The Huffington Postreports that Shweeb is a human powered monorail that is currently being used for competition at the Shweeb campus in New Zealand. However, it could eventually be used as an eco-friendly form of transportation. Shweeb is said to be faster than a racing bicycle and requires 50% of the energy.
The inventors believe rapidly expanding urban areas desperately need an alternative to cars like Shweeb. An article on Treehugger says that Shweeb's creators believe Shweeb is very cheap, can deliver thousands of people per hour, has no parking problems and has zero carbon emissions.
The result is the most efficient vehicle on earth, the most inexpensive infrastructure of any proposed urban transit and one of the highest capacity systems available - potentially delivering thousand's of people per hour in a very small airspace. All this with zero carbon emissions and no parking worries or cost!
One downside is that it looks a little cramped inside the Shweeb.
This is a pretty cool idea. Curated Magazine reports that Studiometrico helped Comvert convert an old theater in Milan into a store that contains a skate bowl on the top floor. Comvert designs clothing and accessories for snowboarding and skateboarding so the skate bowl is a perfect addition to their shop.
This description for this YouTube video calls this mountain unicycling and it looks pretty amazing and dangerous. A guy whizzes down a mountain on one wheel performing stunts, tricks and jumps as he goes. Somehow he manages to keep his balance. The video was filmed as part of the Kendal Mountain Film Festivals Extreme Film School. (via Sierra Blogging Post)
New Technology Uses Body Sensors, GPS to Track Skiers
New Scientist reports that a new motion capture system uses a network of sensors to detect high speed movement. The system uses a network of as many as fifteen lightweight sensors attached to the skier. There are also GPS receivers incorporated into the skiers' helmet. The data is used to generate computer animations that may help to show the skier what they are doing wrong and what they could do to increase speed.
Skip Ciccarelli, a 60-year-old survivor of prostate cancer, is a high school carpentry instructor at Shawsheen Technical High School in the Boston suburb of Billerica. On Father's Day he set out on a 54-day, 1,700 mile kayak trek from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Hudson River in New York City. His goal is to raise awareness for one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, second only to melanomas.
In 2002, Skip was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and was told by his doctors that he had two months time before the cancer spread to other parts of his body. After consultation with a team of doctors in Boston, he placed his bet on surgery and won. He is now cancer-free.
"At the time I realized, that like most men, I was clueless about prostate cancer and soon became flummoxed at how little men know about their own bodies," says Skip, a husband and father of three adult children. "I realize I need to use my own abilities to help raise awareness. By drawing attention to prostate cancer, I'm hoping more men will get prostate checkups and PSA screenings, and that more research will focus on this disease. When was the last time you heard someone talk about prostate cancer?"
According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 28,000 men will die from prostate cancer in 2008 while 186,000 new cases are diagnosed. With the aging of the baby-boomer generation, the number of new cases diagnosed annually is projected to reach 300,000 by 2015-an increase of more than 60 percent-with an accompanying annual death rate of approximately 45,000. Early detection and treatment can result in a five-year survival rate of more than 90 percent.
The course charted by Skip will take him through Lakes Michigan, Huron, St. Claire and Erie. It will also take him through the Detroit River and the Erie Canal before he starts his trip down the Hudson River. Covering 40 miles a day, with six days built in for bad weather delays and two days off to join his students at a technical competition in Kansas City, Missouri, Skip is planning on arriving at Manhattan's Pier 66 on August 9 - the seven year anniversary of his surgery.
You can visit the website here which contains a map of Skip's 1,700 mile course as well as information about his progress on the Paddle 4 Prostate website. Go Skip go!
The RipStik Caster Board was awarded Outdoor Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) during the T.O.T.Y (Toy of the Year) Awards Ceremony.
"We are thrilled that the RipStik has been selected for this T.O.T.Y award," said Carlton Calvin, president of Razor USA, manufacturers of the RipStik. "The introduction of the RipStik has lead to a nationwide craze, with consumers of all ages carving on the streets, from Southern California to Florida and everywhere in between. This spring, RipStik fans can look forward to more RipStik products with exciting new features in stores nationwide."
The RipStik Caster Board is innovative and patented with a unique mechanical design that blends the carving of surfing and snowboarding into a sport for dry land. The RipStik melds the motions and anatomy of both action sports into a distinctive ride. The independently rotating platforms and two inclined caster wheels generate speed and create a fun carving motion on the pavement while allowing tight twists and turns without pushing – just twist and go!
Here are some of the features of the RipStik.
Plastic end platforms connected by metal torsion beam
Urethane wheels on 360 degree inclined casters
Traction pads on each platform
Independently rotating platforms generate speed and allow tight twisting and turning without pushing
Kick tail and raised kick nose with concave design for tricks and improved footing
There are a number of RipStik videos on YouTube - see here. Surfing and snowboarding combined on a hard surface like dry land sounds like it could be a little dangerous (wear your helmet and knee pads). Still it looks a lot like skateboarding. It's not nearly as dangerous as something like powerizers.
Snowboard Magazine reports that a company named Bearfire Resorts, LLC has ambitious plans to open a huge ski resort in North Texas near the Fort Worth area.
A highly committed group of individual and corporate investors will provide the funding necessary to transform Bearfire Resort from schematic drawings to reality.
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is an advisor to the project and assists in identifying equity investors.
"Not only will Bearfire Resort be a huge economic boost to North Texas, but its innovative approach may prove to be a trend-setter for other cities around the country looking for ways to spur their local economies," said Armey.
Wendell, Gene, and Evan Jacobson of The Jacobson Group of Management Solutions, Inc. (MSI) will oversee the financing aspect of the Bearfire Resort including the organizing of the debt instruments and the equity funding. The Jacobsons have nearly 30 years of history in the Texas real estate market and are experienced in putting together large real estate transactions. MSI, one of their property management companies, has corporate offices in Dallas and in Utah.
The 650,000 square feet resort is possible because of a technology called Snowflex. (via Get Outdoors)
Skip Ciccarelli, a 60-year-old survivor of prostate cancer, is a high school carpentry instructor at Shawsheen Technical High School in the Boston suburb of Billerica. On Father's Day he set out on a 54-day, 1,700 mile kayak trek from the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Hudson River in New York City. His goal is to raise awareness for one of the most prevalent forms of cancer, second only to melanomas.
The 
Snowboard Magazine 