you have an instructor dive with you, can cost from $120 to $250, including the equipment but excluding the instructor’s tip. Ten to 20 percent is usually acceptable. Solo skydiving costs $80 to $120 if you’re renting equipment, but can be as low as $25 if you have your own gear. For most of these you have to be certified; this will cost you $1,500 or so for a training package. An accelerated training package includes about 8 hours of instruction, plus on-the-ground work before embarking on about 10 actual jumps.

A cheaper alternative is indoor skydiving, where you enter a vertical wind tunnel and simulate a free fall, usually with an instructor beside you. There’s a small training session, about 20 minutes, to familiarize you with the basic positions. Each “jump” lasts about a minute and costs $20 to $40. Most companies impose weight limits and make you sign a waiver freeing them of all responsibility if you get injured during a jump.

If all this is too much for you, there are ways to cut costs, especially if you’re traveling to skydive. For instance, group jumps usually cost 10% to 20% less per person. Jumping during a weekday or on overcast days can also mean cheaper rates, not to mention smaller crowds. If you have a choice, pick a destination that’s not too touristy; the general rule is that the higher the cost of living, the higher the skydiving costs. Finally, if you plan on going back, book them right after landing—most companies offer discounts for follow-up skydives.

Whitewater kayaks are much shorter, some almost half the length of a touring kayak. Most range from five to nine feet long, and are about two feet wide. This allows for a flatter hull, which means more balance and better control. In the whitewater, you’ll need it to quickly maneuver around rocks and turn yourself around when you get knocked off course.

The first thing you’ll want to look at is the kayak’s rocker. This refers to the curvature from one end of the boat to the other, or from bow to stern. You can best gauge this by viewing the boat sideways. The larger the curve is, the faster it will turn, and the better you can navigate it through the rapids. The curved ends won’t get caught in the waves, as a traditional kayak’s pointed end will.

Next, you’ll want to look at the hull shape. Whitewater kayaks come with two types of hulls. Planing hulls sit flat in the water and are therefore more stable. They’re great for riding along waves and have a softer edge, which minimizes tipping. Displacement hulls are more rounded, which makes them easier to tilt to one edge but also makes them more prone to the push and pull of the water.

If you like layboating—performing tricks in the water—you’ll want a shorter, flatter, and wider craft. This gives you maximum maneuverability, better speed control, and the ability to force the boat underwater when you need to. These boats will also have higher side walls to keep out incoming water, which can slow you down.

Don’t forget to look at the interiors. Although design differences lie mostly on the outside, the interior defines your comfort and therefore your level of control. In most cases you’ll have to trade off one for the other, as you have to be snugly seated to be able to control the boat. Find a good middle ground—you want to be able to maneuver, but you don’t want to be too locked in to enjoy the experience!

British Columbia in Western Canada boasts a bustling marine wildlife that’s sure to catch the eye of avid and novice divers alike. Diver Paul Kennell of CoolDives.com says the BC coast offers some of the most exciting diving in the world—and he would know, having plunged into the world’s oceans for the last 15 years. Legend has it that explorer Jacques Cousteau proclaimed the very same waters the best in the world for cold-water diving.

Those willing to dive into cooler waters are rewarded with an amazing encounter with the ocean’s flora and fauna. The waters of summertime BC are home to a collection of ubiquitous colorful fish, sea turtles, and friendly water mammals all too eager to cuddle up to divers. Giant sponges form ethereal underwater forests along with corals, anemones, and sea cucumbers, dotted with colorful sea stars and the occasional giant Pacific octopus. Practically every rock has a sprinkling of color on it, says Kennell.

One of the bigger attractions is the wolf eel, often playfully referred to as “puppies of the sea.” Their wart-laden faces and bulging eyes may take first-timers by surprise, but they are surprisingly warm—experienced divers insist that they’re among the friendliest creatures on land and sea.

Greg Dombowsky, author of Divers Guide Vancouver Island South and curator at Dive.BC.ca, says that the best underwater views in the North Pacific actually come during the winter, when the waters are much clearer.

When asked about the best diving spot in BC, most divers name Port Hardy, just before the northern tip of Vancouver Island. It is home to the Browning Wall, which houses a microcosm of Northern Pacific marine life and is widely recognized as one of the best wall-diving sites in the world.

