Archive for the ‘Sports’ Category

[WATCH IN HD] To be fair, it’s technically not considered the “World’s Most Dangerous Road” anymore. Due to the construction of a new highway close by, which directs most traffic away from its path, they’ve recently upgraded the trails nickname to a much more simple, passive and inviting moniker… “The Death Road” Okay, so the name and mortality figures didn’t sit well at first, but how could I pass up the opportunity to test out its narelyness first hand? Besides, most of the people who’ve died have done so because of truck, bus and motorcycle accidents… right? Kiersten, my partner in crime for this adventure, was a lot more skeptical about the whole thing. It took some convincing to get her to stop looking at mishap reports and death road death stories, but she eventually, although reluctantly, agreed. The day started at the crack of dawn at the Madness office …

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Friday afternoon I decided to push my boundaries a bit and take a solo mission over to the Ecuador vs Venezuela World Cup Qualifier match and try to grab a ticket. I’ve never been to a sporting event by myself, yet alone one in a foreign city, so I figured this would be a fun little test. I hopped on a public bus a few blocks from the hostel and followed a mob of Ecuador fans over to the Olympic Stadium where a crowd had been gathering for hours. I was pushed off the bus outside the stadium and immediately swept up in the electricity of the event. Fighting through a sea of yellow, red and blue, I went around to different scalpers scattered around the main entrance for price quotes and availability. Luckily, just outside the main entrance there was a giant map of the stadium and all the …

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You could see the smoke billow up from behind the office towers in downtown Vancouver. Helicopters circled as crowds scattered and riot police moved in. I was watching the whole thing unfold from a comfy rooftop terrace high above all the chaos. As the Bruins netted their third of four goals, the game was out of reach for the home Canucks. Along with fellow travel blogger Marc Passion, we bailed on the deflated bar midway through the third period to meet up with some local gals at a little Thai restaurant. From the bar, we all went to an office building where one of the girls worked to checkout the Vancouver skyline and refuel after the tough loss. While we welcomed the change in atmosphere and incredible views, we could see all the action on the streets starting to pick up and curiosity got the best of us. As the …

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Within 15 minutes of my first ever mountain bike ride in Park City, Utah, I was hunched over a popped tire, gasping for air as I watched my local friends laugh as they flew by… and we weren’t even on the trail yet. To reach our desired path we had to jump a small street curb and immediately navigate up a narrow, rocky passage. I inevitably failed miserably by not getting enough air and pinching my back tire against it, instantly deflating the tube. The sad thing was, it came as a relief because my lungs were already screaming from the short, uphill trek to the trailhead itself. A local friend doubled back to help swap in a new tube as I panted uncontrollably and kicked myself for being so out of shape. In between short breaths and long gulps from my camo pack, I gained a whole new respect …

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If you combine 1 tablespoon Sunday morning road-race, 2 cups all-American street festival, 3 kilos drug-induced halloween party, and 4 hearty handfuls of San Francisco fairy dust, you’ve got yourself the annual Bay to Breakers 12k foot race in downtown San Francisco. Bay to Breakers is an annual foot race which takes place in San Francisco, California on the 3rd Sunday of May. The name “Bay to Breakers” comes from the race course itself, which starts at the northeast end of the city (adjacent to San Francisco Bay) and runs west through the city to finish at the Great Highway adjacent to the Pacific coast (where breakers crash onto Ocean Beach). I don’t know if it was the ridiculous costumes, beautiful San Francisco views or the public nudity that made B2B the largest footrace in the world from 1986 until 2010, but I do know all of that combined makes …

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Futbol in Argentina is intense, no doubt about it. I’ve experienced the pre-game antics and popular insanity at the Stadiums of Velez, River, Racing and Boca (pre-game only) in Buenos Aires. They were wild, sketchy and intimidating, but nothing in Argentina prepared me for the madness that is Colombian futbol (soccer) in Medellin. There are 3 Division 1 professional soccer clubs in Medellin, which include Atlético Nacional, Envigado F.C. and Independiente Medellín. It’s pretty cool considering the capital, Bogota, only has 2 Division 1 futbol squads (Millonarios and Independiente Santa Fe). Last weekend one of my old roommates, Jesse, invited me down to Atanasio Girardot Stadium where Nacional was playing Junior from Cali, Colombia. The stadium and surrounding complex is incredible, it’s right downtown and is home to the nicest basketball courts and swimming facilities in the city. However, when you step off the metro on game day you’re surrounded …

