Skiing

Skiing is a mode of transport, recreational activity and competitive winter sport in which the participant uses skis to glide on snow. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski Federation (FIS).

History

Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia, it may have been practiced as early as 600 BC in what is now China.

The word "ski" is one of a handful of words Norway has exported to the international community. It comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means "split piece of wood or firewood".

Asymmetrical skis were used at least in northern Finland and Sweden up until the late 19th century. On one leg the skier wore a long straight non-arching ski for sliding, and on the other a shorter ski for kicking. The bottom of the short ski was either plain or covered with animal skin to aid this use, while the long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in similar manner to modern ski waxing.

Candide Thovex

Candide Thovex (born 22 May 1982) is a French professional skier, filmmaker and entrepreneur. He is notable for his unique, creative approach to the sport of freestyle skiing, and professionally has won numerous contests and accolades. He first caught the attention of the world of outdoor and action sports by jumping "Chad’s Gap", a massive transfer jump of 120 feet (37 m) from take-off to landing over a 40 feet (12 m) deep gully in Alta, Utah, US. His point of view videos routinely go viral on the internet and are viewed by millions. He is considered by many specialists to be one of the best freeskiers in the history of the sport.

Biography

Early years

Candide Thovex was born 22 May 1982 in Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie area of France, and grew up in the village of La Clusaz.

He learned to ski at age 2 in the Aravis region of the French Alps. As a 4-year old, he began building little jumps behind his house, and at 5 he joined the local ski club where he developed a passion for mogul skiing. He was 14 when he won his first French National Junior Championships in the mogul division.

One of Those Days

"One of Those Days" is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, from her fifth studio album Just Whitney... (2002). Written by Kevin Briggs, Dwight Renolds, Patrice Stewart, Ernest Isley, Marvin Isley, Christopher Jasper, Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, and Rudolph Isley, and produced by Briggs, the song was released as the second single from the album, following the under-performance of the lead single "Whatchulookinat", on October 29, 2002 through Arista Records. A mid-tempo R&B track, "One of Those Days" samples The Isley Brothers' song "Between the Sheets" (1983), and its lyrics speak about getting away from the stress of daily life.

The song received generally positive feedback from music critics, who commended the song's production and music; the Isley Brothers sampling received favorable comments from most critics. It peaked at number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 29 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Elsewhere, it peaked at number six in Hungary, number 48 in Australia, and number 80 in the Netherlands. It also charted in Belgium and Switzerland. The single's accompanying music video, directed by Kevin Bray, portrays Houston and her girlfriends taking some time out and spending time at a spa and a club. Houston performed "One of Those Days" live on a concert organized at Lincoln Center Plaza, in December 2002. The concert was featured on an episode of Good Morning America.

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern United States and is the United States' 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border in the Atlantic Ocean with Rhode Island, east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the north and Ontario to the west and north. The state of New York, with an estimated 19.8 million residents in 2015, is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City, the state's most populous city and its economic hub.

With an estimated population of nearly 8.5 million in 2014, New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. The New York City Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City is a global city, exerting a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, its fast pace defining the term New York minute. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York City is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world, as well as the world's most economically powerful city. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State. Two-thirds of the state's population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% live on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th century Duke of York, future King James II of England. The next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany.

The New York Times

The New York Times (sometimes abbreviated to NYT) is an American daily newspaper, founded and continuously published in New York City since September 18, 1851, by the New York Times Company. It has won 117 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other news organization.

The paper's print version has the second-largest circulation, behind The Wall Street Journal, and the largest circulation among the metropolitan newspapers in the United States. It is ranked 39th in the world by circulation. Following industry trends, its weekday circulation has fallen to fewer than one million daily since 1990. Nicknamed for years as "The Gray Lady", The New York Times has long been regarded within the industry as a national "newspaper of record". It is owned by The New York Times Company. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. – whose family (Ochs-Sulzberger) has controlled the paper for five generations, since 1896 – is both the paper's publisher and the company's chairman. Its international version, formerly the International Herald Tribune, is now called the International New York Times.