We are very sad to say… After being contacted by representatives of Danica Patrick, this fun infographic had to be removed.

We hope to have a new approved version for you soon.

1st Place Mod Harley Class: Adams Karns turned his shop-worn ’01 Sportster into a primo new school board tracker that rocked the 2013 Ultimate Builder US Championship.

2nd Place Mod Harley Class: Dell Battle – ’03 Fatboy

3rd Place Mod Harley Class: Leon Thill – Softail Trike

h/t Harley Davidson for the pics

Do you intend to take a vacation this summer? Are you planning to go RV style with a travel trailer or a fifth wheel? Pulling a trailer is a great way to enjoy a vacation without having to check in and out of motel rooms, sleep in unfamiliar beds, and be without a kitchen to fix a few familiar meals. A trailer is also a great choice over a motor home as you can disconnect your truck and do some sightseeing without the inconvenience of the RV. Choosing to purchase a used travel trailer or fifth wheel is a fantastic way to save money; however, it can set you up for some serious headaches if you are not careful in your purchase. A superb clean-up or patch job can hide an existing problem just long enough for someone to take the trailer off of the previous owner’s hands. Before you drive away with that great deal, be sure to know what trouble signs to look out for so that your summer vacation is not spoiled by a trailer deal gone sour.

Interior Interests

• Black spots – Mildew and mold are the two worst enemies of an RV’s interior. Unfortunately, these problems can be temporarily hidden by a quick coat of paint, some wallpaper, or even a good cleaning. While this may temporarily cause a spot to disappear, the mold can quickly return. Check the caulking and corners of the RV as these areas are most likely to reveal any mold and mildew issues.
• Stained Ceiling – Thoroughly check the ceiling for any discoloration that could indicate a leak. The last thing you want is to wake up with water dripping on you from above.
• Soft Floor – A rotted floor will lead to expensive repairs, so don’t be ashamed to thoroughly check the floor, even removing your shoes to get a better feel for any sags or soft spots.

Other interior warning signs are far easier to notice: a non-functioning appliance, torn cushions, worn out carpet, etc. While it is not impossible to redo the interior of an RV, it is important to factor the cost into the purchase price when deciding if it truly is a good deal.

Structural Integrity

Like it or not, one of the best things you can do when looking at a used travel trailer is to get down and dirty. Taking a look underneath the trailer may not be pleasant, but it may very well be the best thing you can do to avoid problems that may occur just a few miles down the road. Be on the lookout for any kind of damage: welded areas, cracks, axle damage, and especially rust. The framework underneath the RV is what supports the whole structure. If there is any damage on the framework, you will soon have problems that reveal themselves on the inside, cabinet doors that do not close, leaks in the ceiling, etc.

Mechanical Issues

Every feature of the RV should be checked to ensure that it works. After all, what is the benefit of having an automated roll-out awning if it does not work? Do not just take the owner’s word for it; try the various devices yourself.

A Second Pair of Eyes

One bit of advice that just might save you the most trouble is to take a friend along when shopping for a used RV. This is especially great if your friend already owns an RV. He or she will have a better grasp on what things to look out for. Even if the friend has never owned an RV, he is far less likely to fall in love with the trailer and turn a blind eye to any faults since he will not be the owner.

If you find a trailer that passes all these tests with flying colors and is a great buy, then congratulations! Enjoy many fantastic vacations with your own home on wheels.

Josh Moran is a marketing specialist for RV123.com, a company that specializes in used campers and motorhomes.

Image credit: brewbooks via Flickr

Do you remember riding your “bigwheel” as a child?

So do the new school trike drifters. Some people just never grow up… Let’s go!

Big Beautiful Air in the Quiksilver Pro France 2012

A surfer enjoying the late sun on the waves in Hossegor. He got airborne just enough to draw a nice silhouette against the sky.

[by:McSnowHammer]

The 13th Annual Tim Brauch Memorial Contest: Christian Hosoi and Steve Caballero Ripping Skull Bowl!

Football fans know all about the recent 2012 NFL referee lockout, a labor dispute between the National Football League and the NFL Referees Association. Effectively making ‘Game Over’ a theme for football fans for much longer than they liked.

Both sides failed to agree on a collective bargaining agreement, so replacement officials were used for three weeks at the start of the 2012 season. An eight-year agreement that defined compensation and benefits was reached on September 26, ending the referee lockout.

Worst Labor Disputes in Sports

Some Americans were disgusted at the thought of football referees earning nearly $200,000 per year—come on, how hard of a job is it?!—but labor disputes in the NFL are fairly uncommon. Until the recent ref lockout, though, the National Football League hadn’t had a strike since 1987. If you’re a true sports fanatic who loves baseball, basketball, and hockey as much as football, you can probably also remember (or at least heard about) these other breaking news events:NFL Lockout: September 20—November 16, 1982

Can’t imagine life without Monday Night Football? If you were around back in 1982, nearly half of the entire NFL season was football-less. Players had a laundry list of demands, including revenue shares of TV rights and free agency for players for had been in the NFL for three years. The NFL eventually agreed to increase the league’s minimum wage and coughed up $60 million to the player’s union to break the locks on this nasty strike.

