WORLD SHOCKERS

Extreme snowboarding

Extreme snowboarding is a form of Freeride snowboarding that is carried out in extreme terrain, typically containing obstacles such as cliffs, ravines, deep snow, rock gaps and anything else that occurs in a mountain environment. One need to be highly trained to do this sport and it is highly dangerous.

Some riders just can't get enough of snowboarding, after they have outgrown the gentle slopes, lift lines, marked trails, and safe recluse of snowboarding resorts, they try off-piste and backcountry snowboarding which is done in the wild with no lifts, patrols, and other conveniences.

Some riders take snowboarding further by doing it the extreme way. For those who wish to push their physical limits, try death-defying stunts and rides, and battle with extreme terrain and snow conditions, they can try the so-called extreme snowboarding.

Extreme snowboarding is done on nearly vertical slopes that exceed 45 degrees on mountainous regions. This also entails going through cliffs, deep snow, chutes, and trees, among other obstacles in a mountain environment. Some of the best extreme snowboarding locations are the Fall Wall, Mont Fort backside in Verbier, Suisse with its 1600 m drop and the Pas de Chèvre in Aiguille des Grands Montets, Chamonix, France with its 1500 m vertical drop.

Anyone who would try extreme snowboarding should be an experienced rider, in physical and mental shape, and is familiar with avalanche safety and rescue. Speed, technical ability, and finesse are the main factors an extreme snowboarder should consider while the terrain and airtime (for those who enter in competitions) are the restraining factors.

In Valdez, Alaska, extreme snowboarders compete for the World Extreme Snowboarding Championships. Extreme snowboarders do either downhill or freestyle. Downhill entails 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of vertical run with rollers, gullies, and wind lips. There are two timed runs and one inspection run. Freestyle, on the other hand, involves 3,000 feet (910 m) of vertical run with natural half pipes, small cliffs, rolls, cornices, and wind lips, and has two judged runs and one inspection run.

In New Zealand, the Marmot Extreme Skiing and Snowboarding Competition attracts riders who have the courage to run down a challenging and risky double black diamond terrain. The competition is done at one of the toughest snowboarding zones in New Zealand - the Pinnacles in Whakapapa Ski Area.

• Line. Every snowboarder will decide what line he or she will run. High scores will be given for those who chose a difficult line. The level of difficulty is defined by steepness, exposure, snow conditions, and obstacles or hazards. How the snowboarder executed the line also has a bearing in this category.

• Control. Extreme snowboarders should not be able to fall down because this is the means total loss of control. This, in any way, will lead to lower scores. A dexterous recovery will lessen the penalty an extreme snowboarder can get. Competitors must also avoid falling in no fall zones such as the finish area.

• Fluidity. Extreme snowboarders must run the line smoothly. Judges look for continuity, good velocity, and smooth transitions. If the riders stop and make unnecessary traverses, it will lead to lower score in the Fluidity category.

• Style. Competitors should astound the judges through their technical abilities and snowboarding style. This category has no standards so the competitors have the leeway to perform any possible style as long as they do it with grace.

• Aggressiveness. This is synonymous to how the snowboarder attacks the line. This includes focus, confidence, and the rate and intensity of the run.

Extreme snowboarding competitors are required to wear climbing harnesses, helmets, and avalanche transceivers. They should also bring shovels and other pieces of basic survival gear in case they deviate from the course. Planning and choosing the line carefully is extremely necessary. Extreme snowboarders should be able to read the mountain, the terrain, as well as the snow conditions.

Every year there is a competition in Alaska called King of the Hill, where extreme snowboarders compete for cash prizes.

Twisted Edge Extreme Snowboarding is the third snowboarding game released for the Nintendo 64 after Snowboard Kids then 1080° Snowboarding. It is known in Japan as King Hill 64: Extreme Snowboarding. While Twisted Edge was not very well received commercially or critically, it covered the snowboard niche between Cool Boarders 2 and 1080° Snowboarding by focusing on tricks (unlike 1080°, which focused on racing), and providing a more intuitive control system than that found in Cool Boarders 2.

Twisted Edge Snowboarding' was announced on June 9, 1997. Many gamers at the time were excited to hear that the company behind Top Gear Rally (the successful racing simulation) was going to be Boss Studios, and were to make their second video game for the Nintendo 64. Kemco was to publish the game, but Midway acquired the rights to publish the game on October 13, 1997. On January 22, 1998, the game was delayed for 4 months. The game was finally released on November 10, 1998 in the United States.

