Talk Extreme Blog

VWs Cruise to Eastbourne Extreme

Wed, 27 May 2009 15:47:47 BST

Eastbourne Extreme returns for its 5th year from 18-19 July 2009 with even more adrenaline, music and intense sports along the Eastbourne Eastern Seafront. The event is FREE and features a brand new attraction with the VW Bus Stop bringing their Show & Shine Competition to the south coast resort for the first time. Eastbourne Extreme will return this summer with an even bigger line up of air, land and water outdoor pursuits offering taster sessions, demonstrations and competitions with opportunities for visitors to really get involved. A convoy of Volkswagen Campers, Beach Buggies and Beetles who will cruise along the seafront on Sunday 19 July to join the festivities. The top collection of Classic and Custom VW’s will park on the beach for their annual Show & Shine Competition bringing a real surf vibe to the popular event. Director of Tourism for Eastbourne Borough Council, Norman Kinnish said “Everyone should come out for Eastbourne Extreme 2009 as it guarantees a packed day out for all the family. From 'have a go' activities to live demonstrations, you can always find a real buzz at Extreme with plenty of thrills and spills to really entertain the crowds. With live bands playing on the Extreme stage over both days too and the VW vans providing the picture of perfect laidback cool, the event promises a lively festival atmosphere with lots to see and do.” Attracting tens of thousands of visitors in 2008, adrenaline-junkies can look forward to spectacles including popular parkour with sportsmen jumping across scaffolding as seen in films such as Casino Royale, plus festival goers can expect to see windsurfing, rowing, skating and kitesurfing. The Thundercat Powerboats will also return this year, causing ripples in the Eastbourne shore as they race Formula One style across the sea in their high octane racing relays. Set on Eastbourne’s Eastern seafront opposite Princes Park, visitors can enjoy the cool, relaxed atmosphere at the festival and picnic on the beach while listening to brand new live local bands playing on the Extreme stage. There’ll also be plenty of entertainment for the whole family, with fairground rides, shopping stalls and plenty of refreshment stops. For more information on Eastbourne Extreme visit www.eastbourneextreme.co.uk or www.visiteastbourne.com, or telephone 0871 663 0031.

Ministry of Paintball Competition

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:16:25 GMT

Good news for all fans of Paintball! Ministry of Paintball are celebrating the fact that they now have over 100 adrenaline pumping paintball sites throughout the UK!

To celebrate their achievement they are currently running a competition where entrants stand the chance to win:

24 VIP ENTRY PASSES valued at 600 pounds
16 VIP ENTRY PASSES valued at 400 pounds
8 VIP ENTRY PASSES valued at 200 pounds

Each VIP Pass includes ALL of the following:

FREE equipment hire
FREE latest semi auto gun
FREE access to over 100 sites UK wide
FREE bonus lunch
FREE mopVIP lifetime membership

To enter, visit Ministry of Competition.

Pure - An Extreme Sports Game Review

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:17:39 BST

A couple of weeks back the folks over at Pure sent us a copy of the game and between the heads here at TalkExtreme HQ we've all had a play and and have put together our thoughts on the game.

First things first – without a doubt the graphics are pretty slick and that is underselling it. This game's primary plus point is just how good the graphics are. If graphics are at the top of your tree for things you look for then you certainly should read on.

The playability of the game is also top notch. The controls are extremely sensitive and once you get used to it then it really improves the game. You can slide easily and it is a game that if you are a lover of pure racing games then you won't be disappointed but like all games it does have its drawbacks.

The biggest and most blatantly obvious is the fact that you can only play multi-player online. You can't play against a mate or mates in the same room on split screen. That really drags the game down from being one that you can play with your mates to what is essentially a solo effort when you have nothing better to do.

The reason for overlooking this is unclear but it is one that the makers should look at. With several of us in the office having tried it – we'd of liked nothing better than to of sat around on the sofas in our social area and racing each other but that was impossible.

So overall you'd like to say that it is a good game, easy to pick-up, mind-blowing graphics, simple enough that you don't have to read the manual but complex enough that it isn't overly easy. However that big black mark really stops me from eulogising profusely about the game.

Still a good game and if you are into racing games then it'd be right up your street.

Extreme Sports Auctions!

