Zip the World!

Virtual zipline rides are addictive, and they’re also a neat way to see the world!

I found this out by accident.

While I was planning a trip to Niagara Falls, I stumbled over a 360° video of a zipline ride.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Akron Drone Services (YouTube Channel)
Akron Drone Services (Official Website)

Then I watched it again “just for fun,” and that led to a “side adventure” that grew into this post.

That’s because watching the Niagara Falls video led to YouTube suggesting another minute long 360° video of a zipline ride in Cañon City, Colorado within Royal Gorge Bridge & Park.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Royal Gorge Bridge and Park (YouTube Channel)

Then another 360° video of a zipline ride by Superfly Ziplines in Whistler, British Columbia popped up. Again, only a minute long — innocent enough, why not?

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Superfly Ziplines (YouTube Channel)

How beautiful, not to mention seasonally appropriate, was that!?!? Show me more!

The next 360° video that YouTube suggested was of a ride at Zip World in Wales.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Orchard Immersive Tech (YouTube Channel)

Wahoooo! Notice that the speedometer on the video said 100 MPH!

That ride turns out to have been on the longest zipline in Europe and the fastest in the world. Great to experience virtually, but probably terrifying in real life!

A Google search showed that Zip World is a sort of playground for grown-ups with a number of jungle gym like “destinations.” Here’s a non-360° video about what they offer.

Zip World (YouTube Channel)

After watching ten 360° videos of zipline rides in under 15 minutes, it occurred to me that ziplining is a “thing” at tourist destinations, and taking 360° videos of the rides is too. I couldn’t help but wonder, how many more 360° video clips of rides are there out there?

A YouTube search for zipline+360 turned up hundreds of results from all over the world!

Better yet, the rides themselves are only about a minute’ish long, by definition, and they’ve got great bird’s-eye views of scenery that you wouldn’t see otherwise. If you’re into seeing great places, what a way to do it!

Happy Zipping 🙂

If you enjoy adventures with a side of adrenaline then check out these other posts …

Heights!
Up, Up and Away!
Wingsuit Rush!
Go for a Fly!
NYC Highs
Extreme Biking, Artfully!
Catch Some Waves!

Find out more about travel, the World and adventure in general …

Catch Some Waves!

Want a quick mini-vacation? Check out this 360° video of tuberiding.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Waveor Company (YouTube Channel)
Waveor Company (Official Website)

It’s beautiful, but as you looked around, did you notice that there’s no surfer in the video?

I didn’t realize, at first, that it’s a promo for a game called Virtual Surfing. So, while it’s awesome that it’s so realistic, it’s not real.

On the other hand, there are a couple of fun 360° videos of real tuberiding on YouTube.

Here’s one with Ollie O’ Flaherty tuberiding off of Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Wild Atlantic Way, Discover Ireland (YouTube Channel)
Wild Atlantic Way, Discover Ireland (Official Website)

If you are a surfer and want to do this yourself, then here’s an article where surfing pros share their favorite places to go tuberiding.

The Best Tubes on Earth According to Experts (Ashel Pierson, Surfline)

If you’re not a surfer, but would like to be one, then here are some helpful links to get you started catching waves

Surfology: How to walk on water in 7 easy steps (Surfline)
Surfology: Surf School Directory (Surfline)
Surf Schools: A Guide to Learn How to Surf (Surfer Today)
Top 10 Surf Schools (National Geographic)
10 of the best surfing schools in the world (Jennifer Hudson, The Guardian)

Hang ten!

If you enjoy adventures with a side of adrenaline then check out these other posts …

Heights!
Up, Up and Away!
Wingsuit Rush!
Go for a Fly!
NYC Highs
Extreme Biking, Artfully!
Zip the World!

Find out more about sports and adventure

Extreme Biking, Artfully!

This week I came across something that I thought was fairly unique.

There is a Scottish BMX rider by the name of Kriss Kyle that has elevated his extreme biking into an art. Here’s a video published by Red Bull that starts out with a brief introduction to the young man and then transitions into an artistic performance he calls Kaleidoscope. Stick with it — just when it gets a tad tedious, he introduces a new twist.

Red Bull (YouTube Channel)
Red Bull (Official Website)

The way I first found out about Kyle was by stumbling over this 2 minute featurette that is a “behind the scenes” 360° video about the making of Kaleidoscope. Among other things, he mentions that he had to take motion sickness pills to get through one of his stunts.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Red Bull (YouTube Channel)
Red Bull (Official Website)

As if Kaleidoscope wasn’t “artsy” enough, Kyle was later invited to do a demonstration of his riding inside of a new wing of the Tate Modern Museum. Here’s the museums explanation of the literal publicity stunt.

