Adrenablog is a weekly blog from Super Fun that brings you the hottest and latest news from the world of extreme sports, as well as features about the world's wackiest sports, interviews and guides to adrenalin fuelled activities.
We also welcome guest writers so if you are interested in submitting an article to us please email us at sfdoteam@superfundaysout.com. If we publish your article you win 2 free zip wire tickets!
We all know the time of year, good food, good drink, good company (although you can't choose your family, someone once said to me - luckily ours are great and late nights drinking and chatting were a regular pastime of the festive season - sorry I digress).
Anyway we have looked at some crazy people who instead of counting down the 10 seconds, with such accuracy there are hundreds of uniquely timed new years celebrations, each with the same result of kissing, cuddling, singing (pretty badly) and cheering, have done the more alternatives.
1. Well Tina Turner in 88 decided wading out into sea at night was the way forward but the freezing ocean on the south coast would not have been anywhere as glamourous...
2. In Barcelona in Spain they thought a 10k run would be a great way of warming up for the nights celebrations.......
Thanks to runningcrazyltd for that.
Red Bull however win the biscuit for extreme following these two link will show you a record breaker and some of the craziest jumps you may have seen in the whole of 2011 but surely for all of 2012 so far....
Have a great year everyone and send us anything Superfun if you think others would enjoy it too!!!!
In keeping with the festive spirit, for our top 5 this week we were challenged to bring you a post with a Christmassy connection. Now, if you read last weeks blog you will have seen a feature about the Liverpool Santa Dash (where over 8000 people dressed up as santa), this got us wondering, and we decided what we would do is bring you images and videos of the top 5 extreme and adrenalin sport santas. These are all individuals and groups of men and women who have gone beyond the call of duty to celebrate Christmas whilst undertaking their favourite sport or activity and we salute them.
5. Santa goes Paintballing
The most common santa meets adrenalin activity we could find was paintballing. We found lots of images and some videos, of both men and women dressed as jolly St Nick whilst pelting those around them with paint, but our favourite santa comes from the Hampden Paintball Park in Maine, who created a fun scenario for their players which involved protecting santa from some rebelling elves. You can find out more with the video below
Video uploaded by SocialPaintballer
The video itself is 20 minutes long, but read the description or watch the opening for the gist of the game. Full marks for creativity!
4. Santa Snowboarding
Another of the common sports to take part in wearing a santa costume. It makes a lot of sense after all snow, winter and christmas are all interlinked. Still we were impressed by the short video below. This santa has some skill!
Thanks to MattDesmond for uploading this
3. Santa on a Zip Wire
This fantastic video to promote the Catalina Island Zip Wire shows santa travelling at speeds so fast, it literally causes his beard hair to fall out! Catalina Island, which is just off the West Coast off the U.S.A near L.A, offers a 1,100 feet long zip, and this short holiday film makes our top 3 not just because of the santa costume but also the breathtaking scenery.
Video uploaded by Santacatalinaisland
2. Santa Go-Karting
Not his usual choice of transport, but this video shows that santa does in fact know how to control a kart, albeit at quite low speeds. Filmed at Redline Indoor Karting in Caernarfon in Wales.
Video uploaded by TheHumph1977
1. Santa Skydiving
Following on from our last top 5 which you can find here, this video shows a number of santas skydiving, and still managing to keep their costumes which is quite impressive. In fairness this was close to making the skydiving list, but here it is our number 1. You can enjoy the video below
Thanks to MrtheNRJ for the upload
If you think we missed any, please feel free to leave us a comment with a link to pictures and video below.
That is all from us until 2012. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Super Fun Days Out.
Remember if you want to write for us, you can submit your own blog post at www.superfundaysout.com/submit-a-blog-post . We would love to hear from you, particularly if you attend any of the events we posted last year!
Christmas is once again just around the corner and whether you have been counting down the days by eating poor quality chocolate, or by gradually reducing the size of the list of presents still to be bought, the simple fact is, Christmas is now just a few weeks away.
And for those of you still in denial, see below.
Each year, we like to embrace the festive spirit by providing you with a seasonally themed blog. This year we thought we would investigate the different Christmas themed sporting events that are happening around the country. Unfortunately, despite being Christmas themed it seems that most of them occurred either last weekend or late in November, but we thought we would provide you with a guide to them anyway.
