Action Sports

The 2015 Red Bull Air Race season is upon us, launching with a sunny stop in Abu Dhabi on Friday. It doesn't get much more picturesque than the United Arab Emirates for the aerobatic action that will continue into the Valentine's Day weekend, as supporters get the first opportunity to catch a glimpse of this year's competitors.

A revamped format and extra pilots have been added, as discussed below the upcoming event's vital details.

Date: Fri, Feb. 13-Sat, Feb. 14.

Location: Corniche Breakwater, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Live Stream: Red Bull (from 7 a.m. ET/12 p.m. GMT on Saturday). Only available for final-eight points battle.

Preview: New Competitors and a New Format

The Red Bull Air Race is becoming increasingly competitive. While all 12 of last season's pilots returning, organisers have added two new combatants in the shape of Francois Le Vot and Juan Velarde, reported by the official Red Bull website.

Le Vot, also known by his nickname "Zool," is a former French national champion and servant of the French Air Force. He won three races in last season's inaugural Challenger Cup, making the leap up to the Air Race with aplomb. A sidenote for rivals who may be taking Le Vot lightly: One of his triumphs came in Abu Dhabi, reported by the Air Race website.

Incidentally, the beautiful upcoming location can be seen below, per the Abu Dhabi Events Twitter feed:

Velarde's route to the competition has been a little different. The Spaniard is a commercial pilot by trade, someone who has spent time as a flight instructor and flyer of freight planes. He represented Spain during all European and World Championships between 2004-11, while winning two gold, three silver and one bronze in the country's national tournament. He also performed in the 2014 Challenger Cup.

The addition of this duo means the format of the Air Race has evolved. This season's Challenger Cup—which proved so successful last year, as the two graduates show—will commence before the opening Round of 14, not during qualifying.

Extra numbers also ensure seven one-on-one races will take place during the Round of 14 exchanges. To keep things simple, seven winners and the fastest loser will progress to the Round of 8, which takes the form of a straight knockout competition in further head-to-head challenges.

Three podium places are up for grabs in the Final Four, which will see the weekend's best quartet race against the clock for the prize. 

"This new format will be a big challenge for the pilots to fly more precisely and better than ever before and we're confident it will make the Red Bull Air Race more exciting and competitive," said Jim DiMatteo, race director of the competition, per Red Bull's website.

British star Nigel Lamb, who won last season's title, believes the added numbers will make this year's competition even more difficult to call, as told to Red Bull: "This year could be anybody's. Everybody's been on the podium, except the two new guys, and both of them are very, very good. It's a campaign and there could be some big, big surprises this year."

Red Bull's Twitter feed posted an image of the current champion getting in a few practice rounds:

Lamb's stunning control was one of the highlights of last year, as featured in Red Bull's top-moments video:

Such manoeuvres will be commonplace when the Abu Dhabi event kicks into gear, with each pilot looking to stamp their authority in a meeting which can provide major confidence for the rest of the campaign.

Lamb will know one minor mistake could impact his ability to retain the crown, particularly with the likes of Le Vot and Velarde looking to make an instant impression.

Anybody who watched Back To The Future II as a kid dreamed of owning a hoverboard one day, and that dream looks to be moving closer to reality. 

The "future" part of the 1989 movie was set in 2015, and a company called Hendo hope to have something available in October of next year that resembles what Michael J. Fox whipped around in during the hit movie.

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk rode a prototype of the hoverboard, which is called the "Hendo Hover," and this time, it is the real deal, unlike the Funny or Die clip that caught people out earlier this year.

As Yahoo notes: 

The hoverboard itself is designed much more like a mini-hovercraft and it isn’t the floating wheel-free skateboard that first captured the world’s imagination in Back to the Future II. Nonetheless, it looks like an amazing feat of engineering that left Hawk very impressed.

Hendo is also working on future hoverboards that will look much more like what we saw a young Michael J. Fox riding around on all those years ago. The future hoverboards will be much thinner than the one we see in the Tony Hawk video and will be able to levitate up to one inch off the ground.

Hendo are financing the development of the boards through a Kickstarter campaign, which has already raised $450,000 in just three days.

Now, all we need is a copy of Grays Sports Almanac and a holofilm version of Jaws 19 to complete the Back to the Future dream. 

Unfortunately, for now, it is Back to Reality. 

[YouTube: RIDE Channel, h/t Yahoo]

Felix Baumgartner's skydiving world record lasted a little over two years. Alan Eustace, a senior vice president for Google, fell 135,890 feet on Friday to set a new record, per John Markoff of The New York Times.

"It was amazing," Eustace said after making his successful landing. "It was beautiful. You could see the darkness of space, and you could see the layers of atmosphere, which I had never seen before."

He used a balloon filled with 35,000 cubic feet of helium to achieve his desired height. Upon reaching his destination, he broke away from the balloon to begin the fall. His descent lasted around 15 minutes.

