Category: Free Articles

Skateboard pro shops around the world are replete with skateboarding videos of famous skateboard champions. These videos are the best means of passing the knowledge about techniques and tricks in the sport. Oftentimes in the form of a series and sometimes collaboration between two or more skateboarding masters, a skateboarding video is a fountain of hope for new skateboard hobbyists to become skillful thrashers themselves.

As a compilation or a team-up between respected skateboard artists, a skateboarding video provides lessons and advice that can not be drawn from reading ordinary how-to books. Skateboarding videos work far more effective than books as instructional materials because the former can be easily comprehended by showing the moves and tricks as they are being played over and over again. Anyone who is interested in skateboarding can quickly learn tricks, from basic to daredevil moves, by simply watching the videos.

Through the convenience of skateboarding videos, fundamental and advanced tricks can be broken up and analyzed into easier sub-steps and sub-techniques. Truly, a skateboarding video is indispensable for your dream of becoming an ace skateboarder; without you going thru years of learning by trial and error!

But skateboarding videos are not just for masters and professionals. Anybody who has a fresh and extraordinary skateboard move can share to the world such ability by making a personal skateboarding video. If you have your very own skateboarding video, the chances that skateboarding enthusiasts will recognize you will be higher; and when this happens, it might not be long for skateboarding companies to bankroll and promote your feats. A quality skateboarding video will be your stepping stone as you go up the world of skateboarding.

If you want other people and big companies sponsoring skateboarding as a sport to notice your talents as a thrasher, you can try making skateboarding videos for yourself. Making skateboarding videos can be easy, especially if you have the determination and the right equipment. Always keep in mind that your video must be satisfactorily or excellently made. Who knows, the video you make may be your ticket to skateboarding stardom!

To create your very own skateboarding video, you have to ask help from a friend to work the video camera and do the filming. It is plain impossible for you to handle the video camera as you do your stuff. A fellow thrasher, if possible, would be great as cameraman as he will know all the important moves and angles that needed to be included in the video.

Now that you have your cameraman, you need to consider the location for your skateboarding video. A good skateboarding video is shot in a variety of locations. From sidewalks to skateboarding ramps, an assortment of settings for different scenes in your skateboarding video will surely keep viewers hooked on it.

Above all, do not forget to perform amazing tricks for your video. Potential sponsors and ordinary viewers of skateboarding videos want attention–grabbing and uniquely amusing stunts on the deck of your skateboard. Therefore, your video should showcase your skateboarding skills.

Remember to keep your skateboarding video concise. Summarize it in such a way that only the greatest parts are shown. Edit out the scenes where you fell to the ground face first or the part where you broke your ankles; unless you are trying to be the world’s most daring skateboarding clown. Even so, make sure that your video is still full of cool and dazzling skateboard moves to keep your viewers interested.

If science is the language that moves you, and for many of us, it is just that, then you really might want to visit some of the San Francisco museums that focus on science more than art. I find both to be of equal importance but there are those, many in fact, that would disagree with me. Whatever your feelings about it, if you have a child that you want to encourage to pay more attention to science courses in school, it is an excellent idea to take them to a museum such as this in order to fan that flame of curiosity.

Science answers many questions about the past and offers many hints at the future of our world and universe. Without science there is much we wouldn’t know and even more that we would not understand. I think any of use would be hard pressed to identify the single most important scientific discovery throughout history. There are so many things that are all very significant to the very lives we enjoy today and yet each and every scientific discovery happened because someone, somewhere, asked a question.

I find that truly amazing. When you think about it; physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, none of these things would be studied today if someone hadn’t found them curious at some point in history. That is precisely why I believe that museums such as the Exploratorium are so important in developing future scientist. If we spark the curiosity in our children at young ages there is nothing to prevent them from great discoveries later on. The Exploratorium encourages children to explore the world around them, even how science affects other things they enjoy (such as skateboarding). If you can use a skateboard to teach physics, imagine what you can do with a car.

The Morrison Planetarium is a great place to take the family if you are truly interested in seeing the stars. I’m not talking Hollywood starlets but real stars. If you or one of your children has the slightest interest in studying the stars, this will be a treat for you all. I sincerely hope you will at least check it out.

The Natural History Museum offers many exhibits that deal with various aspects of life. Perhaps the neatest thing about the Natural History Museum is the fact that you are allowed a very hands on approach to learning here. From actually handling fossils and skulls to really cool artifacts, very little is off limits. This means that even the most difficult child to amuse might find something of interest here; at least, that is the hope.

Finally, there is the Steinhart Aquarium. This is not the Aquarium at the Bay but a municipal aquarium that holds the distinction of being the oldest operating municipal aquarium in America. Among the awesome exhibits that can be found here are several rare specimens that can no longer be found in the wild. The tide pool is perhaps one of the most anticipated attractions of this aquarium. This is where little hands actually get to touch some of the animals that their little eyes are watching in the tanks. Just be careful that you aren’t going home with a car full of future marine biologists as this experience can ignite a passion for marine life that will last for quite a while.

