EXTREME IRONING – people!

Extreme Ironing (or EI) is a extreme sport and a “performance art” in which people take to ironing a shirt in exotic and dangerous places.  The official website is quoted as saying:  “The latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt.”

The Extreme History of Extreme ironing

The year was nineteen-hundred and eighty-fifteen (or 1995) and the band Monster Magnet launched their newest video “Negasonic Teenage Warhead”. It depicted the extreme ironing in its ultimate final frontier; extreme ironing in space.

Inspired, a Phil Shaw – of Leicester England – decided to take this idea to the climbing rocks. Then after I guess great success, he pressed on to a tour around the globe to tote his extreme ironing skills and expand the sport. Among one stop in New Zealand, Phil met a German tourist. Through the extreme power that is extreme ironing they became close friends and divided their passion for extreme ironing into two sects: the German Extreme Ironing Section (or GEIS) and the British Extreme Ironing Bureau.

The sport didn’t gain international notoriety until a documentary was created in the early 2000′s  titled  – Extreme Ironing: Pressing for Victory.  It was produced by Britain’s Channel 4 Wag TV. It followed a few national teams on their way to their international competition, and the breakaway group who are (or were) trying to launch extreme vacuuming.  Believe it or not, it was later aired on National Geographic with great reviews.

This is for serious guys. Even Jeremy Clarkson is on board:

There’s even a Wii game !!! (top left corner of the game box)

You might remember Monster Magnet by their only true international hit – Space Lord

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And no, this has nothing to do with marijuana, you pot-heads.

The Finnish have had some crazy ideas, but this one has to be near the top.  What I am referring to involves a bunch of sweaty men (women too) and is dubbed the ‘World Sauna Championships‘.  This sport originates from unofficial sauna-sitting competitions that eventually resulted in a ban from the swimhall in Heinola.  The championship has been officially running since 1999, and it has been growing each year since its inception.  The rules are very basic.  You can only wear a swimsuit that cannot go more than 8 inches down your leg, you can wipe the sweat from your face, but only your face, you cannot cover your ears and you can’t lean over too far either.  You stay in the sauna until you cannot handle it anymore, or are one of the last survivors.  Once it is too much to bare, you simply get up and walk out of the sauna.  There are usually plenty of participants which are broken down into heats of six people.  The six participants enter the sauna at the same time and try to outlast each other.  The last two to survive each heat move on until finally one person is left and is crowned champion.  The temperature that the sauna is set to is a ridiculous 110° C, and increases every 30 seconds.

Now, you may ask, who would subject themselves to being pretty much cooked alive for 10-15 minutes at a time?  Well, it’s obvious the Finn’s have taken a liking to it.  Finland has a population of about 5.2 million, and they have about 2 million saunas.  You can tell why they are the ones that created this sport.  They are born ready for this exact sort of thing.  American software designer Rick Ellis was not born ready…

Most contestants are seasoned veterans who actively go to saunas multiple times a week.  Rick Ellis had recently built a sauna at his New York home and has been trying to prepare.  His record was 16 minutes at a temperature of 110° C.  Unfortunately, the sauna’s in this competition get a little hotter every 30 seconds.  Not everyone can endure the humidity and heat, and conditioning plays an extremely vital part in this competition.  Rick found out the hard way just how brutal this competition can be.  Though he moved on from the first round, he did not last very much longer.  The quarterfinal’s were set to go, but Ellis would not make it through to the next round.  He didn’t notice that he had started breathing through his nose and that the skin around that area was literally starting to melt off.  His ears were cracking and bubbling and he had bright purple welts on his body.  And this was before the quarterfinal heat.  After beginning the heat, he ended up leaving within just over 4 minutes.  At this point, much of his skin was starting to peel off, there was quite a bit of pus, and needless to say, he was in really bad shape.  He was taken to the hospital to treat his burns and prevent any further damage that may have occurred.

His sauna is now being converted into a shoe closet for his wife, so at least someone can make use of it.  I’m sure there’s a lesson to be learned in all of this, mainly that sauna’s should be used to help people relax, not cook them.  I’m sure some people may like cooked human, hell I’d probably try it under the right circumstances, but I think I’ll stick with chicken, pork and beef for now.

John Terry Not out of World Cup

England manager Fabio Capello and English football fans can breathe a sign of relief as Terry will definitely make the World Cup finals after the Chelsea captain suffered a foot injury in training. The Chelsea captain was feared to have broken metatarsal, which would have left him off the English roster in South Africa. Scans have revealed only minor ligament damage. Terry may even be fit for Saturday’s FA Cup final with Portsmouth at Wembley. Exhale. (Soccernet)

Drogba Makin’ it Rain

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba showed his maturity (or lack of) on the pitch during Chelsea’s clinching victory over Wigan on Sunday by pouting like a little child when Frank Lampard wouldn’t let him take the first of Chelsea’s two penalties. After the match in the locker room Drogba celebrated with several children by spraying them with champagne. (Chelsea TV)

40,000 Prostitutes…that’s a lot

That’s how many prostitutes are heading to South Africa for the World Cup next month. Should be a good time. (Global Post)

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Getafe’s Roberto Soldado helped his team earn a 1-1 draw against Sporting Gijon on Tuesday with this wonder goal and, surely, earned himself a BK Whopper. Getafe captured the final European spot next season with the draw.

