Christmas time is ski cross-country time in Düsseldorf once again. This year on December 5 and 6, the world’s best cross-country skiers meet again for the eighth year running in the Düsseldorf Altstadt to gain World Cup points. For the two best German sprinters, Josef Wenzl and Claudia Nystad, the World Cup in Düsseldorf is a permanent fixture on their World Cup calendar. The Rhine sprints play a particularly important role for athletes, as the Düsseldorf event serves as a qualifying round for the Vancouver Olympic Games in February. The organisers are expecting a turnout of about 150 athletes from more than 20 different nations. This will include the world’s best cross-country skiers, as well as thousands of enthusiastic spectators. The sporting weekend begins on Friday with the opening ceremony and live music with entertainment on Burgplatz. The Ski Cross-Country World Cup in Düsseldorf is seen as the largest singles ski event on the World Cup winter calendar.

World-class athletes on the banks of the Düsseldorf Rhine broadcast on ZDF
After the opening races in Beitostoelen (NOR) and Kuusamo (FIN), the FIS Ski Cross-Country World Cup moves on to Düsseldorf. The World Cup races start on Saturday at 10.45 (official training from 10.00am) with the ladies and men’s prologue. After the qualification rounds, the long awaited exciting ladies and men’s quarterfinals take place at 12.45. ZDF will be broadcasting live pictures of the Düsseldorf World Cup on large-screen monitors along the course allowing for non-stop optimal coverage of the event.
The most, snow guaranteed Christmas Market adds that special charm to the World Cup races on the banks of the Düsseldorf Rhine. The Christmas Market, as well as the stage and family program, really bring that Christmas feeling to the event. A visit to the World Cup weekend is fun for the whole family, not only from the sporting aspect, but the allrounder stage program with DJ Charly on all three days of the event, makes for that special skiing holiday feeling, right here on the banks of the Rhine.

„NikoLauf“ – Charity ski cross-country event for everyone
During the course of the World Cup weekend, an extra special charity race takes place directly after the finals on Saturday. Amateur skiers, dressed as Santa Claus, race along the original World Cup course. All proceeds from this event are donated to the Bild newspaper, project „Ein Herz für Kinder“. The “Santa racers” can then watch the races from special spectator seats directly at the start and finish area. The precondition for taking part in this special public event is being able to master cross-country skiing, as a real challenge lies in wait for the amateur racers at the ARAG-Mountain. The organisers supply the Santa outfits. Registration is to be sent by Fax to 02131-1244350 or by mail to haas(at)allrounder.de by the 27 November at the latest. The person responsible for this event is Ole Haas, Tel. 02131-1244-314.

The opening celebration and family festival with lots of snow
On Friday 4 December, DJ Charly of the JEVER SKI HALL in Neuss will open the World Cup weekend event on the Burgplatz stage. While the specialists from allrounder deliver snow from the “Neuss glacier” to the Rhine promenade and prepare the course, the live entertainment program starts on the allrounder stage. This year for the first time, an opening salute, as well as the Stadt-Tambourkorps St. Maximilian, the Regiment band, Bendels and the Regiments-Fanfare corps, Swinging-Fanfares Düsseldorf, are all part of the opening ceremony. The family program on Burgplatz starts on Saturday at 10.00. In the Swiss Village (Schweiz Dorf), directly alongside Burgplatz, children can, under the knowledgeable supervision of Swiss skiing instructors, have their first skiing lesson on the slopes. Across the way from the Swiss Village, both children and adults can have toboggan fun at the ARAG Toboggan run.

World Cup Party at the Castle Quarter Bohème (Schlösser Quartier Bohème)
After the snow events around the cross-country races on the Rhine promenade, the World Cup Party takes place at the Castle Quarter Bohème (Schlösser Quartier Bohème) in Dusseldorf’s old city on Saturday at 20.30. The live performance of „Just for fun“ on stage brings the party feeling to the Rhine. Tickets for the World Cup Party are available in advance at the Schlösser Quartier Bohème, the JEVER Ski Hall in Neuss and at the allrounder Info tent for the 12 Euro. Tickets can also be bought on the evening of the party at the door for 15 Euro.