Science is a great thing to be studied and explored. I can think of few things I would rather see my children pursue than an endless search for truth and the evidence to support those truths. I hope that by introducing them to opportunities such as these I will have contributed to a life long process of seeking answers that will serve them well. And it can all be owed to a trip to San Francisco.

PPPPP

(word count 641)

Skateboarding is one of the many sports that involve displays of skill and expertise. It is essential to know a skateboarding trick or another to be considered a real skateboarder. Many skateboarding tricks have been developed through all the time people have been skateboarding. Here are just some of the most popular tricks:

1. Aerials – also known as airs, these general kinds of tricks are typically done on quarter pipes, pools or half pipes where vertical walls with transitions are available. Aerials are usually combined with other tricks such as grabs and rotations. Among the most popular subtypes of aerials would be the 540, 720, 900, Benihana, Body Jar, Caballerial, Christ Air, Finger Flip air, Gay Twist, Gnar Jar, Judo Air, Lien Air, Madonna, McTwist, Samba Flip, Sean Penn, Sloth Air, Stalefish, Rocket Air, and Method Air.

2. Ollie – this is known as the father of skateboarding tricks because most tricks are derived from this. Invented by and named after Alan “Ollie” Gelfand, this trick involves getting on air without grabbing the skateboard but instead by stomping or popping the posterior end of the board. Variations of the Ollie involve the Nollie, switch Ollie, Fakie Ollie, Power Ollie, Boned Ollie, Ollie North, and Pressure.

3. The Flip – as its name suggests, the flip is a skateboarding trick that involves the flipping or spinning of the board in the air. This trick was originally developed by Rodney Mullen, who then called it the Magic Flip. Among the most popular variations of the flip are the heelflip, kickflip, Casper Flip, Anti-Casper Flip, Backside Flip, Big Spin, Cab Flip, Disco Kickflip, Ghetto Bird, Hardflip, Hospital Flip, Impossible, Late Flip, Mother Flip, Pop Shove-it, Sal Flip, Salabanzi, Sex Change and the Scissor Flip.

4. The Grab – as these tricks are named, grabs involve holding the skateboard, usually during aerials. Grabs are quite useful in keeping the skateboarder on the board during in mid-flight. Examples of grabs are the Airwalk grab, Backside grab, cannonball grab, Crail grab, Christ Air, Early grab, Frontside grab, Gorilla grab, Indy grab, Japan grab, Melon grab, Mosquito grab, Nose grab, Roast Beef, Seatbelt grab, Tail grab and the Tucknee.

5. The Grind – this is a kind of trick where a skateboarder would hide on hangers of the skateboard truck. This trick can be done on any smooth object where the truck can slide. Some of the variations of the grind are the Barley grind, Crooked grind, Darkslide, Fandangle, Freeble grind, Gurl grind, Hurricane, Losi grind, Nosegrind, Novacaine, Overcrook grind, Pole Jam, Salad grind, Smith grind, Sugarcane, Suski grind, Willy Grind, and Csmit grind.

6. The Slide – sliding is somewhat like the grind, but instead of gliding through the trick, this involves gliding using the board itself. Some important slides are the Bertlemann slide, Bluntslide, Boardslide, Booger slide, Crail slide, Ces slide, Darkslide, Lipslide, Noselide, Powerslide, and the Tailslide.

7. Lip Tricks – this skateboarding trick is done on mini ramps, quarterpipes, and half pipes. They are called so because they need to balance on ramp lips. Notable lip tricks are the Andrecht Invert, Axle stall, Blunt, Disaster, Egg Plant, Fakie-Bonk-off, Frontside Invert, Good Buddy, Ho-Ho, New Deal, Nose pick, Nose stall, Pivot, Pogo, Rock and Roll, Smithvert, Tail Stall, Staple Gun, Stelmasky Plant, Sweeper, Tail Block, Tucknee Invert, and the Woolly Mammoth.

There are many other skateboarding tricks out there, and many others are still being developed. To now more about skateboarding tricks, you can read the leading skateboarding magazines or ask a skateboarding expert.

The world is full of all kinds of people. If we just examine the family and friends we are close to, we’ll see a wide range of values and behaviors and different levels of integrity. While it’s unfortunate, every profession has its bad seeds. This is particularly true of psychic and astrology scams. Let’s face it. When you’re happy and fulfilled, you have little need to delve into why things are happening to you the way they are. When a relationship is not fulfilling or you have a run of bad luck, that’s when it’s easy to get taken in by scam artists who claim they can help you – at a price of course.
Additionally, the world of psychics is a much unregulated one. Therefore, there is no real way to check a psychic’s qualifications, or experience (everybody seems to have 20+ years of experience), or morals. Consequently, anybody can get up one morning and declare themselves psychic without any problem.

