Lufthansa Group's first-class lounge at Munich (Muenchen) Airport. Lufthansa Group
Advertising in 2013 from Tripadvisor, Expedia, and Booking.com. Intent Media went out of business.
2020 has made a lot of outdoor gear scarce, and a 25-year-old invention designed for surfers and snowboarders is no exception. Unfortunately, this year’s shortage of carveboards wasn’t entirely for the reasons you’d expect.
Ask a surfer or a snowboarder for a pet peeve of their sport, and the response is likely to include at least one of the following: flat days where the conditions aren’t rideable or overcrowding at their favorite spots.
This was the inspiration behind a new type of land board. In 1996, Brad Gerlach and his father Joe, two longtime California surfers, were tired of not being able to practice their passions on down days and developed an idea to fill the void. Their creative new take on the skateboard more closely emulated the feeling of turning on a surfboard or snowboard, allowing boardriders to practice their turns even when wave or snow conditions didn’t allow.
Their invention led to the evolution of a new take on the increasingly popular sport of skateboarding — dubbed carveboarding and headlined by the company Carveboard USA, founded by Brad Gerlach and fellow California rider David Colley.
“You’re like Bambi,” says Ryan Franz, who has been with the Carveboard brand since 1999 and on a board for even longer, describing the feeling of making turns on one of its boards. “You’re walking away and your legs are completely jello, and everyone’s got a smile on their face from ear to ear, you know?”
It was this feeling of stoke that hooked riders on the boards during the skateboarding boom of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Pro riders like Tony Hawk, Shaun White, and Kelly Slater became household names in this era, and interest in board sports was through the roof. Careveboard developed a way to bring the three most popular boardsports — skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing — together into one. The kicker was that Carveboard’s product gave its customers the ability to shred every day of the year.
“There is nothing on the street that so closely emulates the feeling and ‘stoke’ of surfing or snowboarding,” founders Brad Gerlach and David Colley say on the company’s website. “There are so many down days when you just can’t get a surf or snowboard session and you’re just itching to get in some turns. With a little imagination and one of our boards, there is always a couple feet of fresh powder or [six to eight] foot and glassy sets coming in right outside your door.”
Photo: alan_carveboard/Instagram
Carveboarding became part of the skateboarding lexicon for nearly a quarter-century, and the company’s products became established staples at skate shops not just across the country but also in some other places around the world. Carveboarding has a huge following, particularly among surf-crazy Brazilians.
Then 2020 happened. This year, interest in carveboarding and other longboarding offshoots exploded among athletes unable to practice their favorite sport, as ski resorts turned off their chair lifts early and many beaches were closed off for a time; searches for the sport of carveboarding and buying Carveboards have exploded in the last few months on Google.
But in early fall, the sport’s pioneer Joe Gerlach suffered a stroke and was forced to step away from the company he’d helped found. As a result, Carveboards are now in tight supply — many online skate shops including Warehouse Skateboards and Salty Peaks are out of stock.
Although tough to come by, Carveboards are available in limited quantity through the brand directly by emailing them. The company hopes to restock shelves soon, though you’ll have to shell out a few bucks in order to give one of these boards a whirl. Carveboard offers multiple models of its patented design, with its traditional carveboard running $365 to $385 and its entry-level “Surfstik” running $215 to $235.
With the setback and the pandemic, the Carveboard brand is “regrouping” and developing its path for going forward, beginning with a fresh stock of boards, says Franz. He adds that Joe’s son Brad and his daughter Corinne are both engaged in the effort.
Photo: alan_carveboard/Instagram
Though the sport most closely resembles longboarding — that is, using a specific “longboard” skateboard — the ability to “carve” takes the equipment and its riders to the next level. One of the tougher aspects to master on a longboard is the powerslide, the quick push of the board into a direction perpendicular to the pavement that allows the rider to slow down or stop.
Carveboarding solves this issue by incorporating the “carve” used by surfers and snowboarders to cut their way through a wave or slope. Unlike the trucks — the metal t-shaped underside pieces that connect the skateboard deck to its bearings and wheels — on a traditional longboard, which are fixed, those on a carveboard actually rotate on a joint connected to the top.
In addition, Carveboards have large wheels placed outside of the skateboard deck, rather than underneath it. The truck rotation and this design provide much greater maneuverability — allowing the rider to lean into the “carves” of each turn in a manner more similar to surfing or snowboarding than to traditional skateboarding.
“The cool thing is that if you are serious about whatever board sport you’re in, it allows you to work on technique and style,” Franz says. “So not only are you getting your workout in, but if you’re a moderate to experienced boardrider you’re working on the things you want to work on. It’s mind and body.”