Remember this blog for 2012, when all these events will roll round again!
Here are our top 3 favourite Christmas themed events.
Mince Pie Eating Contest (Big Eat) - Wookey Hole: Somerset
When: 2011 : 22 November. 2012: TBA
The Annual Wookey Hole Big Eat challenges competitors to eat as many mince pies as possible. Each competitor is provided with a jig of water and a pile of delicious mince pies ( as you can see in the image ) The challenge is then to eat as many as possible in 10 minutes, with the individual who can eat the most walking away with a cash prize of £1000.
The event which started back in 2006, attracts competitors from all over the globe, and in fact the first competition was one by an American woman by the name of Sonya Thomas who managed an incredible 46 mince pies, a very impressive 5 a minute!
The mince pies themselves are cooked by a local bakery, and are also suitable for vegetarians. Spectators are also welcome to the event, which is presided over by a compere to provide extra entertainment. Spectators also get free entry to the caves along with free tickets to the big eat, so it can great for a fantastic fun day out. This years event was won jointly by two men, Michael Doggrell and Lee Palmer, both of whom managed 19 pies apiece. who both netted £500 each for their trouble.
If you think this is something you would like to have a go at, and scoff at the thought of a mere 19 mince pies, then keep an eye on the wookey hole website, for information on how you can get involved with the Big Eat in 2012.
Liverpool Santa Dash - Liverpool
When: 2011: 4th December 2012 : TBA
Usually taking place on the first or second weekend in December the Santa Dash is a 5k fun run with a difference, which hopefully you have already guessed. Dressed in Red and Blue (I'll explain that later) Santa outfits competitors race through the streets of Liverpool City Centre, with finishers getting a santa themed medal as a reward.
The run which commences at Pier Head on Canada Boulevard, was narrowly beaten by Las Vegas for the first time this year in the race for the title of the largest santa run in the world, but still managed to attract over 7,500 competitors. Many competitors use the run as a means to raise money for charity, and this year for the first time, the organisers linked up with JustGiving, to allow users a quick and easy way to raise money for their chosen charity.
This year the race also presented a rather odd scene, (odder than usual) as many Santa's were dressed in blue, rather than red. The reason for this it was revealed was down to footballing allegiances, with Everton football club themselves, actually providing blue coloured suits for their fans who took part. You can see a fantastic video that shows this below:
Video posted by JMU Journalism:
I have to admit my favourite bit is the santas standing around portaloos, it just makes a strange scene even more surreal!
If the Liverpool Santa Dash sounds of interest to you, get yourself over to the Official Website run by RunLiverpool for all the information you will need. Entries for 2012 have not opened yet, but your keep on their site for the latest information. All competitors are issued with a santa suit, whether you are a Liverpool or Everton fan!
Christmas Pudding Race - Covent Garden - London
When: 2011: 3rd December . 2012: TBA
Combining the traditional christmas dessert and an Its A Knockout style assault course , this fun filled day involves competitors racing through an obstacle course, whilst balancing their Christmas pud safely on a cardboard plate. The duration of the event is around 3 hours in all, including qualifying heats to determine the top racers.
The race which has been taking place since 1980, was thought up by the Cancer Research Aid Committee, and has been a huge success ever since, raising around £15,000 a year for the charity.
Entry is not cheap with each team expected to raise a minimum of £600 per team (with 6 on each team) and a fee of £25 per competitor, but it does go to a good cause and you can guaranteed a great laugh on the day. Spectators are also welcome, and due to the location, many take a break from their christmas shopping to watch the event unfold.
Fancy dress is encouraged with all the usual Christmas themed costumes, including Santa's, Reindeer and even one year a patomine horse! Competitors are also penalised for any damage to their puds during the race and the winner is the fastest team to complete the course, whilst keeping their pudding intact.
Another race has also now been started in Brighton which uses a similar format. To find out more about either race and to look into entering next year, visit their official website.
If you more information about events for the holidays, why not see our blog last year about what you can do on Boxing Day. (although the Malden Mud Race has now been moved to April 29th 2012.)
