Adventure Sports

The hills and forests of Rio de Janeiro make it the perfect place to explore on air. Anyone visiting Rio should try their hand at hang gliding—coasting through the air hundreds of feet above the city, with nothing but the wind holding you up. Few things can recreate the feeling of being up there while the coastline shrinks below you, the wind in your hair as more and more of the Cidade Maravilhosa comes into view.

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.

If you haven’t hit the slopes before this question is bound to come up – should I snowboard or ski? There are a couple of things to consider to help you make the right choice.

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!

An ocean kayak is a kayak designed specifically for paddling in calmer waters like lakes or the ocean, as compared to whitewater kayaks, which are designed for churning, turbulent water. Whereas whitewater kayaks rely on being mobile and easy to manoeuvre, a sea kayak will instead have increased storage space and will focus on comfort and singular directional paddling. Essentially, an sea kayak is a small, covered maritime vessel, which is propelled by paddling.

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.