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Which sports are most popular in America? Here are what is supposed to be the top 20!

October 21, 2009 By ama

Ok the top 5 are a definite yes, but do you agree with the rest of these?

  1. American Football – This may be the obvious one but its true.
  2. Baseball – A sport that nobody knows how to play, unless you already know how to play it.
  3. Basketball – A very big sport in America, and not to mention the rest of the world.
  4. Hockey – All over America people tune in or travel to see these matches, some great matches to be seen.
  5. Golf – A very much skilled sport, but Tiger Woods really brought it too the people.
  6. Wrestling – Depending on what type you think of, this is either very popular or only a little.
  7. Tennis – Now this may not be as popular as American Football, but it definitely a great sport.
  8. Skateboarding – America really started this up as a sport, now it is worldwide.
  9. Surfing – Yeah Dude, grabbing those waves has been an American Past time.
  10. Ice Skating – A Sport in which men and women have become very famous for.
  11. Boxing – Is starting to catch up with Wrestling, but needs more time and more frequent fights.
  12. Soccer – The Americans have only just started to accept this as a big sport, but it is growing.
  13. Archery – you cannot deny this a position in the table, in the Olympics the Americans rule.
  14. Volleyball – This was definitely going to be in here somewhere, what a great event, to take part in and watch.
  15. Cycling – Now some consider this a British and French sport, But the Americans show a lot of strength in it.
  16. Athletics, or Track and Field – A big one for Americans, they always take strong hold in the Olympics.
  17. Horse Racing – Will be a great sport for all, and could actually come higher in this list.
  18. Rock Climbing – This is a great sport, and fun for everyone even indoors, Alain Robert has helped things out with this.
  19. Extreme Sports – Any Sport where injury is almost 100% likely.
  20. Auto Racing – Is very popular, but it doesn’t come high because of the different opinions across America.

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The Amazing Growth of Extreme Sports

August 30, 2009 By ama

When the term ‘extreme sports’ first came on to the scene, it only really pertained to a small group of new activities. Among those worthy of the accolade included sports such as BMX, base jumping, surfing, white water rafting and a few more. Even in the early days however, it was clear to see that some of the sports (and people) were are little more extreme than others. You can’t really compare jumping off the kerb on your skateboard to hurtling down a 70 degree slope with board strapped to your feet, dodging trees, rocks and deer, whilst trying to outrun an avalanche.

Nowadays however the range of sports that fall under the ‘Extreme Sports’ umbrella is quite frankly staggering. There are thrills to be had everywhere, including in the sky with paragliding, to in the water with the currently very popular, paddle boarding. In some cases it is no longer impressive enough to turn up to the beach with your surfboards, you now need to be involved in kitesurfing, land yachting, skim boarding and loads of other sports that people have dreamt up whilst presumably under the influence.

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New Research Tell Why Surfers Are So Confident

August 17, 2009 By ama

We have all seen those surfer types, strutting their stuff on the beach and making everything they do look effortless. I’m sure you’ve asked yourself if it’s something in the water that gives them their confidence or could it be those big surfboards that inflate their self-esteem? Well new research from Exeter University in the UK has now proven that surfing is officially the most confidence-building of all sports and there are a couple of theories why.

Before we delve into what influenced the findings, let us first examine just how the research study was carried out. 20 sports were tested overall and around 200 people took part who did not take part in regular sport themselves. A psychology test was used to measure confidence and was filled in by the participants both before and after they had completed their 3 month involvement in a certain sport. The conclusion from the study was that among all the sports, the participants who had been riding the waves for 3 months showed the highest increases in their confidence test scores.

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Going Surfing : What Is Surfing?

August 12, 2009 By ama

What surfing is and why you should try it are the questions looked at in this installment of our guide to how to surf.

Surfing is a popular sport in which you paddle into the ocean on a surfboard (usually a simple piece of polyurethane foam that has been coated with fiberglass) and then try to ride the waves back into shore.

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Surfing 101 : Standing On A Surfboard

August 10, 2009 By ama

Riding waves is the focus of this installment of our guide to how to surf.

Determining the right waves for you is essential in learning how to surf. If the wave is too small it won’t be able to carry you onto the shore and you’ll have a difficult time staying upright. Depending on your ability, a larger wave may cause you to fall off the board. Waves that are about 3 to 4 feet in height (1 to 1.5 meters) are perfect for those just beginning to learn how to surf.

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Training For Surfing – Which Muscles To Work On

July 16, 2009 By ama

Nobody can deny that surfing is among the most strenuous of any extreme sports. You only have to try it once and be in the water for half an hour to feel a great amount of respect for the surfers who go out and ride the waves every day of their lives. Just getting out to sea and maintaining the right position to catch waves is hard enough, but once your surfing there again a huge demand on various muscle groups. So which muscle groups have the greatest demand put on them and so need more training?

Deltoids – These are basically the shoulder muscles and they will take an absolute pounding during any surf session. As you paddle out to sea and are lying on your front on the board, most of your ofter torso muscles are disengaged and your shoulders do 80% of the workload. If you imagine you are paddling out 20 times or so in a session, those muscles better be ready

Trapezius – These muscles make up those of the upper back and the neck. They are also involved with the surfboards progressive movement when you are paddling out, but are called into action more when you are ‘popping’ up on the board. Explosive strength is needed in this action so with this in mind, the work you do in the gym should be with high weights and at a fast pace

Abs and core muscles – Your stabilising muscles need to be in peak condition otherwise you might as well just not get in the water. Although skill and balance are important elements in surfing, they are nothing without the muscles that are engaged to alter body position rapidly. There is not really any element of surfing that does not called upon these muscles so they should be your primary focus. Pilates is great for developing core strength, but you can also use a swiss ball to work all core-muscles.

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How We Can Make Surfboard Production Greener

May 10, 2009 By ama

Surfing is the most natural of sports possible. The crashing waves, the fresh sea air and the reliance on mother nature for good surf, all suggest that this is the most wholesome of extreme sports. A large number of environmentalist have pointed out however that something sinister lies under the surface. The truth is that their are number of harmful human and environmental side-effect to the production of these boards.

Most surfboards these days are formed from a core of polyurethane foam. 1 or 2 layers of fibreglass are then added to all sides and the whole board gets a polyester resin coating. A carcinogenic substance called toluene diisocyanate is frequently found in the foam. The styrene gas that is also produced during manufacture has been criticised by health professionals due to its harmful effect on the nervous system and its ability to cause nausea, tiredness and disorientation. Additionally, carbon dioxide and VOCs (volatile organic components) are released into the atmosphere during production. Most of the elements that go into modern surfboards are also non-biodegradable.

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