Loved & Found #5 The sports issue

herrvoneden.com 覺 Photo: Janr覺ePhoff.com

0. Racetrack The LOVED & FOUND design concept changes every time. Everything’s inside is numbered consecutively, but we’ve decided not to give the pages numbers.

Also, our typographers and designers are allowed to leave their signature in each edition of the magazine. This time it has been Art Director Imke Jurok and her team who have pursued a clear line, allowing nothing and nobody to pull them off course.

Editorial. Somebody very close to me once said with disarming honesty: »There are really only two things I am very good at: eating crisps and watching telly.« The author of this editorial would add reading newspapers, thinking, and chatting to people to her own list. Question: should somebody who belongs to the elite of more-or-less slim, attractive and capable people actually admit that, now they have reached middle age, sports that are fun have become orthopedically impossible, and ones that are sensible are absolutely no fun at all? Not even yoga? Question: can somebody who, out of pure recalci-trance because her social peer-group consists of fans of a straggling but extremely popular second-division team, is herself a fan of a far more glamorous Bavarian outfit – can such a person really write the editorial to an independent lifestyle magazine? On the subject of sport? Answer: no.

So let us not attempt it. Let us rather limit ourselves to the facts. The people who worked on this sports edition of LOVED & FOUND which you are now reading love sport. Some of them because athletes are so good-looking, others because they themselves do sport and enjoy it. For most of them, both apply. One of the team is a former top runner in whose opinion the word ‘running’ should be reserved only for those who can still hold a conversation while running quickly around Hamburg’s large inner-city lake

without getting out of breath (for her role in things, see the very top of the list of staff). Then there is a lady who trained to be a Pilates teacher on the side (her finest contribution: no. 44). There is the man who has tackled every variety of extreme downhill slope on a bicycle and who responds to a broken shoulder by cutting down on carbohydrates in order to improve his concentration so that he doesn’t fall off again next time (his article was put together with the help of a photographer who has the same Downhill racing licence as he does, no. 11). Two of our female colleagues are able to perform yoga exercises in 40 degree temperatures (all articles; they are art directors). One member of staff boxes (the x-rays which he put together are, however, not of him, no. 18).

Another was able to perform a CrossFit session for research purposes (no. 53), something which would have killed the author – which is not actually the purpose of exercise at all.

So as you see, almost all of the staff at LOVED & FOUND have a cheerful, meaningful, reciprocal relationship with sport and exercise. It is only the Editor-in-Chief who has a dodgy back. But sports aside, and with a sporting pat on the un-injured shoulder, I wish you a pleasant read.

Yours, LOVED & FOUND

Cover photographer: Ingmar Swalue @ Rene Hauser www.ingmarswalue.com styling: Mik Zandijk www.mikzandijk.com

contributions or comments? please contact us at contributions@loved.de Publisher loved gmbh Brandstwiete 46 20457 Hamburg

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tel. +49-40- 800 04 86 -0 fax. +49-40- 800 04 86 -99 info@loved.de www.lovedandfound.de

Managing Director Sandra Rehder Editors-in-Chief Mieke Haase (MH) and Sabine Cole (SC), Gerd Blank (GB, Dep.) Creative Directors Mieke Haase, Tim Belser (TB, Dep.), Rouven Steinke (RS, Dep.) Fashion Editor & Project Manager Ava Carstens (AC) Editorial

Eva Bolhoefer (EB), Ava Carstens (AC), Melanie Johns (MJ) Mosch Khanedani (MOK), Sebastian Storck (SES)

Photo Editor Anja Kneller (AK)

ak@loved.de

Art Direction Imke Jurok (IJ) Layout

Kim Arendt (KA) Sven Behrens (SB) Pascal Constanty (PC), Christiane Eckhardt (CE), Kristin Eichmann (KE), Julia-Christin Holtz (JCH), Ben Jurca (BJ), Julia Kerschbaum (JUK) Leslie Klatte (LK), Alexandra Michels (AM), Nadine Pfeifer (NP), Ruben Scupin (RUS)

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Casting nu projects

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Postproduction primate postproduction www.primate.tv Responsible for the contents of this issue

Sabine Cole and Mieke Haase Contributors Leon Burmester, Arne Carstens, Sophia Christahl (SOC), Marie-Therese Cramer, Michel Foertsch (MF), Maria Grossmann, Nicoline Haas (NH), Volker Hobl, Marco Hülsebus, Michaela Jaillet, Carolin Jarchow, Robin Kranz, Juliane Kringe (JK), Ben Lamberty,

Peter Matz (PM), Anna-Lena Möller (ANM), Lena Reckeweg (LR), Philipp Rezah (PAR), Roman Riegger,

Christian Schildmacher, Sandra Schollmeyer, Monika Schuerle, Ingmar Swalue, Veljko Tatalovic, Jan van Endert, Nike Wilhelms (NW), Mik Zandijk Final Editing Timo Ahrens (DE), www.timo-ahrens.de Translation GWW Lektorat Adaption GmbH (Translation and Editing EN),

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© for all content: loved gmbh. All rights reserved. Reproduction only with written permission. The publisher shall not be held liable for lost or unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other work.

The opinions in the articles are those of their authors and not necessarily the publisher.

In the Hall

no 1 Record-breaking gymnast / Johanna Quaas // no 5 LED court / ASB Lucio glass floor// no 7 Essentials / Fashion Items // no 44 Dry swimming / Fashion Editorial // no 51 Perpetual climb / Rock Wall Treadmill // no 53 Self-experiment / CrossFit

Out of doors

no 8 Cheerleading / Report // no 10 Financial survival strategies / FC St. Pauli // n 19 Guards / Still art photoseries // no 20 High-resistance running / Speed Chute // no 29 For tough guys / Florentine football // no 33 Traditional Indian sport / Mallakhamb // no 36 Ten remarkable sporting achievements / Records // no 48 Straight down the line / Edge Putting Rail o

On the table and the sofa

no 12 Veuve Cliquot pool table / Fusion Tables // n 18 athletic injury / x-rays // no 24 Ping-pong bars / PingTron London // no 27 Japanese super-maze / Labyrinth // no 35 Top Ten / Sports movies // no 38 Polyhedral chess figures / Platonic Chess // no 45 WhoMadeWho / Interview // no 46 Sporting altars / LOVED & FOUND puzzle o

Off-road

no 3 Motorcycle helmet / Lacoste Live Lab // no 11 Sports venues / Architecture // n 17 Women’s cycling / Specialized // no23 Pram / Bugaboo Buffalo // no 28 Sports for smirking / Pig racing // no 30 51-m-long trampoline track / Fast Track // no 31 Folding bikes and moustaches / World-Klapp // no 32 Afghani riding game / Buzkashi // no 34 Texan cowboys / Gay Rodeo // no 37 Muddy off-roading / Enduro // no 40 Skateboard design / Zazzle // no 47 Jacket and tent in one / Wearable Tent // no 49 Navigation watch / Fenix Garmin o

Accessories

no 2 Drinking bottle with integrated fruit press / Citrus Zinger // no4 Knitted trainers / Nike Flyknit Chukka // no 6 Decorative mouth-guard / Grills // no 13 Gym bags / Vivianne Hausstein // no 9 Energy drinks / Still art photoseries // no 14 Biometric fitness armband /Jawbone Up // no 15 Surfboard / Chanel // no 16 Yoga shoes / Nike Studio Wrap // no21 Glide like a dolphin / Subwing // no 22 Berlin bike shop and café / Standert // no 25 iPhone protector and wide-angle camera / Mophie Outride // no 26 Athletic nutrition / Food styling photoseries // no 39 Furniture made from gym equipment / Zur schönen Linde // no 41 Stylish bike holder / Mikili // no 42 Wooden wall rings / Gym Hooks // no 43 Bag / M2malletier // no 50 Sports app / Curly’s Pocket Guide // no 52 Square torch / Bushnell

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photo: Gulliver Theis

1. Record-breaking gymnast.

Look, no Photoshop: the lady really is 87 years old. To say that she is fit for her age would be nothing short of an insult.

Johanna Quaas is enormously fit. On the parallel bars she swings easily into an upperarm-stand, and she can hold her body horizontal by her arms for several seconds.

On the floor she turns cartwheels, jumps, dances – all with a mischievous smile. This former sports teacher and grandmother of two, who originates in the German town of Halle an der Saale, suddenly became internationally famous in early 2012: two videos of show performances at a Cottbus tournament became YouTube hits and have since been clicked on more than 6.7 million times. She has been interviewed and has appeared on television many times, including with such big-names as Thomas Gottschalk and Markus Lanz, and she is also listed in the World Guinness Book of Records 2013 as the world’s oldest female competitive gymnast.

All the fuss surprises her a little. »I’ve been doing sport since I could walk, so it’s hardly surprising that I’m fit,« says Quaas.

Following a career as a handball player, which was crowned when her team won the German Democratic Republic championships in 1954, she turned her attention to gymnastics, in which she still exercises almost daily. Her training plan also includes aqua-gymnastics, swimming, cycling, »aroha«, an Australian war-dance, and the »Five Tibetans« exercises. She has won the German senior gymnastic championships eleven times – most recently in 2010.

After this season she intends to retire from competitive life, but to replace it with a new set of objectives, such as: »There are a few mountains in the Alps I would like to climb.« Anyone who admires Johanna Quaas as much as we do can become an official fan at www.facebook.com/JohannaQuaas

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4. Sport ist cool. Knitting less so.