Come to the Rhine – entrance is free
Free entrance to the FIS Ski World Cup in Düsseldorf is really an exception in major sporting events of this scale. To guarantee this service, the organizers allrounder (Jever Ski Hall, Neuss), sportAgentur Düsseldorf and the West German Ski Association e.v., need sponsors and partners to help finance the event. Since the very first World Cup on the Rhine in Düsseldorf, ARAG Insurance has been one of the main sponsors. The partner for tourism is once again Swiss Tourism. The allrounder Group as organizer and snow deliverer is also a main sponsor of the event, co-sponsors are PCC, the facility management company, ISS Facility Services, and the sponsor Europcar, Audi and the Raiffeisenbank Kleinwalsertal have extended their sponsorship. New this year is the wholesaler group, Metro.
„Due to the commitment of our sponsors and partners, we are once again able to finance this event without having to ask spectators to pay an entrance fee”, says World Cup organizing manager and CEO of allrounder, August Pollen. “We are particularly pleased that we have been able, over the years, to gain complete backing from our partners and take this as overall assurance and satisfaction on their part, as to the quality of this event.”

The allrounder Stage program for the Snow Event 2009

Friday
18.00 Opening with DJ Charly from the JEVER SKI HALL Neuss
19.30 Opening ceremony with the Düsseldorf Schützer
20.00 The Speedos
Saturday
10.00 Entertainment with DJ Charly
13.45 Finals- Ladies and Men
14.00 The Swiss Band „Noisebrothers“
15.00 Prize giving
16.45 The Remember band and entertainment with DJ Charly
Sunday
11.00 Music School Düsseldorf
12.00 Nikolaus meets Schneebär
14.15 Finals- Ladies and Men
15.00 The Swiss Band „Noisebrothers“
16.00 Soundconvoy and entertainment with DJ Charly

For other informations visit worldcup-duesseldorf.de.

Also check out photos from previous events at Duesseldorf Cross-Country 2008.

Global warming is the biggest threat the human race has ever faced. It will affect every one of us and our future children. On Monday the 7th of December 2009, the world’s governments will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, to decide what to do about it.

On Sunday the 6th of December, your city can and must join major cities all over the world to let their governments know that the world is watching. You can ride the streets on bicycles with your friends and with anyone who wants to participate at this major worldwide bicycle event.

The next day in Copenhagen, the COP15 negotiations begin. Ride Planet Earth aims to help convince the governments meeting there to take immediate action. You can record video messages and then send’ em to the COP15, stating not only why action is necessary, but also what they will be doing about it personally, to show that if governments don’t take the lead ordinary people will.

This is the most important environmental decision that will ever have been made. Let’s make sure it’s the right one!

The videos will be shown by Kim Nguyen (the organizer) in Copenhagen during the week of the conference.
Therefore send your experience to Kim at rideplanetearth.org.
You can also read HERE about the man that traveled over 20000 km by bike from Australia to Denmark.

Ride Planet Earth Campaign

Enjoy the next moment and let yourself inspired

I started this tour on 16th of June from my little town Ineu. At Dorobanti village, I met my cycling friend Andrei Ozizu, an experienced cyclotourist from Buzau and there we stayed to enjoy and relax a few hours at a thermal balneal compound where we met a lovely Turkish girl that stayed in Arad. We had a nice time swimming, drinking beer and chatting with the pretty girls. I found out that Ozi my friend was a real Casanova, he was always flirting with beautiful girls. We entered Hungary at Battonya customs office and the first night we pitched our tents near the border on a pastureland. We cycled together for 9 days, a real tour of Hungary, crossing the endless Panonia steppe under the scorching sun, visiting the gorgeous capital Budapest, and passing through wonderful towns, such as: Szeged and Szekesfehervar. We also had some nasty weather to cope with, we had 4 days of continuous rain but when we reached the Balaton lake the sun showed up and we had such a lovely time, feeding some swans with cubs and cycling on great bicycle path near the lake. I liked very much cycling with Ozi, sometimes he raced me with an average of 30km/h, so very tough for cyclotourism with heavy luggage.

For more click on Claudiu Moga’s review to his Alps Bike Tour 2009.

For photos click on foto.coolracing.ro.

The fourth edition of NexT International Short and Medium Length Film Festival will take place in Bucharest from April 13 to April 18, 2010.
Therefore, NexT calls for entries of narrative films up to 60 minutes (animation included, no documentaries), completed after the 1st of January 2008.

