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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Winter sports
A comprehensive insider's view of the world's fastest-growing winter sport and the energetic subculture it has spawned. It offers a holistic picture with action shots, behind-the-scenes reportage, hospital portraits and the latest graphic designs and illustrations. These images are infused with commentary, quotes and jargon from those who live for snowboarding - pitching iconic high-points alongside day to day minutiae, weather obsessions with the trappings of a professional rider's engagements. Blower has made its way in to snowboarding's inner circle - sourcing information and iconography from the specialist print media, clothing and graphic creatives who are shaping its future.
Before a surfing accident caused thirty-three-year-old Devon Raney to lose all but 15 percent of his vision, he had already lived an extraordinary life. Time and again he’d gone against the grain to maximize time for his passions—surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding—bringing him into the direct path of colorful characters, unexpected adventures, and even the occasional brush with death. Through it all, Devon’s commitment to outdoor adventure never wavered. If anything, he learned to approach the other commitments he would make in life—as a husband and as a father—with the same passion and dedication he’d applied to board sports. So when facing a devastating mid-life challenge, Devon once again went against the grain -- sideways. Instead of retreating into a life made smaller by the things he could no longer do—drive, build houses, read to his young daughter—Devon resolved to keep his commitments to the same passions that had defined and sustained him. Using his remaining peripheral vision, he developed a style of tandem snowboarding, figured out how to read the waves, and carried himself through his daily life in such a way that few people other than his close friends and family were aware of his vision loss. Still Sideways makes the case for the sustaining power of nature for a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts: the late Gen X / early millennial generation that has one foot firmly in adulthood and the other foot buckled into a binding. Readers will relate to Devon’s stubborn refusal to organize his life around convention and will be inspired by how his dogged devotion to shredding brings him salvation, not comeuppance, when it all hits the fan. A must-read for any mid-life adventurer, Still Sideways intersperses a gripping narrative of Devon’s incredible decade and flashbacks of formative experiences from his youth and young adulthood with humor, candor, and authenticity.
Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980
U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an
unconventional coach, and they engineered perhaps the greatest
sports moment of the twentieth century. Their "Miracle on Ice" has
become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even
more remarkable. It is a legacy of hope, hard work, and homegrown
triumph. It is a chronicle of everyday heroes who just wanted to
play hockey happily ever after. It is still unbelievable. "From the Hardcover edition.
Snowboarding maverick Billy Morgan has dedicated his life to redefining what is possible. With two world firsts to his name, he is also the first British male to win an Olympic medal on snow. Emerging from working-class origins in Southampton, a long way off piste, Morgan came late to the traditionally bourgeois world of snowsports. Driven by a latent love for fun, he reaches far beyond the cliches of stoner kids and street slang to explore the courage required at his sport's highest levels. Morgan's specialist event, Big Air, involves flying off a 50-metre ramp at 70 miles per hour, spinning and twisting while airborne, then landing. Even within the death-defying world of adventure sports, it is one of the most dangerous disciplines imaginable. In this groundbreaking autobiography, Morgan outlines the culture, ethos and philosophy of his sport. A sport in which one wrong move can cause life-changing injury. A sport whose party-animal practitioners feel peculiarly attuned with nature. Drop In! is a testament to human potential.
For over a century New Englanders have taken to the slopes in search of ways to enjoy the coldest months, and skiing has deep roots in the region. In the late nineteenth century Scandinavian immigrants worked to educate snowbound locals on how to ski, make equipment, and prepare trails. Soon thereafter, colleges across the Northeast built world-class ski programs, massive jumps were constructed in Brattleboro and Berlin, and dozens of ski areas-big and small-cropped up from the 1930s through the 1980s.Traveling the Old Ski Tracks of New England offers a fascinating history of downhill, cross-country, and backcountry skiing across the region and its leading personalities. Moving from popular destinations like Stowe, Cannon, Bromley, and Mount Washington to the less intimidating hills surrounding Boston, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, E. John B. Allen also recovers the forgotten stories of ski areas that have been abandoned in the face of changing tastes and a warming climate.