Here at Super Fun Days Out we keep our eyes and ears open for the most extreme experiences available, not just in the U.K but around the world. You may have caught a recent video from BBC''s click which explored the most realistic flying simulations available, which revealed to us a rather unique combat experience, which we thought we would investigate further (If you are interested in seeing the click presenters try this activity you will need to skip the video to around about 5:40)
The line between video games and reality is certainly blurring, but if microsoft flight simulator and the Ace Combat Series, just don't quite seem real enough for you, then maybe you should get yourself over to the U.S.A for an experience that will trump anything Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo have to offer!
What is involved?
Based in sunny California, Air Combat USA has been running since 1988 and offers individuals and groups the chance to take part in simulated dogfights across the skies. The unusual thing about this simulation, is that you actually fly real planes, under the guidance of trained experienced pilots, with only the combat itself actually being simulated. Offered to individuals and groups (corporate / stags) alike, a variety of different combat experiences are available ranging from a length of around 2 hours to a full day's combat flying. We have to say this is one of the most expensive stag or corporate activity ideas we have ever come across, with prices starting at a cool $1,395 per wannabe fighter pilot!
Flying in Italian Marchetti planes, the aim is to land a hit on your opponent, who will also be a amateur like yourself. Whilst flying the plane and trying to avoid the attentions of your opponent, you have to get the targeted centred over their plane, at which point, fire! The planes use oboard cameras and a state of the art tracking system to really make you feel like you are involved in a real battle, the use of smoke machines attached to the tails of each plane, also adds to the feeling of immersion. With each pilot getting a minimum of 5-6 dogfights you have plenty of time to perfect your technique and ensure you come out on top.
If you want to get a better idea of what is involved, you can see a video of someone undertaking the experience below.
video from kelvinc34:
If you want to find out more about this amazing experience, please take a look at the Air Combat USA Website. Alternatively, if you want to try your hand at flying a plane, why not take a look at our map to see where you can try flying in the U.K.
This week our blog comes from a guest writer in the form our manging director, Yaz. Yaz following the theme of crazy sports looked into the activity of wife carrying. You can find his take below.
Yaz's Post
Now stop me if you have heard of this sport....Wife Carrying!!!!
First started in Finland, the sport where men carry women over a demanding course has since spread around the world. The objective is for the male to carry the female through an obstacle course in the fastest time although, not in the most glam of positions and I imagine to the detriment of the backs of both teammates. Major competitions are reported to be held in Sonkajarvi, Finland, Monona, Wisconsin and in Marquette, Michigan.
When I mentioned it to my wife, the suggestion was that my incapability of running without twisting my ankles on my own was a concern. This is a fair comment considering some of the courses demand running through muddy water (a key concern of someone who likes to see his feet making contact with the ground). Imagine if you will a fall in the position pictured below and the impact on my beautiful wife's face and my pride concurrently could push someone's relationship over the edge! Good luck to any that try but I am sure a superfun weekend would be had by almost all participants! I can assure you all (and my wife) here is one thing I will not be trying!
If you are looking for a more unusual and challenging sporting experience this weekend, why not check out the real ale wobble. This post will tell you all you need to know about this event, as well as where to go and how to take part.
What does it involve?
Arguably the muddiest pub crawl in Britain and certainly one of the most challenging, the real ale wobble involves competitors cycling through the Cambrian Mountains in Wales. Cycling on courses especially designed by mountain bikers, offering hills, narrow paths, arduous challenging climbs, forests and even a small stream to navigate, this is not for the faint hearted. The twist, if you had not guessed already, was that instead of water at 2 checkpoints (3 for those braving the longer course) you get a choice of locally brewed real ale. There are three different routes for bikers of different levels, with a reasonable length and challenging 15 mile course, and also a 25 and 35 mile route for those who want to test their biking and drinking skills to the limit.
Overall it makes for a great day out, particularly if you are a fan of real ale, and there is the chance to enjoy live music and stronger ale in the evening after the cycling itself.
The wobble, was the brainchild of Gordon Green (the same man behind the bog snorkelling championships, which is also held in Llanwrtyd) and forms part of the Mid Wales Beer Festivals, one of the longest beer festivals in Britain. If mountain biking is not for you, there is also a Real Ale Ramble, which takes place next week.
How do I get involved?
To join the Real Ale Wobble you will first need register. Registration points are open from 7-9pm tonight, and 7-9am on both Saturday and Sunday morning. Alternatively you can download a registration form online. (details provided below) The cost for entrants is £16 for 1 day, or £22 for both Saturday and Sunday. There is also a surcharge for of £4 for registering on the day.
