Daily Archives: December 2, 2013

Skiing

 

Skiing is a wonderful activity for anybody and of any age. People ski for exercise, fun, pleasure, competition, etc.  Skiing is a sport where you go down a mountain covered in snow on two skis with bindings attached to boots where your feet go in. Poles are used to mark your turn when carving down the mountain. Skiing dates back all the way to 6000 B.C.  Now I tell you skis have changed in style since then! Old skis used to be very tall and straight, all wooden making it harder but more challenging. Skis now are mostly parabolic, smaller, lighter, ski boots more improved, and better edges for a better turning radius.

For skiing I prefer park skiing (freestyle skiing). Park skiing includes jumps and rails. Jumps you can go off of and do tricks and the rail you go on them and grind them with the bottom of your skis! I personally like to use twin tip skis when park skiing. Twin tip skis have the same front and back so if you put them together it looks like you are on a cylinder almost. I enjoy twin tips because you can ride backwards and land backwards off jumps or rails. You can’t believe the thrill of going off a jump and feeling like you’re flying through the air!

~Jared

The Severe Recovery Process that the Philippines Has to Face

On November 7, 2013, a devastating typhoon hit the Philippines. The typhoon was the strongest tropical storm that has ever been recorded in history, with wind speeds over 195 mph! With wind speeds at that intensity level, it was estimated at first, that over 10,000 people in Tacloban City have died alone. Although reports show that over 5,000 people have died so far, the death toll is still increasing. As the toll is shown in reports, the typhoon is not even in the top 35 deadliest hurricanes list, because not many people died, as of previous hurricanes. After the major destruction that this intense storm had caused, the Philippines now has to face major cleanup and recovery. The image above shows flipped over vehicles, demolished homes and buildings, and trees that have fallen. The damage was so bad, that U.S troops have been sent over to help out. It shows that the storm was a terrible thing that people had to face, but hey, the people have to face it.

In my opinion, I think that this was a crazily tragic event, but most people were prepared. With the fact that the typhoon didn’t even make it into the top 35 list of deadliest storms, it shows that many people were prepared for the strongest hurricane in the world. Even though many people were prepared, I think it is really sad to hear that over 5,000 people died. What I am really concerned about is the recovery. This should take a long time because of the amount of devastation the typhoon left behind, even with hundreds of U.S troops helping out. People should really try to help out the Philippines, such as making donations, sending more people to help out, and even making wishes and hoping for the best. The Philippines will hopefully recover soon!

~Sameer