11/12/2019

Kiteboarding Transition: Handplant kiteloop - Ride with Blake Olsen




Warning - This is an advanced transition. We don't recommend trying this on solid objects. You'll need months of practice on the water before attempting a high five or any advanced variation of this trick. Kiteboarding Trick tips for all levels. The Transitions playlist This is our first video in the transitions playlist. We'll be covering an advanced kiteloop based transition. The Back Roll Hand plant with a kiteloop at the edge of the wind window. Reminiscent of the classic snowboarding / skateboarding move. The Hand plant is one to turn heads on the water. Incredibly fun and something all advanced kiteboarders should try. Table of contents: Step One - 2:55 Step Two - 3:47 Step Three - 5:47 Step Four - 6:32 Recap - 9:00





Kiteboarding: Handplant Transition - FOR MORE COOL VIDEO CLICK HERE:
https://www.mackiteboarding.com/news/kiteboarding-handplant-transition-/


Heads up. We do not recommend you try this with solid objects. This is a very advanced trick.
Today we are going to go over how to do a handplant transition. This is the first video in our advanced transition playlist. Normally we focus on beginner and intermediate level tricks, so don't worry; we have some easier transitions lined up for this playlist. Even if you're a newer kiteboarder, this is a fun one to practice. Just make sure you avoid solid objects at all costs. The trick, broken down, is a combination of a back roll, a light touch to the water, and a kiteloop and a half for the transition. There is a lot going on here! We'll break down everything you need to know in this blog.
We recommend you download the attached PDF on your phone. Check it before your next session!
If you know how to do hand drags this is going to feel familiar, but it brings a fresh spin to the trick. If you don't know, don't worry; you can still learn this. That said, it will be a lot easier if you can do the hand drag first. Remember, you'll want to learn this on the open water with lots of room. Avoid solid objects while learning this move. It takes a lot of practice to get the timing correct. 
This is similar to a back roll hand drag 

Step One- Master the Hand Drag 

The first step to learning this trick is to master the back roll hand drag. We've done a few videos covering the topic now. The only difference between these two tricks is that you'll be using a harder pop and kitelooping with an extra half kiteloop to transition the other way. This is a very advanced trick and can actually be dangerous if you try to involve solid objects too soon. 
Back Roll Hand Drag Recap 
To recap the hand drag: Come in with good speed. Do a light pop. Lean back, look over your back shoulder and let your shoulder drop while swinging your front knee and hip into your chest. Reach down and let your hand drag though the water. You will be swinging under the sent kite like a pendulum while you drag. As the kite reaches the end of the wind window, your back roll should be complete. Pull a kiteloop and tuck both of your knees in while looking at your landing. Land downwind and ride away. 
Use a medium pop 

Step Two- Use a Light to Medium Pop  

Unlike a big jump, you want to pop lightly. Load the kite up and send it towards noon. As the kite approaches the apex,  use a light to medium pop, depending on how high you would like to go. It's best to start with light pops so you can work on touching the water or a piece of chop. 
If you pop too hard, you'll get a lot of air and end up doing a big backroll instead. The goal of this step is to get your timing down. 
Practice a soft tap on the water 

Step Three- Soft Touch on Water

The handplant is actually a soft touch. Unlike snowboarding or skateboarding, you don't need to take all the weight into your wrist and arm. The kite will be holding you up. Really, you are mimicking this classic pose but taking advantage of the kite's power- something that makes our sport unique. 
It's important to keep this in mind as the kite can generate a lot of speed and power. If you get to the level where you're capable of giving someone a high five or tapping a bush, you don't want a hard impact. 
Spot your landing

Step Four- Look at Your Landing

Spot your landing over the back shoulder, waiting for the pull of the kite, rotating your body, and then coming around for the landing. Where your eyes are looking, the body will follow. This is important for every trick, but especially when throwing a kiteloop. Lining your body up with the landing is important just like it is in an airplane. The more of an angle you come down at, the harder the landing will be. Absorb on impact and have your board flat, with your body weight centered over it.