Looking at a Carveboard, its evolution from skateboarding seems natural. Gerlach and his father increased the point-to-point turning radius of traditional longboard trucks to 45 degrees. The wide turning radius and a board length of at least 34 inches allow the trucks to operate independently of each other in a manner similar to a 4-wheel-drive automobile. This flexibility allows the rider to more closely emulate the carve of surfing and snowboarding.
While Joe Gerlach’s kids are planning a fresh stock of Carveboards, their plans don’t stop there.
“Joe’s ultimate dream is to create a park that’s designed for the board, and other boards that are spring-loaded and pivoting-truck,” Franz says. “Kind of like a pump park. It’s going to take a team of some engineers and architects to create a calculated ‘snake run.’”
To help get the project off the ground, Franz says they hope to “create a prototype of some sort, whether that’s out of plexiglass in a parking lot or whatever, to get the concept to reality.”
Franz is optimistic, saying “People’s minds will be completely blown.”
The good news in the meantime is that Joe is recovering, and the team behind Carveboard is dedicated to carrying on the legacy he’s created.
The post Carveboards feel like surfing or snowboarding on land, and they’re in short supply this year appeared first on Matador Network.
In early October, the Georgia Aquarium offered a sneak peek of its newest exhibit, called “Sharks! Predators of the Deep.” The lucky visitors, however, weren’t the VIPs you might expect. The aquarium partnered with the Atlanta Humane Society to open the exhibit to six canine visitors. And they dressed for the occasion too. The puppies explored the new gallery all while dressed up in shark costumes — fitting attire both for the upcoming holiday and for the exhibit itself.
A video of their visit was released by the aquarium.
It’s a finned and furry monster-mash-bash!🐶🦈🎃
We've teamed up with @atlantahumane again to bring you the cutest costumed content! 💕 pic.twitter.com/5NFZQInxfl— Georgia Aquarium (@GeorgiaAquarium) October 26, 2020
The exhibit opened to the public last Friday, with a 20-foot-deep, 185-foot-long gallery featuring floor-to-ceiling windows. A cage dive is even available for the truly intrepid, though we don’t think the dogs took advantage of that option.
Named Aladdin, Alexis, Amy, Anastasia, Augie, and Aurora (see a theme here?), the puppies have all been adopted in the past few weeks, so unfortunately you won’t actually be able to call them your own. Other adoptable pets from the Humane Society, however, can be browsed online.
Tickets to the aquarium are available online, with entry to the shark exhibit included with General Admission.
The post Watch adorable puppies dress as sharks for Halloween at this aquarium’s new shark exhibit appeared first on Matador Network.
The Hotel De L'Europe in Amsterdam as seen on December 29, 2015. Booking.com fears that EU regulators will view it as a gatekeeper of online travel. Tom Roeleveld / Flickr.com
The world’s highest and most remote mountains inspire awe in all of us, but few are aware how truly dangerous they can be. The fact is that any time experienced climbers and mountaineers put crampons to ice, they will confront some degree of danger. Accidents can occur even at relatively benign roadside crags. Still, there are certain mountains that command respect from even the most experienced climbers — dangerous mountains that continue to cause fear and anxiety decades after their first ascents. And while it may be the most famous, Mt. Everest is not the deadliest mountain. From K2 to Mt. Denali, these are the 11 hardest mountains to climb in the world.
Photo: Shutterstock/My Good Images
Where: Himalayas, north-central Nepal
Elevation: 8,091 m (26,545 ft)
Since its first ascent on the 1950 expedition led by Maurice Herzog, Annapurna Massif in Nepal has been climbed by more than almost 300 people, but at least 73 have died trying. This high fatality rate makes Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain in the world, the most statistically dangerous of the 8,000-meter peaks. Trekking the Annapurna circuit is possible with lots of preparation and training, but more novice hikers would be better suited to summiting less dangerous peaks within the Annapurna Conservation Area, visiting teahouses in Nepal in the Khopra Ridge, or heading to the Mardi Himal Base Camp.
Photo: 1008950077/Shutterstock
Where: Karakoram range, China-Pakistan border
Elevation: 8,611 m (28,251 ft)
K2, the world’s second-highest mountain is known among climbers as one of the most technically difficult in the world. Ascents of even the easiest route require crossing a complicated glacier, ascending steep sections of rock, and negotiating a path around a series of ice pillars, called seracs, which are prone to collapse without warning. The technical difficulty of this mountain makes it one of the most committing and dangerous in the world. In 2020, Viridinia Álvarez Chávez became the first Latina to summit K2, pressing her ascent even after watching another climber fall to his death. There is also a recent K2 documentary worth watching, which follows a group’s attempt to summit K2 without supplemental oxygen.
