Author: Rick Mc

Two of the “Nasty Girls” — photo posted on the CrossFit Sonoma County blog.

I’ve linked to one of their training videos in the past (soundtrack Nasty Girl). It features 3 women doing muscle-up series on rings. (Not great technique, mind you.)

CrossFit Sonoma County – photo and video link

You know, 5-years-ago I would confidently say “there are no stronger female athletes in the world. Gymnasts are the most fit.”

If that was true then, it no longer is today. Top Crossfit and Acrobatic Gymnastics athletes, at least, could walk into our gyms and out-condition even our strongest gymnasts.

Acrobatically I see girls from many sports closing the gap with gymnasts and trampolinists.

… No need to leave a comment telling me than many of them started as gymnasts. I know that’s true. Artistic gymnastics and trampoline are the base. We want all children participating in both from a young age.

First time ever, Woodward West in California is offering a WINTER CAMP for skateboarding, BMX, in-line and mountain biking. Between Christmas and New Years.

Camp Woodward

Gymnasts can go off-season too, at a great price. Contact the camp for details.

Aaron Fotheringham (born 1991) from Las Vegas, Nevada is a wheelchair athlete, or ‘wheelchair skateboarder’ who performs tricks adapted from skateboarding and BMX.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I understand and respect Aaron’s decision to do acrobatics in a chair much better after having climbed White Mountain with 4WheelBob this past summer. His was the first ascent of California’s 3rd highest mountain in a wheelchair.

Still, I don’t want Aaron or other athletes getting hurt.

They must get proper coaching and training facilities. Though the video does not show it, Aaron learned the somersault in the foam pit at Woodward West camp.

What about that Backflip at Woodward?

“The entire week was awesome. The best week of my life!

interview with Aaron

Aaron calls this ‘hardcore sitting’. He is famed for being the first person to successfully perform a back flip in a wheelchair at the age of 14. He performs other tricks in his wheelchair including a 180 degree ‘aerial’. He plans to fuse the back flip with the 180 aerial into what is known as a ‘flair’.

Aaron has Spina Bifida; he has had a wheelchair since the age of three and although he used crutches early on, he has been in a wheelchair fulltime since the age of eight. He would watch his brother riding his BMX at the skate park and one day his brother told him that he should try riding his chair in the park. Aaron later noted that “I did, and I was hooked”.

Aaron got a new wheelchair, a Colours In Motion’s Boing!” which was both lightweight and featured four wheel suspension. This enabled him to perform the same sorts of tricks that skateboarders and BMXers can do as the suspension cushioned his landings. …

Aaron Fotheringham – Wikipedia

(via THE GOAT)

Can you help?

Santa Claus is not getting any younger. Though his work is seasonal, he needs to be very agile for the big day.

Now this …

Santa is being told to shift the pounds before Christmas – because the obese saint is failing to set a “good example” for children. …

The revelation comes after a medical report earlier this month stated that by 2050 more than 50 per cent of Brits will be obese. ..

Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe, Kent, has … set-up a Santa boot camp.

…

“He will still be the same lovable jolly man, but will be fitter and healthier.” …

Santa told to slim down for Christmas to ‘set a good example’ | the Daily Mail

I have friends traveling to England. They hope to visit Huntingdon Olympic Gym Club, home of gymnasts Louis Smith, Luke Folwell and the new National Champion, Daniel Keatings.

Coach Paul Hall is obviously working some magic there.

Having qualified only 2 gymnasts for Beijing, the British Men’s program is looking towards the 2012 Olympics in London.

Daniel Keatings has been crowned the country’s best at the British Gymnastics Championships.

The 17-year-old from Corby took the All Around Senior Title at the event in Wigan with a score of 87.4 to edge out his team-mate Luke Folwell (86.0). …

Next up for the British champion is a trip to Scotland this weekend and some equally tough competition.

He continued: “I’m taking part in the Glasgow Grand Prix where most of the top performers in the world will be taking part. …

Keating bags British crown – Northants ET

photo credit – BBC

Just this week, on my hiking blog, I lambasted Discovery Channel for one of their TV shows called Man Vs. Wild. (The publicist actually emailed me, disappointed.)

Today I’m singing their praises for a special called Discovery Channel :: Discovery Atlas :: China :: Meet the People.

Recommended to me by Jennifer Isbister, this Discovery Channel program is excellent.

As with most of the pre-Olympics media coverage, the documentary includes a gymnast.

But rather than take a cliche story line — young Chinese girl robbed of childhood by Godless Communists, for example — this is an astonishingly balanced bit of editing.

Though Jin Yang has a disastrous competition in her first major National meet, her life is not ruined. I highly recommend the TV show.

(I cannot find it on-line. You may have to look for it on that old-fashioned television of yours.) Kecks notes that segments are posted on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.

More information on Discovery Channel.

Chris Sharma, many would say, is the greatest “dyno” boulder climber who has ever lived. His style is unbelievably acrobatic.

A child prodigy, soon after entering the sport at age-12 he was challenging the best in the world.

I saw his latest award winning documentary — King Lines — and immediately thought, ” …if only he had gone to gymnastics instead. This guy is so talented.”

King Lines follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet’s greatest climbs. From South American fantasy boulders to uncharted deep water soloing in Greece to the future of sport climbing at Mt. Clark, Sharma and friends find and climb the most spectacular routes in the world.

Click PLAY or watch the King Lines trailer on YouTube.

Chris Sharma – Wikipedia

Jean-Yves Blondeau from France (aka Rollerman) on the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.

On his stomach! (You’ve got to see this.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jean-Yves calls this “sport” BUGGY-ROLLIN and debuted his first suit in 1995.

There’s a whole lingo of position names including SUPER BUG (arms outstretched forward), SQUELETON (arms outstreched against the body) and GRENOUILLE (frog). And actions like SNOOP, SPIN and STARWAR.

He will build you a suit. But it’s expensive.

Check another video I would call “Street” that may be even more interesting.

official website – Jean-Yves Blondeau

(via Straight to the Bar: Roller Suit and MarkFu)

Grace Chiu has hundreds, even thousands, posted: 2007 World Trampoline Gymnastics Championships – Photos © GraceClick

For free you can download a larger size of poster girl Karen Cockburn:

wallpaper

Grace put together a cool slideshow movie of highlight photos which loads when you visit the home page of Gymnastics Canada.

Wonderful job, as usual, Grace. Thank you.

Likely you’ve already seen the website GymnasticGreats.com.

The editor, Jennifer Isbister, of Gymn.ca has posted hundreds of bios of Artistic (men & women) and Rhythmic stars. It’s a great resource.

screenshot

This site was created in response to the many “Where are they now?” questions that fans repeatedly ask. If you would like to contribute to this web site (whether information, photos, or entire tributes), please feel free to email me.

Editor’s note: Please note that the tributes … are (generally) no longer maintained. I also lack the time to add new tributes. Sorry!

Whatever Happened to…? GymnasticGreats.com

Like GymnasticsCoaching, GymnasticsGreats is a hobby site. It’s time-consuming and (literally) impossible for Jenn to keep tabs on all the greats of all time.

We appreciate your site, Jenn. Thanks. And we are linked to Gymnastics Greats from the right-hand navigation under GYMNASTS.

If you are keen on gymnastics videos, be sure, too, to check Jenn’s video page. She has an UNBELIEVABLE collection.