For over a century New Englanders have taken to the slopes in search of ways to enjoy the coldest months, and skiing has deep roots in the region. In the late nineteenth century Scandinavian immigrants worked to educate snowbound locals on how to ski, make equipment, and prepare trails. Soon thereafter, colleges across the Northeast built world-class ski programs, massive jumps were constructed in Brattleboro and Berlin, and dozens of ski areas-big and small-cropped up from the 1930s through the 1980s.Traveling the Old Ski Tracks of New England offers a fascinating history of downhill, cross-country, and backcountry skiing across the region and its leading personalities. Moving from popular destinations like Stowe, Cannon, Bromley, and Mount Washington to the less intimidating hills surrounding Boston, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, E. John B. Allen also recovers the forgotten stories of ski areas that have been abandoned in the face of changing tastes and a warming climate.
A huge number of people ski, and this fun little book looks at all aspects of what makes it so appealing. For some, it's a serene communication with nature as they glide down a gentle slope in silence, for others it's a 100-miles-an-hour descent down an almost vertical piste with an evening of beer, cheese and singing as a follow-up. The Little Book of Skiing delves into this fascinating sport, starting with the history and encompassing pretty much everything that draws us to beautiful white slopes across the world. So whether you're a once-a-year wobble-down-a-nursery-slope type or a skiing superstar in lycra, this book will inform, amaze and amuse, and hopefully make your next epic power day that little bit better. SAMPLE QUOTE: 'There are really only three things to learn in skiing: how to put on your skis, how to slide downhill, and how to walk along the hospital corridor.' - From A Chinaman in My Bath and other pieces by Lord Mancroft, 1974 SAMPLE FACT: The word 'ski' comes from the ancient Norse word 'skio', which means a split piece of wood.
THE TOP TWENTY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A brilliant new story-teller has arrived' ERIN KELLY 'A read-in-one-sitting thriller' LUCY CLARKE 'Chilling, devious' JANICE HALLETT 'Glorious escapism with a murderous twist' TAMMY COHEN They thought it was perfect. They were wrong... A glamorous chateau Aura and Nick don't talk about what happened in England. They've bought a chateau in France to make a fresh start, and their kids need them to stay together - whatever it costs. A couple on the brink The expat community is welcoming, but when a neighbour is murdered at a lavish party, Aura and Nick don't know who to trust. A secret that is bound to come out... Someone knows exactly why they really came to the chateau. And someone is going to give them what they deserve. The Sunday Times bestseller is back with a rollercoaster read, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. 'Gripping, glamorous, ingeniously twisty' LAURA MARSHALL 'The definition of unputdownable' SINEAD CROWLEY 'Hot on the heels of her debut thriller, Cooper has crafted yet another gripping page-turner that kept me second guessing myself until the very end' KARIN NORDIN Praise for Catherine Cooper: 'Pure adrenaline' Erin Kelly 'Agatha Christie with glamour' Sunday Times Style 'Intense and claustrophobic' Heat The Chalet was a Sunday Times No.5 bestseller for w/e 28/11/20
Amanda Lamarches debut collection of poetry is a work of imaginative grace and power. These poems topple the normal hierarchy of everyday concerns, promoting fears unlikely in the normal state of being -- the fear of buttons, of dying to the wrong song, of houses built on corners -- to the same stage and emotional impact as the more common (perhaps more cliched) fears of car crashes and collapsing bridges. The clever combination of explorations emotional and playful carries on. Technical advice for cutting down trees is juxtaposed with the development of ominous personal overtones. The title sequence takes issue with the easy laying down of language by recasting well-worn sayings: giving them back-stories, situating them in real time and real places, and reinvigorating them by providing each its own individual universe from which to draw meaning. Amanda Lamarches refreshing poems refuse at all the right moments to take themselves too seriously. They have the amazing ability to make readers shift from out-loud laughter to profound insight in a gasp of breath.