Where: Himalayas, Pakistan
Elevation: 8,126 m (26,660 ft)
The world’s ninth highest peak, Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, competes with K2 in terms of technical difficulty. The route of the first ascent follows a narrow ridge to the summit. On the southern side is the largest mountain face on earth, the 15,000 foot Rupal Face. Although the name Nanga Parbat comes from Sanskrit for “naked mountain,” and the peak is known locally as Diamir, “king of the mountains,” the climbers have another name for it: “The Man Eater.”
Photo: Shutterstock/Szerkach Viktar
Where: Himalayas, Nepal-India border
Elevation:8.568 m (28,169 ft)
When you look at the fatality rates on the world’s most dangerous mountains, you’ll see that most decrease as time goes on. One notable exception is Kangchenjunga, the third-highest peak in the world. Death rates averaged over 20 percent, a reflection of the avalanche and and weather hazards that plague this dangerous mountain. With climate change causing yet more unstable snow conditions and extreme weather, death rates for the Kangchenjunga ascension could yet worsen.
Photo: Shutterstock/Jan Zahula
Where: Bernese Alps, Switzerland
Elevation: 3,967 m (13,015 ft)
The Nordwand, or north face, of this peak in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland is an objective legendary among mountaineers for its danger. Reaching nearly 6000 feet, it is the longest north face in the Alps. Though it was first climbed in 1938, the north face of the Eiger continues to challenge climbers of all abilities with both its technical difficulties and the heavy rockfall that rakes the face. The difficulty and hazards have earned the Eiger’s north face the nickname Mordwand, or Murder Wall. The mountain was made famous in the 1975 film The Eiger Sanction in which Clint Eastwood plays an assassin who joins a climbing team on an ascent of the Eiger north face to avenge the murder of a friend.
Photo: Shutterstock/Olga Danylenko
Where: Alps, Switzerland
Elevation: 4,478 m (14,692 ft)
This iconic mountain, which looks like a horn rising out of the surrounding valleys, has one of the highest fatality rates of any peak in the Alps. This is caused by a wide range of factors, including technical difficulty, the prevalence of avalanches and rockfall, and severe overcrowding on routes during peak climbing seasons. An easier way to see the Matterhorn would be at a safe distance by train, gondola, or helicopter. You can even ski with stunning views of Zermatt.
Where: Sentinel range, Antarctica
Elevation: 4,892 m (16,050 ft)
Vinson Massif, the highest mountain in Antarctica, is not notable for its technical difficulty or fatality rate. However, Mount Vinson is over 16,000 feet high. That elevation, combined with the isolation, extreme cold and unpredictable weather of the Antarctic continent, makes Vinson a very serious undertaking. Even a small accident here could be disastrous.
Photo: Shutterstock/Vasiq Eqbal
Where: Karakoram range, Pakistan
Elevation: 7,285 m (23,901 ft)
Commonly known as The Ogre, Baintha Brakk in Pakistan is considered one of the most difficult mountains to climb in the world. Though it saw its first ascent in 1971, The Ogre was not summited again until 2001. One of the first ascensionists, Doug Scott, broke both of his legs on the descent, forcing him to crawl through a major storm to the team’s base camp. This famous epic and more than 20 failed attempts on the peak have earned it a reputation as one of the most dangerous in the world.
Photo: Shutterstock/My Good Images
Where: Himalayas, China-Nepal border
Elevation: 8,848 m (29,029 ft)
More than 1,500 people have climbed Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, with as many as 50 people or more reaching the summit on a single day. This congestion, when combined with Everest’s extreme altitude, makes it an undeniably dangerous objective. While Everest regulations are now focused on cleaning up waste and preventing more pollution, it is still succumbing to climate change, which some climbers say is making it yet more dangerous. Congestion from too many climbers has also been a major risk factor, leading to multiple deaths in 2019. Everest Base Camp’s elevation is 5,600 meters, making that an achievement unto itself.
Photo: Shutterstock/Lijuan Guo
Where: Alaska Range, United States
Elevation: 6,190 m (20,310 ft)
Mt. Denali is located in Alaska and is the highest mountain in North America. It was officially known as Mt. McKinley from 1896 to 2015 when it was renamed back to its Indigenous name under President Obama. Though its altitude is only 20,320 feet, its high latitude means that the atmosphere is far thinner than it would be at the equator. For the many people who climb Denali each year, the altitude, weather, and extreme temperature pose a serious danger. For these reasons, the success rate on Denali is around 50 percent, and more than 100 climbers have died attempting the summit. The mountain towers over Denali National Park, with its admirers possibly unaware of its deadly statistics. In fact, 2018 was the first year in fifteen that no one died in the Denali range. You can see Mt. Denali from a distance on a bus tour of Denali National Park.
