Spirit Magazine (Sunday Times Insert)

Wi r IA L v e E C Co S P 00 2 low

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THE SUNDAY TIMES

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DOWNHILL MTB & its highs and lows

BOXING SPECIAL

Why you should try boxing...

SURFING COXOS

Learn the best tips to surf one of the best spots in Portugal

Beyond the basics

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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR This magazine has been designer and edited by me in the scope of the Editorial Design subject of the Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design.

Nearly all the photographs you will find in this magazine were taken by me over the last few years. Photography is one of my passions and I really enjoy capturing all sorts of subjects. While the photographs you find here are about sports, I photograph all subjects from Street to Portrait, from Weddings to Landscapes and I enjoy them all.

This is a end of year project and I had great fun working in this, overall I’m quite happy with the way the magazine has turned out. I hope you take the time to flick through the pages and that you enjoy what you see.

Also, if you do, please don’t forget take my contact and let me know what you think of my work. I would love to hear from you.

Contact Rodrigo: hi@rodasdesigns.com

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Surfing Coxos

COXOS — PORTUGUESE FOR RAZOR SHARP ROCKS, HEAVING BARRELS, AND THE BEST WAVE ON THE WHOLE DARN COAST. HERE’S LOCAL RICARDO BRAVO WITH THE PARTICULARS . . .

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Photography: Rodrigo da Cunha

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Where is it?

Ericeira, Portugal.

What is it?

Coxos is a right-hand point break. Long, fast and furious, the wave is no kindergarten: heavy sections can turn the barrel of your life into a nasty beating. Lots of water running along the rocks make the getting in/out of the water a game of patience and know-how. Breaks at almost any size and it can reach the 10ft mark, although the best days happen at sizes between 5 and 8ft.

What wind works best?

East is straight offshore, but it’s also good with light SE or NE

Water Temperature?

12ºC (January) – 18ºC (October).

Best season to go?

Autumn/Winter are the best, especially autumn when you can score glassy days and warm water. Winter early morning sessions can be chilly, but the sun will warm up the place around mid morning.

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Where to stay?

You can choose between the camping site (close to some of the best spots), small hotels in the old part of Ericeira, a nice and pricey hotel just in front of the sea (Vila Galé) or moderately priced apartments (Beachtour). Big price variation between high and low season.

Interesting facts?

Ericeira derives from Ouriceira, which itself derives from the Portuguese name for a sea urchin. No competitions are allowed at this spot, as most of the local crew believes competitions should be held at Ribeira d’ Ilhas, keeping Coxos quiet, clean, and protected from the frenetic competition circus.

Miguel Fortes’ Golden Rules for surfing Coxos 1.

First off, come by yourself

or with a friend, max. More than that you’re gonna have hard time with the locals, like in any spot. Avoid week-

What surfboards to bring?

6’0 to 6’8. Don’t really want a bigger surfboard than that because the wave can be really fast and hollow, especially in west swells.

ends as it’s the most crowded, Coxos being only an hour from Lisbon.

2.

Don’t paddle straight to the

peak. Sit wide and inside and watch for a while. If you respect these first two rules you’re more than welcome

Who’s in the line-up?

to come surf Coxos.

Tiago Pires, Ruben Gonzalez, José Gregório, Paulo do Bairro, Tiago Oliveira and

3.

Miguel Fortes, are always at Coxos on the best days and scoring the deepest barrels. Sérgio Rocha, Nick Uricchio, Kika, Paulinho, Zé Pyrrait and assorted others complete a crew of dedicated Coxos aficionados.

Before you jump in the wa-

ter watch for a while where the locals jump in because it’s very tricky to get in and out, depending a lot on the tide and swell direction. It’s full of urchins and sharp rocks, there’s no

Swell window?

sand at Coxos so if you’re not com-

Not too big, not too small, the wave awakens even on a small west swell, al-

4.

though best conditions happen with decent sized north to northwest swells.

fortable with rocks, bring booties.

The water is cold all year

long so bring a 4/3 wetsuit, and a few boards because you can break

Nearest airport?

a board any session out there. Oh yeah, don’t forget your balls, coz

Portela, Lisboa. Main international airport in Portugal. 50km, 40 minute drive to

when it’s on the wave can be pretty

Ericeira.

heavy, Hawaiian style.

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The Pic

The return...

Photography: Rodrigo da Cunha

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& of Downhill

Mountain Biking

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Photography: Rodrigo da Cunha

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I

t’s a slightly humiliating admission given how long I’ve been mountain biking, but when it comes to the more technical descents I’ve always been a bit of a wimp.