Looking back on a memorable career, Darren McCarty recounts his time as one of the most visible and beloved members of the Detroit Red Wings as well as his personal struggles with addiction, finances, and women and his daily battles to overcome them. As a member of four Red Wings' Stanley Cup-winning teams, McCarty played the role of enforcer from 1993 to 2004 and returning again in 2008 and 2009. His "Grind Line" with teammates Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby physically overmatched some of the best offensive lines in the NHL, but he was more than just a brawler: his 127 career goals included several of the highlight variety, including an inside-out move against Philadelphia in the clinching game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. As colorful a character as any NHL player, he has arms adorned with tattoos, and he was the lead singer in the hard rock band Grinder during the offseason. Yet this autobiography details what may have endeared him most to his fans: the honest, open way he has dealt with his struggles in life off the ice. Whether dealing with substance abuse, bankruptcy, divorce, or the death of his father, Darren McCarty has always seemed to persevere.
Travel with Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins on her compelling journey from America's heartland to international sports history, navigating challenges and triumphs with rugged grit and a splash of glitter Pyeongchang, February 21, 2018. In the nerve-racking final seconds of the women's team sprint freestyle race, Jessie Diggins dug deep. Blowing past two of the best sprinters in the world, she stretched her ski boot across the finish line and lunged straight into Olympic immortality: the first ever cross-country skiing gold medal for the United States at the Winter Games. The 26-year-old Diggins, a four-time World Championship medalist, was literally a world away from the small town of Afton, Minnesota, where she first strapped on skis. Yet, for all her history-making achievements, she had never strayed far from the scrappy 12-year-old who had insisted on portaging her own canoe through the wilderness, yelling happily under the unwieldy weight on her shoulders: "Look! I'm doing it!" In Brave Enough, Jessie Diggins reveals the true story of her journey from the American Midwest into sports history. With candid charm and characteristic grit, she connects the dots from her free-spirited upbringing in the woods of Minnesota to racing in the bright spotlights of the Olympics. Going far beyond stories of races and ribbons, she describes the challenges and frustrations of becoming a serious athlete; learning how to push through and beyond physical and psychological limits; and the intense pressure of competing at the highest levels. She openly shares her harrowing struggle with bulimia, recounting both the adversity and how she healed from it in order to bring hope and understanding to others experiencing eating disorders. Between thrilling accounts of moments of triumph, Diggins shows the determination it takes to get there-the struggles and disappointments, the fun and the hard work, and the importance of listening to that small, fierce voice: I can do it. I am brave enough.
Amy Purdy, who inspired a nation on Dancing with the Stars and has been called a hero by Oprah Winfrey, reveals the intimate details of her triumphant comeback from the brink of death to making history as a Paralympic snowboarder. In this poignant and uplifting memoir, Dancing With the Stars sensation Amy Purdy reveals the story of how losing her legs led her to find a spiritual path. When the Las Vegas native was just nineteen, she contracted bacterial meningitis and was given less than a two percent chance of survival. In a near-death experience, she saw three figures who told her: "You can come with us, or you can stay. No matter what happens in your life, it's all going to make sense in the end." In that moment, Amy chose to live. Her glimpse of the afterlife-coupled with a mysterious premonition she'd had a month before -became the defining experiences that put Amy's life on a new trajectory after her legs had to be amputated. She wouldn't just beat meningitis and walk again; she would go on to create a life filled with bold adventures, big dreams, and boundless vitality-and share that spirit with the world. In 2014, Amy-the only competitor, male or female, with two prosthetic legs-claimed a bronze medal for the U.S. Paralympic team in adaptive snowboarding. She then became a contestant on season eighteen of Dancing With the Stars, and viewers were captivated as the girl with bionic legs managed to out-dance her competitors all the way to the finale. Amy's journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity we all have to dream bigger, defy expectations, and rewrite our stories. Amy was given a second chance for a reason-to use her life to inspire others. Her powerful memoir urges us to live life to the fullest, because we are all a lot more capable than we could ever imagine.