Photo: Shutterstock/Sophie Dover
Where: Andes, Argentina-Chile border
Elevation: 3,405 m (11,171 ft)
Cerro Chalten, or Mount Fitz Roy, is the tallest mountain in Patagonia‘s Los Glaciares National Park. Fitz Roy’s summit is guarded on all sides by steep rock faces requiring difficult, technical climbing to ascend. Because of this, it was considered one of the most difficult mountains in the world for decades. Even today, the region’s unpredictable weather and relative isolation make it extremely dangerous. Despite the number of people who may admire it on a trek through this stunning region, Fitz Roy may see only a single ascent in a year: truly the mark of a dangerous, difficult mountain.
A version of this article was previously published on October 24, 2008, and was updated on October 29, 2020, with more information.
The post The 11 hardest, most dangerous mountains to climb in the world appeared first on Matador Network.
“We don’t have any high-speed quads; however, we’ve never had a lift line,” said Scott Curry, Director of Marketing at Utah’s Eagle Point Resort, explaining a predicament many small ski areas find themselves in.
Located in the FIshlake National Forest three-and-a-half hours south of Salt Lake City, Eagle Point offers 650 acres of skiable terrain accessed by five lifts. Like independent ski areas around the United States and Canada, Eagle Point is not part of the high-profile ski passes offered by Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Co., the country’s two major resort operators. This saves them the crowds but also prevents many who might love the place from ever visiting.
With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting everything about the travel and resort business, local, independent ski areas may actually be set for a rebirth this coming winter. Vail and Alterra have announced strict measures to minimize crowding and enhance social distancing in crowded base areas. Without massive hotels and condo properties, and lacking the lift lines and crowded slopes that conglomerate passes tend to bring, these small, independent hills find themselves at an advantage. But even as the coronavirus pandemic forces travelers to consider outdoor options, including skiing, for recreation, independent resorts need all the support they can get.
“It would be difficult to not acknowledge the conglomeration going on in the industry, and obviously that’s here to stay,” Curry said.
Factor in reduced travel due to the pandemic and climate change threatening to make seasons progressively shorter, and it’s on us as skiers and snowboarders to frequent our local hills to keep them a part of our communities.
Photo: Gunstock Mountain Resort
Recent data compiled by Snowbrains shows that the vast majority of skiers visit the resorts operated by Vail and Alterra, as each of the 10 most visited resorts in the US is operated by one or the other. But the economic impact of smaller ski areas is undeniable in the communities in which they operate.
“The resort is the second largest employer in the area having created about 25 full-time year-round jobs and over 100 seasonal jobs,” Curry said. “We work with the Beaver County Travel Council and other government entities regularly. Resort ownership’s real estate development activities have created over 50 new tax parcels, which has contributed over six figures in new tax revenue to Beaver County.”
That impact is felt not just in Eagle Point’s coffers but throughout the surrounding community and county, which has a full-time population of just over 6,500. Eagle Point’s season pass and lodging sales are up over last season.
“The resort’s draw of out-of-state visitation is an extremely important contributor to sales tax revenues for the County,” Curry said. “Local businesses including restaurants and hotels in Beaver have all benefited significantly, especially now that we are more of an all-season destination.”
It’s important that the crucial role of these resorts continues. Environmental advocacy organization Protect Our Winters has compiled data showing that skier visits on high-snow years increase by 3.8 million per year across the United States versus low snow years between 2001 and 2016, with those visitors spending $692.9 million and supporting an additional 11,800.
That’s a lot of money and a lot of jobs, albeit seasonal ones in many cases. And as the conglomeration of major ski resorts continues, drawing increasing numbers of skier visits to fewer resorts, it threatens the jobs that still exist at many independent ski areas and which are vital to their communities. Many of these ski hills were born from community ski clubs, foundation grants, or other concepts intended to stimulate an area’s recreation economy while offering a safe place for local families.
Gunstock Mountain Resort in western New Hampshire is one such ski area. “Gunstock Mountain Resort was initially conceived as a way to create jobs and stimulate the economy with money from the Works Progress Administration,” said the ski area’s marketing director, Kristen Lodge. “At our roots, we’re an entity of this community, and as we grow and improve, so does the Lakes Region in both the economy and the overall quality of life.”
It should be noted that, as climate change brings fewer cold days, ski areas are becoming more dependent on snowmaking. While a warming planet poses a major threat to the ski industry as a whole, by spending money at independent ski areas, you’re increasing their ability to invest in their own snow-making capabilities — and helping them combat corporate conglomeration and cope with warmer winters.
