Sports & Recreation : Skiing & Snowboarding

Dad Said. Olestad, we can do i t all. . . . Why do you make me do this?. Because it's beautiful when it all comes together. I don't think it's ever beautiful. One day. Never. We'll see, my father said. Vamanos. From the age of three, Norman Ollestad was thrust into the world of surfing and competitive downhill skiing by the intense, charismatic father he both idolized and resented. While his friends were riding bikes, playing ball, and going to birthday parties, young Norman was whisked away in pursuit of wild and demanding adventures. Yet it were these exhilarating tests of skill that prepared "Boy Wonder," as his father called him, to become a fearless champion—and ultimately saved his life. Flying to a ski championship ceremony in February 1979, the chartered Cessna carrying Norman, his father, his father's girlfriend, and the pilot crashed into the San Gabriel Mountains and was suspended at 8,200 feet, engulfed in a blizzard. "Dad and I were a team, and he was Superman," Ollestad writes. But now Norman's father was dead, and the devastated eleven-year-old had to descend the treacherous, icy mountain alone. Set amid the spontaneous, uninhibited surf culture of Malibu and Mexico in the late 1970s, this riveting memoir, written in crisp Hemingwayesque prose, recalls Ollestad's childhood and the magnetic man whose determination and love infuriated and inspired him—and also taught him to overcome the indomitable. As it illuminates the complicated bond between an extraordinary father and his son, Ollestad's powerful and unforgettable true story offers remarkable insight for us all. more...

Price: $25.99

Offers down-to-earth guidance for hikers, cross-country skiers, ATVers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who own or are thinking of buying a GPS receiver, as well as people interested in digital map-making GPS (global positioning system) receivers draw on satellite signals to precisely determine a person's geographic position; as prices for these devices have gone down-entry-level models now sell for $100-sales have risen dramatically Provides coverage of the increasingly popular sport of "geocaching," in which people hunt for a canister hidden at precise geographic coordinates Explains how to turn cell phones and PDAs into GPS receivers and what hardware is required for connecting a GPS receiver to a PC Shows how to use popular, inexpensive software packages to create topographic, aerial photographs, and three-dimensional maps, and discusses free Web-hosted map services The author's diverse background in archeology, outdoor rescue, adventure racing navigation, and dis aster response set him apart from other people writing about this topic more...

Price: $21.99

Gain Without Pain. Learning to snowboard can be easy and painless -- with the right instruction. In this groundbreaking book, Danny Martin, the most sought-after snowboarding instructor today, teaches you how to snowboard in just three days -- and without falling. While the American Association of Snowboard Instructors tells its members, "Your students will fall," Danny Martin shows you that there can be gain without pain: he has single-handedly revolutionized the way the sport is taught, and in No-Fall Snowboarding he reveals his techniques. more...

Price: $16.00

Serious skaters looking for unusual and innovative tricks will find them in this skateboarding instructional guide. The tricks run the gamut from classic old school to modern with an emphasis on diversification, creativity, and originality. more...

Price: $7.95

Ramp tricks - skate moves made on, over, or around wood ramps, cement bowls, and half-pipes - are a key, albeit challenging, component of skateboarding. Beginning with basic moves, including stalls, grinds, and slides, this guide teaches skaters the particular positioning and balance needed to perform more advanced tricks such as flips and airs. more...

Price: $7.95