Daring Acts

Base Jump

by Dan Sellars on August 21, 2012

 Base Jump

“BASE” is an acronym that stands for the four categories of objects from which one can jump: Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth.

The most famous BASE jumping bridge is the New River Gorge Bridge, WV. Earth refers to large natural formations – cliffs, canyons, fjords and gorges.

Standing atop Brazil’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in January 1999, stuntman ‘Fearless Felix’ Baumgartner braced himself for what was to be the world’s lowest BASE jump at 29 metres (95 feet).

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Greenpeace Global Voices features stunning and beautiful visual storytelling–chock full of charismatic energy. Sobering trend and fearful as-ever about our collective future.

This is a beautifully shot PSA filled with some wonderful documentary moments of people, children and the dramatic landscape of Delhi. One person’s view of living with global warming. Color correcting the footage helped give it a nice, rich and balanced look to this spot. Philip Bloom on a Canon 5D II.

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Flex

by Dan Sellars on June 15, 2012

survive2 Flex

Amazing flexibility and resilience. Surfers know they’ll be spending a few minutes underwater and it’s not uncommon to be held down with big waves pounding you like a falling steam train.

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Flat Earth Society

by Dan Sellars on June 15, 2012

The people of the Flat Earth Society believe that this place is one of the four corners of the world; the very edge of the earth. Fancy that.

Nowhere in the world looks like Newfoundland and Labrador the most easterly point of North America, perched on the edge of a continent. This chapter evokes the strange and terrible beauty of our landscape and seascape, in stark contrast to the typical images found in most glossy tourism advertising.

Director Alar Kivilo.

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Defender

by Dan Sellars on May 19, 2012

 Defender

Nothing says summer time more than a #LandRover #Defender fully loaded with canoes, mountain bikes, and loaded to the gills with camping equipment!  Let the summer fun begin.

HT @MadetoDefend

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Sport is simple

by Dan Sellars on May 5, 2012

lifeissimple Sport is simple

Originally wrote this back in 2009. Still a refreshing idea.

Howies are on to something with this print campaign. In a world that’s increasingly disenfranchised by the economic struggles, bitter foreign wars and a sense that big government is part of the problem, a return to simplicity is a strong message. It’s a brand that is daring, albeit with a simple bold message of peace & tranquility.

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Moscow Skyscraper

by Dan Sellars on April 21, 2012

A man has posted a video of himself climbing a 577ft Kotelnicheskaya building in Moscow, Russia.

Completed in 1952, the Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building has 32 floors and is one of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers in the city, known as the Seven Sisters.

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 Climbing Half Dome El Cap Black Diamond’s grassroots athlete Jesse Huey partnered with Shane Chelone for one of Yosemite’s most coveted big-wall advenutures: Half Dome and El Cap in a day. Chelone provided a trip report and photos that details the duo’s race against the clock.

via @BlackDiamond

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Kick off

by Dan Sellars on January 2, 2012

jump Kick off

 Kick off

 Kick off

A common theme for this site, “freestyling dives” HT via aussiefool

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Art and Science

by Dan Sellars on November 15, 2011

 Art and Science

I’m just not too sure Gucci intended this to go this far, right? (click to skip the smoking canister)

Clearly a provocative image, likely re-released to become a viral sensation.  Gucci obviously took it upon themselves to race to the bottom of the heap. But why?

Branding Brands put it concisely:

As we all know, understand, and imagine; Gucci sells sex. Since 1994 when Tom Ford took over Gucci the company had one clear message “sex!” It was the sexual revolution of women lead by Tom Ford who’s dream was who’s dream was to empower women on a sexual level.

 Art and Science
This recent campaign follows a simple undeniable trend: Sex sells. Gucci rose out of what seemed certain bankruptcy to one of the most popular and successful luxury fashion retailers.

Although controversial the original provocative ad campaigns by the “then” creative director Tom Ford ensured his message of sexual empowerment became a series of intriguing ads.

But let us be clear about the “now” brand message under new leadership of Frida, Gucci is a beacon of luxury taste, a fashion role model with a halo of respect. The imagination runs wild on Gucci’s seductive visuals, never the explicit. Sure my own righteousness is questionable.

HT @beautiful-visible

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Life of Daring

by Dan Sellars on October 2, 2011

 Life of Daring

“There’s a lot of distraction for people, so you might not never find the real you. A lot of people don’t.” -Bob Dylan

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Breathtaking preview of Toronto’s CN Tower, the newest attraction, EdgeWalk opened to the public in August 2011.