Photo: FashionStock.com/Shutterstock
COVID-19 has upended what ski travel looked like in the past. But smaller ski areas have one big thing going for them — their smaller operations and fewer crowds, meaning their guests are at a lower risk of major outbreaks. At Eagle Point, 95 percent of available on-mountain lodging is ski-in/ski-out, with each unit having a private entrance.
“Guests can stay at the resort steps from the slopes, return to their cabin or condo to use the restroom or enjoy takeout from our restaurant, and hop right back on the slopes,” Curry said. He then touched on how open terrain and lack of crowds can feel safer for family skiers.
“And, for someone who hasn’t been on the mountain in a number of years or has little kids, the ability to go down the trail and to see and anticipate everything in front of you — groomed white — and not have other people clamoring into a base area, is a very freeing experience. I’ve witnessed people fall in love, or re-fall in love, with the sport, because they’re able to experience the mountain without that anxiety level.”
Gunstock has adapted their lift access to be touch-free, on top of direct-to-lift access from the ski area’s parking lot rather than having to hop onto a bus or pass through a crowded lobby.
“One of the benefits of being a medium-sized resort is that our parking lot is located right at the base, so guests are able to walk right up to the summit lift, or to the terrain park,” said Lodge. “With our new winter operating procedures, all of our guests will boot up in their car. And, since they purchased their lift tickets in advance, they can go directly to the lift with our RFID technology.”
Lodge added that once guests are on the mountain they can order food with their phones and pick it up when they’re ready using a touchless payment option the resort is adding this year at its shops and restaurants.
Photo: Shutterstock/Alisha Bube
“Most of our locals learn to ski and snowboard here and they grow up on the mountain,” Lodge said. “They run and hike here year-round and play at the Adventure Park in the summer, so even though we cater to tourists and visitors from all over, we take the most pride in serving our residents and providing them with a place to breathe deep and enjoy the outdoors as they recreate on our trails.”
Without national and international tourists coming in droves, independent resorts must depend on these local skiers and small alliances formed amongst themselves. The rise of the mega-passes stands to benefit many of these ski areas in an unforeseen way — by bringing them together into their own unions to encourage travel amongst themselves.
Nineteen independent ski areas have banded together for the 2020/21 Powder Alliance which, like the Ikon and Epic passes, allows skiers days at each of the participating resorts. Even beyond organized coops, the purchase of a season pass at most ski areas earns you a few days at a handful of others.
Eagle Point offers its pass holders limited access to other ski areas in Colorado, California, and Utah. More experienced skiers and riders can also take solace in the ample snowfall at many smaller resorts and the lack of people there to track it out.
“There’s also the opportunity for untracked powder,” Curry said. You can be up to your neck in powder and still find untracked lines hours later.”
“We think it’s important for the independent resorts to band together,” Curry said. “We tend to think of ourselves as the heart and soul of skiing still. We serve a regional role in growing the sport, as many of the major resorts have outpriced many families.”
The post Small independent ski areas are the place to ski this year appeared first on Matador Network.
Activate CEO Michael Wolf hosting a session at the recent WSJ Tech Live conference. Activate
Last week at a rally, President Donald Trump boasted that if he needed more funds for his campaign contributions, he could phone Exxon and ask for a contribution in return for permits. Since doing so would be bribery, ExxonMobil, the world’s largest fossil fuels company, felt compelled to tweet that such a request never took place.
Even if that phone call didn’t take place, the rewards that the Trump Administration has given the fossil fuel industry and other extractive industries are well documented. From engaging in the biggest reversal of national monument protections in history to opening the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, Trump has made a mockery of environmental protection at every available turn, to the benefit of industry.
Unfortunately, he’s not an outlier.
The world has looked on in horror as the pace of the Amazon’s destruction has accelerated, even as we know that we need its trees to combat climate change and as scientists warn that the Amazon may soon cease to be a rainforest at all. Yet Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro — whom we have called a threat to the planet — appears unmoved by any scientific arguments at all. By taking an anti-environmental stance, Bolsonaro has assured the loyalty and financial backing of powerful economic actors who stand to benefit enormously and who know their harmful activities would be impossible under a different, green-thinking president.
“Bolsonaro embraces the interests of agro-business, the most predatory agro-business that exists,” says Roberto Goulart Menezes, the associate professor of the Institute of International Relations at the University of Brasilia. “He wants to reduce environmental protections in Brazil.”