Fire roads, gravel paths, even rootstrewn forest tracks: that’s fine. But point me down an atypically steep slope littered with sizeable rocks or, God forbid, one of those man-made things with steep bermed walls, let alone jumps, and I tend to inch and slip down like a particularly cautious penguin on an ice skid.

So it was that Florian and Steve, my two guides-cum-tutors in the French Alps, faced something of a challenge.

Downhill mountain biking has become increasingly important for the region’s summer tourism business, with the centre around Morzine, part of the Portes du Soleil aggregation of French and Swiss Alpine resorts.

This year, Morzine was the base for the area’s annual MTB carnival called the Pass’Portes, where thousands of (95% male) downhill aficionados lug themselves and their lavishly suspensioned machines up a network of gondolas and chair lifts before heading down again at absurd speed. In the evenings the pine-panelled bars echo to the sound of tales of near catastrophe and indifferent euro-rock.

This had previously been a slightly alien world to me. As an avowed cross country or long-distance (“enduro” to use the parlance) rider, my bike is a lightweight, bone-jarring hardtail with a positively spartan 80mm of travel on the front fork.

So, when the hugely enthusiastic Pass’Portes press team asked if I’d like to see what I’d been missing my reservations were limited, albeit centred mainly around painful injury.

To help me out I was lent a far more suitable bike, strictly speaking an “all mountain” rather than downhill machine, but with a positively sofa-like 140mm of give both front and rear. I was also kitted out with plastic armour for my elbows, knees and shins.

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Most crucial of all was the expert assistance. The first morning’s riding fell to Florian, an absurdly young and enthusiastic Frenchman who perhaps has many teenage boys’ dream job: ski instructor by winter, MTB guide by summer. Endlessly patient at my initial tortoise-like progress, with a trademark starting cry of “Allez, go!” he led me through ever-quicker leans through the banked mud turns, managing to lead the way while simultaneously twisting back to watch my efforts and offer a raised thumb of approval.

The next day came Steve, an expatriate Scotsman who somehow decided that as a passionate mountain biker – in his youth he was good enough to compete in World Cup downhill events – the Alps might be a better base than Glasgow.

His plans for me were even more ambitious: re-learning my entire posture for riding downhill. My bum-stuck-out,

leaning backwards position was, apparently, excessive, leaving me without sufficient control over the front end.

The solution still involved an arched back to keep the bum out, but the pivot point was more central and thus more flexible.

For all the pair’s talents, I still never ventured down any trail more technical than a blue run (they use the same green/blue/red/black system as skiing), but it takes more than two mornings to undo 20 years of bad habits.

By the end of the second day I was, however, considerably more confident, though in part this was because of the bike. I was also – and this was the real change – positively enjoying myself.

I doubt I’ll ever be a convert to pure downhilling. To me, the weighty bikes, armour, full-face helmets and baggy outfits smack more of motorcross or speedway than cycling. I also remain sufficiently purist to consider it cheat-

ing if you don’t ride up a hill before riding down it.

But I’d recommend anyone giving it a try. It’s certainly made me a more skilled rider.

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WHY You Should try

BOXING I’VE WRITTEN A HUNDRED ARTICLES ON HOW TO BOX BUT I NEVER EXPLAINED WHY YOU SHOULD TRY BOXING. BOXING IS MORE THAN JUST A HARD WORKOUT!

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Feature: Boxing

Photography: Rodrigo da Cunha

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Feature: Boxing

Boxing is fun!

Enjoying something is probably the number one reason why anybody ever got good at anything. The one thing boxing has over fitness exercises is FUN! If you ever plan to be successful at anything, it has to be fun.

Otherwise, it becomes work, becomes a chore, and you’ll quit before you ever get a routine going. This is the problem with most workout routines.

Literally EVERYONE I’ve seen that puts on a pair of gloves for the first time has fun. Hitting the focus mitts becomes a game and they enjoy the challenge. There so many pieces of equipment in the gym and so many skills to master that boxing never becomes boring.

Even after the boxing session ends, they go home and watch videos online. They shadowbox at home and become inspired by other boxers. There are very few exercises that leave this lasting impression. Can you imagine someone going home and fantasizing about running?

Contact sports require total concentration.

Many people think boxing is challenging because getting hit in the face must be painful. They think of boxing as going to war, and they imagine themselves having to throw and absorb punches like Rocky. Let me give it to you straight: boxing is easily one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do in life – physically and mentally. It requires, strength, power, speed, endurance, reflexes, intelligence, and heart.