Step Five- Putting it Together

Come in with good speed, send the kite, and pop accordingly. Look over your back shoulder and drop the shoulder down towards the water. At the same time, bring your front knee hard into your chest and poke the back leg towards the sky. You will be swinging under the kite like a pendulum. Near the end of that swing, reach down and lightly touch the water. About the same time, you will be initiating the kiteloop. Get ready as this is going to pull you back up and out of the roll. Keep your eyes on the water and let your body unwind. Point your nose or tail towards the kite and prepare to land downwind. Ride downwind to absorb the landing. Make sure you redirect the kite into your new direction. If you land with your nose, you'll do a half loop and ride out toeside. If you land with your tail, this will become your new nose as you ride out heelside.
Remember to keep your front knee tucked throughout this trick to help contain your rotation and pull you into a smooth rotation. If your legs are extended, the loop can throw you off axis and disorientate you.
Staying small and tucked throughout the roll will give you control. Keeping control is key, and having your back leg tweaked will give you total control and correction. Land flat, but prepare to edge once you have control.
Just like all of the other loops, sheeting out is important for a nice, smooth landing. Sheeting out on the bar acts like a parachute and catches you as you’re falling. Holding in on the bar will keep power in the kite, pulling you harder downwind. The kite will open up and shoot above your head as you come down to the water. Right before you touch down, pull in on your front hand so you don't outrun the kite and have it pull you into the landing.
As always, land flat with your "nose" pointing downwind for safety.
The North Orbit and Atmos

Gear Used for this Playlist

We had the chance to try out all the new North kiteboarding equipment for the brand launch in Dahkla, Morocco this summer. For this playlist the Orbit was the top choice: fast turning, quick to catch you on loops, and tons of hangtime. A true performance big air kite. In contrast to previous kites we've used on past playlists, the Orbit is faster, more energized and aimed at performance big air riding. Yet, it seems to lack some of the low end of the Cabrinha Switchblade we often film with. It's also more user-friendly than the FX that we often use when looking for a faster performance kite. It sits right between these two kites for riders that want a lofty and reactive kite.
We also used the North Carve for a good portion of the filming. While it is a surf kite, we wanted to demonstrate the all-around potential that the Carve brings to the table.
Ride the Gear 
North Orbit - Big Air / Performance 
North Atmos - Big Air / Performance 
North Carve - Waves / All Around 
North Focus - Wakestyle / Freestyle 
-Written and produced by Blake Olsen & Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic.
Blake Olsen
A Michigan boy through and through (even though he was born in Saudi Arabia), Blake is a youth with a lifetime of experiences and adventures. Not only that, he's passionate about sharing his zest for life with others. He is proficient at many fields, including kiteboarding and acting as concierge to any who simply ask. Looking for an adventure? Well, Blake is your guy. From sailing the Gulf and the Caribbean to backpacking Hawaii and Southeast Asia, he knows his stuff and can make your vacation into an adventure.
Instagram: @BlakeTheOlsen
Ryan (Rygo) Goloversic
Many people dream of quitting their job, traveling the world and pursuing their passions. Rygo is one of those people who pulled the trigger. A few years into a postal career, he decided to change everything and travel as a kiteboarder, freelance videographer & writer. His mission is to help people and share the stoke. Get out there and kite!
Producer of: Ride with Blake I Sessions I Versus I Destinations I Foil Fridays
No photo description available.


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Don't Clap for Them, Honor Veterans by Actually Valuing Their Lives




I explain how valuing U.S. military members means recognizing their sacrifice, caring for their health issues and dealing with suicides of veterans who have returned from wars since 2001.





The website Gawker has published the suicide note of an Iraq War veteran who says he took his own life because the trauma of war left him in constant mental and physical agony. Daniel Somers had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions related to the war. He ran hundreds of combat missions as a machine gunner and carried out interrogations as part of an intelligence team in Baghdad. Later, he worked with Joint Special Operations Command as a senior analyst in Mosul. In a letter first quoted by the Phoenix New Times and written to his family before he killed himself just two weeks ago, Daniel Somers wrote: "During my first deployment, I was made to participate in things, the enormity of which is hard to describe. War crimes, crimes against humanity.