The reason for that, explains Menezes, is that Bolsonaro “doesn’t have a national agenda because he never had a national agenda.” Menezes says that during 27 years as a Congressman, Bolsonora failed to pass any significant legislation. In fact, only two pieces of legislation were enacted. Rather, Bolsonaro used the position and the 25 paid aide positions that come with it to employ and enrich his family members, says Menezes.
Photo: Photocarioca/Shutterstock
While Bolsonaro once had no serious national agenda, he has found that sowing division is a handy way to hold onto power. As we noted during the Black Lives Matter protests, national leaders with authoritarian leanings foment distrust within their own country to justify their own strong-arm tactics. In Bolsonaro’s case, he pits white Brazilians against the Indigenous people whom he has called smelly and uneducated.
“Bolsonaro said, ‘In my government there won’t be one centimeter of land for the indigenous,’” says Menezes. More menacingly, Menezes notes, Bolsonaro supports the gun-owning culture he sees in the United States. “In the countryside, Bolsonaro advocates arming landowners at all costs, especially large landowners and land grabbers, as in the Amazon.”
The ultimate reason behind this is not only to set Brazilians against each other but to secure a loyal base of financial and political support. He promotes “the interests of the most predatory agro-business there is and mining in indigenous lands,” says Menezes. At the same time, Bolsonaro is dismantling those aspects of the civil service that would constrain those entities, like CONAMA, the National Council for the Environment, which is essentially Brazil’s Environmental Protection Agency.
Photo: Marcelo Chello/Shutterstock
While much of the world is demanding that exploitation of the Amazon cease immediately, Bolsonaro defends the ambitions of mining companies that have submitted hundreds of applications to extract copper, gold, and other metals from within protected areas. Illegal cattle ranching, the main driver of deforestation, goes unpunished in Bolsonaro’s Brazil. That’s a plus for ranchers and big farmers whose hefty donations were key to Bolsonaro’s 2018 election victory.
If you wonder why some politicians seem so prepared to destroy the national patrimony they’ve been sworn to uphold, ask yourself whether those politicians are really trying to unify the country and exercise power democratically. If not, then their power relies on something else. Often that’s the financial and even tactical support of vested interests like, say, mining conglomerates. A few trees, or an Indigenous village, are a small sacrifice in return for political patronage from those interests.
More significantly, those same entities know that another leader might have a greener environmental approach, one which would constrict or even threaten their commercial aspirations. So they’ll stick with their guy, despite policy disagreements — like the fossil-fuel tycoon Koch brothers did with Trump.
In Turkey, President Recept Erdogan has been tightening his grip on power in recent years, so much so that neither professors nor journalists were willing to speak to me on record. (Considering that Turkey froze the assets of an exiled opposition journalist earlier this month, that is understandable.) But the Turkish citizens I spoke with all agreed the Erdogan regime’s environmental disregard had reached crisis levels.
Last year, we reported on Turkey’s plans to flood the world’s oldest continuously inhabited human settlement in order to build a dam. Despite the world’s horror, bulldozers arrived, displacing 70,000 people and flooding a picturesque, ancient valley. In northern Turkey, activists have been protesting mining plans of the Canadian company Alamos Gold, which they say will poison waterways with cyanide.
Photo: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
The new Istanbul Airport inspires awe and dismay with its gratuitous, energy-sapping immensity. Worse than being inside the behemoth is looking at it from above, seeing a massive slab of Istanbul’s only remaining forest simply gone. As of last year, 1.5 million trees were lost in a plan to make an airport that will eventually cover 30 square miles, six times the size of Heathrow. Environmentalists say destroying this threatens Istanbul’s supply of clean air and water.
Even more audacious is a plan to build Canal Istanbul, a 28-mile-long artificial Bosphorus to the west of the actual Bosphorus. The multi-billion-dollar channel dream will cause irreparable environmental harm but will enrich the well-connected families that have snapped up land in an area called Sazlibosna, near the proposed canal. Each of these “crazy projects,” as Erdogan himself has called them, has all served as a “key political tool” of the government, enriching a newly wealthy class of supporters.
Ecological pillaging in exchange for political patronage appears, sadly, to be a classic tool of populist leaders more concerned with maintaining and rewarding a loyal base of wealthy supporters than concerning themselves with environmental sustainability.
In India, the government of Narendra Modi has made it easier for developers to shirk their green responsibilities and is trying to reduce environmental oversight of businesses operating in the country. And in the Philippines, the strongman Rodrigo Duterte has overseen the killing of more environmental and land activists than any other world leader.
Fortunately, there are exceptions. In Hungary, which is an EU-member state and dependent on tourism, President Viktor Orbán has sought to pursue a more environmentally driven agenda.