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Monday morning we decided to trade the crowded, brown beaches of Bocagrande for the white sand and sunshine of the Islas del Rosario and Playa Blanca. It cost 45,000 COP (About $24US per person) to catch an early-morning ‘speed’ boat ride from the Cartagena Harbor to the beautiful stretch of narrow white-sand beaches and crystal-clear water known as Playa Blanca. Upon arrival we docked briefly to drop-off a gang of backpacking gringos determined to camp-out on the island. They seemed way under-prepared and way over… white for a long day without much shade. Regardless, us Latinos (shhh) proceeded towards Islas del Rosario for a serious snorkeling session. We sped across the pristine water and around small, lush islands scattered as far as the eye could see. We made one more stop before getting our feet wet at the Islas del Rosario Aquarium where, to our pleasant surprise, most of our fellow …

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After another beautiful morning in Tilcara we headed to San Salvador de Jujuy to return the car and catch a bus back to Salta. As we were filling up the gas tank on our way back I noticed a few nicks in her armor (under the layers of dirt) from our previous days adventure to Iruya. I was pretty nervous because I was almost certain they were going to stick us for something and we were already tight on funds. So, for a little added security, we spread just a touch more dirt to the area in question and crossed our fingers. When we arrived at the bus station back in San Salvador de Jujuy where we planned to meet, the rental manager was already waiting. We had a brief conversation about the trip and he began to inspect the car. Luckily, His natural Argentine vice for admiring women kept him from …

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The World Cup ended a last week and everything is finally back to “normal” here in the city. I figured I’d throw a little video together to give you a glimpse at what the chaos was like in Buenos Aires for a few weeks. Here is some footage of the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa from downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. I went down to Plaza San Martin in Microcentro to watch Argentina battle Germany for a spot in the semi-finals. The “Ideal Second Half” footage comes from the Argentina vs Mexico match a week earlier. I wish I would have taken more footage from the after party at the Obelisco. The match ends with broken ribs and hurt feeling instead of flags waving and horns blowing, but it was definitely an amazing experience to see how Argentina celebrates this incredible tournament. See you at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil …

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I figure instead of telling you about my great week, I might as well show you. Here’s how it played out… MONDAY: Buenos Aires contemporary artist shmorgishborg @ ArteBA ’10 Monday afternoon I went down to La Rural in Plaza Italia to soak up some much needed culture. The coolest thing about Buenos Aires is that it’s an artist playground. There are so many insane artists here in Buenos Aires doing incredible stuff. The ArteBA showed off some pretty solid contemporary art from both well-known and underground artists. My Personal favorite? It had to be the sick ATM booth my buddy Tranqui Yanqui setup. The Mayor of Buenos Aires also checked out the exhibits this week but he decided to break stuff. TUESDAY: Buller Pub football match at 3am after bartending in Recoleta. After a quick cocktail stop with the boys from the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl to help kickoff their first ever Palermo Hollywood …

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With the World Cup in full throttle and Argentina ready to crush Germany on Saturday, I figured there was no candidate more deserving of the T2T Hall of Fame honor than Argentine forward, Carlos Tevez. The guy has literally gone from Argentine poverty to English royalty without loosing his modesty, sincere smile or passion for the game in the process. Buena Onda! Tevez was raised in a very tough part of Ciudadela, Buenos Aires in a neighborhood called Ejercito de Los Andes aka “Fuerte Apache“. Because of its high crime rates, the quarter of tall block buildings is considered one of the most dangerous barrios in Great Buenos Aires and in the whole country. Tevez has a distinctive burn scar that runs down his neck from his right ear to his chest. He was accidentally scalded with boiling water as a child, which caused third-degree burns and kept him hospitalized in intensive …

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The Barra Bravas have been sent and TV sales are literally up 400%! It’s finally time! The FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa is only 2 days away and people are going crazy with anticipation here in Buenos Aires. I’m not going to lie to you and say I’ve been a futbol fan my whole life but I can’t help getting caught up in the hype and significance of the biggest sporting event in the world. That’s it, that’s all I’m going to say. The world is ready, Argentina is ready and I’m ready. Are the United States ready? I hope so, there first game is against England. Here are some World Cup videos and Information to get you caught up and excited if you’re not there already! VAMOS! WRITE THE FUTURE – Insane video from Nike Football for the 2010 World Cup Campaign “Write the Future”. Thanks to Penshire Media for …

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