Though I did not participate willingly, and made what I thought was my best effort to stop these events, there are some things that a person simply can not come back from. I take some pride in that, actually, as to move on in life after being part of such a thing would be the mark of a sociopath in my mind. These things go far beyond what most are even aware of. To force me to do these things and then participate in the ensuing coverup is more than any government has the right to demand. Then, the same government has turned around and abandoned me." He went on to write, "Any blame rests with them." Somers killed himself on June 10. He was 30 years old.



History of 22KILL:

In 2012, the Veterans’ Administration (VA) released a Suicide Data Report that found an average of 22 veterans die by suicide everyday. The 22KILL initiative started in 2013, at first just as a social media movement to raise awareness, and later became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in July of 2015.
In 2016, as our push-up initiative (later known as the #22pushupchallenge) swept social media, 22KILL began its transformation from awareness to suicide prevention. By the end of that year, the viral campaign, and the fundraising that accompanied it, allowed us to donate over half a million dollars to sponsor other veteran service organizations.
In 2017, 22KILL began to acquire and develop traditional and non-traditional mental wellness programs, and now offers a myriad of services through Stay The Course, Tribal Council, Forge, Wind Therapy, WATCH, and White Star Families.

Our Purpose:
Restore the value of life by empowering veterans, first responders, and their families

Prevention begins with awareness. This means educating ourselves and the general public, opening up the conversation, and learning to become comfortable with the uncomfortability and fear of being vulnerable. By doing this, we can identify the often avoided or unaddressed issues that can lead someone to thoughts of suicide, and confront those issues as they come, rather than letting them accumulate into something much worse.
The next step is empowerment. One of the biggest challenges veterans and first responders face is finding a sense of purpose after service. 22KILL has built a vast network of organizations and resources across the country, and whether through its own programs, or through external sources, veterans, first responders, and family members can find services for mental wellness and empowerment programs to help them find or rediscover that sense of purpose. The other side of this is engagement. Often times one may come to realize that all they really needed was the brotherhood and camaraderie that may have been absent from their lives since leaving service. The 22KILL "Tribe" allows service members to connect with like-minded individuals and gives them the opportunity to get involved with community events and projects, and be a part of something great.



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11/11/2019

Carbon Dioxide Battery Breakthrough




Researchers have made a rechargeable carbon dioxide-consuming battery
A new long-lasting rechargeable battery could be a way to use carbon dioxide emissions to produce energy.
By Prachi Patel
October 3, 2019
https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2019/10/carbon-dioxide-gobbling-battery-gets-a-long-life/

Scientists have been trying to make lithium-carbon dioxide batteries for years. The technology promises to pack seven times more energy than lithium-ion batteries. And it provides a way to use carbon dioxide captured from power plant and factory exhaust.

But the chemistry has been thorny and the batteries have suffered from  low lifetimes. In fact, exactly one year ago, researchers at MIT reported a practical prototype. It could only be charged 10 times.

Now, researchers have created a new version of the lithium-carbon dioxide battery that lasts for 500 charging cycles. The advance “paves the way for the use of CO2 in advanced energy storage systems,” write researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago in the journal Advanced Materials.

Lithium-carbon dioxide batteries consist of two electrodes—an anode made of lithium and a cathode made of carbon—and an electrolyte that shuttles charged particles between the electrodes as the battery is charged and discharged.

During discharge, a lithium-carbon dioxide battery produces lithium carbonate and carbon, using up carbon dioxide in the process. When the battery is charging, the lithium carbonate gets used up, but the carbon tends to build up on the cathode, causing the battery to fail after just a few tens of recharging cycles.

The UIC team found a way to work around this by using new materials. They added tiny nanoscale flakes of molybdenum disulfide to the catalyst used at the cathode. And they used a new hybrid electrolyte.

Together, this produces a composite of lithium carbonate and carbon instead of producing the two separately, which prevents carbon buildup. As a result, the battery lasts for 500 charging cycles.

“Lithium-carbon dioxide batteries have been attractive for a long time, but in practice, we have been unable to get one that is truly efficient until now,” said Amin Salehi-Khojin, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at UIC.

Source: Alireza Ahmadiparidari et al. A Long‐Cycle‐Life Lithium–CO2 Battery with Carbon Neutrality. Advanced Materials, 2019.



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