You can view footage of his record-breaking accomplishment below.

When compared to Baumgartner, Eustace's attempt was low-tech. Markoff explained some of the differences between the two daredevils:

Mr. Eustace was carried aloft without the aid of the sophisticated capsule used by Mr. Baumgartner or millions of dollars in sponsorship money. Instead, Mr. Eustace planned his jump in secrecy, working for almost three years with a small group of technologists skilled in spacesuit design, life-support systems, and parachute and balloon technology.

Baumgartner set the old record on Oct. 14, 2012. He fell 128,100 feet.

Considering how quickly Eustace found a way to top the old mark, it's likely only a matter of time before somebody new challenges the current record.

Seals and surfers should be friends.

Both parties are constantly cruising the waves, looking for fun and doing their best to avoid being digested by sharks.

I like to believe these shared experiences led to the unlikely friendship two surfers formed with a baby seal off the northeast coast of England.

BBC (h/t Laken Litman of For the Win) reports that surfers Matt Stanley and Andrew Flounders encountered the seal while carving the waters off Amble in Northumberland. A GoPro camera mounted on Stanley's board captured some incredibly precious video of the seal swimming up and attempting to balance on their boards.

Stanley told BBC the seal hung out with him and Flounders for the better part of an hour.

"We had been in for about 45 minutes when the seal came along. ... This one nudged Andrew's foot in the water and started getting curious," Stanley said. He added, "It kept sliding off, but every time you caught a wave it would surf in on the white water."

Aww.

Litman writes that the seal treated the surfers like a dog playing with its masters.

"After watching this video you want a seal, don't you? Is this not the cutest thing?" Litman writes. "They're so friendly and cuddly-looking, like the Golden Retrievers of the ocean."

Indeed, the ocean is almost exclusively filled with terrifying and dangerous creatures, so meeting a friendly seal is probably a best-case scenario as far as random wildlife encounters on the open water go.

In this spirit, I've decided to power-rank the most enjoyable saltwater animals to encounter in the wild:

1. Baby seal.
   
2. Dolphin (preferably baby).
   
3. Seahorse.
   
4. Non-killer whales.
   
5. Manatee.

One-million-way tie for last: Everything else.

Congrats to these men on making a new buddy. It isn't often you find a lapdog in the ocean.

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The X Games are always an exciting display of the athletic ability and guts from the performers, and the 2014 edition from Austin, Texas, should live up to the lofty expectations placed upon it by the previous Games.

With wild personalities like skateboarding legend Bucky Lasek and former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon stealing headlines in their respective disciplines, there is legitimate excitement from action sports fans across the world.

Here is all the vital viewing information, the full event schedule and the top athletes to watch during the 2014 edition of the X Games from Austin.

Where: Austin, Texas

When: Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8

Watch: ABC and ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Athletes to Watch

Bucky Lasek

Even at 41 years old, there are few competitors with the love of the game comparable to action sports legend Bucky Lasek. As one of the innovators at the X Games, Lasek has become a legend at the events.

In 2014, Lasek will have his face all over the competition. Not only will he be taking on the younger challengers in the skateboard vert and park events, but he will also have the chance to fight for a win in the RallyCross event.

As the official X Games Twitter account mentioned, Lasek dominated 2013:

With 13 career medals at the X Games (six gold, five silver and two bronze medals), there are few athletes with the track record or confidence that Lasek has showcased over his long and decorated action sports career.

With three chances to add medals to his already impressive totals, all eyes will be on Lasek as he continues to defy Father Time and dominate a field of younger competitors.

Robby Gordon

For those NASCAR fans who remember Robby Gordon racing at the sport’s top level, the ultra-aggressive driver will now bring his talents to the Stadium Super Trucks event at X Games Austin.

This will be the inaugural run of the racing series at the X Games, and Gordon is one of the favorites to win the first ever gold medal in the event. The veteran driver told Colin Bane of XGames.com about truck racing being added to this year’s event:

The schedule we had for 2014 was already very good and to be able to add X Games Austin in to the mix is a tremendous opportunity for us. I'm stoked beyond belief and really feel like this is going to be a perfect fit, building on the X Games motorsports tradition with motocross events and the Global Rally Cross partnership. We are probably the most extreme motorsport there is and we can't wait to prove it in Austin.

Gordon created the Stadium Super Trucks series, and he will now do his best to show the world the entertainment value of the sport while proving his dominance. As a veteran truck racer, the bright lights of the X Games will be exactly what the sport needs.

With an eclectic mix of elite racing on dirt and asphalt, as well as several jumps that will send these trucks soaring through the air, this event has the potential to become an instant fan favorite.

*Stats via XGamesAustin.com.