The Tate Modern Museum were launching a new gallery wing and wanted an exciting, immersive experience to help promote the launch. The agency brought Kriss Kyle, the legendary BMX rider on board to perform stunts through the gallery and showcase the space in a fast-moving 360° immersive experience. — Kriss Kyle@The Tate

Here’s the resulting 360° video that has a distinctly different vibe than Kaleidoscope.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

David Betteridge (YouTube Channel)
David Betteridge (Official Website)

Finally, Red Bull sponsored an even more extreme demonstration of Kyle’s talents with Dubai’s major landmarks as a backdrop.

Red Bull (YouTube Channel)
Red Bull (Official Website)

So, Kyle’s work is pretty unique, right?

Well, not so much as you might think.

It turns out that there’s another BMX rider with an artistic bent. His name is Danny MacAskill, his work is also sponsored by Red Bull, and his stunts also tend to fall under the category of “don’t try this at home.” Here’s a video of his entitled Imaginate that is a wonderful example of his creativity at work.

Red Bull (YouTube Channel)
Red Bull (Official Website)

MacAskill has also taken his art to great, adrenaline inducing heights. Here’s a video entitled The Ridge in which he returns to his native Isle of Skye to go on a breathtaking and death-defying ride along the Cuillin Ridgeline.

Cut Media (YouTube Channel)

It’s easy to see why Red Bull loves these guys!

You can watch a ton of other extreme riders on Red Bull’s web site dedicated to Moutainbiking (MTB) as well as their YouTube Channel.

If you happen to be a very adventurous rider, you might also enjoy this article.

Seven of the Scariest Mountain Bike Trails (James Smurthwaite, Mountain Bike Rider)

If you enjoy adventures with a side of adrenaline then check out these other posts …

Heights!
Up, Up and Away!
Wingsuit Rush!
Go for a Fly!
NYC Highs
Catch Some Waves!
Zip the World!

Find out more about cycling, sports and the arts

Go For a Fly!

Want a quick pick-me-up?

Why go for a walk or coffee when you go for a fly instead?

Here are links to some short 360° videos that will have you soaring like a bird in a jiffy!

Paraglide Over Peru In 360 (The New York Times)
Paraglide the Pacific Coast in VR (USA TODAY)

Relaxing so far, right?

Here’s a link to a higher energy video that takes you gliding over Yosemite.

Hang Glide Over Yosemite National Park in 360 Degrees (Nature on PBS)

For an even faster paced ride, here’s a link to a video that takes you over Austria’s Paznaun Valley.

Paragliding in the Paznaun Valley, Austria (Garmin)

Curious about how it’s done?

Here’s a link to a five minute hang gliding lesson.

Hang Gliding Above the Ocean in 360º (Seeker VR)

You can find out a lot more about both paragliding and hang gliding from the US Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association.

Finally, here’s a link to a video with the story of how Francis and Gertrude Rogallo invented hang gliding.

Francis Rogallo (1912-2009), Hanglider Pioneer (Steve Close)

If you want more of a break, check out these earlier posts …

Heights!
Up, Up and Away!
Wingsuit Rush!
NYC Highs
Extreme Biking, Artfully!
Catch Some Waves!
Zip the World!

Find out more about flying and adventure in general …

Wingsuit Rush!

Hey, adrenaline junkies, how about a quick fix?

Remember all of those action movies where people jump out of airplanes or off of buildings wearing wingsuits?

Did you ever think it would be cool to do that for real?

Well, now you can get a sense of what it would be like.

Here are some 360° videos that share the experience from the jumper’s point of view. It’s the next best thing to doing it yourself, so don’t forget to look around!

In this first video, Jeb Corlis jumps out of a plane with a group of friends. It starts off as a nice, peaceful experience, but the suspense builds by the end as the ground comes up to greet you.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Jeb Corliss (YouTube Channel)

Of course, the above video was cut so that you didn’t actually get to see the landing. Here’s a short, fast clip of someone wingsuiting over Dubai, and it shows what it’s like to land. You also get to see what it’s like to jump from a plane and then land on the ground in about a minute and a half after visiting some skyscrapers up close and personal in between. Geronimo!

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Dubai360 (YouTube Channel)

As fun as it is to see what it’s like to jump out of a plane and not go splat, the experience of “basejumping” off of stationary things like cliffs can be even more adrenaline inducing. Here’s a dramatic perspective from Jokke Sommer and Halvor Angvik whose basejump takes them up close and personal with the mountains of Stryn, Norway.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Making View AS (YouTube Channel)

Finally, my favorite video of all shows Gabriel Lott jumping off of a mountain, buzzing some traditional skydivers, and then landing near a beautiful beach! 🙂

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

If all of this adventure from the safety of your own screen isn’t enough of an adrenaline rush, and you’re just dying to get out and try it yourself, here’s a few things to consider before you “try it at home.”

First, there’s a lot more to it than just buying a suit from a vendor like Squirrel and jumping off of a cliff or building. Here’s a nice one minute video primer that covers the basics of what you really need to do before you jump.

