Results matching “Bird”

DIY canoe by Shuhei Ogawara.

Via Paddling Instructor : what do you do with 7,382 used chopsticks? Build a canoe, of course.

Bean's Green Flying Machine. And no, it didn't.

The Red Bull Flugtag ('Flying Day') has become a regular event in many parts of the world. It involves teams of people constructing home-made 'aircraft' (and I use the term very loosely), and launching themselves from a ramp above the water.

Some of them make 10 metres*; most of them manage 2 or 3. That isn't really the point.

Why do people do it?

Good question. The competitors all have reasonable levels of strength, intelligence and foolhardiness. Of these, I suspect 'foolhardiness' is the major component.

Quite simply - they do it because it's fun.

Why do people watch?

I must admit, it feels a little odd to watch an event without the usual expectations. With most things I see, the person who lifts the most, runs the fastest, swims the smoothest etc is generally the winner. In the case of the Flugtag, it's quite different. All competitors have crowd support.

I want to watch one. When is the next Flugtag near me?

There are regular Flugtags held in over 20 cities across the globe. In addition to the event listings on this site, this dynamic calendar keeps a pretty close eye on the German events.

Looking for more?

If you want to take a look at the event itself, here are a few of the many places to check out :

• Official Red Bull photo gallery (for this particular event)
• Testing the 'Wheel of Glory' (streaming video)
• Highlights from the 2006 Vancouver Flugtag (streaming video)

More photos and video on the way.

Final thoughts on the Red Bull Flugtag

I love watching amateur events such as this - where competitors take part simply because they enjoy it. After all, isn't that the perfect thinking behind any sport or activity?

* If you're wondering, the record is an astonishing 60m, set in Austria 8 years ago. Most competitors don't travel anywhere near that distance.

Sweet Italian turkey sausage.

If you choose to buy a book of "healthy" recipes, keep these thoughts in mind:

1. If the cookbook is for low-fat or "light" cooking, beware of recipes with tons of sugar, sugar-like ingredients, and flour. Sugar and flour are indeed "fat free" but will of course make you fat and wreck your health.

2. If the cookbook is "low carb" beware of calorically dense recipes: lots of butter and other sources of dietary fat. Again, these are low-carb but not necessarily low calorie. Also, some of these books take it too far and can be "veggie-free" which isn't necessary on a low-carb plan.

Good stuff.