Around September 2009 I began thinking of what to write my written project about. As well as numerous other modules, one requirement of my BASI ISIA snowboard qualification was to complete a written project on a subject related to the snow sports industry.
The link between psychology and sport had always been an interest of mine so I decided to base my written project around this area. Whether this be in a snowboard competition environment or those first couple of days starting out on the beginner slopes.
While out in Bulgaria last season working for snowboard coach on there Level 2 gap course program, I had many an evening to work on the project. Kicking back in the evening in my apartment gave me ample time to read up from many different sources.
Information was gathered from far and wide from sources such as:
- Physical Education and the Study of Sport by Rob Davies
- Creative Coaching by Jerry Lynch
- Understanding Psychological Preparation for Sport by Lew Hardy
- The Journal of Professional Snowsports Instruction (PSIA)
However, there is one quote that really hits home for me and I feel it sums up the learning and progression through any sport. It’s what Kelly Slater has to say at 0.43 secs in a short clip of the film ‘Letting go by Kelly Slater’
“….forget about the contest and just have fun….
I’m a better competitor when I’m really having fun, so I thought that and then next wave I got a 10
….that’s what letting go means to me”
Link: “Understanding How Stress Affects our Sport And Techniques to Control It.pdf”
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Just after getting my iPhone, at the beginning of the summer, I went on a hunt for some wallpapers for it.
After a bit of searching I came across a site which, as well as having some wallpapers for my iPhone, really inspired me to re think the look of my old site. www.blurburger.com is a site full of stunning visuals and creative works of art which include desktop wallpapers and icons as well as various cartoons by Pete Joison.
Pete, creator of Blurburger, is a graphic designer and illustrator and although the site is no longer updated by Pete, he has left it up and running for anyone to download some of his work.
He now runs a new site www.petejoison.com, where more of his illustration / design work can be seen. Pete has also put up a couple of pages which host a collection of photos shot with his Canon S2 IS, along with bunch shot with his iPhone using a neat little app called Lomo – click here to view them.
The iPhone wallpapers that were originally hosted on Blurburger are unfortunately no longer available. However Pete has given me permission to host the zip file of wallpapers on my site. There are 44 different designs all together and the zip file can be found here:Blurburger iPhone Wallpapers.zip.
A BIG thanks to Pete for these.
Check him out www.petejoison.com.
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Since we’re less than 2 weeks away from Christmas, Drake Snowboards and Definition Camps thought it only fair to give out a few pressies recently.
Over the weekend, Milton Keynes SNO!zone saw another 2 day Definition ski and snowboard freestyle course running with Drake snowboards along side giving out some demo gear and prizes.
Demo boards and bindings from the 2010/2011 Drake range were available to those who had booked onto the 2 day freestyle definition course.
2010/2011 Drake Snowboards: DF1, DF2 smiley, Risto Mattila, Urban smiley, Player wide, Empire.
2010/2011 Drake Bindings: Radar, Supersport, Reload, Fifty, King.
Prizes for most improved and best stack over the weekend as well as t-shirts and hoddies were given away on Sunday. Thanks to Pat at Drake for coming along and sorting out the gear and prizes.
Drake demo kit will also be available for those booked on next weeks Definition freestyle course at MK on 17th -18th of December.
No prizes or give-aways next week though!
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If you like knowing what’s going on with your mac then you’ll love iStat Pro.
It is a dashboard widget that gives numerous read outs about your mac such as:
• Temperatures of CPU, GPU, Heat sinks + more
• CPU and memory usage
• Battery Status / Health
• Relevant fan speeds
• Internet connections and speeds
• + much more
Click here to download iStat Pro Version 4.92 for the Mac.
Or here for the Official Website
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Since the site has been up and running a while now it would only be fair to credit those involved in it’s creation / design and on going help and support (this includes current Word Press plugins used)
The Design and Idea:
When it came to creating a look and feel to the new site I knew what I was after, but to be honest, coming up with a design off my own back was going to take some time to say the least.
I needed ideas, good or bad.
I spoke with Chris Chadwick at www.thebinarybox.co.uk and he suggested I trawl the web and find some sites that I like the look of. I used couple of sites which showcased a variety of website designs.
www.smashingmagazine.com
www.thebestdesigns.com
www.webdesignfromscratch.com – Really liked the look of #5 from the following sites showcase
www.blurburger.com
www.bestwebgallery.com– Top Site for ideas
The most useful thing I found when first trawling though these sites was how I didn’t want my site to function or look.
With a few things in mind and the images of the characters (designed and drawn by Laura Price), Chris came back with a first draft which was very similar to how the site is now. Yes there were a few tweaks here and there but overall the site design hasn’t changed that much from the initial draft.
Coding / SEO:
This was all handled by Dominic Goode at BluDelta, and makes for a seamless, easy to update, functioning site.
WP Plugins:
A couple of plugins that make the site work well are:
Booking Calendar – (used on the apartment page)
Portfolio Slideshow – (used on my tips and tricks pictures to switch between goofy and regular versions)
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Here I will be adding in any questions and answers that I have received relating to the snowboard how to tricks I have posted up in the Freestyle Tips & Tricks category.
read more
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A visual tutorial on how to do a nollie backside 180 on a snowboard.
read more
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Bearing in mind my 17″ MacBook Pro is the A1212 2003 model, it has definitely lasted a while so I kind of expect it when things need replacing.
Last month I noticed that my right fan speed was at 0rpm while my left ran at the designated speed.
This showed up on 2 programs I use to monitor my Macs goings on.
read more
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Back from another awesome weekends coaching at Hemel Snow Centre. It was a jam packed Definition freestyle course again and the standard of riding was high!
Day one saw basic 50/50’s covered on the SCUK box. Later in the day it was 270 on to 270 off as well as cab 1’s to nose press. Day 2 was equally impressive, with grabs and shifty s galour, but this time is was on a kicker.
Well done to all those who attended. Here’s a short video of the footage shot from the 2 days.
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Four simple stages to learning (or perfecting) how to ollie on a snowboard by means of written, pictorial and video illustration.
If you’ve come across this by random or just starting out, read the ‘Snowboard Freestyle Technique’ post for a solid stance and progression to all other tricks.
read more
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