Archive for the ‘Backcountry’ Category

The entire international soccer fraternity is waiting with baited breath for the year 2010. The eyes of every soccer lover will be riveted on South Africa between 11 June and 11 July 2010 to view the South Africa world cup. Sales for the tickets of this mega annual soccer event are already available from selected outlets and one can also purchase the world cup tickets from selected online ticket sales counters. 32 countries divided into eight groups from A to H will be fighting off each other to have a go at the gold cup which determines who is the most supreme of all countries in the field of world soccer.

Though there are many other sporting events that are held throughout the world every year, none of them invoke as much attention from the rest of the world like the soccer world cup. For the duration of the entire month, football aficionados all over the world will be treated to online telecasts and news. In fact for the duration of the world cup soccer, no other channels will have more viewers than those that are telecasting the Africa world cup. The 2010 world cup soccer in South Africa will be held in a number of stadiums scattered all over South Africa and they are:-The Free State Stadium, the Green Point Stadium, the Durban Stadium, the Ellis Park Stadium, the Soccer City Stadium, Port Elizabeth Stadium, Mbombela Stadium, the Peter Mokaba Stadium, the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, and the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Special arrangements have been made for guests from other countries who shall be visiting South Africa to attend and view the mega event of the king of sports. However, it is recommended to those who are interested to visit the South Africa world cup, to book their tickets well in advance and also to book their hotel rooms earliest possible.

Those who shall wait for the last moment might well get disappointed since they shall not be able to find any accommodation. It is a fact that no other sporting event in the world draws as much crowds or has as international TV coverage as the world cup. It is high time that you too took advantage of the special offers and discounts being provided by online ticket selling sites. There are several sites that provide you with an option to lay bets too and some of them even provide visitors with discount codes that can be used to get special discounted rates on tickets.

Rugby World Cup 2011, the 7th World Cup, will be held in New Zealand. The event is expected to cost $310 million and generate $280 million in ticket sales and a tremendous spike in the New Zealand tourism sector. This will be the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand, much larger than the 1987 Rugby World Cup or the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Over 70,000 visitors from overseas are expected to come for the games and associated events. The World Cup will be played over seven weekends from the weekend of the 10th of September and ending the weekend of October 22nd, which is a longer weekend due to Labour Day in New Zealand. The final will play in Auckland at Eden Park.

New Zealand’s progress in preparing for the Rugby World Cup 2011 received a top rating from the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) chairmen and chief executive. All preparations for the Cup are projected to be ready in time. The IRB has also narrowed down all of the teams that will be competing, to 20. Twelve teams were determined by finishing in the top three of each pool in the 2007 tournament with the remaining eight determined by regional qualifying tournaments.

People wishing to experience the Rugby World Cup 2011, need not travel from hotel to hotel between games. One way to travel from stadium to stadium is via motor home. If booked early, spectators have a choice of the size and model of motor home as well as a secure location to park during the night. Doing this will require a large deposit of two thirds, but guarantees a 4 and 6 berth Motor home to be available for their use in 2011. The demand for rental cars and motor homes is projected to be large, so to meet the demand agencies are hoping that people book early. The funds are held in a trust account in the renter’s name. If circumstances change before 2011, the deposit is refundable except for an administration fee of around NZ$50.00 for up to six months prior to travel. At that point, normal cancellation fees apply.

Skis designed with the downhill-oriented skier in mind-lift served and backcountry, telemark or AT-continue to feature ever-widening dimensions, more durable construction, and control-enhancing improvements to the tip, tail, and overall shape of the ski. Several skis in this review feature “rockered” or early-rise tips. These are ski tips that begin to lift farther back along the ski than what most of us are used to. Rockered tips shorten the running surface of the ski on firm snow, while improving floatation in soft snow. Manufacturers are also offering a greater range of ski designs for women, and for shorter and lighter skiers, too. Some of the shorter skis on the market are also proving to be especially well-suited for backcountry skiers who spend a lot of time in the relatively tight confines of the natural northeastern forest. Here is a look at some of the backcountry ski offerings for 2010.

BIG POWDER/BIG SNOW
Skis in this category excel in soft and deep snow conditions. To tap into their full potential, these skis like to be driven with bigger boots by skiers with solid downhill skiing experience. At the same time, however, the wider dimensions of these skis make them an excellent quiver ski for dedicated backcountry skiers who prefer a mid-weight boot, but would like more flotation in low- to medium-angle terrain.

BLACK DIAMOND JUSTICE
Dimensions: 138-115-123 (188cm)
Lengths: 175/185cm
Weight: 4.15kg (9.2lbs)
MSRP: $749
Featuring a wood-core, minimal camber, a rockered tip, and enough sidecut for enhancing control in harder snow conditions, Justice loves powder, and lots of it. It’s a bit heavy to be lugging around in the backcountry, but with the four-buckle boots needed to drive this ski to its full potential, it won’t really matter if you are in solid touring shape. From a backcountry standpoint, these would make good quiver skis, ideal for days when skiing powder is the main objective, or for powdery days when a combination of lift-riding and side-country touring is in the cards.