Inventor (French Jet Ski Champion) Franky Zapata explains how. He calls it the “Flyboard”.
It gets pretty technical after 2min 40sec.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (French)
$9000
(via Get Outdoors)
tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports …
December 14th, 2011 — water acrobatics
Inventor (French Jet Ski Champion) Franky Zapata explains how. He calls it the “Flyboard”.
It gets pretty technical after 2min 40sec.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (French)
$9000
(via Get Outdoors)
December 10th, 2011 — water acrobatics
The best video you’ll see today.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
via Kottke – Water-powered jet pack lets you swim like a dolphin
December 8th, 2011 — water acrobatics
After our week long coaching clinic in Manila, I flew down to Boracay for some R&R.
Bulabog Beach is the main windsurfing and kiteboarding area, one of the best in the world.
Kiteboarding (or kitesurfing) has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. …
There were 50 kites out for every Windsurfer today.
Click PLAY or see how it looks from above on YouTube.
A one day introductory course costs about a hundred dollars in Boracay. Know that you can easily drown, tangle, collide or be blown into palm trees in one of those flimsy rigs. I’ll jog the beach instead.
September 24th, 2010 — Circus, safety, salary (contract), water acrobatics
I might have to book a trip to Macao. This looks awesome.
It just opened.
Click PLAY or watch documentary highlights on YouTube.
… The show was performed in a purpose-built theater with the so-called world’s largest commercial pool, and installation of 258 automated fountains and 8 elevators that make it possible to convert the aquatic stage to a solid floor. …
Amazing visual feast: “House of Dancing Water makes debut in Macao
Thanks Fred and Dana.
March 25th, 2010 — water acrobatics
Cirque’s Marceline Goldstein linked to this clip. Thanks.
Professional athlete Leander jumping from a 22 floor high building onto a nearby parking roof by the use of a kite. EXTREME!!!
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
This guy’s so good he can walk on water.
January 16th, 2010 — humour, water acrobatics
Posted by Greg Marsden.
Kyndal Robarts, Jamie Deetscreek and Swoop in a belly flop contest at TCU swim meet
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Swoop wins this one. Easy.
January 1st, 2010 — psychology, water acrobatics
by site editor Rick McCharles
On New Year’s Day I’d like to share my favourite top 10 list of the many floating out there on the internet right now.
Outside Magazine’s top 10 Adventure stories of the year.
Here’s #2 – surfer Kelly Slater.
… Kelly Slater put on a performance to remind everyone he’s the greatest competitive surfer ever. He scored a perfect 10 at the Rip Curl Pro Search Puerto Rico on the way to winning the event and earning his tenth ASP World Title. He then dedicated the victory to the greatest rival of his career, Andy Irons, who died just days earlier …
Click PLAY or watch an inspiring clip on YouTube.
The story of Andy Irons is #1. Click through to read it and the rest: Outside – Top 10 Adventure Stories of 2010
December 14th, 2008 — water acrobatics
Joel Parkinson wipes out on a powerful 20-foot wave during the O’Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, Hawaii.

Picture: GETTY – original – Telegraph
May 1st, 2008 — diving, handstands, Olympics, water acrobatics
The next big thing in U.S. diving is 4 feet 11¾ inches and weighs 95 pounds if you put her on the scale immediately after she emerges from the pool, dripping wet. She’s also 15 and as recently as four years ago hadn’t jumped off a 10-meter platform.
Haley Ishimatsu
But before Ishimatsu could dream of learning how to translate her gymnastics skills to the pool, much less competing internationally, she had to jump off the 10-meter platform – the equivalent of a three-story building – for the first time. She climbed to the top, walked to the edge, peered at the shimmering water below and shook her head. No way.
For five minutes she stood there, until Tory climbed up, held her hand and jumped with her.
Both Hayley and her sister Tory were gymnasts who moved to diving. As was 2000 Olympic platform champion Laura Wilkinson, who is still competing.
Laura Wilkinson … started diving the same year Ishimatsu was born. Now, after Haley Ishimatsu has spent only 3½ years in the sport, U.S. national coach Chen Wenbo is saying things such as:
“When she learns how to put all the dives together, I think she has a good chance to win an Olympic medal.â€
In 2012? In 2016?
“No,†Chen says, “I think she has a chance to win a medal in these Olympics (in August).â€
Tiny ex-gymnast making big splash in U.S. diving – Sign On San Diego
I checked with Dr. Jeni McNeal, sport scientist working with the diving team. She assured me that Haley is the real deal.
April 13th, 2008 — movies, water acrobatics
Now that would be FUN.
The pororoca is a tidal bore, with waves up to 4 meters high that travel as much as 13 kilometers inland upstream on the Amazon River. Its name comes from the indigenous Tupi language, where it translates into “great destructive noise”. It occurs at the mouth of the river where river water meets the Atlantic Ocean. The phenomenon is best seen in February and March.
The wave has become popular with surfers. Since 1999, an annual championship has been held in São Domingos do Capim. However, surfing the Pororoca is especially dangerous, as the water contains a significant amount of debris from the shores of the river (often entire trees). In 2003 the Brazilian Picuruta Salazar won the event with a record ride of 12.5 kilometers during 37 minutes.
To see a sample, click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Recently watched again the epic surfing documentary Riding Giants (2004). Highly recommended!
April 4th, 2008 — photos, water acrobatics
I watched the sychro artists in the Cirque du Soleil water show “O” last summer during a training session. The things the girls (and one guy) do acrobatically are much under appreciated.
Here’s another team:


more photos in this series – Freaky Martin
January 27th, 2008 — psychology, water acrobatics
Her story seemed tragic. At age 13, talented Bethany Hamilton was set to be the next pro surfer out of Hawaii. Until she lost her entire left arm to a tiger shark while surfing the North Shore of Kauai.
… This week Bethany tied for third in the Roxy Pro Womens WQS Surf Festival on Philip Island in Australia. She made it all the way through to the semi finals and placed equal with her opponent, World No. 8 Jessi Miley-Donte.
…
“[People] can do whatever they want if they just set their heart to it, and just never give up, and just go out there and do it,†she said.
Shark-Attack Surfer Takes Third in Competition – Sierra Blogging Post
Reminds me of “Lefty”, Carol Johnston the gymnast.
October 21st, 2007 — movies, water acrobatics
I never thought much about windsurfing after trying and failing to turn one into the wind … a few times.
Then in New Zealand I saw crazy athletes getting HUGE air.
In this video watch attempts at double somersaults:
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
You can get the 40min video Committed (full DVD quality) free as a torrentfile from Peter Film ProductionS.
(via Get Outdoors – Committed Windsurf Trailer)