Besides the competition and the off competition programmes, NexT also presents a series of seminars on directing, sound-design, production & distribution, script-writing etc. offered free of charge to the participants.
NexT intends to be a meeting point for young filmmakers around the world.
NexT covers accommodation and travel expenses (%) for the director / sound-designer of the films in competition.

Get-together with local filmmakers & live music every night.

Deadline for submissions: December 1, 2009.

Send a DVD PAL screener of your film to: Cultural Society NexT, 179 Traian Street, 024043, Bucharest, Romania.

NexT Trophy – 4000 Euro
Best Directing Award – 2000 Euro
Best Soundtrack Award – 2000 Euro

For more click on www.nextproject.ro.

La Sgambeda celebrates its 20th birthday, and still looks very young! The highlight of the celebration events will be a half-marathon in classic technique, on Friday 11 December 2009. In addition: the traditional marathon race on Sunday 13 December, with many side events such as the opening ceremony at the start and finish area “Stadio del Fondo”, a medal for each participant and a gadget by Bjorn Daehlie. Entitled to participate are FIS/FISI athletes, and all those in possession of a certificate issued by a sport medicine department.

La Sgambeda plays an important role among the big Livigno sport event schedule. It is the opening race of the FIS Marathon Cup 2009/10, the World Cup circuit of cross-country long distance races. The same 21 km lap as last year must be completed twice for the “marathon”, once for the half-marathon.

La Sgambeda marathon jackpot is 21.000 Euro (first 6 man and women athletes), in addition many other attractive prices, for different categories. As for the “classic race”, the first 10 man and woman athletes will be awarded a price.

Registrations are still open. The registration fee is 55 Euro until 8 December, 65 Euro until 11 December, which is also the registration deadline.

Saturday 12 December at 13.30 will start the Minisgambeda, a race open to tomorrow’s champions divided into 5 categories: Baby (born in 2000/2001) on a 1 km lap, Cuccioli (1998/99) on a 3 km lap, Ragazzi (1996/97) on a 4 km lap, Allievi (1994/95) and Aspiranti (1993/92/91, still not of age) on a 5 km lap.

La Sgambeda is the right opportunity to enjoy a first winter sport holiday at very special prices, and with packages designed by the Azienda di Promozione Turistica: for instance, from 10 until 13 December (3 days/2 nights) in garni (small guesthouse) or hotel (B&B arrangement), including the classic race registration fee and the Sgambeda Marathon, starting from 160 Euro per person. Other offers and weekly apartments are available in the homepage www.lasgambeda.it.

All offers and events are available in the homepage www.livigno.eu, such as Aspettando il Natale, Speciale
Bambini, Skipass Free and much more.

Watch photos from winter sport events @ foto.coolracing.ro.

“We are pleased to greet the Europe’s best young cross-country athletes, the technicians, the functionaries of the federations, the referees and our friends of the media. We wish all successful competitions and a good stay in the heart of the Dolomites” the organizers say.

The organisation committee Alta Badia Nordicski is pleased to invite for the 2nd time to the Cross Country Continental Cup in Alta Badia.
According to the FIS OPA’s calendar following races will take place at the Cross Country Centre Sarè/Armentarola – San Cassiano:

• Saturday, 12 th December 2009
  FIS OPA Continental Cup Ladies and Men, classic technique/single start, 5, 10 and 15 km
• Sunday, 13 th December 2009
  FIS OPA Continental Cup Ladies and Men, free technique/mass start, 10 km and 15 km

Deadline for entry
Tuesday, 1st December 2009, 18:00 h

Enrolment
Start permission is given to all athletes, according to the regulations for the FIS OPA Cross country
Continental Cup season 2009/2010.

Prize money
The prize money will be handed to the athletes at the official prize distribution ceremony according to
the regulations for the FIS OPA Cross country Continental Cup season 2009/2010.
Athletes who do not attend the prize distributions ceremony personally lose their right to
receive the prize money!