The actual event itself begins at 10 a.m on both Saturday and Sunday, with a briefing provided beforehand. It's not a race and you can go entirely at your own pace.
It goes without saying that it helps to have some mountain biking ability, as well a bike which can handle off-road and varied conditions. (although you can hire a bike) Similarly it makes sense to wear sensible clothing for cycling, which you also don't mind getting muddy and many competitors do in fact bring a change of clothing with them on the wobble, having said that competitors in the past have sometimes turned up in costume, although this is not advised, this is after all a 15 / 25 / 35 mile cycle across mountains. Helmets are of course compulsory.
If you do go along, we would love to hear of your experience, so email us at sfdoteam@superfundaysout.com to submit your article and to win 2 tickets to the U.K's longest zip wire.
You cannot open a newspaper nowadays without noticing further portents of doom and gloom: prices rising, world governments in crisis, and a downturn which shows no sign of ending. We are all having to cut back on luxuries and watch what we spend, but that does not mean you cannot have a great stag weekend, a last night of freedom to remember. This post will suggest a few ways to bring the costs down, but still ensure you give your mate the best send off possible, before the big day. Here are our five top tips.
1. Drop the two nighter down to one – It is pretty traditional that a weekend away involves you arriving on Friday night and departing sometime on Sunday, but for a stag weekend it is not always necessary. Travel to your destination on Saturday morning, do the activities in the afternoon, and still have plenty of time for boozing, clubbing and partying on the Saturday night. This not only reduces the accommodation cost, but also the cost of 2 nights out when really quite often 1 will suffice. After all, when you have an action packed day full of activities planned on the Saturday, the last thing you want to be is hungover.
2. Think outside the box when it comes to activities – Of the traditional stag weekend activities of quad biking, clay pigeon shooting, karting and paintballing, it is only the latter that really works for a stag on a budget. Activities account for most of your money spent, so why not consider some different activities to make the money go further, and the day last longer. Prices obviously vary from place to place, but why not consider activities such as raft building, blindfold 4×4 driving or canoeing. All are great activities to share in, and you certainly get your moneys worth.
3. Leave the city behind and head for the hills – This option is certainly not for everyone, but why not consider having your stag weekend out in the country. Locations such as the lake district, the welsh borders and devon, offer great alternative destinations. Here you can stay keep the accommodation and activity cost down, and still have a great weekend. Sure, they may not be able to offer a host of strip clubs, casinoes and nighclubs, but you guarantee they have a great local, where you can spend the night with your mates, and isn’t good company ultimately what it is all about? See below for some of the amazing deals you can get if you consider a weekend out in the country.
4. Get as many as your mates along as you can – Again, this is not something every stag will want to do, but from a purely cost basis, the more you have, the cheaper things are likely to get. Hotels and activity providers alike are more likely to offer a discount if there are a lot of you, and in some cases will give you exclusive use of their facilities. It is no surprise the more money you bring them, the more they want to keep you happy, so bring a load of your mates, and you are sure to reap the benefits.
5. Get us to help you – Super Fun offers a completely bespoke stag weekend service. What this means is: you tell us exactly what you want, and we do the rest. We have years of experience in dealing with providers and hotels across the U.K, and will find you the best deal for your budget. We also handle all the preparations so all you need to do is turn up on the day. We can also advise on all the above, to find the right solution for you and your group.
5a. Book an existing package with Super Fun Stag Weekends
Below are just some of the stag weekend packages we can offer for under £100 per person. For more information, click the links.
Ben’s Outdoor Stag Weekend – Half a day Paintballing (200 paints), Half a day Canoeing and a nights accommodation in Shropshire. Just £70 per person
Charlies Target Shooting Package – Rifle Shooting, Archery and Clay Pigeon Shooting, and a night in the lake district. £80 per person
Daniel’s Torquay Stag Weekend – Pick 2 from: Coasteering, Abseiling, Caving, Rock Climbing, Canoeing, Gorge Walking and more. With 1 nights bed and breakfast accommodation in centre of Torquay, this comes in at £80 per person
Kyle’s Wet Birmingham Weekend - Windsurfing and Kayaking, as well as a night in the centre or Birmingham for £85 per person
So there you go, our guide to a cheap but memorable stag weekend.
