This 3 minute long (almost) continuously shot parkour video of the Tempest Freerunning Academy almost makes you want to pack your bags and head to LA. Of course, you’d have to parkour your entire way there, but we thought that was a given.
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27 Charcos (27 Waterfalls)
Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic – 27 Charcos
The best waterfall adventure you’ve never heard of.
A couple years back, I lived in the Dominican Republic for a good 3 1/2 months. I’ve never been one for the “tourist traps’ so while we saw some great beaches and stayed at some nice resorts, it was the low-key, hard-to-find adventures that really drew me in.
Enter 27 Charcos:
Meaning 27 waterfalls in Spanish, this adventure tour was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and haven’t experienced since. Developed in 1994, this little spot on the north side of the island is getting popular, but still fairly unknown and not often crowded.
Carved out of limestone by the Rio Damajagua as it’s flowing to the ocean, you literally adventure through 27 waterfalls accompanied by guides and a few, although minimal, climbing ladders, ropes and the like.
You can book a tour to see 7, 12, or all 27 waterfalls. We had limited time, so we only did 12, but I’m looking for the next available time where I can head back and do all 27! These tours usually cost less than $20/person plus whatever generous tip you decide to give your guide who helped you through this passage.
These 2-4 hour hikes are incredible as you climb up through the waterfalls themselves and do as much swimming through the experiences as you do hiking. Most groups, due to size and time limitations only do the first 7 waterfalls, but if you press onwards, your group can be virtually alone in the waterfalls with your guide.
Each waterfalls is a unique experience. Some you climb around, while others you climb right on up through witht eh help of a rope and your experienced guides.
Once you get to all 27, it’s time to come back down and this is where the real fun begins. Considering each waterfall is unique, coming down is a whole new adventure. Several of the cliffs are 30+ feet high and allow you to jump off into pools of crystalline turquoise blue water. Others, courteous of the smooth away limestone allow you to literally lie down and slide down the waterfall as if it were a large natural waterslide.
27 Charcos is the best Dominican Republic adventure you’ve never heard of. And while the website and media provided do not do the adventure justice, it’s an experience you truly have to do first hand to appreciate. Next time you’re down in the Dominican Republic, skip the beaches and head straight for 27 charcos, you won’t regret it. Just make sure you bring a waterproof camera.
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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.
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Ryan Doyle Parkour in Mardin, Turkey
Deemed one of the most innovative and creative free runners today, Ryan Doyle takes to the streets of Mardin, Turkey, and shows us a classy, gut-wrenching demonstration of world-class Parkour. Amazing slow motion shots.
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Damien Walters 2010 Showreel
With over thirteen million hits on this video alone, Damien Walters is no stranger to the online extreme video community. In this clip, he highlights some of the runs and training he worked on throughout 2010. This guy isn’t human. A gymnastics + Parkour powerhouse.
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London Free Runners’ Concrete Circus
More and more high-quality free running videos are sweeping the Interwebs, and Concrete Circus is no exception. In this short film, a group of professional Parkour athletes take to the streets of London. Spoiler alert–watch out for fire!
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Skyliners in Paris Film Trailer
Originally found this over at HypeBeast — famous highliners/slackliners Tancrede, Julien, Sebastien and Antoine take to the highest twin towers in Paris, France. Great HD trailer, can’t wait to see the whole film.
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Training for the Tough Mudder
From a 4:34am wake-up to a righteously rock star mustache, see what it takes to train for the Tough Mudder obstacle race. Starts humorous, actually gets a bit intense.