NHL Lockout: September 16, 2004—July 19, 2005

The 2004-2005 hockey season was the first time in American history that a labor dispute in sports caused a league to cancel an entire season. There must have been quite an increase in attendance at youth games, because National Hockey League fans weren’t able to see the puck in action between their favorite pro teams all year long. Players and the NHL were clashing over salaries and the entire season was canceled because both sides refused to budge.

NBA Lockout: July 1, 1998—January 20, 1999

Want to feel like you just robbed a bank? Perfect your hoops techniques and break into basketball! Pro player salaries had been on the rise for decades and by 1997, superstar Michael Jordan was raking in a cool $30 million per year. The NBA said “Enough’s enough!” and sought salary caps to keep things from getting worse. As you can imagine, the players disagreed. But the first time a sports lockout actually went in management’s favor, players eventually agreed to maximum salaries that were a percentage of each team’s annual revenue. A few million per year is better than nothing, right?

MLB Lockout: August 12, 1994—April 2, 1995

The World Series was canceled for the first time since 1904 thanks to the 1995 baseball strike, which lasted a seemingly endless 232 days. Major League Baseball team owners wanted to cap player salaries, but wound up losing the battle when players went back to the field under their old big-dollar contracts. Not only was plenty of money lost due to game attendance, a lot of fan loyalty was broken, as well.

References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_NFL_referee_lockout
• http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2011/0311/Five-worst-labor-disputes-in-sports/1987-NFL-Strike-Sept.-22-Oct.-15
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/4075147760/

Meg Jones works with a Scottsdale Locksmith in AZ. She enjoys writing about the Suns, the Rattlers and Diamondbacks, the Coyotes, and of course, the Mercury – because Arizona is hot.

Graphics for “The 4 Elements” Longboard Series. Released during Convergence Exhibition at Corduroy.

artwork by: MWM Graphics for Almond Surfboards & Designs

The Greatest Cars In Hollywood History

via AutoInsurance.US

Your team’s pitcher is a 23 year old superstar in the prime of his life. Coming from an immaculate collegiate career, the brightest prospect your team has ever seen is ready to shatter every record in the book. He’s hungry, but yet they shut him down for the season. Why? Because he’s Stephen Strasburg, and he plays for the Washington Nationals.

A war has erupted within the Nat’s fan base, largely fueled by sports journalism. If you Google “the case for shutting down Strasburg”, the search results are overwhelming. It’s the same scenario if you search for “the case against shutting down Strasburg”. Most journalists are in the against category, following the macho paradigm of the cable sports channel talking head.

What about Strasburg himself? The Nationals? Nationals’ management? The vast majority of those Google search results have no direct comment from the people actually involved in the decision making. Fans must rely on journalists to tell us what the right decision is. Scary? Yes.

Look for facts and common sense, not a hyped-up news report. Consider the situation for what it is: a young kid faced a debilitating UCL injury and saw his career shorten instantly. The Tommy John surgery he undergoes is one of the most significant in all of sports because it prevents instant retirement. While there is an 85% rate of full recovery with these surgeries, if you don’t take the full 18-month recovery period seriously, you’re guaranteed to wind up in the 15% that doesn’t recover. Not only did Strasburg not take a full 18 months, he did not even take 12. He began “rehab-starting” in the minors a few weeks shy of that mark.

Since Strasburg didn’t rehab fully, there’s a strong chance that he’ll only last a few more years. If you stretch the innings in a few more years over many more years by shutting Strasburg down, you do two things:

1. You give the pitcher a long, lucrative career. He stays relevant to the game longer, endorsement deals stay on the table longer, and his chances for the Hall of Fame are better.

2. You give the team an effective weapon, boosting their chances at the postseason, building the reputation of the team in the direction of a dynasty, and potentially entering the world of the Yankees, the Sox, et al. This ensures strong ticket sales, a happy owner, and you keep your job.

On the other hand, say you turn the kid loose. Let him pitch. Give into the blowhards and the talking heads. You do two things:

1. The kid blows up, re-injures the UCL, has to retire, and is relegated to a historical footnote, losing out on tens of millions of dollars and the hall of fame.

2. You lose your most valuable weapon, the team win/loss record goes into the negative, the fans and the owner take notice, and then both the kid and you are on the sidewalk.

So is shutting down Strasburg effective or over-protective? Is the answer not obvious?

Chris Turberville-Tully works with Physio Answers, a physiotherapist in England who helps clients with headaches, arthritis, post surgery care and sports injuries.