Gear Sports

Mountain-boarding is just one of 50 extreme sports being highlighted in a major campaign to attract more tourists from the UK and abroad.

SCOTLAND could be transformed into the “adventure capital of Europe” as extreme sports enthusiasts flock to take advantage of the country’s superb resources.

More than 50 extreme sports are being promoted through a campaign launched yesterday in the Highlands.
The tourism agency VisitScotland and more than 30 businesses have teamed up to lure sports-lovers to a new breed of adventure, including white-water rafting, mountaineering, snow sports, kitesurfing and dogsledding. The project, which runs until May 2007, aims to attract younger enthusiasts, particularly those aged 18 to 40.

MINNETONKA, MN — Jamie Pierre is well known to skiers around the world for his extreme skiing. He even calls himself a professional ski bum.

But what this Minnetonka man has done has stunned skiers around the world.

Pierre, 33, learned to ski at Highland Hills, Buck Hill, and a half dozen other Minnesota ski areas.

In 1991 he turned pro and started looking for the perfect place to ski into the record books. This past January he found it.

Grand Targhee in Wyoming has a 255 foot drop. That’s the equivalent to a 25 story building, or to put it another way, it’s a little over half the height of the Foshay Tower.

Pierre said it was simply a matter of the right place at the right time, “The wind stopped, the sun came out, I knew it was go time. I never, ever looked off the edge of the cliff. I’ve never really done that before but I knew if I looked off the edge of the cliff I wouldn’t have gone off. It was like looking off the edge of the world.”

He said once he hit the snow, he was like, “Ahh, this is over.. I’m never doing that again.”

Pierre now has that cliff named after him, Pierre’s point.

L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge Vehicles Are Unveiled:

LOS ANGELES — The L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge finalists — a “green” group of concept vehicles that includes the Kia Sandstorm, Honda Extreme and Volkswagen Nanospyder — have been officially unveiled.

Volkswagen Nanospyder also uses nanotechnology and can be put together or taken apart “on a microscopic level.” (Photo courtesy of Volkswagen of America, Inc.) :

Another vehicle that leans heavily on nanotechnology is the Volkswagen Nanospyder. VW says this concept is “capable of being assembled, disassembled and reassembled on a microscopic level.” Billions of tiny nanomachines, no larger than a half a millimeter in diameter, attach to one another in a large assembly tank. This futuristic vehicle is able to sense impending collisions via sensor data. The nanomachines then strengthen or weaken their connections to one another to ensure the survival of passengers.

Acura FCX 2020 Le Mans uses nanotechnology-derived hydrogen fuel cell power. (Photo courtesy of Acura ):

Entries include the Acura FCX 2020 Le Mans, which the automaker describes as “the perfect test bed for new material development and clean energy.” The FCX 2020 Le Mans is powered by a compact hydrogen fuel cell made possible through molecular nanotechnology. “The FCX is a notion of Acura’s commitment to a cleaner environment,” Acura said.

Hummer O2 has a “phototropic” body shell with algae-filled body panels that produce pure oxygen. (Photo courtesy of Hummer):

General Motors submitted the Hummer O2, which is also powered by a fuel cell. This Hummer “breathes” through a “revolutionary phototropic body shell that produces pure oxygen throughout the life span of the vehicle,” the automaker said. This Hummer concept has algae-filled body panels that transform harmful CO2 into pure oxygen that is released back into the environment.

Kia Sandstorm is a plug-in biodiesel hybrid. (Photo courtesy of Kia Motors America):

The Kia Sandstorm is a biodiesel electric plug-in hybrid with built-in detachable recycling bins and a solar-powered cooling feature. The Toyota RLV, or renewable lifestyle vehicle, is a two-seat tandem vehicle with a collapsible track system and a split powertrain solution that “identified with L.A.’s most used speeds — 5 or 75 mph,” Toyota said. It also features a telescopic axle that widens the track for more stability.

Mini BioMoke’s body is made of biodegradable paneling filled with palm tree seeds that make it compostable. (Photo courtesy of MINI):

The Mini BioMoke features customizable body panels, alternative fuel powertrains and the reuse of mechanical components from previous vehicles. The BioMoke’s body is made from a single sheet of biodegradable sandwich paneling impregnated with palm tree seeds. As the BioMoke ends its five-year life cycle, the body “composts to promote tree growth and clean the air,” BMW Group Designworks USA said.

The winner of the competition will be announced on November 30 at the show.