Culture and history buffs will enjoy the stretch of ocean floor just off Nanaimo, where a number of aircraft and ships have crashed. Among the most popular sites are a Boeing 737 and a World War II supply ship. The sponge- and coral-rich Saanich Inlet, the Race Rocks Ecological Reseve, and Porteau Cove also come highly recommended.

All diving in Canada requires a diving certification, so make sure to plan ahead and look up the costs. Experts recommend taking a guided tour when the waters are cooler—local dive masters know their way around the waters and can direct divers to the most scenic spots.

Entre Prises, a French company specializing in climbing walls, teamed up with CommRow, a planned sport complex, to plan and create the 163-foot-high wall. The former, which built the world’s first indoor climbing walls in 1985, has so far erected about 4,000 others, including some on the Royal Caribbean Line cruise ships. This one, however, will be the first they will build onto a tall building.

The wall will be built on 7,000-square foot boards on the side of the CommRow building. It will include beginner, intermediate, and advanced walls; belay ledges for training and moving between pitches; and a special designated area for the World Championship Competition. The wall is certified by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) as an Official World Record Speed Wall, and was built to local and international specifications, according to Entre Prises CEO Antoine Richard.

The park is also set to host a number of annual professional climbing competitions, each one expected to attract some 1,000 climbers. They are also trying to get big names such as The Amazing Race and the X Games to participate, and the National Federation for Sports Climbing is pushing to get climbing into the Olympics.

CommRow will be building on the former site of the Fitzgerald Hotel and Casino, which was built in 1976 and has become a landmark of sorts in Reno. The first two floors have already been gutted.

The project may help boost the appeal of downtown Reno, which has been in a slump as projects were put on hold because of the recession, according to city councilor Dave Aiazzi. The wall will also be across a whitewater park that students and families used to frequent.

Tom Christ, entertainment and PR director for Harrah’s hotel in Reno, says the wall and bouldering park could only benefit locals and businesses. His hotel had already been planning to offer more entertainment this summer—last year, with business and tourism down, their stage remained empty for much of July and August. He even suggested playing music across the plaza to add some mood as people watch the climbers.

CommRow had to obtain a special-use permit to build the wall according to city regulations; the recommendation was given around March.

Hang gliders are unique in that they’re non-motorized, giving you the feeling that you’re flying on your own. Actually, you coast more than you fly: instead of propelling yourself up, you’re letting the wind carry you. You’d have to marvel at the physics that goes into flight. A lift here and you’re going one direction, a tug there and you’re headed the other way. Of course, you don’t have to be Stephen Hawking to hang-glide over Rio; you can tandem ride with experts who know flying like the back of their hands.

Taking off is often the trickiest part of hang gliding. Usually, the pilot waits for a good wind and runs down a slope to “ride” it. The craft is lifted by the fast airflow over the wings, and once in the air, the pilot follows wind directed upwards either by the heat (thermal lift) or by nearby hills or mountains (ridge lift). Thankfully, these winds are abundant in Rio, so there’s good hang gliding pretty much all year.

The best flights begin at the Pedra Bonita ramp in the Tijuca National Forest. The ramp provides a scenic takeoff point with plenty of wind for a powerful flight. From a dizzying 1,700 feet, you will glide over the village of São Conrado and the famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. The famous Christ statue (the Corcovado), the granite peaks of Pedra Bonita and Pedra da Gavea, and the deep blue waters of the Atlantic will be hard to miss. Flights last 15 to 20 minutes and end at the Praia do Pepino (Cucumber Beach), the perfect way to cap off your ride.

Hang gliding instructor Paulo Celani, arguably the best-known in Rio, says that the best time to hang-glide is between 9am and 2pm, when the winds are most reliable. You don’t have to wait for a clear, sunny day; sometimes, Celani says, cloudy days make for even better hang gliding as they come right after cold fronts.

If the ubiquitous dolphin swim is starting to get old, Cape Town, South Africa may have just the thing for you: shark diving. And we’re not talking the baby hammerheads that play at your feet in Hawaii. No, you’ll be tackling no less than the Great White Shark, one of the ocean’s greatest predators.

