Introducing Bossaball, the world’s newest extreme sport. Played on an inflatable surface with trampolines, Bossaball combines flexibility, agility and athleticism into a fun, groovy sport of flips and kicks and slams. Hope one of these courts graces my presence in the near future.
Author: Alan Perlman
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Cliff Jumping at a Granite Quarry
Oh, granite, how I love thee.
Prized by rock climbers for its steepness, soundness and crack systems–some of the best rock climbing spots in the world, like Yosemite, the Mont Blanc Massif and parts of the Karakoram are granite climbs–granite is also good for cliff jumping.
Many of New England’s abandoned granite quarries fill with rain and groundwater and become lakes. Others are converted into landfills. Some, like Boston’s Quincy Quarries Reservation, are filled in and become popular rock climbing spots.
On Labor Day, I traveled outside of Boston to a top-secret granite quarry with a few friends. The day was perfect, the water deep, the sandwiches delectable to the palate. And there wasn’t another person in site, an ideal setting to goof off, swim around and document the day with picture and video.
One of the highest jumps is around 35 ft. and has one of the clearest water exits I’ve ever seen. This is me running and jumping:
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My friend David, more daring than I, decided to show me up with a front flip. Thanks, bro:
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Going to try to make it out there one more time before the New England weather begins to turn.
Any takers?
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World’s Highest Blob Jump
Remember the Blob? Always the highlight of any summer camp or lake experience. Watch the world’s highest Blob jump, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in June 2011. 17 meters, in Cham, Switzerland. Too cool.
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Danny MacAskill’s “Way Back Home”
Watch a clip from Danny MacAskill’s incredible new riding video, “Way Back Home.” Filmed on location in Danny’s hometown of Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye and Edinburgh, Scotland. Amazing HD footage. Well done, Danny!
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Adrenaline Rush (The Science of Risk)
I actually caught this movie at the Boston IMAX about a year ago. My heart was pumping for hours. This unofficial recut features a Boards of Canada remix and highlights some of the best footage from the film. Film footage from Eikesdalen, Norway.
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Ueli Steck Speed Solos North Face of Grand Jorasses
The soundtrack title is “Human After All,” which is comical considering Ueli Steck is nowhere near human. We’ve showcased his speed solo ascent of the Eiger before, but this clip is equally as impressive. Watch Ueli Steck conquer the north face of the Grand Jorasses in Chamonix, France.
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It’s Official, Nerve Rush has Launched
It’s official. We’re live.
Here, deep in the trenches at the Nerve Rush headquarters, we’re focusing our efforts on one thing, and one thing alone:
Gut-wrenching adventure.
Syndicating videos, publishing interviews with extreme athletes, profiling endurance races and obstacle courses, detailed how-to guides–we’re here to make sure you get your proper dose of adrenaline.
We’re not sure what this ride will look like, but we imagine it’ll feel something like this:
With all of the amazing sites throughout the vast superhighway of the Interwebs, we appreciate your attention.
From time to time, we’ll jump in to let you know what’s going on, but in the meantime, have fun, poke around, and get comfortable. It’s going to get wild over here.
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Bossaball, the World’s Newest Extreme Sport
Introducing Bossaball, a delicate mélange of volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, capoeira and extreme trampolining.
Developed between 2003 and 2005 by Filip Eyckmans, Bossaball is played on an inflatable court that takes less than 45 minutes to set up. The inflatable playing surface and change in gravity allow for a range of techniques, team tactics and strategies.
Eyckmans, a Belgian living in Spain, grew up playing tennis for the Belgian national team. Off-court, he assisted live soccer matches and DJ’ed private parties.
In the early nineties, he was traveling in Brazil as a band manager and became fascinated with capoeria, the Afro-Brazilian, half-martial arts, half-dance phenomenon. Eyckmans ultimately developed Bossaball, the ultimate combination of flexibility, agility, coordination and sport.
Bossaball clubs are popping up all over the world. So far, you can find them in countries like Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Portgual, Singapore, Ecuador and Saudi Arabia. The most famous club teams, the Selection of Spain and the Selection of Brazil, travel the world to promote the game and perform Bossaball exhibitions.
How to Play Bossaball
Each team consists of three to five players on each side of the Bossaball net. One player, called the attacker, stands on the trampoline. Similar to volleyball, one team serves up the ball over the net, with the intention of landing the ball on the opposing teams inflatable surface or trampoline surface. The defending team must not use a combination of more than six (or eight?) contacts with the ball to return it over the net. Any body part can be used, with a maximum of two successive contacts with the head or feet and a maximum of one contact with the hands. Get creative, folks.
During a rally, the one attacker jumps on the trampoline in order to gain height, trying to position him or herself while one of the other players aims the ball’s trajectory at just the optimal height. It’s one of those sports you have to see to believe.
The rally continues until the ball drops in one of the scoring zones. Three points for a drop on the trampoline, and one point for a drop on the larger inflatable area. The team that scored gets to serve again, and the same server is used. When possession rotates–when the defensive team wins the point–the team is rotated to feature a new server, similar to volleyball.
The game continues until one team scores 25 points and is two points ahead. In one Bossaball match, it’s best two out of three games, or sets.
For more information, check out the official Bossaball site, Bossaball Sports. Have any of you tried playing?
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Darren Berrecloth Mountain Bikes 2,000 Vertical Feet
This just looks fun. Take a mountain bike and a steep 2,000 foot desert line…and in the words of Berrecloth, “just shred it.” Nice HD footage from his team.
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Jeb Corliss “Grinding The Crack”
The exit is horrible, he says, but the flight more than makes up for it. In this video, Jeb Corliss shows us an expert session in proximity flying, or wing-suit flying. Check out the line he takes! Epic.