For two weeks every winter, a rarefied group of ski jumpers travel the Midwest competing in a Five Hills Tournament across some of America’s most notable ski jumps. Thousands of fans pack local ski clubs to witness competitors launch themselves from the large towers that rise menacingly above the flat Midwest landscape. A ski jumper himself, Cooper Dodds’ color photographs highlight a Nordic tradition transplanted in middle America and sustained through extensive volunteer support and young athletes obsessed with the art of flying.
For more than 100 years, winter sports have been an integral part of the image of mountainous regions. Skiing in particular became the "in" activity for the rich and beautiful during the "roaring twenties". The sport was as much about competition as it was about an exclusive lifestyle. Since that time, winter sports destinations have adver tised their assets through artistically designed posters. Renowned Artists have used pencils and water colors to express the ideals of winter vacations in top Alpine locations such as St. Moritz, Chamonix and Groeden, as well as dream places like Vail and Whistler in the Rocky Mountains. The collection in this book documents the stylistic development while presenting in different chapters the most beautiful and exceptional posters of the era.
The untold story of hockey's deep roots from different regions of the world, and its global, cultural impact. Played on frozen ponds in cold northern lands, hockey seemed an especially unlikely game to gain a global following. But from its beginnings in the nineteenth century, the sport has drawn from different cultures and crossed boundaries--between Canada and the United States, across the Atlantic, and among different regions of Europe. It has been a political flashpoint within countries and internationally. And it has given rise to far-reaching cultural changes and firmly held traditions. The Fastest Game in the World is a global history of a global sport, drawing upon research conducted around the world in a variety of languages. From Canadian prairies to Swiss mountain resorts, Soviet housing blocks to American suburbs, Bruce Berglund takes readers on an international tour, seamlessly weaving in hockey's local, national, and international trends. Written in a lively style with wide-ranging breadth and attention to telling detail, The Fastest Game in the World will thrill both the lifelong fan and anyone who is curious about how games intertwine with politics, economics, and culture.
'They're places skiers will love.' - Metro 'An intercontinental romp through a galaxy of ski trivia.' - Scotsman 'Whether you've ever skied or never been near a chairlift or the piste, there is gold in these pages. ' - Press & The Journal The amazing history behind the best ski trails in the world. Veteran ski journalist Patrick Thorne has unearthed the incredible stories behind 50 unique runs from the utterly unmissable to the totally unexpected. Discover the two different Alpine ski areas who claim to be Hannibal's route through the mountains with his elephants; the debate around what is really the world's steepest slope; how smugglers have used ski runs to escape custom patrol; and why hundreds of skiers dress as witches at Belalp in Switzerland every year. Features skiing from across Europe, North America and South America, as well as fascinating global ski destinations including China, Iran and even North Korea. Along the way we'll meet Franz Klammer, the greatest ski racer in history, as well as The Beatles, Count Dracula, St Patrick and James Bond. Complimented with practical information and trail maps, it is the perfect gift for the skier in your life.
This is the definitive story of the Iditarod, the dogsled race that has been run for over a century--told in brisk inviting stories and fully illustrated with color photographs, including updated information through the 2018 race. The famed 1000-mile dogsled race from Anchorage in Southeast Alaska to Nome on the Bering Sea is a test of endurance, both human and canine. The great history of the race has unfolded in the accounts of mushers and dog teams, fierce weather, accidents and good luck--with personalities like Joe Redington Sr., Rick Swenson, and Libby Riddles being joined by Lance Mackey, DeeDee Jonrowe, and Mitch & Dallas Seavey in recent years. The book is thoroughly illustrated with Jeff Schultz's photography, including coverage of the most recent runnings of the Iditarod.