“Orbán is the odd autocrat out on this one, at least when it comes to rhetoric,” says Kim Lane Scheppele, a professor of sociology and international affairs at Princeton University, via email, noting that Orbán took a stand against GMO crops and Monsanto. “In fact, he’s made much of his green credentials.”
Orbán, Scheppele points out, has funded environmental science in Hungarian universities.
“So unlike Trump and Bolsonaro, Orbán pretends to be an environmentalist,” Scheppele says. Despite Orbán’s “Green Hungary” agenda, though, Scheppele says there’s some evidence Orbán’s approach may be “all for show.”
“He uses every chance he gets to support Green initiatives — for example, Hungary was one of the first to sign the Paris agreement,” she says. “But on the ground, the Green program only goes so far.”
Nonetheless, a stated commitment to the environment and support for real science is a welcome departure from what other populist leaders are espousing. Given that neither the planet nor the local communities impacted by massive giga-projects can take much more of this eco-madness, Hungary’s “greenwashing” is at least better than blatant ecological disdain.
And it tells us that, when populations and other interested parties make their voices heard, leaders will at least have to listen. EU pressure on Hungary matters. And while the EU has put pressure on Brazil, as well, Brazil’s largest trading partners, including the US, have not.
So while those of us who vote in the US can’t vote out Bolsonaro — or Erdogan or Modi — we can vote for a leader in our country who won’t be beholden to Earth-trashing megacorps. And who will, like France’s President Emmanuel Macron, demand an end to Amazon fires, many deliberately set, and, perhaps, a halt in the construction of a massive, artificial channel when a beautiful, natural one already exists.
The post For more and more world leaders, destroying the environment is key to their power appeared first on Matador Network.
Las Vegas is known mostly for its casinos, but you might be surprised to learn that the biggest adrenaline rush in Sin City isn’t from a $5,000 swing at the blackjack table. In fact, Vegas is home to some of the best roller coasters and thrill rides in the country. There’s an insane zip-line above the Strip, a terrifying experience that allows you to pilot your own aircraft in the desert, a heartstopping bungee jumping experience, and a virtual reality roller coaster that simulates a trip to New York City. There’s also a few epic experiences off the strip. Here are the most thrilling attractions in Las Vegas that are more fun and fiscally responsible than gambling.
Photo: Circus Circus Las Vegas Hotel & Casino/Facebook
If you’re staying at Circus Circus in Vegas, you’ll barely need to leave your hotel to get a thrilling roller coaster experience. Located inside the Adventuredome — a five-acre indoor amusement park complex at the Circus Circus hotel — the Canyon Blaster isn’t for the faint of heart. With steep drops, a double loop, and double corkscrew, you’ll be glad you didn’t indulge in the hotel buffet beforehand. Although much of the ride gives you great views of the rest of the Adventuredome, at one point it actually gets so dark you can hardly see in front of you — and traveling at 55 mph is not exactly prime sightseeing speed. To enter the Adventuredome park and gain access to all of the rides, a wristband costs $33.95.
Where: 2880 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Photo: Vegas.com
True to its name, The Inverter (also at Circus Circus’ Adventuredome) will flip you upside down and take you for a head-spinning whirl. It also pauses mid-flight to give you just enough time to have a minor panic attack before shaking and repeating, propelling you in the opposite direction and flipping you upside down again. Only a harness and T-bar separates you from the concrete floor below, but don’t worry, you (probably) won’t fall to your death. This one is only for true thrill-seekers and those craving a white-knuckle adrenaline fix.
Where: 2880 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Photo: The STRAT Las Vegas/Facebook
Bungee jumping off Seattle’s Space Needle is currently only a VR experience, but in Vegas you can do the real thing at the STRAT Hotel, previously called The Stratosphere. The view of the Strip from the top is simply incredible, and bungee jumpers certainly understand the thrill of such a dramatic drop. With an 855-foot fall, the experience holds a Guinness World Record for the highest commercial decelerator descent facility. SkyJump is $129.99 per jump, and you must be 14 years or older to zoom toward the ground at 40 mph.
Where: 2000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Photo: The STRAT Las Vegas/Facebook
If you’d rather not free-fall off the STRAT, you can always take the tamer route with Insanity — a ride that dangles you 866 feet in the air and spins you around, all while forcing you to stare at the ground. A massive mechanical arm extends 64 feet from the edge of the STRAT and spins you at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour. The real accomplishment isn’t even taking the ride — it’s keeping your eyes open. Adult admission costs $25 per person, with children 12 and under at $14. Keep in mind that you must be at least four feet tall to ride.