There have been numerous desperate attempts to drag knitting’s image out of granny’s kitsch-corner, but if you have ever taken a closer look at any of the maladjusted knitting collectives known as Stitch’n Bitch, you will have seen for yourself that they are nothing more than a few intellectually over-aged people dressed as youngsters, sitting around crocheting iPad cases. Sorry, but no amount of knitted graffiti or yarn bombing at bus-stops can rescue that. The only genuinely cool thing to emerge from the knitting-hype of recent years is the lightweight, super-hip, woven Nike Flyknit

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Chukka shoe. And that is categorised firmly under sport. Buy’n fly at www.nike.com

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5. Clear delineation. Umpire: »Out!« Player: »What? The ball was in!« Umpire: »Nope, it was at least three feet behind the line.« Player: »Which line? There are so many here!« Put an end to all those mixups in the gym. The ASB Lucio glass floor shows only those court markings which are currently being used, whether for volleyball, handball or badminton. The secret is that beneath the semi-transparent floor are arrays of LED tubes. You use an external touchscreen to light up the area of play you require. So what is it like to run around on glass? The composite safety variety, rather like the stuff used in car windscreens, makes it safe, while an aluminium sub-structure provides some spring beneath your feet. The glass is also nonreflective, which means that players will not be distracted by hairstyle malfunctions just before scoring, which would surely only be cause for more arguments. www.asbglassfloor.com 6. Grills – decorative gumshieldsi

Let’s get ready to rumble! If you wish to flaw your boxing opponent in style, then you not only need power and the right tactics, you also need that special surprisefactor. A good example is the move where you expose yourself intentionally to your opponent’s leading hand only to land a surprise shot yourself. However, if you are not feeling equal to that but still wish to impress your girlfriend at the boxing booth, you should consider a decorative mouthguard. During the fight, all you do is smile at your opponent who, taken by surprise, will drop his guard, letting you do the rest with a skilfully executed right or left haymaker – knockout! For more grills visit www.zahntechnik-kiel.de

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3. Sporting laboratory. With its Lacoste Live Lab, the French fashion label has revived the pioneering spirit of its founder, René Lacoste. The brand with the crocodile logo is more than just its world-famous polo shirt. René Lacoste, a former French tennis star, also invented the tennis ball serving machine, and golf clubs and bags were at one point part of his repertoire too. The Lacoste Live Lab is now reviving those good old days and, as well as promoting a stylish looking motorcycle helmet, has developed a bicycle in collaboration with French manufacturer Look, a surfboard with J.P. Stark & Notox, and a pair of skis together with Black Crows, all of them adorned with the little reptile. www.lacoste.com/lab

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credits: 2. Zing Anything, 3. PR, 4. PR, 5. ABS Glass Floor, 6. Zahntechnik-Kiel

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2. Not without my lemon. Thirsty after sports? Definitely. But which drink?

Water, alas, tastes of nothing. Pre-packed juices and energy drinks are so full of sugar that they put back the pounds you just sweated off. Here’s a better idea: a homemade lemonade with lots of Vitamin C. With the Citrus Zinger, a drinking bottle with an integrated fruit-press, preparing that is child’s play. In the base compartment you juice half a lemon, lime or orange, which is then held in place by a sieve so that it can give off its flavour and aroma continuously. Into the bottle screwed on top you then pour sparkling water, and if you like a pinch or two of cane sugar and fresh mint. Shake it up and you’re ready to go. www.zinganything.com

7. Essentials.

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We have reserved the number seven for some stylish moves.

Whenever you pack your bags you should always decide between what is crucial and what is merely important. Here we present some key pieces that you should not be without this season – things, in other words, which are absolutely and lifesavingly essential. This time: a fashion grand plié.

Clockwise from left: Passé. The working leg is placed against the standing leg. The fist here is a freestyle element.

Tank top, shorts and cap: Vans Turn. Rotating the body around its vertical axis. This one is a freestyle performance.

Shirt: Norse Projects, trousers: Soulland, shoes: Vans, sunglasses: R.T.CO, watch: OClock FIRST Position. One of the five basic positions. Shoes: Y-3, socks: adidas Port de bras. This exercise shows the movement of the arms in various positions. Rings: Blingbli CABRIOLE, double. The dancer jumps on one leg. During the jump, the legs are beaten against each other twice. Tank top: Vans, trousers: Soulland, shoes and bag: Y-3 Grazie. The dancer’s gaze always follows the actions of the hands. Cap: Norse Projects Révérence. Bowing to the audience at the end of a performance.

Swimming shorts: Soulland, socks: adidas, Sweatbands, cap and shoes: Y-3

photographer: Christian Schildmacher www.christianschildmacher.com hair & make-up: Marco H端lsebus using Chanel S/S 2013 and Kevin Murphy www.marcohuelsebus.de styling: Ava Carstens art direction: Imke Jurok model: Johannes Brusseau www.spinmodelmanagement.com photographer assistant: Leon Burmester styling assistant: Melanie Johns art direction assistant: Alexandra Michels Many thanks to YBDT www.ybdpt.com and Minimarkt www.minimarkt.com

Brian Finke (photos) Mosch Khanedani (text)

8. Hit me baby, one more time!

Cheerleaders are the most popular girls in American schools – that much we know from all the high-school movies of recent decades. Good-looking, always unnervingly well turned-out, yet sometimes deviously scheming, they are above all a closed group who move within their own micro-cosmos.

Whatever time of day it is they are always in uniform, except perhaps with the addition of their boyfriend’s jacket proudly worn for show; he of course is the captain of the football, baseball or lacrosse team.

Brian Finke, a photographer from the USA, took a closer look at these icons of his native culture and revealed the truth behind the clichés. His photo-series entitled 2468 documents the real world of cheerleading. He spent two years accompanying several high-school teams with his camera, and is now telling their true story in a touching set of images depicting the tension, the discipline, the dedication, and the sense of belonging that unites these teenagers.

Get your freak on: after cheering, the cheer. The girls give it their all in support of their team.

Discipline is everything. Training demands concentration and dedication from the teenagers. If you dance out of line you ruin the synchronicity of the formation.

From conformism, to the individual search for identity, the teenagers seek their place in the group.

Ready for take-off. Stunts are the supreme discipline of cheerleading, and every member has a fixed role to play in them. The stunt will only work if everyone works together.

The NCA is the premier league of cheerleading.

Particularly good teams compete in it, striving for victory in regional, state and national championships.

Training hard pays off. Cup-winners celebrate their triumph – for the whole world to see.

photographer: Brian Finke www.brianfinke.com

Hope and desperation are often closely intertwined. The girls’ anxiety is tangible.

Drinks from left to right: Active O2 Natural Orange Lime, Glacéau Vitaminwater Power-c (vitamin B + C) with dragon fruit, Glacéau Vitaminwater Essential Vitamin C + Calcium orange flavour, Active O2 Fresh Cherry Apple Lime, Active O2 Fresh Apple Passion Fruit, Active O2 Function Immune System Lemon Nectarine Vitamin B12, Glacéau Vitaminwater Ignite (vitamin B + guarana) Tropical Citrus, Powerade Mountainblast, Zico Coconut Water, Powerade Wild Cherry, Glacéau Vitaminwater Defence (vitamin E + zinc) Raspberry and Apple, Glacéau Vitaminwater Multi-v (vitamin B + Calcium + zinc) Lemon www.activeo2.de, www.glaceauvitaminwater.de, uk.zico.com, www.powerade.de

Marie-Therese Cramer (photos), Sandra Schollmeyer (styling), Sabine Cole (text)

9. High Energy.

So where exactly does it come from, all that energy you so desperately need for bodybuilding, Zumba or the Tour de France? Unlike our Spanish brethren, who prefer to administer endogenous fluids intravenously, we have developed a method all of our own known as Energy Escalation.

These are words that describe processes through which we have at some point slightly lost track of our senses. Energy drinks and vitamin-enriched waters available in the shops are sorted by colour and flavour, prepared in a complex chemi-

cal procedure involving Petri dishes, then forced through a series of glassy spirals, making the minerals and vitamins they contain easier for the human body to absorb, thus multiplying their effectiveness.

Nonsense, you say? We agree. Plain old water is enough for most athletes – except if you are tackling the Tour de France perhaps. Energy drinks, however, do taste better – if, and let’s be honest, it is merely taste you wish to escalate.

Test tubes from left to right: Gatorade Perform Fierce Strawberry Carbs + Electrolytes, Glacéau Vitaminwater Defence Raspberry and Apple, Gatorade Perform x Factor Fruit Punch Berry Carbs + Electrolytes, Powerade Wild Cherry www.gatorade.com, www.glaceauvitaminwater.de, www.powerade.de

From the outside to the inside: Gatorade Perform Cool Blue Strawberry Carbs + Electrolytes, Powerade Orange, GlacĂŠau Vitaminwater Defence (vitamin E + zinc) Raspberry and Apple, Zico Coconut Water www.gatorade.com, www.powerade.de, www.glaceauvitaminwater.de, uk.zico.com

photographer: Marie-Therese Cramer www.marietheresecramer.de styling: Sandra Schollmeyer www.sandraschollmeyer.de art direction: Julia-Christin Holtz

10. FC St. Pauli’s monetary ups and downs.

Money has often been in short supply at Hamburg’s football team FC St. Pauli. But they have been able to survive on a string of creative ideas, and are now financially better off than they ever have been. Here are a few ways of pulling out of the red when you are up to your neck in it.

Merchandising First-division teams can only dream of this: products with the St. Pauli logo or skull-and-crossbones bring in millions of euros every year. FC St. Pauli may have sold its merchandising rights to the agency Upsolut Sports in the 1990s, but the club still receives ten percent of all takings, which is more than many teams earn with all of their products put together.

Weltpokalsiegerbesieger The title may have been unofficial and a bit little silly, but it was highly lucrative. On 6 February 2002, FC St. Pauli beat the mighty FC Bayern Munich against the odds in a home game, the Bavarians having won the club football world cup the year before. The very same evening the idea was born to sell a T-shirt bearing the word »Weltpokalsiegerbesieger« – »world-cupwinner-conqueror«. Just 400 were originally planned, but since then more than 120,000 of these brown shirts have been sold.

Pitch For one season, fans of FC St. Pauli were allowed to sponsor the pitch upon which their team played. Patrons paid 34 euros for a piece of turf measuring 23 by 36 centimetres. In exchange they received a »pitch sponsor certificate«. 100,000 sympathisers took up the offer, including the famous and for this purpose aptly named German author Günter Grass.

Rescuer And another T-shirt: anyone who wished to help the club was able to say so on their chest by wearing one of the immensely popular benefit T-shirts printed with the single word »Retter« – rescuer. For women there were shirts printed with the grammatically feminine version »Retterin«, while children were branded »Retterchen«, the diminutive. Most of the earnings from every T-shirt sold went into the club’s purse.

Benefit match In 2003 the club was threatened with demotion into the Oberliga, because they were unable to raise two million euros to balance their budget.

FC Bayern Munich travelled to St. Pauli’s Millerntor Stadium with a star ensemble for a friendly, and even their manager Uli Hoeneß wore one of St. Pauli’s »Rescuer« T-shirts. The money they needed was raised and the club saved from demotion.

Fanmobile FC St. Pauli has fans all over Germany who like to wear the club’s emblematic skull-and-crossbones. The Fanmobile accompanies the team on every away games. It is a mobile sales store and it brings in tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of euros at each game through the sale of merchandise.