In this exhilarating memoir, three-time World Champion and Olympic gold-medalist Nathan Chen tells the story of his remarkable journey to success, reflecting on his life as a Chinese American figure skater and the joys and challenges he has experienced-including the tremendous sacrifices he and his family made, and the physical and emotional pain he endured. When three-year-old Nathan Chen tried on his first pair of figure skates, magic happened. But the odds of this young boy-one of five children born to Chinese immigrants-competing and making it into the top echelons of figure skating were daunting. Chen's family didn't have the resources or access to pay for expensive coaches, rink time, and equipment. But Nathan's mother, Hetty Wang, refused to fail her child. Recognizing his tremendous talent and passion, she stepped up as his coach, making enormous sacrifices to give Nathan the opportunity to compete in this exclusive world. That dedication eventually paid off at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, where Chen-reverently known as the "Quad King"-won gold, becoming the first Asian-American man to stand at the highest podium in figure skating. In this moving and inspiring memoir Chen opens up for the first time, chronicling everything it took to pursue his dreams. Bolstered by his unwavering passion and his family's unconditional support, Chen reveals the most difficult times he endured, and how he overcame each obstacle-from his disappointment at the 2018 Olympic Games, to competing during a global pandemic, to the extreme physical and mental toll the sport demands. Pulling back the curtain on the figure skating world and the Olympics, Chen reveals what it was really like at the Beijing Games and competing on the US team in the same city his parents had left-and his grandmother still lived. Poignant and unfiltered, told in his own words, One Jump at a Time is the story of one extraordinary young man-and a testament to the love of a family and the power of persistence, grit, and passion. This memoir includes 16 pages of color photographs.
American photographers John Huet and David Burnett were commissioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to create a personal record ofthe Olympic Games in their own way; these new books are the result of that freedom and artistry. They capture the essence and adventure of the Olympic Games through stunning and unconventional photographs.David Burnett is the co-founder of Contact Press Images in New York. He covered the Vietnam War as a staff photographer for "Life "magazine.John Huet is a sports photographer and a director of commercials. His book "Soul of the Game: Images and Voices of Street Basketball "was published to critical acclaim in 1997."
Featuring the insights, strategies, and experiences of the sport's top coaches, The Hockey Coaching Bible sets a new standard for those who teach the game, develop the players, and dominate the ice. Whether head coach or assistant, at the youth level or professional, you will find a wealth of information to improve performance and strengthen your program. You'll go inside the game with 16 of hockey's most respected teachers: * Joe Bertagna * Bill Cleary * Tom Anastos * Guy Gadowsky * Mike Schafer * Marty Palma * Hal Tearse * Mike Cavanaugh * Jack Parker * Rick Comley * Mark Dennehy * Ben Smith * E.J. McGuire * George Gwozdecky * Nate Leaman * Mike Eaves Every facet of coaching is covered. The book features the most effective drills for developing players at each position and in-game strategies for various game situations, including offensive, defensive, and neutral-zone play and power plays and penalty kills. In addition to on-ice Xs and Os, you'll find sage advice for building a program from the ground up, furthering your professional development as a coach, and gaining community and parental support for projecting a positive image and earning the respect of your players and supporters. Never has there been a more comprehensive coaching resource on the game. With The Hockey Coaching Bible, you'll build your program into a powerhouse.
When the Rogers Place arena opened in downtown Edmonton in September 2016, no amount of buzz could drown out the rumours of manipulation, secret deals, and corporate greed undergirding the project. Working with documentary evidence and original interviews, the authors present an absorbing account of the machinations that got the arena and the adjacent Ice District built, with a price tag of more than $600 million. The arena deal, they argue, established a costly public financing precedent that people across North America should watch closely, as many cities consider building sports facilities for professional teams or international competitions. Their analysis brings clarity and nuance to a case shrouded in secrecy and understood by few besides political and business insiders. Power Play tells a dramatic story about clashing priorities where sports, money, and municipal power meet.
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