Shark diving is a relatively new activity in Cape Town. The city sits on the west coast of South Africa, where Great Whites lurk in abundance. Dyer Island, located some 100 miles from the town proper, is widely regarded as the world’s shark diving capital—the waters between the island and the mainland are known as “shark alley.”

The industry took off not long after the invention of the diving cage—the single barrier between you and the shark during the dive—by Australian diver Rodney Fox, himself a shark attack survivor. The term “diving” is used loosely here, though, as there’s usually no real diving involved. While some areas, such as False Bay, will require some diving experience, most shark dives only require you to snorkel, if even that. Sharks feed on the surface, so the cage doesn’t go very deep in the water.

A typical dive starts with a short ride out to sea, where the crew lures the shark to the boat with some raw fish. This step, known as “baiting” or “chumming,” will get a good number of sharks circling within an hour. The divers are then lowered to the water in the diving cage, which is connected to the boat with breathing tubes. Most cages hold four to six people.

From there, one can observe sharks up close in complete safety. Since they’re feeding on tasty livers, sharks will hardly pay any attention to the divers. And although no cage attacks have ever been reported, the cages are made with thick galvanized steel, which can withstand the shark’s powerful jaws.

Most dives last 10 to 15 minutes, but finding the sharks can take up to an hour. A typical trip lasts about half a day. You can usually get in two or three dives if the weather is nice and the waters are clear—make sure to book plenty of time as the conditions are hard to predict. If you’re not sure you want to look a shark in the jaw, you can stay on the boat and view the sharks from a special platform.

The best time to go shark diving in Cape Town is from May to October, South Africa’s winter. This is when the Great Whites are most abundant—divers have a 95% chance of seeing the sharks. Besides Dyer Island, other excellent diving sites include Mossel Bay, False Bay, and Gordon’s Bay.

1.      Are you visiting the snow with a group of friends, and which sport are they going to choose?  It’s much more fun to ski and snowboard with your friends, so if they are going skiing you could base your decision on that.

2.      How long are you going to be at the snow? Skiing seems to be a lot easier to pick up quickly.  Snowboarding tends to take longer to develop the skills needed, which means you will end up sitting in the snow a lot at the beginning.  The bindings don’t pop off when you fall over on a snow board either, unlike ski bindings.

Snowboarding and skiing are both really great snow sports so which ever you decide to try will be challenging and rewarding.  You will see skiers zipping down the slopes and snowboarders sliding, jumping and grinding their way down.

I always tend to go for skiing, my husband chooses to snowboard.  I guess I like the ease of sliding down the slopes and feel like I have more control.  My husband likes the jumping and tricks that snowboarding offers, and it does look cool!

One thing I have noticed though, it seems to be a little bit more awkward on the t-bars when snowboarding but once you get the knack there should be no problems!

If it’s your first time on the slopes, please invest in some lessons.  Your instructor will help you learn how to slow down and stop, and give you an outline of the rules on the snow.  All very handy when you see a tree rapidly coming towards you…oh, and while we are on the subject, helmets are now becoming much cooler than when I learnt to ski.  With the X-games and the crazy snowboarding tricks the professionals now attempt, helmets are definitely in.

Don’t buy your ski or snowboarding gear if you haven’t been before.  There are plenty of great places to hire everything you need.  You should try both sports before buying your own gear, you just never know which one will be for you until you have a go!

Some extra tips for first timers to the slopes:

1.      Beware the sunburn!  You have probably seen people and you just know they have just arrived back from the snow as they have the classic tanned or red face with the white sunglasses imprint around their eyes.  Remember that even though it is cold, the sun is very strong.  Being at a higher altitude than normal and with the reflection off the white snow, you will burn quickly.  Always put on sunscreen, otherwise, remember that guy with strange tan….

2.       It feels lovely on a sunny winter’s day to be skiing along in just a t-shirt…but remember, if you are still learning the snow can sometimes be very hard and icy, and it is pretty much guaranteed that you will fall over more than once. You can end up with abrasions and cuts, so if you are learning, consider long sleeves until you feel more confident (also helps with the sunburn protection).

3.      Watch out for dehydration as with any sport.  Make sure you drink a few waters in between beers at the half way bar…

4.       Look after your eyes as there is a lot of glare on the slopes.  If it’s snowing, I like to wear ski goggles (it stops the snow getting in) but on sunny days you could wear good quality UV protection sports sunnies.  I still think goggles are best though.