Where: 2000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Photo: The STRAT Las Vegas/Facebook
Also located at the STRAT, X-Scream is basically a giant seesaw 866 feet in the air. It propels you 27 feet over the edge of the STRAT, where you will dangle briefly above the strip before being pulled back — and it repeats over and over again. Even though you can anticipate the undulating motions, the ride is designed to surprise you and make you feel like you’re constantly at risk of falling from the building. Adults cost $25, children cost $14, and you must be at least four feet tall to ride.
Where: 2000 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Photo: The STRAT hotel
The fun at The STRAT continues with this adrenaline ride atop the building, which catapults riders into the air along the tower’s needle. In the moment, you’ll feel like you’re about to get shot right off the tip of the needle. If you can stop screaming for a few seconds, though, you’ll be able to enjoy one of the best views of the Strip. You’ll bounce up and down the mast three times before descending slowly to the base, at which point you’ll breathe a much-deserved sigh of relief. The Big Shot costs $29 for one ride and $43 for an unlimited pass. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 2 PM to 10 PM and Friday through Sunday from noon to midnight.
Where: 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Photo: New York – New York Hotel & Casino Las Vegas/Facebook
The Big Apple Coaster, located at the New York-New York Hotel, might be more thrilling than anything you can do in the actual Big Apple. This roller coaster would be exhilarating without any additional bells and whistles, but what really sets it apart is the virtual reality option. You can choose to upgrade your ride with VR goggles, which adds advanced, immersive graphics to make the entire experience pop. Once you strap on the headset, you will assume the role of a scientist pursuing an escaped alien through the Nevada desert and Vegas skyline. Coaster tickets are $15; the virtual reality experience is $20.
Where: 3790 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Photo: Checubus/Shutterstock
At 550 feet high (11 stories), the High Roller is the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. Even if you consider Ferris wheels to be rather tame compared to dropping 855 feet toward the ground, the sheer height of the High Roller is enough to make it thrilling. Located on the premises of the LINQ Hotel, it’s the perfect way to get 360-degree views of the Strip without putting yourself through heart-stopping anxiety. It takes around 30 minutes for the wheel to complete one rotation, and the cabins are fairly spacious — so it’ll be pretty easy to convince even your most cautious friends or family members to go for a spin. Adult tickets are $22 during the day and $32 at night.
Where: 3545 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Photo: Sky Combat Ace/Facebook
Perhaps the most adrenaline-pumping experience you can have in Las Vegas actually isn’t on the Strip at all. At Sky Combat Ace, about 20 minutes north of the Strip, you will have the opportunity to fly your own aerobatic plane alongside trained pilots. The experience is designed for total beginners, which may sound absolutely insane, but it’s also good news for anyone who has always dreamed of starring in Top Gun. Professional pilots will train you in everything you need to know to fly the plane, and will sit beside you the entire time making sure you don’t get yourself killed. You’ll attempt stunts, spins, drops, and even simulated military campaigns. A wide range of packages are available online, so you can choose whatever experience fits you best.
Where: 1420 Jet Stream Dr #100, Henderson, NV 89052
Photo: Vegas
Going all the way to Vegas and not having an epic desert experience would be a waste of time. The Vegas Mini Baja Chase gives you the opportunity to spend a day on custom-built dune buggies over the Nellis Dunes, about 20 minutes northeast of the Strip. After an orientation, you will embark upon a buggy journey over some rugged terrain, including steep hills, sand dunes, gravel, and hard-packed dirt. You’ll be following a guide, but this will feel unlike any tour you’ve ever been on — by the end, you will have raced across 15,000 acres of desert landscape. The experience includes transportation to and from your hotel, and you have the option of booking a one-seat, two-seat, four-seat, or six-seat buggy. Prices start at $80 per person, and tours can be booked online.
Where: Nellis Dunes OHV Recreation Area, Clark County, NV 89191
Photo: Rio Zip Line/Facebook
If you’d rather fly above Las Vegas than toward its pavement, the Rio Zipline, also known as the Voodoo Zipline, is the tallest and fastest zip line in Vegas. You and a partner can sit side by side and zoom through the air at 33 mph between the two towers at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. To reach the starting point, you will take an initial 800-foot zipline ride facing backward. Then, once you’ve arrived at the Rio Zipline Lounge atop the Rio’s Masquerade tower, you will cruise at an altitude of 490-feet in the air for about 70 seconds (though it will probably feel like much longer). You can ride during the day or at night. Tickets are just $25 per person and can be booked online.
Where: 3700 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89103
A version of this article was previously published on July 17, 2019, and was updated on October 28, 2020, with more information.
The post The 11 best roller coasters and thrill rides in Las Vegas appeared first on Matador Network.
A view from a presidential suite at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town, South Africa, is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, which uses Sojern for some online marketing. Leading Hotels of the World