Run on the field, Get Tasered

It was the top of the eighth inning when 17-year-old fan Steve Consalvi hopped the fence at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and dashed around the outfield. Everyone seemed to get a kick of the intoxicated young man waving his towel around the field while running circles around the overweight security guards. Everyone but one Philadelphia police officer who didn’t find this so amusing. Instead of tackling the trespassing fan like they normally do, this police officer decided to use his taser to take down Consalvi. Fair or foul?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NhwoRKpi4

WAGs in Umbro Shirts

Do I have to say more?

Magic Embarrassed Hawks in Game 1

Orlando outscored Atlanta 60-21 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters on their way to a 114-71 victory in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semi-final. Were the Magic that good or were the Hawks that bad? Or, somewhere in between? Either way, the Hawks have to put that game behind them quickly. In the other NBA game last night, the Lakers rolled to a 111-93 win over Utah in Game 2. LA lead 2-0 with the series heading to Utah for Game 3.

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Bayern’s two late goals to stun Manchester United at Old Trafford are recreated in Lego. Pure genius. (Pies)

England Will Sleep in Altitude Tents to Prepare for World Cup

Fabio Capello’s squad have been subjected to extensive tests over much of this season. The results have shown that some of the players would benefit from starting to sleep in the tents at their homes in a bid to acclimatise to the high altitude conditions of South Africa. Playing high is never easy. (Daily Mail)

Chicago Bulls One Game Away From Clinching Playoff Spot

The Bulls took care of business at home last night against the Boston Celtics with a 101-93 win. The Bulls just need to win tonight in Charlotte to cinch the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Toronto Raptors, currently in 9th, need a win tonight at home against the Knicks and have the Bulls lose to Charlotte. Last night, Bulls’ point guard Derrick Rose was brilliant. He poured in 39 points including this monster throw down.

Future Baseball Star

This kid is five and can hit an 80mph fast ball. He can also field better than Jason Giambi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr6HwEJLSKs

Best Hockey Fights of the Season

Hockeyfights.com took a look back at the top 10 best fights of the 2009/10 season. Here’s #1. I’d have to agree. What a marathon fight! What’s yours?

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Portsmouth beat Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals by scoring two goals in extra time. Portsmouth will now play Chelsea in the final. Despite controlling possession for most of the match, Spurs could not beat Pompey keeper David James. Here’s what Portsmouth manager Avram Grant had to say after the game:

“This achievement belongs to the fans and the players. The players didn’t give up. The fans showed how fans need to behave. They were behind the club despite everything. They are so great they deserve it. This club, this year, I will not forget it all my life.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7SK6VeHD20

Henrik Sedin Wins the NHL Scoring Race

Vancouver Canucks’ forward Henrik Sedin captured the scoring title thanks to his 4 point performance on Saturday night against the Flames. Sedin finished the season with 112 points, three points ahead of Crosby and Ovechkin. Henrik capped off his season with this nice touch pass to his brother Daniel. The finish was even better.

Mickelson Captures his 3rd Green Jacket

Phil Mickelson was flawless in Sunday’s final round at the Masters. Mickelson shot a five-under 67 in his final round and won by three strokes over Lee Westwood. Tiger Woods finished tied for fourth at -11, five strokes back of Mickelson. Woods had an up-and-down final round, but you have to give him credit for a great performance in his return to the tour.

Best Explanation for Poor Play

The New York Yankees signed relief pitcher Chan-Ho Park in the off-season to bolster their bullpen. His opening night performance against the Boston Red Sox was a night to forget. However, his explanation for why he pitched so poorly, was not.

-Oliver

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Hamburg forward Jose Paolo Guerrero has been banned for five matches and will miss the rest of the season after throwing a bottle at a fan at the end of his side’s 0-0 draw with Hannover on Sunday. He has also been fined €20,000. It was a pretty nice toss for a footballer. He got the guy right in the head. He looked better than Carlos Zambrano did onopening day for the Cubs. (Soccernet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9VeP1w7Mrk

The Big Nowitzki

This is a video of Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks playing ‘The Dude’ from the Big Lebowski. I don’t know what else I can say about this. (The Last Angry Fan)

Auf Wiedersehen, Manchester United!

For the first time since the 2002/03 Champions League season, there will be zero English sides in the semi-finals after Bayern Munich knocked Manchester United out of the competition last night. The last-8 tie ended 4-4, with Bayern advancing on away goals. Arjen Robben’s volley in the 74th minute was the clinching marker. Robben has been the best signing of the season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szMfyLLEI_o

Guitar Video of the Day

No F1 this weekend. The next race is in China on the 18th. Watch this guy use his Gibson guitar to simulate Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari. Sweet.

-Oliver

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Duke went on to capture the men’s NCAA basketball championship last night in Indianapolis. They defeated Butler, 61-59, in a thriller. It is Duke’s 4th national championship. If you missed it, here are the last 13 seconds of the game. Was this the best final ever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdsIeswr0uE

Rooney is a Sneaky Devil

Wayne Rooney must have needed a pint on Saturday while watching his Manchester United teammates get outplayed by Chelsea in the Blues 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Watch as Rooney pours some beer into his cup after he finds a pint unattended.

Drew Brees is One Cool Dude

Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees is a big fan of the US Marines. While in Djibouti, Somalia visiting the troops, he got the chance to fire some weapons and get some training with the troops. Is there anything this guy can’t do? (Military Times)

OUCH!

This looks like one of the most painful injuries I have ever seen. In a NCAA baseball game between Florida and Vanderbilt, Florida catcher Austin Maddox lined a ball off the knee of Florida pitcher Corey Williams. The result was a split knee cap. Williams showed a ton of courage when he was able to find the ball and throw out Maddox at first. Check out the video and x-ray of his knee. (Palm Beach Post)

x-ray of Williams’ knee

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