5.      The weather can suddenly change in the mountains, when you least expect it.  The best way to cope with this is to wear layers which can keep you warm and dry, or cool and dry, depending upon the conditions. Also, if the snow conditions are slushy you will need a water proof layer, remember despite your best efforts, when you are learning you will fall over!

And last but not least – make sure you persist for 3 days!!  It might take you three days to really start enjoying yourself, so don’t give up after day one.  Once you start to feel more confident, get some speed up, and stay standing for a whole run you will realise it was worth all the effort!  When I learnt to ski I found day one tiring (getting up after falling into the snow wears you out a bit), day two was also tiring as I was starting to speed up, which meant I was still falling over quite a lot, but day three…made it all worth while!

There are many different types of kayaks designed for the ocean, and they vary significantly according to the requirements of the paddler. For instance, they can carry one or multiple kayakers, and still have enough room for food, water and other supplies like tents, safety equipment and first aid equipment.

In terms of design, there are two primary types of ocean kayaks, which are folding kayaks and rigid kayaks. Rigid kayaks use sturdy contemporary materials like carbon fibre or fiberglass, removing the need for an internal frame. Folding kayaks have an internal frame made of material such as aluminium, which is then covered with specially designed waterproof materials. Folding kayaks are easily disassembled and transported.

The shape and size of the sea kayak will also vary considerably according to the make and model of each individual vessel. They can range from 10 feet to 24 feet long, and can be as narrow as 21 inches or as wide as 36 inches. The length of a kayak impacts its ability to travel in a straight line and the width impacts stability. The size of an ocean kayak will also determine how much storage space is available.

In addition, the design and shape of the hull, stern, bow and deck will influence factors such as stability and speed. For instance, if an ocean kayak has an upturned bow, the vessel will be able to cut through choppy ocean waves more quickly. Also, the hull might be equipped with a rudder to aid steering.

There are also different styles of paddle to choose from. A kayaker can utilize the spoon shaped blades of a European paddle, the much thinner blades of the Greenland paddle, or the wing paddle, which is designed specifically for racing.

Kayaking is an extremely popular pastime, and paddlers might set out for just a few hours or for many months. If you have the right ocean kayak and enough experience, you can paddle almost anywhere.

Downhill mountain biking is not for the feint hearted. This adventure sport, practiced both professionally and at an amateur level, is sure to get the heart pumping.

This hair-raising pastime involves riding mountain bikes through rugged downhill slopes and difficult terrain with minimal uphill sections. The steep terrain utilised for mountain bike riding can lead to electrifying speeds, and skilled bike riders will deftly avoid obstacles and achieve significant air-time. Timed competitions and races are held all over the world, from Australia to Austria, Canada to Germany.

The first step when you start downhill mountain biking is selecting a suitable bike.

In the old days, downhill riders employed regular old street bicycles for off-road mountain terrain. These bikes were incredibly rigid and had suspension that was less than appropriate for a rugged environment.

Luckily, purpose made bikes were created for the sport in the 1990s. These included a number of innovations, such as an improved framework, a magnified and reinforced suspension system which could absorb the shock inflicted by mountain terrain, as well as disc brakes that could handle the constant braking required during descent.

When choosing the bike for you, it might be an idea to speak to someone who knows their stuff. Downhill mountain bikes can range from $US150 to $US8,000, depending on brand, quality, add-ons and whether the bike is new or second hand. Some good brands are Trek, Kona, Giant, Specialized, Cannondale, Rocky Mountain and Gary Fisher.

Also, you’ll need a range of body armour and a helmet, because at one stage or another, you are going to fall off! Bike tools will also be necessary, as you might have to fix a punctured tire or repair a broken chain when you are in the middle of a secluded mountain track.

The next step is finding the track for you.

A range of tracks can be used in downhill mountain biking, and it is important to choose a run that suits your skill level and interests. Downhill fire trails and off-road tracks can be used by less experienced riders, as they are usually wide enough, and the slopes gentle enough. More experienced riders might try steeper tracks, tougher terrain, or single tracks, which are narrow trails only wide enough for one bike.

Whether you are just riding for fun or getting involved in competitions, downhill mountain biking is an exhilarating sport that is sure to excite.