HBO Sports Sensationalizes Backcountry Skiing

Last night, HBO?s look at backcountry skiing on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel lived up to our predicted expectations by grossly sensationalizing backcountry skiers as reckless, Red Bull-fueled adrenaline freaks with a death wish. In the segment?s intro, Bryant Gumbel called backcountry skiing a sport ?way, way outside the mainstream? whose participants look for the ?most rugged, isolated, and insanely dangerous? places to ski on earth. That pretty much set the tone for the segment. Behind footage of Alaskan spine-skiing and ski-mountaineering borrowed from snowsports film companies, Jon Frankel (the segment?s reporter and commentator) interviewed Tanner Hall, Elyse Saugstad, and Chris Davenport. To his credit, Frankel did allude to the fact that the guys doing the craziest stuff are sponsored skiers filming with movie companies, who have huge support teams and loads of experience. He attempted to point out that these professionals realize the risk and do everything in their power to mitigate that risk. But when Frankel?s questioning led the audience to believe that every ?backcountry skier? aspires to be Tanner Hall and is going out hucking himself in a desperate effort to become a sponsored skier, the message got muddled. Frankel mentioned the growing population of backcountry skiers, which has inevitably led to an increase in people beyond the area boundaries that are in over their heads. But nowhere did he mention the countless more professionals, like avalanche forecasters and guides, who are teaching proper backcountry protocols?the foremost of which are terrain- and snow safety. Each of the interviewees had some insightful commentary on the issue?especially Davenport and Saugstad. But the HBO editing painted a portrait of two million backcountry psychopaths roving the mountains mining adrenaline, when the vast majority of backcountry skiers are more likely out for fitness, scenery, solitude, and on-ski adventure. HBO used the fringe to define the majority. Yes there are risks. There will always be risks to backcountry skiing. This season was a scary and painful reminder of that?especially to those of us with close connections to this season's many victims. But any serious skier knows that backcountry skiing is much more than searching out the ?steepest, most daunting mountains on earth,? or the next life-or-death scenario in the mountains. HBO failed to deliver that memo to last night's audience. It?s very clear what sells with the mainstream audience. It?s certainly not a few friends searching for some low angle powder and a little solitude away from the lifts. It?s shock. It?s insanity. [Cue Tanner Hall?s incoherent lead-in rant about a future bright with backflips on Mars].

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This week's new events

Alternative Comics Fair, LeedsThis compact comics fair in Leeds is small enough to fit in a bar behind the city's art gallery, but the enthusiasm displayed by local exponents of comic arts and regional visitors could fill Elland Road. It's a great opportunity to catch young artists and buy originals from those on the way up, not to mention skilled organisers and local stalwarts Steve Tillotson and Hugh "Shug" Raine. Look out for the bright, illustrative style of Adam Cadwell, John Allison's Bad Machinery, and engaging character-driven stuff from Dan Berry.A Nation Of Shopkeepers, SatIain AitchCathedral Quarter Arts Festival, BelfastIt's the 13th outing of this ace multi-arts fest. Velvet Underground legend John Cale heads the music bill (Thu), alongside Death In Vegas (5 May), and Field Music, (7 May) while the plastic bag-faced Rubberbandits (Fri) will be doing their comic electro thing. There's stand-up with Dylan Moran (13 May), Roisin Conaty (11 May), and Simon Amstell (6 May), and even the street performers are worth your time, not least sweetly crap Aussie clown Mooky Cornish (5 to 7 May).Various venues, Thu to 13 MayStuart GoodwinAmy Lam�'s Unhappy Birthday, On tourShe pioneered the Lesbian Beauty Contest, set Gay Shame up against Gay Pride, and most recently began her Mama Cass Family Singers show by walking onstage eating a ham sandwich, the meal (wrongly) reputed to have killed the Mamas & The Papas singer. Suffice to say Amy Lam� is not your average hostess. For her latest solo extravaganza, she celebrates her birthday through "party, performance and poncing about", and true to Lam� borrowing the title of a Smiths track, a seat will be left vacant for Morrissey, should he fancy coming along. Lam�'s shows are rarely the most polished, but expect laughs, glitz, and at times painfully intimate autobiographical detail.Camden People's Theatre, NW1, Tue to 12 May, touring to 29 JunSGOut & aboutBeltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh, Sat & MonToday's family day is followed in explosive fashion on Monday as the streets come alive in fiery colour. Flame on, and that.Calton HillWOW Festival ? Below Decks, Liverpool, Sat to 31 MayHistory and activism, with Benjamin Zephaniah, Pauline Black, plus Tom Watson on the death of the News Of The World.Various venuesCycling Protest Rides, Edinburgh & London, SatHuge organised rides, with campaigners seeking safer streets for cyclists.Edinburgh: from 2pm, Meadows Park; London: from 11am, Park Lane, W1 Fossil Festival, Lyme Regis, Thu to 6 MayHands-on goodness as scientists showcase history both ancient and everyday.Various venuesJack-in-the-Green Festival, Hastings, Fri to 7 MayTraditional music sessions and jigging, barely hinting at the May Day panto triffid fun to follow.Various venuesIain AitchStuart Goodwinguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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The Radar: Slo-Mo Tokyo, Grab a Beer in Bend, 5 Secrets About Iceland

The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the Web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups. Photograph by Jean Philippe Schweitzer, My Shot

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Eco Serendib Villa and Spa Gallery

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Almost 40% of travellers forge relationships on flights

A new survey of international travellers by global travel search site Skyscanner has found that 39% of travellers have developed friendships with someone they met on a flight, with 6% even admitting to a romantic liaison with a new acquaintance on-board.
The poll of over 700 flyers found while the majority of these connections were short lived, 5% spent time on holiday together as a direct result of meeting on their flight. Taking their friendship even further, 7% said they continued to stay in touch after their holiday.
Social media also appears to be prolonging these longer-term relationships, with 3% staying in touch on the social network with someone they met on a flight. It is perhaps this point that Dutch national carrier KLM are looking to exploit with their new Facebook app which allows passengers to enter their details and choose who they sit next to on their flight.
Although 57% of people thought the service was 'weird' and would not be using it, one in five said they would use the app and an inquisitive 23% also said they would consider using the service.
However, despite the app being dubbed the 'Mile High app', the results of the Skyscanner survey actually show that the likelihood of friendship is far greater than that of romance with only 6% admitting to a fling at 30,000 feet and only 2% having a lasting relationship.
Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner's Travel Editor, said: "It's clear that many travellers want to make more of their travel experience than simply getting from A to B, and our findings show that on-board friendships and romances are now quite common. Part of the fun of travelling is meeting people, and of course this can start on the flight itself!"
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* Wish List: Stay in a Bungalow

Escape to the Likuliku Lagoon resort to fulfill a dream on the ISLANDS Wish List






Likuliku Lagoon








ISLANDS Editor Eddy Patricelli stayed at the Likuliku Lagoon resort off Malolo Island in Fiji and right away knew it should be on the wish list of island travelers everywhere, heartily recommended by Eddy. Find more wishes on the ISLANDS Wish List.
Click the image below for the 1920 x 1200 widescreen Likuliku Lagoon wallpaper.

 

 

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Amish Country, Here We Come!

It?s strange to me that many New Yorkers have not been to the top of the Empire State Building or taken a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. But, then again, during the time I spent outside of Philadelphia attending college, I never bothered to visit Pennsylvania Dutch Country — a mere 30 minutes away…

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