Rated Red (YouTube Channel)

Here’a a helpful article with even more information published by a place called Jumptown that just happens to be a skydiving center here in Boston.

How to Become a Wingsuit Flyer (Jumptown)

Here’s another nice, honest article about wingsuiting.

10 Things No One Tells You Before You Become a Wingsuit Jumper (Francis Blagburn, The Telegraph)

Of course, it’s one thing to find the obligatory Wingsuit flying article on Wikipedia. It’s another to find their page with the List of fatalities due to wingsuit flying.

Personally, I file this under things that should make sane people just say, no!

Still, I hope you enjoyed this vicarious adrenaline rush compliments of some adventuresome folks who didn’t say no, and then even took 360° cameras along so us landlubbers could experience their rides, too!

If you like adventures like this, then perhaps you will enjoy these other posts …

Heights!
Up, Up and Away!
Go for a Fly!
NYC Highs
Extreme Biking, Artfully!
Catch Some Waves!
Zip the World!

Find out about other ways to get around in the air and adventure in general …

Chess on Ice

The other day I was grabbing a snack at a local pub when I noticed what struck me as an odd scene on one of the TVs. At first glance it looked like a couple of people encouraging a large, mobile Pet Rock to win a race. Of course, the sport was Curling, and it was an Olympic Qualification Event. I had “heard of” curling, but I had never seen it played.

It turns out that there is more to the sport than meets the eye. More about that in a minute, but first, for the uninitiated such as myself, it is always good to start with finding out the basics. Here’s a fun little two minute video from Curling Canada that does the job nicely.

Curling Canada (YouTube Channel)
Curling Canada (Official Website)

Entertaining, but that video doesn’t really explain why the sport’s nickname is “Chess on Ice.” Here’s a video that explains more about curling and mentions the nickname.

WatchMojo (YouTube Channel)
WatchMojo (Official Website)

There is even a whole Chess on Ice YouTube channel that explains the sport in great detail. Here’s a short introductory video from the channel that starts to give a sense of the complexities of curling strategy.

Chess on Ice (YouTube Channel)

Better yet, the sport is the subject of a debate among physicists, and there are even scientific papers about it. Here’s a video about the controversy.

Smarter Every Day (YouTube Channel)
Smarter Every Day (Official Website)

Cool stuff. Of course, being me, the most entertaining thing I found was a 360° videos that shows what it is like to “be the stone” 🙂

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Travel Affect – 360 degrees (YouTube Channel)

You can find out more about this unusual Olympic sport on the World Curling TV YouTube channel and the World Curling Federation web site.

Find out more about sports

Up, Up and Away

Want to take a ten minute break and float away from it all?

Here are some nifty 360° videos that will take you on some virtual hot air balloons rides!

This first clip is from the The Golden Ring of Russia Air Balloon Festival.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

AirPano VR (YouTube Channel)
AirPano VR (Official Website)

The next one is a one minute view of a ride in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

VIEMR – Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality (YouTube Channel)

This one takes you on a quick ride over the Theban Mountains in Egypt.

Watch the video below in 360° on YouTube here!

Vocativ (YouTube Channel)
Vocativ (Official Website)

If you’re hooked, there a ton more hot air balloon 360° videos

Finally, for those who are too young to know or too old to remember, here’s a fifty year old pre-MTV flashback by the The 5th Dimension singing the song that inspired the title of this post.

Groovy!

If you like this adventures then perhaps you will enjoy these other posts …

Heights!
Wingsuit Rush!
Go for a Fly!
NYC Highs
Extreme Biking, Artfully!
Catch Some Waves!
Zip the World!

Find out more about getting around by air, adventure and the World in general …

Heights!

A Monday morning caffeine fix is nice, but how about a serious adrenaline rush instead?

Nothing will get your pulse going like some good old fashioned adventure at extreme heights. Luckily, there are a ton of 360° videos on YouTube designed to do just that, so pick your poison from these five specially selected experiences, don’t forget to expand the video, turn up the resolution, look around, and especially down! 🙂

Dive from a very tall cliff …

Cliff Diving From a Rocky Ledge in Italy (Red Bull Cliff Diving)

Walk a tightrope over a deep canyon …

Walk The Tight Rope (Discovery)

Take a paramotor flight over some water falls …

Paramotor Flight Above Iguazu Falls Rafael Goberna (Red Bull)

If you haven’t had enough of a rush yet, then check out the Thrillseekers YouTube Channel, and if you’re a real adrenaline junkie, head over to the ExLife YouTube Channel!

Finally, if you enjoy adventures with a side of adrenaline then check out these other posts …

Up, Up and Away!
Wingsuit Rush!
Go for a Fly!
NYC Highs
Extreme Biking, Artfully!
Catch Some Waves!
Zip the World!

Find out more about adventure