It is important to be able to make the distinction between serious practitioners and the charlatans. While the following advice cannot guarantee that the psychic you will choose is a good one, it nonetheless will help you avoid a good bunch of scammers

Also, there are a few of my clients that have been scammed by very ingenious, shameless and heartless con artists who have no trouble using personal faith and Christianity itself as a vehicle to gain a victim’s trust and scam them out of substantial money.
Trust that all that you need and want will come to you easily when you learn love yourself and live fearlessly again. That will take some time. Be assured, a psychic can neither hurt nor benefit you by asking for large sums of cash to help you with a curse … you’d be better off taking the money and going on a holiday.

If you’re bored with the usual turns, jumps, and tricks that belong to the beginner level, and you feel that you’re ready to put your skills to the test, here are 4 skateboarding tricks – and tips on how to do them – to add to your repertoire:

Skateboarding Trick #1 – Bomb Drop
This is a popular skateboarding trick that’s commonly performed by skateboarders although they do find a way into professional competitions as well. Basically, the bomb drop is an alternative to an ollie when tackling a drop or a flight of stairs. With a bomb drop, what you do instead is jumping with the board on your hands first then getting it to your feet when you’re in mid-air.

Obviously, this is not the safest skateboarding trick to practice so start with a place that hasn’t too much height. Secondly, wear the necessary protective gear. Thirdly, practice your hand and feet coordination skills; you’re usually given a split second alone to get your board from your hands and to your feet.

Skateboarding Trick #2 – Boneless One

This one has been around for a long time already and at present have numerous variations already. With this skateboarding trick, you start by taking the skateboard off your feet just as you get off it as well. Afterwards, you jump with just one foot then ending by returning the skateboard to its original position (under your feet) as you make a perfect landing.

Although it sounds complicated, this skateboarding trick is not that difficult to accomplish as long as you’re willing to practice it frequently. The ease of doing this skateboarding trick may have, in fact, contributed to its fading appeal to skateboarders, especially those belonging to the younger generations. Nevertheless, having an old skateboarding trick such as this under your belt is always handy to carry around because you’ll never know when you might need to include it in your exhibition!

Skateboarding Trick #3 – Coffin
Although the term used for this trick sounds a bit terrifying, it is once again a simple trick to perform although it’s definitely a step or two higher than the basic turns and curves that you’ve mastered while you were practicing at the beginner level.

To start with, increase your speed while skateboarding. Secondly, position your body at the skateboard’s front area. Thirdly, take a seat at the middle of your skateboard by bending your knees and taking hold of your skateboard’s sides. Use both hands of course. Finally, lean back then lie prostrate on your skateboard as if you were on a coffin. Voila! Skateboarding trick accomplished!

Skateboarding Trick #4 – Firecracker
Light the streets up with this entertaining skateboarding trick! Just like setting up and getting ready for fireworks, however, you need careful planning and precision when performing this particular trick. This fire cracking skateboarding trick involves a flight of stairs and you going downhill once more. As you go down, you can increase your speed by deliberately letting the end of your skateboard slap against each step. This slap is of course equivalent to the cracking sound of firecrackers. It won’t work effectively however if you can’t ensure that the sounds resemble the continuous burst of fire from firecrackers. Consistency and constancy, therefore, are the key elements to getting this trick right.

There are of course more skateboarding tricks for you to learn from but for now, start with these four. Master them before skateboarding to the next level!

When visiting San Francisco, California there are so many things to see and do that it is often difficult to decide which things you should do and see in which order. Perhaps one of the most interesting things to note about San Francisco is the diversity of the many ‘neighborhoods’ throughout the city. Of these many diverse neighborhoods, perhaps the most famous is San Francisco’s Chinatown.

With more than one hundred restaurants, Chinatown owes no small part of its fame to the great delicacies that can rarely be found outside this part of town. There is something about the ambience and atmosphere, the smells, sights, and sounds that make the food that much more appealing to the average diner. If you have tried Chinese food elsewhere, be sure to try it here and compare. I think you will find that there really is no comparison and it’s hard to go back to dime store Chinese food once you’ve tasted ‘the real thing’.

In addition to the great food you will find readily available within the Chinatown area, there is a vast wealth of architectural beauty that will take your breath away. Some of these buildings aside from being stunningly beautiful have a rich history as well. Some of the more traditionally Chinese buildings that can be found in Chinatown are the Bank of Canton, the Sing Chong Building (which was destroyed during the earthquake of 1906 and rebuilt), and the Bank of America building which as 60 dragon medallions on its façade in addition to the many golden dragons that adorn the rest of the buildings exterior.