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:11:41 BST

Following on from my previous post, another good website for those looking to pick-up Extreme Sports Gear is TradeExtreme

Similar to another website I've mentioned – Trade Extreme specialises in giving Extreme Sports enthusiasts a place where they can buy and sell merchandise knowing that the people they are buying and selling to and from are people with the same passion as them.

From Sunglasses to Ski Goggles – they have something for everyone depending on what you want. Again they have a very good reputation. When I was surfing around the site I found a racing kite for £2,800 so they have good stuff!

A good place for those who aren't keen on ebay and want to buy or sell goods of an Extreme Sports nature.

Extreme Sports Goods

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:50:15 BST

We all love ebay but sometimes it just doesn't have exactly what you want. This is where specialist ebay type websites come in handy and one of them is Extreme Sports Trader

If you are in need of equipment for Extreme Sports then this is the website for you. From BMX Bikes to Surfboards to all the paraphernalia surrounding the sports. I know a fair few Extreme Sports fends and they all rave about this website.

It is a great place for the starter to get involved. If you don't want to splash out the money on any of the brand new products then buying second hand is the way forward. Most of the items available on this website are from extreme sports enthusiasts so you can be assured that they have been looked after tremendously well.

It is certainly a good website to check out if you are looking for Extreme Sports Gear.

BMX and the Olympic Games

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:02:14 BST

The addition of a new sport to the Olympic Games is a tentative process and many get no further than the initial demonstration period. Popular sports such as American football and water skiing have failed to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of their merits and lasted no longer than a year before being replaced. This year’s Olympic Games welcomes another new sport: one with a distinctly modern image - bicycle motocross (BMX).

Athletes participate in BMX in a plethora of different ways. The sport belongs to the same school of extreme sports as skateboarding, snowboarding and motocross, and the events within the discipline range from simple races to the more dangerous Vert event which focuses on style and skill over time or distance. The sport has become increasingly popular with thrill seekers due to its relatively low cost and the fact that it can be enjoyed on almost any surface. Riders actively seek out new terrain and locations to hone their skills, craft their arenas from the urban environment, and may even make their own ramps and jumps.

The Olympic BMX event is a competition of speed in which a number of competitors (eight during the semi-finals and four in the final proper) race around a dirt track complete with hillocks, ramps and tight corners. As such, the event has much more in common with the high octane world of motocross than with snow or skateboarding. The decision to avoid Vert BMX is a consequence of the amount of amateur riders that choose to specialise in the field which, at present, is very low due to the sport’s inherent potential for career-ending injuries. Beijing’s Laoshan BMX venue became the official venue for the five events contested on the 21st and the 23rd of August. The final was scheduled to take place on the 22nd but was postponed due to a spell of bad weather that made the course treacherous to riders.

Despite the dangers associated with the sport, American rider, Donny Robinson, believes that his involvement in BMX racing removed him from other, less desirable theatres: ‘You’re so focussed, […] you couldn't ask for anything better as a kid. And our sport's a little cooler.’ Robinson claimed a bronze medal in the men’s BMX final on Friday while British rider, Shanaze Reade, missed out on the podium after taking a tumble in the final. She escaped with minor injuries but was relegated from the competition. The two gold medallists were Anne-Caroline Chausson from France and Latvian rider, Māris Štrombergs.

BMX replaced the long-established time trial cycling event, effectively closing off an avenue of competition to make way for a niche (but very popular) alternative. The inclusion of snowboarding (since 1998, although the events have been altered subsequently) and BMX racing among long-established sports such as boxing and swimming may mark a move towards a more commercialised Olympic games where appealing to a younger, more ‘modern’ audience is paramount for the continuing success of the IOC and of the Games themselves.

Perhaps the most important question to ask of a new Olympic sport is: will it survive the four year hiatus and return for a second run at London 2012? BMX racing received a great deal of media attention over the last two weeks and was lauded as a thrilling spectacle by Reuters, the BBC and Sky Sports who thought that the event was a far-cry from the more disciplined sports that have graced the Olympics for hundreds of years. The success of BMX racing is an important step forward for extreme sports and the IOC may yet welcome skateboarding, surfing, gliding, or other niche events into the Olympic family.

Written by Chris Illingworth