Lifetime ticketsii To bring in some money quickly the club sold a number of lifetime stands tickets in 2005, each for 1910 euros. For 3910 euros you could even look forward to a seat in the stadium for life. This promotion brought 700,000 euros into the cash-strapped club.

Shield There was no money, but instead payment in kind in 1946. The President of the sports association Rasensport Harburg wanted to persuade FC St. Pauli to play a friendly after the Second World War. As a fee for playing, the building contractor had a cast concrete club shield made. Although the game never took place, this shield still stands today outside the entrance of the Millerntor Stadium.

Bond issue A security paper brought eight million euros into the second-division team’s account in 2011. Five thousand fans said yes to the »FC St. Pauli bond« which is due for repayment on 30 June 2018, and bears interest of six percent per annum until then.

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Sponsoring Countless brand names have appeared on the players’ shirts over the years, from Wurst to whisky. This season the German television lottery is the club’s main sponsor. Only one thing is not up for sale at FC St. Pauli: the name of the Millerntor Stadium.

Jan van Endert (photos), Mosch Khanedani (text)

11. Adieu Tristesse. Gymnasiums are nowhere near as dreary as they used to be when we used to go games in them at school; the aesthetics of movement have since found their way into the form of newer buildings. Sometimes lines alone delineate a pitch, sometimes the edges are part of the spectacular design itself. But most often it is some specially chosen colour which relieves the dull grey, transforming boring gyms into inspiring sports venues.

The idea is not a new one: in a selection of German’s correctional facilities, prison cells have been painted in Cool Down Pink – prison directors and psychologists expected more peace and quiet as a result. It is said that this colour has a calming effect within minutes – and, most interestingly, that it significantly reduces people’s ag-

gression. Is that an effect you really want in a sports arena? Perhaps contests held at venues like the Paul Horn Arena in Tübingen are not so competitive and fairer instead. But perhaps the arena intends to advocate that basic tenet of sportsmanship, »what counts is being there«. One nice side-effect at least is that you’re unlikely ever to leave your gym bag behind in such an architectural statement. If you happen to find yourself in Tübingen: www.tuebingen.de

When skaters build a skatepark for skaters, the result is a ÂťbowlÂŤ of superlatives promising not only massive entertainment but also something very stylish to behold. Admire this one in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg.

Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg is mutating into an Eldorado for social sports enthusiasts. The Nordwandhalle or North Face Hall offers a total of 3,500 square metres for climbing fans.

Superkilen in Copenhagen declares its superlative status in its name. This super-park was part of an urban development funding project, was designed by the artists’ group Superflex in conjunction with super-architects at the Bjarke Ingels Group, and has already received a strong of super-famous design awards.

The Paul Horn Arena: sports arena in pink.

photographer: Jan van Endert www.van-endert.com creative direction: Rouven Steinke

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credits: 12. G. Miclotte, 13. Viviane Haustein, 14. PR, 15. PR, 16. PR

15. Excuse me, which way is it toi the beach?i This is a board which may

not elicit storms of enthusiasm among surfer dudes, but it should turn a few wave-riding female fashionistas’ heads. It may seem strange for haute couture house Chanel to design sports equipment, but if you think about it, it is really quite natural for an aspiring global taste leader to pick on a few alien territories to conquer. From now on you no longer have to starve yourself down to size zero, instead you can work off the calories in true style on the waves. Alternatively, simply hang the board on your wall and enjoy the way it looks. Strike a pose or hang loose! www.chanel.com

16. Namasté. First off, the term »Yoga-shoe« is actually an oxymoron.

Yoga after all is about grounding yourself, being rooted, and keeping your feet on the ground. It’s about earthiness, and that is best tasted barefoot. Nothing should come between the earth, the universe, and your own spirituality – or between Vrikshasana and Vira Bhadrasana as my yoga teacher would say. So why offer a shoe for exercise usually done wearing none?

Someone at Nike must have had one too many slip-ups down at the ashram. Socks with rubber pimples underneath would have sufficed, but then again the Nike Studio Wrap does look quite a lot better and more pro. This three-part footwear system consists of a flexible sole, a tape, and a removable over-shoe. Without the over-shoe the Nike Studio Wrap looks rather like a minimalist sandal and feels very like going barefoot when you wear it – except it provides protection, traction, stability and style. Put the over-shoe on – it looks like a ballet-shoe which you pull over the top of the rest – and you can wear it out on the streets. So, if you have 120 Euros to spare and you no longer want there to be any contact between your sweaty feet and the yoga mat: Just Do It! Namasté! www.nikeinc.com

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13. Don’t forget your gym-bag!e

There once was a time when the 90’s were not yet retro, they were simply the 90’s.

Those were the days in which having the right gym-bag could make or break your status and gain you acceptance in your peer group. Gym-bags were to us what the blue bandana is to the Crips of South Central L.A.: a clear badge of membership. If you had the right one, you were in. And that meant being selected for the right team at sports. For those of us still traumatised by those difficult years, help is now at hand: these gym-bags by Viviane Hausstein catapult their carriers straight into the first division of good taste. This designer has used the finest nappa leather, cowskin and patent leather for her bags. The straps are unusual in that they are made of strong bondage cord. Designer Viviane Hausstein originally invented these upmarket gymbags as »gang items« for her artists’ collective, The Garden, as a way of demonstrating to the outside world that you were a member. But soon everyone wanted one. So now everyone can play, and nobody has to sit on the bench. The bags are available on her website in a range of materials, starting at €189: www.vivianehausstein.com

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had to admit that a large, golden-yellow table bearing a huge Veuve Clicquot logo made no sense at all, even when limited to 99 examples. But then, after a glass of champagne and the realisation that a pool table was hiding within, we began to think otherwise. Alcohol and pool, after all, are somehow symbiotic, and the Veuve yellow does look rather cool. Another three glasses and a game later and our initial scepticism had morphed into pure euphoria. Think of all those boring evening dinners-for-two which you can turn into thrilling, swinging pool tournaments! A multi-purpose Veuve Clicquot pool table?

Brilliant idea. Why ever didn’t anyone think of it before? But wait a minute: €13,900? That’s rather a lot, even for a champagne label. For more multi-purpose sports tables, but in a simpler range of colours, visit www.fusiontables.com

14. The 129.95 Euro Man. In the 1970s we enjoyed the television series The Six Million Dollar Man, in which astronaut and test pilot Colonel Steve Austin crashed an airplane and was then fitted with bionic bodily parts, after which he served as an agent for the Office of Scientific Intelligence. With his newfound powers he protected America against extra-terrestrials, Bigfoot, and lots of loopy scientists.

If you would like to feel how it is to be a bionic superhero then you should seriously consider the Jawbone Up fitness armband.

Strap it on and it becomes a biometric bodypart which synchronises automatically with your smartphone and helps you to tap into unknown strengths. You can record your sleeping phases with it, monitor your calorie consumption, check your daily mileage, and try to optimise your day, your night, and above all your body on the basis of all the data you collect. And what’s best of all is that it makes you look a lot better than government do-gooder Steve Austin.

For full details from the Office of Sporty Intelligence, visit www.jawbone.com

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12. The idea was good, but thei world was not yet ready for it. We

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17. I am Legend. Cycling: the things that come to mind are Lance Armstrong, Jan Ullrich, doping, Tour de France, physical drudgery, and afternoons in front of the telly. Cycling nowadays is much more than just sport – it is an industry for sponsors, product manufacturers and media.

Furthermore, you only think of men when you think of cycling. Bicycle and women are associated usually only with excursions, picnics, and green meadows.

But in fact that’s a lot of nonsense. We don’t intend to instigate a debate about sexism; nor do we deny that men really do make exceptional cyclists – doping and shaved legs aside. But there are also successful female cyclists around. Manufacturers and sponsors have at last realised this and are paying more attention to lady cyclists who suit their products. One cycling team in particular is gaining a lot of attention nowadays: Specialized-lululemon 2013, consisting of eleven female athletes from different backgrounds and of different ages. Their equipment supplier, Specialized, produces sports clothing and accessories tailored perfectly to women. But more important than the equipment is the ambition, team-spirit and passion required to succeed in this discipline. So good luck to the girls – or should we say: Gear up!

photos: Spezialized

Rouven. The more complex the fracture, the more complex the treatment: it is not enough simply to screw together the metacarpal bones when they break – instead it takes lots of wire and metal to correct them.

Lotti the dog, foreleg break. Horizontal fracture of the lower leg. As with humans, medical intervention took place directly on the bone.

Melanie Johns (text)

18. Beneath the skin. Sports personalities are the super-heroes of our time. They fear no opponent, they overcome obstacles – without wearing silly costumes – and, with a few exceptions, they avoid selfaggrandisement. Sports-people often push their bodies to the limits, but they cannot break the laws of physics. Accidents often happen, sometimes dramatic ones – and not only in extreme sports, as countless videos of sporting accidents on YouTube testify. These result in fractures, sprains, tears and bruises. Every injury tells its own particular story, and, honestly speaking, there are few things more satisfying than recounting the details afterwards. Describing our own accidents earns us sympathy, but, more importantly, it earns us admiration. A plaster cast is one good prop with which to illustrate a story, although it does have the drawback of disappearing after a few weeks. The best evidence of all for our stunts, we think, is the large-format x-ray. But most people leave them lying and gathering dust in a drawer. We believe that’s a mistake. We’ve had enough of seeing cups, medals and plaster casts. Make way for broken bones and torn ligaments in close-up as testimony to the tales of heroes.

Nina, wrist. Wrists are a complex affair. Nina found this out when she fell while out jogging. She had been travelling too fast on black ice. The only consolation was that Nina was still able to run even with a cast around her wrist.

Foreground: Maria Dominika, collarbone. It took two titanium plates and 14 screws to put Maria’s collarbone back together again. Soon after all the metal was removed the bone broke again – while she was making breakfast. The fracture had not yet healed properly.

Background: Susanne, femur break. Susanne simply fell off her bicycle awkwardly.

The result was an oblique fracture of the thigh bone. This is a very rare, complex and protracted injury to deal with. But Susanne survived it and is now cycling again.