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Rune Hallum Sørensen

by Dan Sellars on September 25, 2011

Rune Hallum S%C3%B8rensen 86m Rune Hallum Sørensen

World Oceans Day when Rune Hallum Sorenson sets a Danish record of 68 meters at the AIDA world free diving record in Kalamata, Greece.

HT @hallum.eu

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Old Phone Booths

by Dan Sellars on September 25, 2011

 Old Phone Booths Old Phone Booths Converted Into Goldfish Aquariums.

These days telephone booths are pretty much obsolete. Instead of letting them slowly decay on the city sidewalks, an artist collaborative called Kingyobu in Osaka is converting them into giant goldfish aquariums. The shimmery orange fish is somewhat of a good luck charm in Japan, so visitors crowd around the awesome tanks and get their luck and happiness fill.

HT @architizer

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Defying Gravity

by Dan Sellars on June 19, 2011

gravity 1 Defying GravityTokyo Photographer ‘Levitates’

Natsumi Hayashi makes flying look easy. But these defying gravity self-portraits that seem to show the Toyko photographer levitating above the ground are actually the result of a lot of hard work.

“Sometimes I need to jump more than 300 times to get the perfect shot,” Hayashi told MSNBC.com on June 8. [Photo of Hayashi levitating]

Hayashi blogs a levitating picture-of-the-day each day on her website, http://yowayowacamera.com/. Either working with an assistant or using a self-timer, she uses photography to freeze herself hanging in the air in diners, phone booths and on Tokyo sidewalks.

Hayashi makes no bones about her levitation being an illusion,

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“David, would you mind doing a commercial for BBC?”
“Non, il n’est pas possible”
“Would you please reconsider? After all, we will have a topless pianoplayer”
“Je suppose que nous pouvons faire une exception”

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Guillaume Nery

by Dan Sellars on April 17, 2011

Sunday morning dive film for you.

World champion free diver Guillaume Nery special dive at Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world filmed entirely on breath hold by the french champion Julie Gautier. It asks you to submit yourself to the peacefulness of the sport and be in sync with nature.

“Guillaume Nery and myself decided to use our time during a freediving competition at Dean’s Blue Hole (deepest blue hole in the world) to make a short movie. Since a long time Guillaume wanted to make the link beween freeding and base jumping. Our goal was to emphasise on esthetic images and innovative camera moves.” Julie Gautier

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Love Me Tender, Or Else

by Dan Sellars on February 14, 2011

Racy psychological thriller. ’Love Me Tender, Or Else’. Short film written and directed by Greg Williams as a web viral for underwear firm Agent Provocateur staring model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

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Amazing new multi camera streaming technology. h/t @shirowilde

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Hawaii Pipeline

by Dan Sellars on November 3, 2010

RIP Andy Irons. Legends never die.

explore hawaii pipeline Hawaii Pipeline

Hawaii’s surfing community and board fans around the world were shocked to hear of the passing of three-time World Champion, Andy Irons, who died in a hotel room in Dallas, Texas while returning home to Hawaii after a surf contest in Puerto Rico, where he was reportedly too sick to complete competing.

Jodi Wilmott of Ocean Promotion said in a statement, “Irons, 32, withdrew from a professional surfing event in Puerto Rico last weekend due to illness and passed away during a layover en-route to his home in Kauai, Hawaii, were he checked into a hotel in Dallas, Texas. He had reportedly been battling with dengue fever, a viral disease.” Irons was on his way home from the Rip Curl Pro Search Puerto Rico, which he withdrew from due to illness, reportedly dengue fever, which he acquired in either Portugal or Puerto Rico.

Dengue (pronounced den” gee) is a disease caused by any one of four closely related viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, or DEN-4). The viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. In the Western Hemisphere, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is the most important transmitter or vector of dengue viruses, although a 2001 outbreak in Hawaii was transmitted by Aedes albopictus. It is estimated that there are over 100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year.

Irons reportedly flew to Miami where he spent two days on an IV drip but then insisted on going home to Hawaii to see his regular doctor, Surfing Life reports.

Irons and his younger brother Bruce are from Hanalei, Kauai’s north shore. Both the Irons’ Brothers skyrocketed to fame at early ages, showing great talent and promise in the water. They have hosted the Irons Pine Tree Classic Surf contest for the past few years, and have been seen as mentors for the grom surf community of Kauai.

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