Tag: Rita
Real Life Hot Wheels Double Loop
A team of engineers and two crazy drivers are preparing for a history-making challenge drawn from the daydreams of every child who’s ever crisscrossed his parents’ living room with plastic race tracks: building, and racing on, a human-scale Hot Wheels double loop track, just like the one you had when you were a kid.
The “Hot Wheels Double Loop Dare” is set to take place at this month’s Summer X-Games in Los Angeles. Drivers Tanner Foust and Greg Tracy will attempt to race through a 60-foot vertical loop modeled after the new Double Dare Snare Hot Wheels toy, in what would be the first time in history two cars mounted a vertical loop at once.
“We’ve done large-scale stuff before,”said Dave McKay, of Laissez Faire, the company that designed and created the physical structure for the stunt.”But this is the biggest stunt that I’ve ever been apart of.”
It’s a race and a stunt in one, with the drivers racing two purpose-built cars at 52 mph down separate tracks that merge into one big loop, where they will face a a gravitational force of 7 G’s (that’s what a fighter pilot feels), before being spit out on the other side to complete a jump. First one through wins.
Strongman Enshrined in York Barbell USA Hall of Fame
I saw Slim the Hammerman perform live at a local department store when I was a teenager. It’s good to see he is finally getting the recognition he deserves.
From The Mercury:
Overcoming difficult obstacles and achieving new milestones are nothing new for world-renowned strongman Lawrence “Slim the Hammerman” Farman.
Farman — who is known for tossing a combined weight of 50 pounds of hammers and other skills — was recently inducted into the York Barbell USA Hall of Fame for his lifelong achievements as a professional strength trainer.
“It means I’m old,” Farman quipped. “It’s like an honor that other guys respect.”
For Farman, 77, of East Coventry, this is one of many culminating achievements to a lengthy successful career. He explained this is not the first time that he has been welcomed into the top of the strongmen ranks.
Several years ago, Farman was inducted into the Association of Oldetime Barbell and Strongmen, adding that to be accepted into both places is a “prestigious” award that is admired by younger athletes.
“I’m one of the few guys that’s in both of them,” Farman said.
He attributes that achievement to extensive training and discipline that dates back decades.
Farman, who has worked with strongmen greats during his career, such as The Mighty Atom and more, said he has made it into the record books with
his feats of strength of throwing two hammers of more than 25 pounds in each hand.
“There’s nobody that comes close,” he said.
Even as recently as October, Farman explained that those competing to break his record fell short, unable to crack holes in his established accomplishments.
But Farman’s attempts to be a great has taken a toll on him, receiving approximately 27 fractures in each hand through hammer throws and more.
Farman explained he wants others to learn the skill he has worked “so hard” to perfect, so others can one day have the opportunity to enter into the hall of fame and set their own records.
Farman has been training other professional strongmen, teaching them how to go beyond their limit and push their strength capabilities.
Although Farman teaches his pupils these skills, he explained the will often times limits how far athletes can push themselves.
“The will lets you be done before the strength,” he said.
Chris Rider, a professional athlete and one of Farman’s students, said it is “definitely an honor” to learn from a strongman master.
“It’s been a very surreal experience,” Rider said. “He’s spent a lot of time on the stage and gotten to work with the greats.”
Rider, 35, of Thomasville, said he met Farman in 2007, and has been working on a number of skills, namely the art of showmanship and how to make the demonstration better for the audience.
Because of Farman’s lessons, Rider explained it has helped his demonstrations and shows.
“When you’re on the stage, it is all for the audience,” he said.
The ‘Piggy Bank’ Brothers
Conner Alexander’s piggy bank bounty was a bust from the beginning.
The 7-year-old Texas Rangers fan posted the now-famous offer on a homemade sign from his seat in right field during Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
“Hey Rangers!” it read. “Hit my brother. Win my piggy bank.”
But the offer, of course, wasn’t as lucrative as it sounds.
“He has a piggy bank, but there’s not a whole lot in it,” says Ashlee Alexander, Conner’s mom, from the family’s home in Carthage, Texas.
“Un-uh,” Conner admits when asked if he would have parted with his pennies.
Still, the sign was seen by millions on Yahoo and caused a ruckus among some readers. But all you backseat psychologists can breathe easier. Conner says he never really meant any harm for 10-year-old Hunter.
Instead, the boys hoped their ruse would get them on the ballpark’s video board and catch the eye of their favorite players, Josh Hamilton(notes) and Nelson Cruz(notes).
“We were going to put a target on my brother, but we didn’t have tape to do it,” Conner says.
Their popularity on Big League Stew and Yahoo! has prompted over 24,000 Facebook shares and dozens of calls from friends in their small town located about two hours east of Dallas. Morning television programs have also called seeking interviews.
“I guess overwhelmed would be the best way to describe it,” says their father, Billy Alexander. “It was just clean, innocent fun. They did what they set out to do, but they just got on [an even bigger] JumboTron.”
Billy, a retired firefighter who now runs his own business, and Ashlee, a special education teacher, say their boys are the best of friends. Billy balks at anyone who saw the playful prank as poor parenting.
“They just need to come to Texas and have some fun,” he says.