Cricket helmet: MS Cricket www.mscricket.com

Ingmar Swalue (photos), Mik Zandijk (styling), Ava Carstens (text)

19. Padding and cladding. The human body is robust, and our skin and hair protect us against the outside world. These things make us quite resilient under normal circumstances, and can ward off temperature fluctuations, pressure, and the sun. Protective clothing is only required against physical dangers, or if we wish to make a particularly daunting impression – like in contact sports, in which we approach our opponents safely clad in a protective shell of one form or another. Although they may obstruct vision and constrict our radius of movement, foam and plastic are inseparable from the body in such activities, since without them we would be defenceless against physical attack and impacts against the ground. How many teeth would have been lost without gum-shields, how many fingers broken without protective wrappings? Not to mention the damage which studs would do to shins without shin-guards. The human body is prone to injury and needs a second skin if it is to maintain a strong defensive stance. Here is an ode to protective equipment.

Cricket pads: MS Cricket www.mscricket.com

American football shoulder-pads: Photographer’s own

Motorcycle back guard: Tryonic Feel 3.7 www.martijnsmotorwebshop.eu

photographer: Ingmar Swalue @ Rene Hauser www.ingmarswalue.com styling: Mik Zandijk www.mikzandijk.com Cricket glove: MS Cricket www.mscricket.com

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21. Subwing. A product that promises to make you fly – under water. Grab the Subwing, which is pulled along behind a boat, and you can glide through the watery element like a dolphin. The two twistable fins on this unusual piece of gear allow you to perform pirouettes and jumps which even those aquatic mammals would envy.

The only downer is that the price of 700 dollars may make you short of breath. But you can’t breath under water anyway. Nor can dolphins. So simply surf on down to www.subwing.com 22. Standert is fast becomingi Standard.i And bicycles are taking

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over from cars. They’re somehow trendier, because they’re more affordable. To call a beautiful bike your own you don’t have to speculate in basic foodstuffs on the stock exchange or be involved in crooked bank dealings – not if you want one of Standert’s elegant two-wheelers, that is. This Berlinbased cycle-smithy offers a range of perfectly crafted bicycles at very manageable prices. Almost as appealing as the bikes themselves is the lovingly fitted shop, which is also a café in which Berlin’s bicycle courier fraternity replenishes itself between jobs with outstanding coffee, fresh bagels, home-made soups and unconventional ice-cream creations. Super Bikes and Super Pops at Invalidenstraße 157 and at www.standert.de

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24. Ping-Pong-Party. A beer in one hand and a bat in the other. That is the image of the hard-drinking sports enthusiast in the ping-pong bars which have been around on London’s night scene for some years, and which are now attracting a growing fan-base in German cities. All you need to swing the bat together is an establishment equipped with a table and a bar – such as the Schmittz in Berlin-Mitte or Ping Tron in London. There, as many as 30 patrons enjoy a game of »round-thetable« – or as ping-pong professionals prefer to call it: »Chinese« – a game which is always accompanied by a certain playground feel from the distant past. If you would prefer to ping-pong in a club atmosphere then get into the party mood with a table lit up with LEDs and black light.

Night-sport for big-hitters: www.pingtron.com and www.schmittz.de EB/sc

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finds running a tad tedious, then you will enjoy the new Speed Chute from SKLZ. This braking parachute can help runners achieve new personal bests and is the very latest fancy sport accessory for every eccentric exerciser. Simply harness yourself up, set off, and bask in the looks you get, which will range from the admiring to the downright perplexed. With this hightech running chute behind you, you will look like an MiG-29 at take-off even if you can barely run at all. Speed Chute at www.sklz.com

23. Off-road in Berlin. How do you get past a twenty-stone bouncer in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg with a pram? You simply drive over him of course. With the Buffalo off-road children’s buggy, made by Bugaboo, that won’t present too much of a problem. A certain café-owning pedant in Berlin’s trendiest district posted a giant concrete bollard to keep the latte-macchiatomums and Americano-dads out of his establishment, so the pram-industry hit back with an all-terrain vehicle which is so spacious, robust and versatile that you could traverse the Andes in it, not to mention clambering over the occasional cantankerous old coffee-swiller. An extended canopy keeps out strong overhead sun, and the pram has so much storage space that you can easily carry equipment for two basecamps. So pop the youngest of your offspring into Bugaboo’s Buffalo and leave Prenzlberg. Why, after all, would you want to spend your time surrounded by Wi-Fi scroungers when the whole world is on your doorstep? For more about the Bugaboo Buffalo, visit www.bugaboo.com SES/mok

20. On your marks, get chutesi ready, go! If you are somebody who

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25. Changes in perspective. Surfing the Internet with an iPhone is nothing new. But doing real watersports on real waves with your phone in your pocket – that is. The transparent Mophie Outride casing protects your mobile against waves, wind and weather, but that is not all. The solid protective cladding also incorporates a wide-angle lens which, it is claimed, extends the angle of view of your iPhone camera to 170 degrees. You have until midSeptember to work on your tricks, at which point this action camera will be launched on the US market for 130 dollars. There is only one leaky point in this gadget: it only fits on the iPhone 4/4S. For full details: www.mophie.com or at www.mstore.de LR/lk

credits: 20. SKLZ, 21. Subwing, 22. Standert, 23. PR, 24. Edward Horsford, 25. MStore

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Robin Kranz (photos), Volker Hobl (food styling), Mosch Khanedani (text)

26. BiggerBetterFasterMore. Alkaline creatine powder, lactalbumin hydrolysate, 6-component protein, betaalanine, L-glutamine, D-ribose, beta-ecdysterone, alpha-lipoic acid ... The list of sports nutrients and supplements is simply endless, and it takes a doctorate in chemistry to understand it. Manufacturers of these preparations promise something tantalizing: if a healthy and balanced diet is not enough, then they will help you to build up muscle, lose fat, and extract the utmost performance from your body in the shortest possible time. But

then again, maybe not: Germany’s strongest man, Patrik Baboumian, is a vegan.

He eats mainly vegetables, tofu, nuts, soya products, shakes and smoothies (albeit in significant quantities!) Clearly it is possible to do without all the pastes, powders and pills. We have decided to use them instead to produce this pretty little photo series. And if you wish to learn how to eat sensibly without pills, visit: www.haw-hamburg.de/ba-oet

It may look charming and intricate here, but it usually comes in fairly large and unattractive tubs, forming the basis for sports shakes and protein drinks.

Capsules are made mostly of gelatine or cellulose. They dissolve very quickly in the stomach, thus allowing active ingredients to pass straight into the circulation.

Energy gels are an attractive means by which to demonstrate the basic rules of colour theory.

Protein bars are to fitness fanatics what chocolate bars are to the rest of us. They contain enormous amounts of protein and help to build up muscle.

photographer: Robin Kranz www.robinkranz.de food styling: Volker Hobl www.volkerhobl.com photographer assistant: Veljko Tatalovic art direction: Imke Jurok

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27. Brain jogging. Although the name may suggest otherwise, mental exercise is not a good way to lose weight, since you only use three extra calories an hour by thinking. The same even applies when your grey matter is straining to the utmost, doing things like understanding Kant’s categorical imperative. Instead of burning off lots of calories while you work, what the brain does do is demand extra sugar. Since intensive thinking is a stressful activity, your blood-sugar and insulin levels fluctuate dramatically, and you begin to sense an urgent need to rectify your glucose levels using chocolate or liquorice allsorts. Thinking is stressful on the body. That is why heart patients, in the acute phase following a cardiac dropout, are advised not to read or do anything else like that. If, however, you happen to find yourself in a remarkable state of stability, we suggest you complete this mind-boggling labyrinth drawn by the caretaker of a Japanese sports college. He spent seven years drawing this A1-mother-of-all tangles, consuming around 1.9 million calories in the process. No wonder the Japanese have fewer obesity problems than others. Super Maze at www.minne.com/papa-maze/item/84736

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28. Sports for smirking. Just Do It, piggy style. We live in an age rife with diversity – which is of course great. The only drawback is that even the most articulate of observers find it difficult to delimit precisely what sport means.

But then again, that too could be a good thing, since it means you can label as a sport anything you decide to do or organise. Pig-racing, for instance, or a world championship in ugly dancing (www.uglydanceworldcup.com).

Drinking games like Flunkyball (www.spielwiki.de), which come with a rule-book as thick as the space shuttle operating manual, are also sports somehow. Anyone who thinks that sport has to have something to do with bodily exercise is therefore an out-andout bore and should get a grip and get some serious competitive drinking under their belt. Alternatively, read on to see what other options are available.

photo: Getty Images

29. Football with fists. Florence is … Michelangelo’s statue of David, the Ponte Vecchio, Botticelli, da Vinci and Caravaggio. Florence is … the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, the Piazza della Signoria, the Palazzo Pitti and the Basilica of Santa Croce. But Florence is also a medieval city built from stone and hard plaster. Visit the cradle of the Renaissance in June and you will discover a side of the city not depicted in romantic postcards or visited by well-trodden tourist paths. That is when Florence shows its brutal face in »Calcio Storico«, or historical football.

The game is violent, bloody and archaic.

There are as good as no rules but plenty of broken ribs and noses, knocked-out teeth, black eyes and smashed knee-caps. If it hurts, it is allowed. You may attack, hit and throw to the floor your opponents, and have been allowed to do so since the 16th century. Back then it was mainly aristocrats who played historical football.

Nowadays it is heavily built men with shaven heads and tattoos on their ripped biceps. On three days each year, around a

When two people quarrel, a third rejoices. While others fight it out at the back, one of the Santa Croce players grabs his chance and runs clear of his opponents. photo: colourpress

photo: mauritius images

Fight Club, Italian style: men draw blood doing battle on the historical market square.

photos: Maurizio Rufino (3)

If you are not from Florence it may be difficult to understand the attraction of this crude game. But if you study history then you will at least be able to understand it historically. Calcio Storico evolved from the Roman game Harpaston, which was one of the most popular ball-sports of ancient Rome and Greece and consisted of a mixture of boxing, wrestling and rugby. »The Roman legionnaires brought the game to Florence. Over time the Florentines gave it their own rules, and so it became the traditional game of the town,« explains Luciano Artusi, director and organiser of historical football. »Every team consists of 27 players and three positions: goalkeeper, defender and attacker. The aim is to throw the ball into the net on the opponents’ back-line. They play in green, white, blue and red costumes, with each colour representing a quarter of the town. Red represents Santa Maria Novella, blue is Santa Croce, white

means Santo Spirito and green is for San Giovanni.« Calcio Storico is about neither money nor trophies, all that counts is fame, honour and recognition.