Critics panned the game. Reviewers were calling the game a "Huge Let Down". Reviewers criticized Boss for delaying the game for 4 months to make the game a "Better Game As Possible". By pushing back the title, "1080" was released in between Twisted's delay, which sold more game cartridges and is now being called as a "Classic". Everything about the game was mediocre. Music was pleasurable although the Gameplay was frustrating to play and the Graphics was not like 1080's standards

As you progress with your Snowboarding skills, you may find out that snow resorts no longer appeal to you unlike the first time you hit the slope. So what better way to rekindle your love for the sport than by taking a far challenging route than what your peers would normally take? Extreme Snowboarding gives you just that. It feeds your craving for the adrenaline rush that you wouldn't encounter in your usual snow resort.

So what exactly sets Extreme Snowboarding apart from the other disciplines? The most apparent difference between the two is that there is an inherent risk of meeting an accident in the extreme one. The danger involved in this sport makes it exciting at the same time. Nothing else can make your heart race and make you sweat bullets than going down a very steep slope, evading obstacles such as trees and facing unexpected turns. But you do not merely overcome the challenges set before you. In competitions, you must do that with grace, great amount of skill, control and confidence that will be more than enough to impress the judges.

There are already numerous Extreme Snowboarding competitions around the world. Examples of which are the World Extreme Snowboarding Championships in Alaska and the Marmot Extreme Skiing and Snowboarding Competition in New Zealand.

Competitions are divided into downhill and freestyle categories. In downhill events, contestants go 4000 feet downhill peppered with rollers, gullies and wind lips. Meanwhile, in freestyle events, a rider goes down 3000 feet of vertical run which involves natural half pipes, small cliffs, rolls, cornices and wind lips. The first event has two timed runs and one inspection run while the second has two judged runs and one inspection run.

Another typical aspect of Freestyle Snowboarding is the equipment used in this event. Riders use a wider and shorter Snowboard as compared with those normally used by other riders. It is then combined with a pair of soft-shelled boots which gives riders more flexibility. The combination of flexible materials in the board and the boots enable riders to make tight turns and other difficult maneuvers easily.

But all the fun in Extreme Snowboarding will be short-lived if you get broken bones, bruised muscles, or worse, get killed in the process. We therefore emphasize the importance of your safety whenever you go Snowboarding.

To ensure one's safety during a competition, riders are required to wear safety equipment such as climbing harnesses, helmets, avalanche transceivers as well as other pieces of basic survival gear. Having them will minimize the risk factor that a rider faces when doing this very dangerous activity.

It also helps to learn how to read the weather, the terrain and the mountain. Knowledge of such is important so that you will know when to and not to go down the slope instead of letting stubbornness get the better of you.

However, having the right kind of safety equipment isn't enough if you are not well-grounded on the basics of Snowboarding. If you think you haven't gathered enough experience of the death-defying (literally and figuratively) stunts in Extreme Snowboarding, then you might as well check out our Snowboarding Beginner Course first. Make sure you have enough knowledge and preparation before trying this style. It also helps to ask more experienced riders for advice in terms of technique, their choice of equipment and safety in the slopes. They can give you invaluable information that you won't find anywhere else.

So what are you waiting for? Take your Snowboarding experience to the next level and ride the virgin slopes. Have a great time doing Extreme Snowboarding! Just remember to keep your head and limbs intact!

Die Another Day [ Tamil

Die Another Day (2002) is the twentieth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale. In the pre-title sequence, Bond leads a mission to North Korea, during which he is found out and, after seemingly killing a rogue North Korean colonel, he is captured and imprisoned. More than a year later, Bond is released as part of a prisoner exchange, and, surmising that someone within the British government betrayed him, he follows a trail of clues in an effort to earn redemption by finding his betrayer and learning the intentions of Gustav Graves, who in typical Bond fashion, is not all that he seems.

Die Another Day, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and directed by Lee Tamahori, marks the franchise's 40th anniversary. The series began in 1962 with Sean Connery starring as Bond in U.K.'s Dr. No. Die Another Day includes references to each of the preceding films and also alludes to several Bond novels.

The 2002 film received mixed reviews—some critics praised Lee Tamahori's work on the film, while others claimed the plot was damaged by excessive use of CGI. Thus lauded by some and despite criticism, it was the highest-grossing James Bond film to that date.

* Pierce Brosnan as James Bond 007, an MI6 agent who is betrayed during a mission and subsequently dismissed under accusations that he leaked information to North Korea. Once reinstated with MI6, he tracks down Zao and uncovers a plot to reunite North and South Korea using military force.

* Halle Berry as Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson, an NSA agent who collaborates with Bond to track Zao and find his connection to the mysterious Gustav Graves. Berry described her character, Jinx, as "more modern" than her counterparts from previous films, "fashion-forward", and "the next step in the evolution of women in the Bond movies. According to an ITV news poll, Jinx was voted the fourth toughest on-screen girl of all time.