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The benefits of asking a celebrity to the prom certainly outweigh the negatives. The worst-case scenario is that he or she declines. If he or she accepts, it will turn out to be an unforgettable experience—especially if it's a surprise.

Mount Saint Joseph Academy (Flourtown, Pa.) senior Carly Monzo hatched a brilliant plan to ask Olympic snowboarder Shaun White to the gala. She did it by using a GoPro camera, which happens to be one of White's sponsors.

Check out her "GoProM" video:

Monzo and her friends tweeted the video at White numerous times, hoping to get his attention. Although she didn't know it, White was planning on attending.

Fast-forward to Friday, May 2, which is when Mount Saint Joseph's prom took place.

School officials called a clueless Monzo onto the stage during the prom. When the curtains dropped, White appeared with his band, Bad Things. From there, Monzo rocked out with her date:

Of course, after the fact, White was able to tweet out some photos of his day:

As a result, one teenager learned that tweeting at a celebrity is worth a shot.

[Vimeo, Instagram, Shaun White; h/t CBS Sports]

Kids can be hesitant at times, so adults need to have some patience. If they don't, things like this happen.

The young kid in the video took his time on the halfpipe, but not everyone was willing to wait. Although the kid was wearing some pads, they probably didn't help him much on this fall.

Update: Monday, May 19 at 8:45 p.m. ET

Marcus Crossland, the man in the video, has expressed his regret for pushing his six-year-old son down the 13-foot ramp.

Crossland and his wife talked to NBC's Kerry Sanders about the incident, via TODAY.com's Scott Stump:

That was my poor attempt at trying to help him overcome his fear. It was a bonehead decision.

It was an effort to help him, but it didn't come out that way. I'm sorry that I made that decision to use that tactic as opposed to another. I'm sorry for the outcome. Because of a decision I made, my wife and my children and everybody has got to deal with it. 

Crossland has since lost his job as a result of the fallout, according to the family, and the local authorities are still investigating the incident.

To watch the interview, check out TODAY.com.

--End of Update--

[Instagram, h/t The Big Lead]

It's hard to believe the Puppy Bowl has been in existence for 10 years, but it has. This year's game will take place on Feb. 2 in New York.

To commemorate the historic event, the game will be held in Times Square prior to the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos clash in Super Bowl XLVIII. Every year more sponsors get involved with this huge project.

GEICO dropped this tweet to help promote Puppy Bowl X. 

David Campanelli, the senior vice president-director of national broadcast with Horizon Media sees the Puppy Bowl's appeal to sponsors. He told Jeanine Poggi of Adage.com:

"For an advertiser who wants to get a small pop and some buzz up against the Super Bowl, it's carved out a really nice and unique niche."

There's even a fantasy draft fans can participate in. No joke, click here for the information. 

Want a taste of what you can expect from the puppies? Check this out:

Here's how you can watch the event.

When: Sunday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. EST

Where: Times Square in New York

TV: Animal Planet

People Are Serious About Their Puppies

The man who referees this event, Dan Schachner, talks about how people reach out to him about missed calls during the game. Per Maura Judkis of The Washington Post, Schachner says:

"People take it more seriously than any of us do. I’ve gotten tweets from fans who were like, ‘No, that wasn’t technically a holding call, or a face mask—he didn’t put the paws on that puppy’s snout.’"

Emily Cummins of the Warren Reporter wants to specifically champion the cause of her favorite greyhound.

The Starting Lineups

Per AnimalPlanet.com, there are a total of 38 puppies in the starting lineup. Click here to see the lovable slideshow. 

Let's highlight three top contenders. These puppies are only being recognized because they look awesome. No one has any real idea how they will perform when the lights come on.

Prada—The Boxer

This pup has a physical demeanor that says: "I'm gonna score some touchdowns—or at least run around a lot and harass the other dogs."

If I had a dog, I'd want it to look like Prada. She's got a cool two-tone thing happening around her snout and awesome color overall.

Her personality really pops in the photo. We'll see if she shines during the Puppy Bowl.

Abdiel—The Labrador Retriever/Terrier Mix

Remember when Vanessa Huxtable kept begging Cliff for "a nice family dog" on the Cosby Show? Perhaps I'm dating myself a bit with that reference, but Abdiel is what she was talking about.

This Lab/Terrier mix looks like he ran off a television commercial set. Abdiel has perfect fur color for his breed, and a cool look of innocence. 

Can he deliver on the doggy gridiron, though? 

Lily—The Bassett Hound

If expressions can tell a story, Lily's says: "Look, I'm not about to run around all willy-nilly with the rest of these puppies. I've got to get my beauty rest."

Equipped with big, floppy ears and low-hanging eyes, Lily could be part of a sitcom or cartooned into a lovable animated character.

Just don't expect a lot of activity from her on Sunday.

Follow me. Sports are what I do. And once a year I write about the Puppy Bowl.