In the year 2006, historical football reached a turning-point when the game became deadly serious and a mass-punch-up broke out which did not stop until police intervened. The referees had ended the match officially, but players from rival quarters of the city began to attack each other on the square and it went on for over an hour. The city authorities prosecuted numerous players and some of the cases are still pending today. Dark days began for Calcio Storico. Stricter rules made historical football less brutal, but also less spectacular.

One of these rules stipulated that nobody over the age of forty was allowed to play any more, since such people often brought long-standing feuds onto the pitch. Today, six years on, anyone can play again provided they have a medical certificate of health, and provided their criminal records have been clean for the past five years. Fists, therefore, fly once again in the name of tradition.

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hundred players practice give-and-take, Florentine style, on the Piazza Santa Croce.

These are modern-day gladiators, some of whom begin to cry as the gate to the arena behind them falls shut and a 50-minute journey back to the Middle Ages begins.

They are not ashamed of their tears. Anyone who pretends not to be afraid is lying.

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30. Russia is not a country. It’s a state of mind. Now, forget everything you have previously heard about Russia.

That includes Putin, vodka, Russian dolls, and YouTube videos full of badass brawls on Russia’s streets. Get ready for a little piece of Russia which will truly enrich you, both physically and intellectually. We are proud to be able to present to you the Fast Track, a 51-metre-long trampoline-pavement in the middle of a Russian forest. It was designed by Salto architects for the Archstoyanie Festival, and seems to be some kind of antidote to the overwhelming prevalence of technology and functionality in today’s architecture.

We didn’t altogether understand it, but it did look quite entertaining and sporty, and it did at least kindle hopes that some people in Russia are coming on in leaps and bounds. Jump, jump at www.salto.ee

photos: Karli Luik, Alan Vouba

If the Fast Track had existed back in 1992, it would almost certainly have become world famous in Kriss Kross’ Jump video.

Dan Zoubek (photos), Michel Foertsch (text)

31. No mustachio, no go. In sporting terms the 1970s were a glorious decade for Germany. In 1972 the country became European football champions, and in 1974 they even won the World Cup on home turf. But it wasn’t just ball-sports which enjoyed a golden era then. Another discipline conquered the hearts of the populace: folding bike racing. It is this noble sport which is now witnessing a grand revival – at the World-Klapp event in Ludwigshafen. In that town’s Klappodrom stadium, 111 daring folding bike enthusiasts compete for the hour-world-record. Conditions of entry are: a folding bicycle without gears and a cultivated moustache.

Moustaches are also obligatory for spec-

tators and even for female cyclists, although the latter may resort to fake versions if need be. The patron of this spectacle is none other than King Céphas Bansah, who originates in Ghana but lives in Ludwigshafen. In 2012, people came from near and far to the race-track in the town’s Friesenheim district. This year, sadly, World-Klapp celebrated not only its one-year anniversary but also its farewell. On May 4th, Germany’s folding bike elite made the asphalt smoke in the legendary Klappodrom one last time. It was a day of great guys, great bikes, great moustaches. www.world-klapp.de

Funky style, funky tash – only at World-Klapp.

Even folding bike riders agree that safety comes first.

These are true racing machines: 20 inches, original 1970s vintage.

photographer: Dan Zoubek www.danzoubek.de

To the victor the spoils: as well as getting the headless goat, winners at Buzkashi can look forward to a hefty purse and fast racehorses.

fame, honour and riches – usually in the form of large monetary prizes and fast racehorses financed out of the expense accounts of the region’s warlords and drug barons. In Afghanistan this sport was strictly forbidden during the rule of the Taliban, but Buzkashi has been enjoying a renaissance since the West’s super-armies moved in, as a consequence of which we are able at last to promote this delightful social game in Germany. Oh and by the way, women aren’t even allowed to watch.

Get the goat or die trying! To learn more about this men’s sport, watch the prizewinning film Buzkashi Boys. Order at www.buzkashiboys.com

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photo: David Gill

32. Ruff Riders. Buzkashi is a traditional riding game which enjoys immense popularity in confidence-inspiring countries like Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The game is easy to explain. An indeterminate number of riders attempt, on an indeterminate pitch, to capture a dead goat which they must scoop up off the floor at a gallop and then place down in front of a judge or a flag. There are neither teams nor any rules whatsoever, and certainly no referee. In other words, it’s every man for himself. You are allowed to hit, kick, barge, and use your riding crop – anything to get hold of the corpse and defend it. This is not a game for sissies.

Protective clothing is allowed but tends to be looked down upon by the Buzkashi Boys, rather like drinking beer through a straw among us. The winner can expect

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33. Ultimate stretch. Talk about pole position. A little somersault to begin with, legs wrapped around the pole, then he turns upside down. His body then adheres statically sideways, only then to wrap itself once again like a snake around the pole, then jump up to the top, balance there, and bend a leg behind the head. Then suddenly he falls briefly – oops! He catches himself quickly using his legs, which wrap around the post. On it goes in a kind of meditative loop: yoga meets gymnastics.

All this effortlessly supple pole posturing is the result of centuries of Indian sporting tradition. Wrestlers thought up Mallakhamb right back in the 12th century for exercise purposes, in order to hone their coordination and reflexes. There are now as many as 30 different types, three of which are practised competitively. They are done using a post of about three metres in height, or a rope.

Mallakhamb is made up of two different words: malla describes the gymnast or strong man, khamba means post or pole.

Pole gymnastics, in other words.

More information about this sport is posted at: www.mallkhambindia.com

photo: Epa Sanjeev Gupta

Elegantly poised Mallakhamb artist: and we complain after just ten press-ups ‌ Try it out on the nearest lamp-post maybe ‌ Anyone got a light?

daniel josefsohn (photos), Sebastian Storck (text)

34. Some cowboys are gay.

Get over it. In the 1970s the Village People tried to suggest discreetly that builders, Indians, policemen, leather-workers and – yes – cowboys, can be queer, but somehow the message got lost in all the Y.M.C.A. hype. Or maybe it’s because the heterosexual masses simply close their eyes when it comes to certain professional groups like footballers, steelworkers, and of course cowboys. It doesn’t matter how obvious things get. Hence the shocked expressions when herdsmen snogged in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain. Gay Rodeo is there to ensure that homosexual cowboys never again sink into obscurity. Aside from a couple of minor events like transvestite bull-riding, it differs not a jot from its heterosexual counterpart. Sport, after all, is sport – so no wonder. For more mustachios, muscular stallions and well-stuffed Wranglers visit http://igra.com

We all like to show our friends our photos when we meet up. It’s the same at Gay Rodeo – except perhaps that things get little more intimate.

Clearly this is not an event with a particular dress code. This fine specimen of a man takes advantage of the fact as he relaxes with the Bill Crosby Show running for good measure.

This rodeo, like others, gives cows little say.

Before each rodeo the officials meet for a review at Camp Gayvid.

Many couples love the partner-look – and these two amorous cowboys are no exception.

As long as they’re clean: horses don’t care either way, gay rider or straight.

Stretching: a participant warms up beneath the Stars and Stripes.

As always in the USA: hats off for the National Anthem!

A cowboy needs a loyal friend like anyone else – and if needs be one with four legs.

Daniel Josefsohn (left) often raises eyebrows with his astute and intense photography.

The 51-year-old was behind the camera for a spectacular MTV campaign in the early 90s.

For his unsparing photostory on gay cowboys, Josefsohn attended the Gay Rodeo Finals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2006. Born in Hamburg, he lives and works in Berlin and is a regular guest contributor for magazines and galleries.

photographer: daniel josefsohn www.josefsohn.com

Great outfits and a perfect pose for a souvenir photo.

35. LOVED&FOUND editorial staff’s favourite films:

The Big Lebowski

What’s it about? Jeff Bridges is The Dude, an aging, bowling hippie who gets mistaken for a millionaire and is catapulted into a hair-raising adventure. This is the movie that made the White Russian into a cult drink.

What’s it really about? Relax, drink a White Russian, smoke a spliff in the bathtub and go for a round of bowling. Life’s a beach.

USA/UK 1998; Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi; Dir.: Joel & Ethan Coen

Rocky

What’s it about? An underdog is given the chance of a lifetime when he gets to box against the reigning world champion. For Sylvester Stallone this was his greatest ever role. He went on to play Rocky Balboa in five sequels.

What’s it really about? Given the right song you can achieve anything. Animal carcasses make great sparring partners.

And of course: Adriaaaaaaan!

USA 1976, Sylvester Stallone, Dir.: John G. Avildsen

The Wrestler

What’s it about? A former wrestling star with a disastrous private life, ailing both financially and physically, wants to give it

one last try and climbs back into the ring.

Mickey Rourke kind of plays himself, and – deservedly – was nominated for an Oscar for his performance and his introspection.

What’s it really about? Old habits die hard.

USA 2008, Mickey Rourke, Dir.: Darren Aronofsky

The Blind Side

What’s it about? A model-mom from the upper-middle class adopts an oversized Afro-American youth from the ghetto who turns out to be talented at American football. Based on a true story and featuring a sublime Sandra Bullock as his resolute adoptive mother.

What’s it really about? It’s about Christian altruism, and it’s about the fact that you can achieve anything if somebody believes in you.

USA 2009, Sandra Bullock, Dir.: John Lee Hancock

Bend it like Beckham

What’s it about? An Indian girl is a talented footballer but she hides it from her parents. To make matters worse, she falls for her coach, which proves a severe test of her relationship with her best friend.

This film was Keira Knightley’s breakthrough role.

What’s it really about? Cultural differences and assimilation. Pursuing your dreams when you have the opportunity to realise them. And: Indians are a marvellous bunch.

UK/D 2002, Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley; Dir.: Gurinder Chadha

Jerry Maguire

What’s it about? It’s about a sports manager who, thanks to his only client, not only comes into money but learns what is really important in life. Oh yes, and boys: Tom Cruise’s declaration of love for Renée Zellweger really is what girls want to hear.

What’s it really about? Money and career

If you would like to know more about these films visit www.imdb.de

are fab, but friendship and love are fabber.

And, pride definitely comes before a fall.

USA 1996, Tom Cruise; Dir.: Cameron Crowe

Raging Bull

What’s it about? A boxer fails to come to terms with his success, and falls apart – and his body balloons like a soufflé.

Robert De Niro could play a phonebook and would still be fascinating to watch.

What’s it really about? De Niro says it himself at the end of the film, quoting Brando: »I could have been high class. I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody instead of a bum. Which is what I am.« USA 1980, Robert De Niro; Dir.: Martin Scorsese

Uppercut

What’s it about? A former American football star trains up a few teenagers so that they can survive against a brutal team of soldiers. Bulldozer, played by Bud Spencer, lets his fists do the talking.