Chinatown is made up of 8 streets: Clay, Commercial, Grant, Jackson, Pine, Sacramento, Stockton, and Washington; and 11 alleys: Beckett, Hang Ah, Joice, Old Chinatown Lane, Ross, Spofford, Stark, St. Louis Place, Walter U. Lum Place, Waverly, and Wentworth. Tucked in the nooks and crannies of these streets and alleyways, you will find herbal shops, gift shops, restaurants, and all of the many sights and sounds that make the Chinatown area of San Francisco a truly unique travel destination.

Portsmouth Square is literally the heart of Chinatown. Not only does it mark the beginning of this section of town, which has grown and expanded since the beginning of its days, it also remains to this day the area for monuments and celebrations regarding the Oriental Community of San Francisco at large. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in history, this is an area that you will find monumentally appealing. If you are more interested in art, entertainment, and good food, you should find plenty of that here as well.

As I have said before, Chinatown is really a great place to explore while visiting San Francisco. Make sure you have plenty of time to explore the roads and alleys and that you bring a healthy appetite with you. If you have little ones in your life, whether they are making this trip with you or you are going solo, you will find that there are plenty of goodies to buy as souvenirs that will provide both delight and challenge.

While there are newer ‘Chinatown’ areas cropping up within San Francisco, the original still remains the greatest draw for tourists. In fact, Chinatown rivals the Golden Gate Bridge as a tourist attraction and has been rumored to be even more of a draw. The original Chinatown of San Francisco remains an important gateway to the past as it represents an important segment of the history of San Francisco, this country, and immigration to America. I strongly urge you to remember that when during your visit to San Francisco and that you will take a stroll down the streets and alleys of Chinatown to see for yourself how much American history Chinatown really does represent.

Even if you aren’t hungry when you begin walking the streets of Chinatown, I can pretty much guarantee that you will be before too long. The wonderful smells of great cuisine simply cannot be escaped when strolling along these city blocks. It’s both wonderful and torturous at the same time. Be sure to enjoy a dish or two while you are there and have lots of fun. That, after all, is what vacations are all about.

PPPPP

(word count 716)

Skateboarding and surfing are two activities that can be equally fun and exciting. The two sports are based on very similar tools – boards. However the similarity between the two pastimes ends there since skateboarding and surfing are very much different from each other. If you are not convinced, then you definitely have to read on.

Skateboarding and Surfing Defined

Skateboarding is basically the process of rolling or moving by riding on a skateboard. With surfing, on the other hand, a person also moves while riding a board, but the movement is induced by a breaking wave. So from the very definition of the two hobbies, you can already see that they are quite different from the other. First of all, one is performed on land, while the other is performed on the surface of a body of water. Next, the mechanics of movement in the two are very different as one uses wheels and the other uses waves.

Skateboarding can also be considered a means of transportation, apart from being a sport or a hobby. Many people, kids in particular, can travel using skateboards, especially for short distances. Meanwhile, surfing is not usually considered as a way for traveling as it is only thought of as a hobby and a sport. Even people living along shores cannot travel considerable distances using a surfboard.

History of Surfing and Skateboarding

Although the origin of surfing has not yet been established, the earliest record of surfing traces back to the 1770s when Captain Cook witness people in Hawaii riding boards on the waves. Skateboarding, on the other hand is a fairly new sport and thus its origins are still very much remembered. Skateboarding was invented around the 1950s, when surfing was also becoming popular in the western world. Some say that skateboarding evolved from surfing, which is probably why it was called sidewalk surfing during its infancy.

Surfing and Skateboarding in the form the people of today know, grew popular in parallel times. Their development can thus be thought of as simultaneous. However, the tradition of surfing is more deeply rooted due to the fact that it has been existing for centuries. Nevertheless both sports are continuing to grow in the coming years.

Equipment for Surfing and Skateboarding

As mentioned, the boards used for surfing and skateboarding are very different. Surfing uses surfboards, wave skis, surf mats, kneeboards, and body boards. Boards used for surfing originally used wood, and were thus quite heavy. Eventually, surfers looked for lightweight materials so that they can easily bring around their boards, which is more difficult considering that they do not have wheels. Most surfboards nowadays are made of polyurethane foam, which is quite sturdy but very light.

In skateboarding, skateboards are obviously used. The original skateboards were reminiscent to surfboards in the sense that they were not concave, albeit having wheels. Like surfboards, the old skateboards were made of wood, and eventually of plastic. Nowadays, most skateboards are made of composite fiber and their wheels are made of clay composite or polyurethane.

Surfing and skateboarding are obviously two different sports. However the most important commonality between the two apart from their histories is the fun and excitement the both can potentially bring and the likelihood for both of them to stay popular in the years to come.