Surfing

Surfing is a surface water sport in which a person (the surfer) or people, rides an object, usually a board (the surfboard), on the crest of a wave usually carrying the surfer towards the shore. Many variations of the sport exist, as what can be described as a wave, surfboard, and even a surfer have been ever expanded upon. Waves used in surfing are found not only in the ocean, but also in lakes and rivers and man made pools. A variation of surfing, bodysurfing entails the use of no board and is considered by some the purest form of surfing (see separate entry for Bodysurfing). Other variations that have exist for centuries include paipo boarding, stand up paddle surfing, and the use of boats or canoes to ride waves. More modern craft used include inflatable mats, (surfmatting) bodyboards, and foils. As documented in surfing documentaries including "Fair Bits" other objects including water skis, wakeboards, desks, guitars, and doors have been "surfed". When more than one person uses the same craft to ride a wave together, it is called "tandem" surfing. People have assisted dogs, cats, pigs, and rats and mice to surf. Remote controlled and non controllable toys such as the Micro Surfer and Mini Surfer can also surf.

Two major subdivisions within stand-up surfing are longboarding and tinyboarding, reflecting differences in boards design, including surfboard length, riding style, and type of wave ridden.

In tow-in surfing (most often, but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing), a motorized water vehicle, such as a personal watercraft, tows the surfer into the wave front, helping the surfer match a large wave's higher speed, a speed that is generally, but not exclusively, a speed that a self-propelled surfer cannot match.

Surfing-related sports such as standup paddleboarding, paddleboarding and sea kayaking do not require waves, and other derivative sports such as kitesurfing and windsurfing rely primarily on wind for power, yet all of these platforms may also be used to ride waves.

Recently with the use of V-drive boats, wake surfing, in which one surfs on the wake of a boat, has emerged.

Diving Competition

Most diving competitions consist of three disciplines: 1m and 3m springboards, and the platform. Competitive athletes are divided by gender, and often by age group. In platform events, competitors are allowed to perform their dives on either the five, seven and a half (generally just called seven) or ten meter towers. In major diving meets, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships, platform diving is from the 10 meter height.

Divers have to perform a set number of dives according to established requirements, including somersaults and twists. Divers are judged on whether and how well they completed all aspects of the dive, the conformance of their body to the requirements of the dive, and the amount of splash created by their entry to the water. A possible score out of ten is broken down into three points for the takeoff, three for the flight, and three for the entry, with one more available to give the judges flexibility.

The raw score is multiplied by a difficulty factor, derived from the number and combination of movements attempted. The diver with the highest total score after a sequence of dives is declared the winner.

Mountaineering

Compacted snow conditions allow mountaineers to progress on foot. Frequently crampons are required to travel efficiently over snow and ice. Crampons have 8-14 spikes and are attached to a mountaineer's boots. They are used on hard snow (neve) and ice to provide additional traction and allow very steep ascents and descents. Varieties range from lightweight aluminium models intended for walking on snow covered glaciers, to aggressive steel models intended for vertical and overhanging ice and rock. Snowshoes can be used to walk through deep snow. Skis can be used everywhere snowshoes can and also in steeper, more alpine landscapes, although it takes considerable practice to develop strong skills for difficult terrain. Combining the techniques of alpine skiing and mountaineering to ascend and descend a mountain is a form of the sport by itself, called ski mountaineering. Ascending and descending a snow slope safely requires the use of an ice axe and many different footwork techniques that have been developed over the past century, mainly in Europe. The progression of footwork from the lowest angle slopes to the steepest terrain is first to splay the feet to a rising traverse, to kicking steps, to front pointing the crampons. The progression of ice axe technique from the lowest angle slopes to the steepest terrain is to use the ice axe first as a walking stick, then a stake, then to use the front pick as a dagger below the shoulders or above, and finally to swing the pick into the slope over the head. These various techniques may involve questions of differing ice-axe design depending on terrain, and even whether a mountaineer uses one or two ice axes. Anchors for the rope in snow are sometimes unreliable, and include snow stakes, called pickets, deadman devices called flukes which are fashioned from aluminium, or devised from buried objects that might include an ice axe, skis, rocks or other objects. Bollards, which are simply carved out of consolidated snow or ice, also sometimes serve as anchors.

Running and Jogging

Many runners in cold weather climates log a good number of miles on treadmill during the winter, and their biggest complaint is usually, "Treadmill running is boring." To keep your treadmill workouts from getting stale, try some of these tips for beating boredom on the treadmill.
Run with a friend.
If you and a friend belong to the same gym, get her to run on the treadmill next to you. You can motivate each other and provide distraction to make your workout time go by faster. And one great thing about treadmill running with friends is that you don't have to be the same pace, so you can run with friends who you wouldn't normally run with outside.

Swimming Story

Senior Year at YMCA State I thought I had the sport of swimming pretty well mastered, and wasn't worried about any little things like false starts and missed turns. After 7 years of swimming meets at the Schroeder YMCA pool, I
felt relatively comfortable on their blocks (which happen to cover less than a square foot, 30" above the water). I was pumped for the 200 Breast, and was seeded to win because a teammate from last year, the defending champion, was already in college and no longer a threat.

However, I was doomed from the moment I set foot on the blocks. Before the starter could even mouth the famous statement "take your mark," my nose was a few inches away from the T on the bottom of the pool. My balance had betrayed me and my body gave me no warning of my early
immersion, but fortunately the starter noticed and gave me a second chance. Moral of the story: don't become complacent - you'll end up looking like an idiot.

one man in a boat

fishing is my favorite sport. i often fish for hour without catching anything. but this does not worry me. some

Functions and examples

1. We use a / an when we are talking about something for the first time.
He is wearing a suit and a tie.
They have a cat.