What’s it really about? Nothing’s better than a good old punch-up – and Oliver Onions.

Italy/D 1978; Bud Spencer, Raimund Harmstorf; Dir.: Michele Lupo

Gold – Du kannst mehr als Du denkst

What’s it about? A documentary about three athletes who entered the Paralympics. A fascinating insight into the world of sport which goes to show that you can overcome any barriers if you believe in yourself.

What’s it really about? »Gold! Always believe in your soul/ You’ve got the power to know/ You’re indestructible / Always believe in, ’cause you are Gold.« (Spandau Ballet) D 2013, Dir.: Michael Hammon

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Million Dollar Baby

What’s it about? An oddball, aging boxing coach takes on an ambitious young lady from a simple background and helps her progress swiftly in her boxing career. But at its peak, things take an unexpected turn. Anyone who doesn’t cry at the end has a heart of stone. Our staff’s absolute favourite.

What’s it really about? It’s about willpower. About courage. About self-determination. About forgiveness. And about euthanasia.

USA 2004; Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank; Dir.: Clint Eastwood

36. Records.

Being there is everything? You want to do more than just reach the finish-line. Sport, after all, is competitive. And sometimes records are set up for eternity.

Fight on without end The boxing match between Andy Bowen and Jack Burke in New Orleans on 6-7 April 1893 lasted somewhat longer. These men faced each other for no less than 110 rounds at the Olympic Club, in a fight that lasted 7 hours and 19 minutes. After all that, a result could not be concluded: when the bell went for the 111th round, the boxers simply stayed sitting in their corners, which was unsurprising, since both of them had broken hands.

Long-shot Robert Mitera must have been surprised himself: on 17th October 1965, the golfer hit the shot of his life. The ball flew 405 metres and straight into the hole, even though he could not even see the green from his tee area.

Uncontested At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Jesse Owens won no fewer than four gold medals, and was the first athlete ever to have done so. But he performed even more spectacularly in a contest the year before in Michigan.

Within a space of just 45 minutes the 22-year-old established no less than five world records. First he equalled the fastest ever 100 yards, then he set new world records in long-jump, 220 yards – which counted at the same time for the shorter 200-metre sprint – and 220 yard hurdles – which again counted for the 200 metre hurdles as well.

Game of cards The Portuguese and Dutch football teams probably do not look back which much pride on their encounter in the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. During this unsportsmanlike game the referee dished out a total of four yellow-red cards and 16 yellow cards. Slim consolation: they were at least divided equally between both teams.

Speedster Andy Roddick actually serves just like any other tennis player: he throws the ball up in the air and hits it with his racquet. But when he does it the ball reaches speeds of up to 246.9 kilometres per hour. His serve is so powerful that the ball once stayed stuck in the ground.

Minimalism In Formula One, the driver who wins the world championship is not necessarily the one who wins the most races: in 1982, Keke Rosberg achieved the feat of taking the title home to Finland at the end of the season after just one Grand Prix victory.

King run Is the marathon the ultimate running discipline? Well, not quite. In 1929 a race was run from New York to Los Angeles, and was won by Johnny Salo. The American athlete took 525 hours, 57 minutes and 20 seconds, divided up into several stages, to complete the 3,635 miles.

It was an extraordinary feat, especially considering that only a third of all the runners who started actually reached the finish line.

Fumble-fingers There is something of which German international goalkeeper Eike Immel is probably not so proud. In fact there are probably a number of things – including his appearance on reality TV. But what annoys a goalkeeper most is having to clean out his own cage. This former Bundesliga professional had to collect the ball from the back of the net 829 times in 534 games – a world record.

Globetrotter Rudi Gutendorf holds several footballing records. Never heard of him? Maybe he did not stay at your favourite club for long enough. He changed jobs more than any other football coach, and is the only one to have been dismissed twice by two different clubs in a single season. All in all he has trained more than 50 teams, including the national squads of Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Nepal and Rwanda. None of it led to any sporting success, but he did receive the German Order of Merit nevertheless.

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Game, set and match Steffi Graf must have had something planned for afterwards: Natasha Zvereva, 17 years old at the time, did not stand a chance in the finals of the 1988 French Open. She lost against the German in two sets of 6:0 and 6:0 – in just 32 minutes. It was the fastest Grand Slam final in tennis history.

What good are mud goggles if they’re completely caked in mud? Exactly. So take them off.

It isn’t just the riders who like to taste the thrill of the race first-hand. Onlookers also like to feel the rush by being near to the riding action, just like at rally events.

Bernhard SpĂśttel (photos), Jan Strahl (text)

37. It’s a homage to evolution. .

Our common ancestors crept as fish-like slime-dwellers through the quagmire of the Devonian era out of the ocean and onto land, and in an Enduro off-road race this key step in the history of life on earth is replayed at high-speed. It is truly Darwinian: survival of the fittest, while the weakest go by the wayside, get off their bikes, push them, or simply arrive last.

The Dirt Days in Penzberg are a roughand-tough affair for sure. Every year in spring, several hundred riders compete in the sludge. It is hard to say which day the

photos here were taken on; pictures of Dirt Days only ever differ negligibly. By some miracle, the organisers always manage to provide the mud-and-water melange in exactly the same hue from one year to the next.

The great Charles Darwin, intellectual father of the Evolution Theory, famously said, reminding us of our archaic roots: ÂťWe must, however, acknowledge as it seems to me, that a man with all his noble qualities ...still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.ÂŤ Mud-slinging, advanced level. There is a significant rise in washing powder sales after the Dirt Days.

An unexplained phenomenon, and not only at Enduro: the sponsor’s logo remains remarkably visible.

photographer: Bernhard Spรถttel www.spoettel.com

So how do you get it out again? A wide range of laundry additive suggestions circulate in Internet forums: curd soap, petrol, butter, alcohol, mineral water, as well as special cleaning agents for breathable clothing and car seats.

After a race at the Dirt Days, men bear this stamp externally as well. And why not? After all, should we not all celebrate it, our escape from the slime, by which we evolved from a fishy-eyed primordial organism into the only form of life capable of inventing and operating a washing machine?

You will find a summary of the Dirt Days 2013 here: www.dirt-days.de

Unlike highly tuned motocross bikes which are designed solely for use in cordoned-off mud-trails, Enduro machines are registered for road use, and equipped accordingly. Not that these chaps seem to care.

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41. Take it from us: It’s bikelofts we need. Now that all the windows are smashed, the last paint bomb has exploded and the last tenant has cleared out, it ought to be obvious to everyone that the »carlofts« that were touted as Germany’s answer to parking issues were not such a good idea after all. We don’t just mean what they did or didn’t do for gentri-fication, we mean the zero-cred they came with. Seventy years have passed since the VW Beetle first taught Germans the meaning of automania, and there are now few people left (with some sad exceptions alas) who love cars quite enough to put them on their balconies. Germany’s dearest offspring has for some years had a serious rival: the humble bicycle no less. It is the only mode of transport able to make a comeback without having ever left. And to coincide with the resurrection of the pushbike, the boys at Mikili have designed a bicycle holder with a drawer which helps you to integrate your bicycle stylishly into your flat so that those wicked pilferers can’t get their hands on it.

The only risk now is that bicycles will degenerate into installations instead of a means of exercise and propulsion. For more beautiful looking bicycle holders, visit www.mikili.de

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43. Best bar none. Swings, stems, flyaways – the art of performing on the horizontal bar demands years of training.

But there is a bar you can perform on perfectly without anything like that much sporting ambition. With the La Collectionneuse from M2Malletier it is your hand alone you use, not your whole body. Some dexterity is thus called for, but if you possess that then this bag will be something you can flourish with abandon, even, or especially, if you are acrophobic – which is just as well, since you are unlikely ever to want to let it go again. www.m2malletier.com

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40. Skate and create. Now there is another way for free-spirited skateboarders to attract attention without even having to perform a half-pipe, bowl or pool in an urban space: they can exhibit a customerdesigned deck like this one which stands a mile out from the mass of dull skateboards.

Online shop Zazzle offers asphalt-surfing artists a design tool and a patented printing process with which they can express a limitless number of creative ideas. And with decks made from high-grade maple wood like this one, their pictures really shine.

For more stylish, custom images on wheels visit www.zazzle.de

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39. Gym lounge. Felix Magath, infamously tough football coach and dedicated fan of traditional circuit training equipment, must have reached for his green tea in shock the first time he saw this. Furniture made from pommel horses, vaulting chests and gym-mats, which you sit around on lazily instead of using for that extra set of jack-knives or leapfrog. If you love the musty smell of school halls or wish to relive your hatred of PE teachers daily, then this furniture made from patinated school-sport materials is for you. www.zurschoenenlinde.de

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credits: 38. Patricia Tower, 39. Selekkt, 40. Zazzle, 41. Mikili, 42. Hay, 43. M2Malletier

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38. Check this. Bishop to b4, rook to e6 – that we know. But queen from C60, that’s new. C60 is a spherical molecule in the form of a polyhedron – and also a player on this board. It was this 20-faceted shape which inspired New Yorker designer Patricia Tower to create Platonic Chess – her version of chess for the 21st century.

The dimensions of the figures are entered into a computer and then printed out in 3D, after which they are stuck together, polished and varnished. They are served up on a chessboard made of Perspex, upon which chess and chemistry fans can cross swords. May the battle of the nerds begin! www.towerdesign.carbonmade.com

42. Gym lesson. Gym Hooks, made by HAY, are not quite what they say they are.

These colourful wooden rings may be visually reminiscent of gymnastics lessons at school, but in actual fact they are designed simply to hang around on walls looking cool (itself not an entirely unknown pastime at school). These hangers, designed by Sweden’s Staffan Holm, will accommodate suits of the track and pin-stripe variety with equality magnanimity. If the rings have captured your heart, then the only thing left to stress about is which colour and size to choose. Best sort that one out at www.hayshop.dk

Ben Lamberty (photos), Arne und Ava Carstens (styling), Ava Carstens (text)

44. Swimming high and dry.

Not all of us can swim like dolphins.

For some it is enough to paddle and thrash our extremities from one side of the pool to the other. And since only very few of us will ever enjoy professional training, the chances of clinching 22 Olympic medals are negligible. There can, after all, only be one swimmer like Michael Phelps. Emulating his back-up career is quite another matter, and you need not get wet to do so. Phelps is currently playing Tarzan in a musical.