Accommodation
The prices are given per person and night in double rooms including full board. 3* or 4* Hotel : 55 to 60 €. The accommodation costs (also such as telephone calls, drinks, garage, etc.) have to be paid directly at the hotel.
The OC assumes accommodation costs according to the regulations for the FIS OPA Cross country
Continental Cup season 2009/2010. Please send your requests for hotel bookings including arrival- and departure dates by e-mail altabadianordicski(at)gmail.com until Tuesday, 1st December 2009 to the OC!

Getting to Alta Badia
Due to the vicinity to some of the main European routes Alta Badia is easy to reach by car.
If you are planning to drive to Alta Badia, these are the more convenient routes:
Arriving from North
* Brennero motorway A22 – exit Bressanone/Varna, road SS49 (Val Pusteria road) until San Lorenzo
then Val Badia road SS244 until La Villa – Alta Badia
Arriving from South
* Motorway A27 to Ponte nelle Alpi, road SS203 (Agordino road) to Arabba, Passo Campolongo,
La Villa – Alta Badia.
* Motorway A27 to Belluno, road SS51 to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Passo Falzarego, La Villa – Alta Badia
* Brennero motorway A22 exit – Chiusa, road SS242 (Val Gardena road), Passo Gardena, La Villa -
Alta Badia

Further informations @ altabadia.org – nordicski.
Phothos from 2008 event @ foto.coolracing.ro.

Join this event and help to fight Malaria.
Time: February 9, 2010 to February 12, 2010
Location: Diani-Mombasa – Kenya
Organized By: Kenya WaterSports Trust

Event Description
2nd International Surf Ski and Kayak Marathon will start from Diani near Mombasa on 9th Feb 2010 and finish in Malindi on 12th February 2010. The marathon will be about 150km and you’ll use Surf Ski, Single or Double.

Pure High Sea adventure in the Indian Ocean with warm and beautiful water. See the most beautiful beaches in the World and experience the hospitality of Kenyan people. Within this Marathon the objective is to bring attention to Sea Pollution, Climate Change and Create awareness against Malaria prevention in children through the use of cheap Mosquito nets and improving health of children under the age of 5. Each Mosquito net is about 5 US $, but it can save a life of child under age of 5. Mosquito and malaria is prevalent on East Coast of Africa in some seasons and disadvantaged children are at the most at risk.

You can contribute in 2 ways

1. Enter this Marathon and help the organizers to bring attention to the Sea Pollution and Malaria Prevention through your entry fees.
2. Contribute towards the cost of whatever number of Malaria nets. The 3 (15US $) nets per family will be distributed along the route of the Marathon in conjunction with AMREF, www.amref.org.

The Full Programme
Day 1: Feb 7th ; Arrive to Mombasa , Accommodation in Mombasa Tourism Visit
Day 2: Feb 8th ; Meeting , Tourism visit and Accommodation in Diani
Day 3: Feb 9th ; Stage 1 ; Start in Diani , Accommodation in Bamburi/Mtwapa; 50 km
Day 4: Feb 10th ; Stage 2 . Accommodation in Takaungu; 40km
Day 5: Feb 11th ; Stage 3 ; Accommodation in Mida Creek; 40km
Day 6: Feb 12th ; Stage 4 ; Finish in Malindi; 20km.
Day 7: Feb 13th ; Departure Home or Go on Safari

If you want to go on Safari after finish inform the organizers for making the arrangements.

The offer price is 800 € and will include

• 6 days Accommodation (tents and hotels), Meals, Drinking water, Local Transport, Airport transfers, Surf ski and Equipment, Water safety and 2 Tourism Visits in Mombasa and Diani.
• 20 Mosquito nets.

The price does not include, Flights, Visa fees, Personal Items and Tips. You have to arrive to Mombasa on 6th or 7th February. All Participants must have their own personal Medical insurance. Please bring your Personal Safety jacket and Paddle, Mosquito Spray, Strong Hat and Shoes for wearing during the Marathon.

Expect temperature 28C- 32℃. Winds 15-20knots (Beaufort scale 2-3). For Safari the organizers can offer very good ideas and options and make necessary arrangements for you for 1night, 2night or 3 nights Safari to Tsavo national Park, Amboseli national park or Masai Mara National Park. Also, they can offer Dolphin Watching Tours, Deep Sea fishing or Scuba Diving.

For more visit watersportskenya.ning.com.
Also, you can admire some photos from Mombasa Duan Wu Dragon Boat Regatta and Festival.