The Weekender: BMX in the city, DIY instructions for the centriphone, more
Every Friday in The Weekender we take a look at the best videos from the week that was—like the Centriphone debunked and river surfing in Germany —and we give you a preview of some of the most important events in the world of action and outdoor sports coming up this weekend.
Centriphone Made Easy
Remember this guy? Nicolas Vuignier, the Swiss skier who created an Internet storm when he swung his iPhone over his head, creating a really cool 3D-ish look at skiing? Well this week, Vuignier dropped his how-to video so you can DIY. While the process to make the device—sort of a David vs. Goliath sling—is fairly straightforward, requiring only plastic and fishing line, but it’s still a bit mind-bending to build. And not exactly easy to swing around your head with one arm while participating in the sport you love. No matter what, Vuignier certainly succeeded in providing Apple with some free viral advertising.
At Home with the Malloy Bros.
Oh to be a Malloy brother. Dan, Keith and Chris have lived incredible lives. Pro surfers, travelers, filmmakers, and the poster children for Patagonia’s marketing philosophy: rootsy and real. Here the camera shines brightest on their lives and while their story has been told, this view of their father’s influence on their upbringing near Santa Barbara, Calif. becomes crystal clear. Playing in the outdoors was integral to their childhoods, whether hunting, fishing or surfing.
Mt. Baker’s Legendary Banked Slalom
High-end, competitive snowboarding is important, no doubt, but most of the tricks being performed in the arena are so far from what the everyman rider can do, so there’s a bit of a disconnect. And with the industry mired in a downturn, many in the sport are returning to more core, down-home events. Like Mt. Baker’s Legendary Banked Slalom, now in its 30th year. And it’s regularly supported by the sport’s most legendary riders like Terje Haakonsen, Travis Rice and others who travel to Washington in hopes of winning the contest’s grand prize: a roll of gold-painted duct tape. Freelance cinematographer Calvin Scibilia recaps the event that goes to the heart of the sport.
POV in the City
Ah, the old GoPro POV in the city, ala Nigel Sylvester and other BMX street athletes. This is Billy Perry and his Daily Cruise series where he takes to the streets of downtown L.A. (notice the Staples Center in there). The video isn’t actually titled Daily Cruise like his viral New York City series, but it’s the same concept. What’s so hard to grasp sometimes from POV is the amplitude professional BMX riders are attaining: they ollie fire hydrants and bus stop benches, throw 180’s over stair sets and up on to impossibly-high rails. People certainly like watching Perry’s POVs. His YouTube channel has garnered nearly 100,000 subscribers.
When It Rains in the Winter, You Surf
The river surfing phenomenon continues to gain traction, especially in Europe where it’s already well entrenched, specifically in Germany. Hence this video from a random river wave in the southern part of the country that came alive after it rained on top of snow. German Manuel Stecher created this edit as the unusually-warm winter in Europe continues.
What’s On Tap
Burton US Open | Events.Burton.com | Friday-Sat., 11:15 a.m. EST
Arguably one of competitive snowboarding’s most important events, the Burton U.S. Open continues this weekend with the slopestyle finals today and the halfpipe finals tomorrow. Shaun White, who was not invited to compete in the X Games, is the story of the weekend as he leads all comers going into the halfpipe finals Saturday.
Monster Energy Supercross | FS1 | Saturday, 10 p.m. EST
Our weekly watch of the Supercross series continues as the field heads to Daytona this weekend and Ryan Dungey continues his dominant year coming off a another win in Atlanta, albeit a last-second save. He’ll try to reach his 25th straight podium this weekend.
World Cup Skiing | NBC Sports Live Extra | Saturday, 4:30am. EST (and throughout the weekend)
Well, that sort of ended in heartbreaking fashion. Lindsey Vonn, who’s leading the World Cup overall standings, has called it a season after suffering a left tibial plateau fracture in Andorra last weekend. She won her 20th globe of her career this season (in the downhill) and was leading in super-G. The women will try to salvage what’s left of the season this weekend in Jasna, Slovakia.