And if it is simulating you are good at, then you will be glad to hear that you can even swim without getting wet – and without looking embarrassing either. Rather like shadow-boxing, it’s all about clean technique, polishing the details, and doing battle with an imaginary opponent. We would venture to predict that dry swimming is set to become the in-sport of 2013, especially among landlubbers who look much better on the shore than they do in the water. To get things off to a good start we have put together a selection of the best exercises.

Breaststroke is often the first technique people learn. The competition version, however, is the most difficult and time-consuming discipline of all.

Indeed, swimmers who do not have suitably aligned hips may not even be able to perform regular breaststroke using the frog-kick action.

T-shirt and shorts: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony, watch: Gant, sweatband: Y-3

In competitions, everyone starts off by diving into the pool from a raised block. Except in backstroke and medley relay, that is, where you start in the water. If someone false-starts then the start is repeated, and the second start is always the last one. Swimmers who perform a false-start again or jump off too early – even wobbling on the starting block is enough – are disqualified. Nowadays there is often a »one-start rule« according to which a swimmer can be disqualified after just one false start. Jacket, skirt and shoes: Chanel

In relay swimming they talk of Âťfly-free exchangesÂŤ. Each following swimmer may only begin a maximum of three hundredths of a second before the arriving swimmer actually touches the end. Since there is no reaction time involved in fly-free exchanges, swimmers in a relay are often faster than they are in individual disciplines. front: blazer and skirt: Y-3, shoes: Bikkembergs, back: shirt and shorts: Y-3, shoes: Bikkembergs, watch: Elysee

In back crawl, the arms perform their strokes in alternating succession. Each arm glides over the head and into the water, then underwater along the body in the direction of the legs, then over the surface of the water back to the head. For maximum efficiency the arm is bent under the water, the reason being that the arm can perform the stroke with more power when it is angled with the elbow forward. left: tank top and trousers: adidas SLVR, shoes: Julian Zigerli, sunglasses: R.T.CO right: shirt and shorts: adidas SLVR, shoes: Julian Zigerli, sunglasses: R.T.CO

Diving into the water has been an Olympic discipline since way back in 1904. At the St. Louis Games there were two disciplines, but only for men: platform diving and the ‘plunge for distance’. In 1908 they added »fancy diving«. The first women’s competition was held in Stockholm in 1912. Today there are three diving disciplines from different heights: springboard, platform and synchronised. left: forward dive, 1½ somersault with double twist. Top: Hunkemöller, jacket, skirt and shoes: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony right: 2½ backwards somersault, with 1½ twists. Jacket: Fred Perry, trousers: Weekday Collection

In diving, judges look not only at the height of the jump and the distance from the board, but also at the following criteria, all of which are allotted points: leaving the board, direction of dive, technical execution, correct bodily posture, bodily tension and entry into the water – and of course, general elegance and the overall impression the dive makes. Dress: Y-3, shoes: Chanel right: A pedestal is a platform. Sometimes it is used to raise a person up above his or her surroundings. In sport, the three-stepped pedestal is called the winner’s podium, since it is used to honour the three best competitors. The victor or gold-medal winner stands on the highest step in the middle. If you come second you stand on the left, and the winner of bronze stands to the right on the lowest step. left to right: shirt and trousers: Herr von Eden, shoes: Bikkembergs, bathing costume: adidas Jeremy Scott, dress: Franziska Michael, shirt and trousers: Anntian, shoes: Julian Zigerli

Synchronised swimming or water ballet is a style of swimming performed to music, usually in a group of between two and eight people, but sometimes alone.

A uniformity of movement is synchronised both with the music and between the different swimmers. clockwise: jumpsuit: adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony, shirt and leggings: Weekday, jacket and trousers: Bikkembergs

photographer: Ben Lamberty www.benlamberty.com styling: Arne & Ava Carstens hair & make-up: Carolin Jarchow www.cargocollective.com/carolinjarchow photographer assistant: Roman Riegger styling assistant: Melanie Johns models: Emma Ellis-Brown www.pmamodels.com, Miha www.pmamodels.com, Jakob-Christian www.m4models.de catering: Hej Papa www.hej-papa.de

Ava Carstens und Melanie Jones (text), klaus thymann (photo)

45. »I’m totally unsporty!« Always change a winning team: For WhoMadeWho, being ready to change is one of the most important constants in the creative process. Their credo was also the principal theme at the opening of the Absolut Blank Gallery in Berlin. The Danish musicians talked to LOVED&FOUND about the perfect workout for the stage, non-crease shirts, and why Danes simply can’t get enough of Gitte Haenning.

We like your style on stage and in your videos. Do you look like that in private as well? Is it tennis socks and tracksuits, or does it tend to be fancy threads?

T. Hoffding: I like opposites. I wear suits, but I also wear really casual cloths. There are a few favourite things I’ve got, and I wear them all the time. But I do also wash them sometimes. (Laughs) T. Barfod: I like anything you don’t have to iron, especially shirts and jeans. I do wear shirts sometimes, but I get sick of them after two weeks or so because I hate ironing so much. I like a sporty look: trainers, jogging trousers and baggy shirts – but don’t get me wrong, I’m not a gangster or anything.

T. Hoffding: Yes you are! With your gold chain and Adidas things.

T. Barfod: A nd my shaved head as well – maybe I’d stand a chance with the Bloods or Crips?

Do you prepare yourselves physically for a tour? What is your training schedule like, how do you keep fit?

T. Hoffding: I do my 20 or 30 push-ups each morning, and I go running once or twice a week, including when on tour. At some point I simply realised you had to. When you haul around big amps and speakers before every show, your back starts telling you that you should be doing exercise.

T. Barfod: I’m totally unsporty. I only started going to the gym regularly after my divorce to get rid of stress. I lost an awful lot of weight. But then again I must say that I ate relatively little. Actually though, I’m really a gourmet, which is why I ate a lot during and after my sporty phase, which meant I kept my weight easily. And then one day I weighed just as much as I had before. (Laughs) When I look at photos of myself back then I always think: wow!

Who’s that smart, good-looking guy? (Laughs) T. Hoffding: Oh yes, I just thought of another workout. Recor-

ding an album. You stand around in the recording studio for eight hours a day, it helps you keep fit and slim.

T. Barfod: I’m the producer, I sit in a chair and watch Tomas training.

What gives you more happy-hormones: an intimate acoustic gig or a big live show?

T. Barfod: Big performances are pure adrenaline. At Melt 2012 we were very excited and worked-up to be playing in front of such a big audience.

T. Hoffding: Yeh, you stood behind the stage, grabbed my arm and said: »Dude! This is unreal, is it really happening?! My god, we’re about to go on!« T. Barfod: The big shows are of course thrilling, and yes, you certainly produce a lot of endorphins and adrenaline before and during one. At a small gig the mood is very special and you’re able to interact a lot more with your audience. Those are the shows you never forget.

Who are your sporting heroes?

T. Hoffding: There was this sprinter in the 80s, Carl Lewis’ rival, I always admired him. What was he called again?

T. Barfod: You mean Ben Johnson?

T. Hoffding: Yes, him! He was great. But then there was that doping scandal. But he was a kind of idol to me, until they convicted him.

Peter Schmeichel or Tom Kristensen?

Both: Peter Schmeichel!

Lars Ullrich or Gitte Haenning?

T. Hoffding: Gitte Haenning, definitely Gitte, she’s cool.

The best song for a good workout?

T. Hoffding: I like best of all to listen to Bob Dylan when I exercise.

What album do you listen to when you run?

T. Hoffding: Bob Dylan’s first album, »Bob Dylan«, an acoustic sampler. I like listening to calm music, it doesn’t drive up your heart rate too much.

The Danish trio have been making waves on concert stages since 2003 with their electropop.

What is the best music to bring your heart rate back down?

T. Barfod: I like listening to minimal techno-sets, that’s the music I relax to best.

T. Hoffding: That would make my pulse go through the roof, no, I’ll stay with Bob Dylan.

Why do you call yourselves after an AC/DC album (released in 1986)?

T. Barfod: When we signed our first record contract we still didn’t have an official band name. Up until then there had only been a few cover songs by us. Looking for a suitable name, I went through my record collection and found something which, as I thought at the time, was AC/DC’s least-known album: »Who Made Who«.

But as it turned out almost everyone knows it.

Are you romantics, or more on the nostalgic side?

T. Hoffding: A bit of both, but more romantic than nostalgic.

T. Barfod: I’m a nostalgic, I especially like the old architecture in

American cities, it fascinates me.

What would you like to be asked one day?

T. Hoffding: »Just how do you manage to look so good?« T. Barfod: That’s

a good one! Or how about: »Just how do you manage to stay in such good shape?« Many thanks for the interview.

Maria Grossmann (photos), Monika Schürle (photos), Sabine Cole (text)

46. Mystery shrines. All of them are at the top of their disciplines and are permanent fixtures on winners’ podiums.

They have fans strewn across the world who follow their every move on and off the court, pitch, track, green or pool. Even after their careers ended, things didn’t stop; the victories took second place while the personalities shone forth. Advertising

contracts, talk shows, positions as cocommentators – sports stars often remain in the public eye for years after officially retiring. Occasionally this happens unwantedly, when illicit children and banked blood emerge to tarnish the image of the otherwise squeaky-clean competitor.

We have erected altars to the achievements of five sporting heroes. The devotional

objects will provide clues to which athlete is intended in each case. Every true sports fan should be able to solve this little puzzle in under ten seconds. There are some pointers at the bottom of each page – if you consider that unsportsmanlike, then simply cover them up.

Enter the letter belonging to the athlete in the matching box: A: Lance »Tourminator« Armstrong B: Oliver »King« Kahn C: Franzi »Goldfisch« van Almsick D: Tiger Woods »Wutz« E: Michael »Schumi« Schumacher

With a sunny disposition, dozens of medals and a ubiquitous perm, ____ thrilled fans far and wide. ____ was celebrated almost like a pop star, and then left to fall as if she had stage-dived into space. The media zoomed in on her weight-problems and her propensity for men with tattoos. Today, ____ has returned to high society, helped by a well-chosen husband, friends in aristocratic circles, and brief appearances at galas.

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Balls are a blessing and a curse for mega-talented ____. Some he catapults further and more precisely into holes than anyone else before him, while others catapult him into the wrong holes just as quickly as the former. Despite being young for his sport, ____ already has an end-of-career and a furious comeback behind him.

