Skiing – Its appeal to amateurs and enthusiasts alike January 12, 2009

With winter getting into full swing the mountain tops around Europe and North America will be turning whiter and whiter in preparation for the forthcoming skiing season. Skiing is a hugely popular sport as well as hobby for many people across the world, especially in central areas of Europe such as Switzerland and Austria. Skiing is such an attractive sporting prospect to many people because of the diversity that it can provide all in one sport.

You can have simple long distance skiing which will could be compared to a long distance running race or you can have the exciting slaloms which take place down steep mountain sides at incredibly high speeds but require high amounts of skill and technical ability. This type of skiing discipline is extremely exciting to punters as it is made up of countless sharp twists and turns and you can witness some dramatic falls. In addition to this you will find that the Super-G and downhill events are extremely popular too because they are solely based upon high speed and who doesn’t love speed!

Why would you want to ski? Not only is skiing an exciting sport to observe it is also an excellent hobby to take up. Skiing is now hugely fashionable and many top designers are now producing collections of ski wear. It really doesn’t matter whether you are the next great talent or just fancy the challenge, skiing is a just great sport to enjoy. First of all, the health benefits are excellent. High amounts of strength are required in skiing in order to balance out the wide variety of forces that act upon you.

This would work your core muscles excellently. The sport of skiing also improves one’s suppleness as your body is required to lean and change body shape in order to complete the turns. Perhaps the most important health aspect involved with is the cardiovascular workout it provides, you will soon feel your heart pumping as you descend the slope!

However, it would be silly to forget the fun involved and the adrenaline rush that it provides! There are more skiing options now than ever before and you don’t always have to travel abroad to go skiing. Scotland has quite a good skiing industry and you have many options there, especially during a good winter and I think this year may be one of them. Alternatively, you have the countries that surround the Alps, such as France, Switzerland and Austria. These countries always have reliable snow totals. Even further afield you have many ski resorts in America and Canada but it is a long way to go to ski!

Perhaps the most convenient options are the artificial slopes, there are now a few centres dotted around the UK and can provide the skiing experience without the expensive trip and the perishing cold! These are good ways or getting some good experience before hitting the real slopes.

Hiking Jackets Are Now a Fashion Statement August 24, 2008

Outdoor jackets have been popular with hikers and people who enjoy walks outside for many years. Why? They are excellent at keeping you warm and dry in the harshest of weather that means they are perfect for use in the dreadfully wet British climate. However, outdoor jackets have also now become more popular with the mainstream British public who do not actually intend on wearing the outdoor jackets for hiking in, oh no, they intend on wearing them as a fashion statement. I do not know how this came about but I do think that it is a very strange concept but if it is something that will evolve in to a much bigger trend remains to be seen. I sincerely hope not though!

 

This trend in wearing an outdoor jacket as a fashion jacket seems to be most popular within the teenage groups. I have seen many secondary school children wearing their North Face, Berghaus and Sprayway jackets not only to school but also in the local shopping areas and other social areas. I have also witnessed children who appear to have worn the same outdoor jacket every day for about a year. Why, oh why is this popular at the moment?

 

You would never catch me dead wearing one of these jackets as a fashion statement? The biggest reason why I would not wear one of these jackets as a fashion statement is because they really are not fashionable at all! Many of these jackets are made up of basic, boring patterns and also very dull colours. I am a big fan of fashion and looking good in the clothing that I wear and it is beyond me how anyone thinks this looks good in a fashionable way.

 

In addition to this, there is a certain group of youths who tend to wear outdoor hiking jackets as a fashionable item; some people may call them ‘chavs’. These particular groups of youths can use the design of these outdoor jackets to their advantage. As you will probably be aware, outdoor jackets tend to have very high necks and have some of the best quality hoods out on the market. These hoods are very large but can be tightened so it can conceal every part of your face except for your eyes. Certain youths use this technique in a way to intimidate people and look threatening. A group of twenty youths stood on a corner with their hoods up, completely concealing their faces is not good for society as it can mean that they can commit felonies and avoid any punishment as they have no way of being identified.

 

So, if I did happen to think that these jackets looked attractive and would look good if I were to wear one as a fashion statement then I would still chose not to where one as I would not like to be associated with such a culture. I want to see these sorts of problems being removed from our streets and I would not be happy with myself if I were to encourage the popularity of this kind of fashion, and the kind of culture that sometimes goes along with it.

I really do not see how anybody in their right minds could wear these outdoor jackets a fashion statement. I am not denying that they are excellent jackets for hiking in and they look good when you go hiking but when you are in social town centres, it is just not the same. These jackets are quite frankly ghastly in many ways. They do not look bright or elegant in any way and I really do hope that the fashion soon dies down and they are only worn for their intended purposes, hiking.