* Toby Stephens as Gustav Graves, Main antagonist. A British entrepreneur, though actually is Colonel Moon, who changed his appearance with the assistance of gene therapy technology and creates a satellite that uses diamonds to bring sunshine to the world at night. His real aim, however, is to assist North Korea's conquest of South Korea by destroying a mine field along the DMZ and taking out nuclear warheads fired by North Korea's enemies.

* Rick Yune as Zao, a North Korean who helps Graves implement his plans. Yune described Zao as one of the most "extreme" looking Bond villains; Yune's makeup—which included the implantation of real diamonds—required three hours a day to make.

* Rosamund Pike as Miranda Frost, a double agent who initially poses as Bond's ally but later reveals herself to be an affiliate of Graves. Of filming her scenes with Brosnan, Pike said "We had pretty fantastic sex." But movie producers decided much of the footage was "too hot" and the sex scenes were trimmed.

* Judi Dench as M, the strict head of MI6 who revokes Bond's licence to kill when he is released from prison, but later re-enlists him to help foil Graves' scheme.

* Will Yun Lee as Colonel Moon, a rogue North Korean army colonel who, though Bond thinks him dead after their first encounter, is found to be alive, and has altered his appearance to take on the identity of British tycoon Gustav Graves.

* Kenneth Tsang as General Moon, Colonel Moon's father. He is a strong advocate of North Korea's peaceful reunion with the South. He opposes his son's plan for reunification through violent conquest and is killed by his son for what the ex-colonel perceives as a lack of vision.

* John Cleese as Q, MI6's "quartermaster" who supplies Bond with multi-purpose vehicles and gadgets which prove useful in the latter's mission. Having previously played the role of Q's protege "R" in The World Is Not Enough, Cleese takes over the role of Q following Desmond Llewelyn's death. He pointedly refers to his predecessor when discussing some of his own work.

* Rachel Grant as Peaceful Fountains of Desire, a Chinese agent working for Mr Chang, undercover as a masseuse.

* Emilio Echevarría as Raoul, the manager of a Havana cigar factory, and a British sleeper. He helps Bond find Zao in Cuba.

* Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary.

* Lawrence Makoare as Mr. Kil, one of Gustav Graves' henchmen.

* David Decio as Mr. Kil's PA, Mr. Kil's personal assistant.

* Michael Madsen as Damian Falco, a high-ranking official in the NSA. In a 2002 interview Madsen remarked that "It's not a big role, but it's somewhat pivotal in that it introduces a new recurring character. A recurring character that has yet to recur, Madsen did not appear in either of the two following films.

* Madonna as Verity, Bond's fencing instructor.

Principal photography of Die Another Day began on 11 January 2002 at Pinewood studios. The film was shot primarily in the United Kingdom, Iceland, and Cádiz, Spain. Other locations included Pinewood Studios' historic 007 Stage, and scenes shot in Maui, Hawaii, in December 2001. Laird Hamilton and other professional surfers were hired to perform in the pre-title surfing scene, which was shot near Cádiz and Newquay, Cornwall. Scenes inside Graves' diamond mine were also filmed in Cornwall, at the Eden Project. The scenes involving the Cuban locations Havana and the fictional Isla Los Organos were filmed at La Caleta, Spain.

The scenes featuring Berry in a bikini were shot in Cádiz; the location was reportedly cold and windy, and footage has been released of Berry wrapped in thick towels between takes to avoid catching a chill. Berry was injured during filming when debris from a smoke grenade flew into her eye. The debris was removed in a 30-minute operation.

In London, the Reform Club was used to shoot several places in the film, including the lobby at the Blades Club, MI6 Headquarters, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, and Westminster. Svalbard, Norway and Jökulsárlón, Iceland were used for the car chase on the ice with additional scenes filmed at Jostedalsbreen National Park, Norway and RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire.

The scene where Bond surfs the wave that Icarus created when Graves was trying to kill Bond was shot on the blue screen. The waves and all of the glaciers in the scene were digitally produced.

The hangar interior of the "US Air Base in South Korea", shown crowded with Chinook helicopters, was filmed at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, UK, as were the helicopter interior shots during the Switchblade sequence although this took place entirely on the ground with the sky background being added post-shooting using blue screen techniques. Although in the plot the base is American, in reality all the aircraft and personnel in the shot are British. In the film, a Switchblade (one-man glider shaped like a fighter jet) is used by Bond and Jinx to enter North Korea undetected. The Switchblade was based on a workable model called "PHASST" (Programmable High Altitude Single Soldier Transport). Kinetic Aerospace Inc.'s lead designer, Jack McCornack was impressed by director Lee Tamahori's way of conducting the Switchblade scene and said, "It's brief, but realistic. The good guys get in unobserved, thanks to a fast cruise, good glide performance, and minimal radar signature. It's a wonderful promotion for the PHASST.Also, Graves' plane was a 20-foot wide model that was controlled by a computer. When the plane flew through the Icarus beam, engineers cut the plane away piece by piece so that it looked like it was burning and falling apart.