It is highly probable that the sporting achievements of ____ will not be overtaken in the foreseeable future by any rival – literally. The immaculate career of ____ stemmed from his fearful single-mindedness. Even his wife shares the same interests as ____, figuratively speaking. He only recently hung up the keys to his career.

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The sheer physique and extraordinary reactions of ____ made him the most feared opponent, even among his own team-mates. Just where did he get all that power, all that aggression transformed into defensiveness? The foods depicted provide only part of the answer. In his love-life, ____ was unable to keep such a steady grip on things. His new advertising sponsors, who understand a thing or two about doing without food, have been a most suitable choice.

The fact that ____ and his pitifully loyal assistant, drug medic Michele Ferrari, are still enjoying their liberty despite having cheated and threatened ____’s fans, his opponents, friends and sponsors for years on end, is the nail in the coffin of a sport which was already in its last throes. We hope that this act of destruction will permit the resurrection of a sporting discipline which is in fact a great one. That is something to pray for.

5 Solution: You guessed it? Here are the athletes and their altars in the right order.

1. C, Franzi »Goldfisch« van Almsick 2. D, Tiger Woods »Wutz« 3. E, Michael »Schumi« Schumacher 4. B, Oliver »King« Kahn 5. A, Lance »Tourminator« Armstrong

photographer: Maria Grossmann, Monika Schürle www.grossmann.schuerle.info

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Pocket Guide, all of us couch-potatoes can now excel in sporting knowledge. This little program explains clearly on a set of illustrated playing cards all kinds of different sports, including their rules, and a collection of interesting facts that provide endless entertainment. No more embarrassed silences while others talk shop about sports down the pub. Insider knowledge for budding sports experts at www.curlyspocketguide.co.uk

51. That’s steep. Chuck the stepper, bin the butt-abs-legs DVDs: the Rock Wall Treadmill brings the mountains to your living room. Climbing trains your upper and lower arms, shoulders, tummy, and legs – a real full-body workout. This rotating climbing wall from Treadwall allows people with vertigo to experience the sublime feeling of conquering one of the world’s great faces without going any higher than ten feet off the floor. Gentle inclines of +5°, all the way to frightening overhangs of -20° – it can simulate anything. The only thing you have to add in your mind is fresh mountain air and wheat beer you hold out for at the hut. To move up in the world click on: www.brewersledge.com

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49. Digital is Better! »In a society where people wear coloured watches, in a society like this, I’m just in the way.« Those were your words, Dirk von Lowtzow, and we knew exactly what you meant and empathised entirely. That is why, if 18 years after writing that song you still don’t feel you belong, we would like to recommend to you the Garmin Fenix digital watch with in-built navigation system: not only because it looks much cooler than any Pop-Swatch, but also because you can use its GPS to get yourself out of this dismal country. But if you’ve since reconciled yourself with Germany, then you can of course use it as a neat bit of sports kit. Here’s the link to the watch: www.garmin.com

50. Manual for sitting roomi athletes.i With the iPhone app Curly’s

52. Square, useful, and bright.

Television shows, chocolate bars, smartphones – familiar things are presented to us in new formats almost daily. But here is a thing in new dimensions which is reformatted less often: light. The Square Beam HD LED torch from Bushnell uses patented technology to produce not your usual circular beam of light, but instead a perfect square. What this means is that not a single beam of its 165 lumens is lost, and the square you see is perfectly lit up.

The casing is made of aircraft aluminium, and is waterproof and non-slip. The perfect companion for every outdoor enthusiast.

Bright sparks click at www.bushnell.com or www.the-gadgeteer.com

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48. Straight down the line. Your drive is good: golf balls rarely land in the woods or the pond. It’s the details where you get stuck, you simply can’t seem to hole out. Never fear, the Edge Putting Rail by EyeLine Golf is here. It controls what you do on the green almost as stringently as Remy the Rat controls the chef in Ratatouille: aim the rail at the hole, run your club along the bar – and in it plops. For even more control try the 360° mirror with guides, which allows you to eye yourself critically while swinging and putting and quickly correct any misposture. After around a thousand repetitions, the movement will be so etched in that you will be able to hit your target on the course even after three glasses of bubbly. www.eyelinegolf.com

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credits: 47. Jakpak 48. Eyeline Golf, 49. Garmin, 50. PR 51. Brewer’s Ledge, 52. Julie Strietelmeier

47. Doss to go. A new trend-sport has taken Germany’s cities by storm. Everyone is talking about extreme-standing-in-line.

Anyone who lived through hyperinflation in 1923, grew up in East Germany, or was ever shopping on the Saturday immediately preceding Christmas will already have a certain amount of experience in this, the most thrilling of all endurance sports. The rest of us will have tasted it for the first time when the iPhone 5 was launched.

Groups of young, more or less fashionable adults meet in the middle of the night, city-centre, outside the store in question, to compete viciously at the serious pursuit of standing in a long line. The winners are the ones still there when the shop opens.

Competitions of this kind are enjoying growing popularity: queues even form outside chemists when new suntan lotions are launched. So it was only a matter of time before ingenious sports equipment manufacturers began to set their sights on line-standers as a target group. One particularly promising product is the Wearable Tent by Jakpak. Ostensibly a waterproof jacket, it transforms in seconds into a tent without you having to take it off. Yes, there have been rumours that equipment of this kind cannot be reconciled with the spirit of extreme-standing-in-line, but in our view the world belongs to those who break the mould. Wearable Tent at www.jakpak.com

Out for the count: at the end of a CrossFit session people end up exhausted in a position known as a ‘Pain Angel’.

Crossfit Hamburg (photos), Gerd Blank (text)

53. Scream at me! »Just five to go.« Michael shouts the number into my face. Michael is an American and looks like a former rugby player: short, powerful and compact. Somehow it’s easier to put up with being screamed at in English. He pushes me beyond my physical limits. I ought to be grateful to him; if I were not so done-in I would rather like to give him a hiding. But for now I need all of my reserves, because Michael is shouting at me to lift my knees another five times. Only then will my first ever CrossFit session be over – at last.

Every muscle in my body is crying out, my heart is racing. I’m sweating like a lawn-sprinkler and my breathing is so fast that I can no longer speak. But I’m proud of myself. I feel like Rocky Balboa. Not the Rocky from the first part who lays into hunks of meat, and certainly not the one from part two who gives television interviews while training. I’m Rocky from the fourth part, getting ready for Ivan Drago in an old barn. Instead of high-tech equipment, he trains using car tyres and fells trees.

Why do I feel like that? Because at CrossFit you get back to basics – and it is precisely that which is attracting more and more recreational sportspeople. Take Hamburg for instance.

This training facility in an old office building looks almost as if people had forgotten to clear away the sports-gear: mats are lying around all over the floor, boxes too. Heavy kettlebells wait to be lifted. On a white board are the names of some members, next to which are their exercises and times. Rivalry is in the air: rivalry against others, but above all against your own weaker self. No-one here wears trendy clothes for show, no-one stands around posing in front of mirrors, holding weights and presenting their muscular torsos. People are here to sweat – and to push their bodies to the limits.

Friedrich Jahn, known as the father of gymnastics, would have loved this club. What CrossFit really does is take his old exercises and make them modern and fashionable. What it is, is an updated keep-fit trail. Exercises on bars alternate with running sessions. Pull-ups, press-ups, the whole shebang. And even though this is Germany, everything is in English, like the »bridge-run«, where you have to sprint over a bridge to warm up. But it doesn’t really matter what the exercises are called: I’ve done them all. Thanks for screaming at me Michael, and thanks for the pain. I’ll be coming back – once I can walk again.

If anyone else in Hamburg would like to be driven to their personal limits, then I recommend a training session at Mexikoring 9a, 22297 Hamburg. For information about registering and other Pain Angels visit www.crossfithh.wordpress.com

Retailers and Manufacturers adidas Jeremy Scott / adidas AG Herzogenaurach / adidas Originals / adidas AG Herzogenaurach / +49 09 132 840 / www.adidas.de / +49 09 132 840 / www.adidas.de / adidas Originals x Opening Ceremony / Häberlein & Maurer / +49 30 726 208 0 / www.adidas.de / www.opening ceremony.us / adidas SLVR / Häberlein & Maurer / +49 30 726 208 0 / www.slvr.com / ANNTIAN / ANNTIAN Studio / +49 30 617 440 55 / www. anntian.de / Bikkembergs / Dirk Bikkembergs Press & PR Office Milano / +39 02 349 340 05 / www. bikkembergs.com / Blingbli / Minimarkt / Bartelsstraße 37, 20357 Hamburg / www.blingbli. com / Chanel / Chanel GmbH / Brandstücken 23, 22549 Hamburg / www.chanel.com / Cricket Equipment / MS Cricket / www.mscricket.com / Elysee / FRANKBERNDT Consulting / +49 89 452 209 834 / www.elysee-watches.com / Franziska Michael / Franziska Michael / +49 17 338 614 22 / www.franziskamichael.com / Fred Perry / FakePR / +49 30 400 065 40 / www.fredperry.com / Gant Time / FRANK BERNDT Consulting /

+49 89 452 209 834 / www.gant.com / Herr von Eden / Herr von Eden Press Office / +49 40 359 600 912 5 / www.herrvoneden.com / Hunkemöller / Press Factory / +49 30 288 790 00 / www.hunkemoller.de / Julian Zigerli / Arne Eberle Press+Sales / +49 30 780 878 58 / www.julian zigerli.com / Motorcycle Tryonic Feel 3.7 / Martijns Motorwebshop / www.martijnsmotor webshop.eu / Norse Projects / YBDPT Studio / Marktstraße 117, 20357 Hamburg / www.norse projects.com / OClock / Minimarkt / Bartelsstraße 37, 20357 Hamburg / www.oclock.de / R.T.CO / Blackbird Berlin / +49 30 639 624 200 / www.r-t-co.com / R.T.CO / YBDPT Studio / Marktstraße 117, 20357 Hamburg / www.r-t-co.com / Soulland / Agency V / +49 30 420 192 00 / www.soulland.com / Soulland / YBDPT Studio / Marktstraße 117, 20357 Hamburg / www. soulland.com / Vans / K-MB Berlin / +49 306 959 728 0 / www.vans.com / Weekday / Agency V / +49 30 420 192 00 / www.weekday.com / Y-3 / Häberlein & Mauer / +49 30 726 208 0 / www.y-3.com