The sex scene between Bond and Jinx—the first time onscreen in the series in which Bond is depicted actually having sex as opposed to a post-coital scenario—had to be trimmed for the American market. An early cut of Die Another Day featured a brief moment—seven seconds in length—in which Jinx is heard moaning strongly. The MPAA ordered that the scene be trimmed so that Die Another Day could get the expected PG-13 rating. The scene was cut as requested, earning the film a PG-13 rating for "action violence and sexuality.

Main article: Die Another Day (soundtrack)

The soundtrack was composed by David Arnold and released on Warner Bros. Records.[13] He again made use of electronic rhythm elements in his score, and included two of the new themes created for The World is not Enough. The first, originally used as Renard's theme, is heard during the mammoth "Antonov" cue on the recording, and is written for piano. The second new theme, used in the "Christmas in Turkey" track of The World Is not Enough, is reused in the "Going Down Together" track.The title song for Die Another Day was written and sung by Madonna, who also had a cameo in the film as a fencing instructor. This is the first Bond theme to directly depict the film's plot since Dr. No; all of the other previous Bond titles are stand-alone set pieces. The concept of the title sequence is to represent Bond trying to survive 14 months of torture at the hands of the North Koreans. Critics' opinions of the song were sharply divided—it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording,[14] but also for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song of 2002. In a MORI poll for the Channel 4 programme "James Bond's Greatest Hits", the song was voted 9th out of 22, and also came in as an "overwhelming number one" favorite among those under the age of 24.

Die Another Day was released on 20 November 2002 in both the United States and London. The Queen and Prince Philip were guests of honour at the world première, which was the second to be attended by the Queen after You Only Live Twice. The Royal Albert Hall had a make-over for the screening and had been transformed into an ice palace. Proceeds from the première, about £500,000, were donated to the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund of which the Queen is patron. On the first day, ticket sales reached £1.2 million. Die Another Day was the highest grossing James Bond film until the release of Casino Royale. It earned $432 million worldwide, becoming the sixth highest grossing film of 2002.

Die Another Day became a controversial subject in eastern Asia. The North Korean government disliked the portrayal of their state as brutal and war-hungry. The South Koreans boycotted 145 theatres where it was released on 31 December 2002, as they were offended by a scene where an American officer issues orders to the South Korean army in the defence of their homeland, and by a lovemaking scene near a statue of the Buddha. The Jogye Buddhist Order issued a statement that the film was "disrespectful to our religion and does not reflect our values and ethics". The Washington Post reported growing resentment in the nation towards the United States. An official of the South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that Die Another Day was "the wrong film at the wrong time.

The amount of product placement in the film was a point of criticism, specifically from various news outlets such as the BBC, Time and Reuters who all used the pun "Buy Another Day". Reportedly 20 companies, paying $70 million, had their products featured in the film, a record at the time, although USA Today reported that number to be as high as $100 million. By choice, the number of companies involved in product placement dwindled to only eight for the next Bond film Casino Royale in 2006.

Rotten Tomatoes listed Die Another Day with a 59% rating.[27] Metacritic gave the film a 56 out of 100 rating, representing "Mixed or average reviews. Michael Dequina of Film Threat praised the film as the best of the series to star Pierce Brosnan and "the most satisfying instalment of the franchise in recent memory."[28] Larry Carroll of CountingDown.com praised Lee Tamahori for having "magnificently balanced the film so that it keeps true to the Bond legend, makes reference to the classic films that preceded it, but also injects a new zest to it all.Entertainment Weekly magazine also gave a positive reaction, saying that Tamahori, "a true filmmaker", has re-established the series' pop sensuality.Dana Stevens of The New York Times called the film the best of the James Bond series since The Spy Who Loved Me. Kyle Bell of Movie Freaks 365 stated in his review that the "first half of Die Another Day is classic Bond", but that "Things start to go downhill when the ice palace gets introduced."[31] According to a ITV news poll Jinx was voted the fourth toughest girl on screen of all time.

However, Die Another Day was strongly criticised for relying too much on gadgets and special effects, with the plot being neglected. James Berardinelli of Reelviews.net said, "This is a train wreck of an action film — a stupefying attempt by the filmmakers to force-feed James Bond into the mindless xXx mold and throw 40 years of cinematic history down the toilet in favor of bright flashes and loud bangs. Gary Brown of the Houston Community Newspapers also described the weak point of the film as "the seemingly non-stop action sequences and loud explosions that appear to take center stage while the Bond character is almost relegated to second string. Roger Moore remarked, "I thought it just went too far — and that’s from me, the first Bond in space! Invisible cars and dodgy CGI footage? Please!