But wait! There is another little known reason why boxing is so challenging: it is because it’s common for you to see the best athletes in the sport on a regular basis. Think about it: how often does the average kid ever get the chance to go to a basketball court and witness Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant playing basketball? The chances are virtually zero. Millions of people participate in activities where they never get the chance to see a professional at work. Quite often, the hardest-working athletes are already the best in their sport wherever it is that they practice. There is nobody around them that is better and so they’re not as inspired to improve.

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Boxing is Challenging Boxing is quite different in this aspect. It’s easy for you to workout at a gym and watch professional boxers train at the same time with you. You get to witness the impossible everyday in the gym and you’re constantly inspired to push yourself to new levels of performance.

And what better than to be motivated by the best athletes in one of the hardest sports ever?

Feature: Boxing

Improves Confidence Boxing is a great confidence booster. The sport molds

the center of the ring. Imagine yourself reborn again as

fighters out of average people. There is no greater way

a warrior when you stare out at your opponent through

to overcome your fears and claim your courage by

your headgear, bite down on your mouth guard, and

climbing through the ropes to meet your opponent at

clench your fist inside your gloves. After having to fight in the ring, other challenges in life seem much more manageable.

Boxing improves your attitude, confidence, and outlook on life.

Boxing is a total body workout for both men and women.

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Feature: Boxing

Is a Great Workout Have you ever seen what a boxer body looks like? Hard, lean, ripped, without an ounce of fat. Everybody knows boxing is one of the toughest workouts you can ever do. Training to fight is unlike any other kind of physical exercise. Your body has to be in the best condition possible.

Every part of your body is used during the fight and you would be a fool to get lazy and pay for it later in the ring. Boxing is not a sport you can be lazy at and it shows in its athletes.

I’ve had many friends that tell me they lose 3 pounds in a single boxing session compared to only 1 pound at the gym doing regular weights and cardio. Boxing is a sport where your coach, your opponents, and you yourself will push you beyond your limits. It’s no wonder that boxing will definitely get you in shape faster than anything else out there. I sincerely mean it!

Boxing is a fun challenging workout that improves your confidence and gets you in shape faster than anything out there. Try it for yourself and you’ll find boxing to be that awesome exercise you’ve always wanted.

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Record turnout for Wicklow cycling events

Photography: Rodrigo da Cunha

CYCLISTS BRAVE ENDURANCE TREKS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS IN DOWNPOURS AND SHOWERS Starting the Shoreline Leisure Centre in Greystones the first riders left at 6am in a downpour on the gruelling endurance tests - a 200 km climb high into the Wicklow mountains and over to west Wicklow, and a shorter 100 kilometre route which also climbed into the hills but dropped the west Wicklow leg.

The route took cyclists northwards from Greystones to Kilmacanogue and into the hills turning southwest through Roundwood to Laragh. From there the Wicklow 200 route crossed the Wicklow Gap to Hollywood and south to Baltinglass before turning east and returning to Laragh via Tinahely.

Those on the shorter “challenge” route simply turned left at Laragh, omitting the western leg. Both cycle routes then went on to Avoca before turning north and back to Greystones.

Impressively, some of the first riders to return crossed the finish line in Greystones at about 10am, according to the chairman of Wicklow 200 Paddy Fitzsimons.

“It is like a disease, you get hooked on it” said Mr Fitzsimons who noted the number of entrants was at an all time high in the 33 year history of the twin

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events.

Fellow organiser Susan O’Mara said the event had grown tremendously in popularity “probably because it is so darn hard” and was now a big item on the calendar of the para-cyclists, a number of whom were visually impaired and rode with able sighted people on tandems.

Roads were not closed for the day as “you can’t close 200 km of Wicklow

roads on a Sunday afternoon,” she said.

By about 4pm 1,371 cyclists had completed the cycle - just 146 of whom had done the 200 kilometre version. “I think the downpour may have put some people off” said Ms O’Mara. “People were able to decide at the last minute.

If it was raining in the hills when they got to Laragh they could simply turn left” she said.

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FOOD

Turkey burgers with beetroot relish

PREPARATION TIME 15 Mins

COOKING TIME 10 Mins

SERVINGS

4 SKILL LEVEL easy

Method:

SUPER TIP

1. Tip turkey into a bowl with the thyme. Finely grate in the zest from the lemon and add a little seasoning. Use your hands to mix the ingredients well, then shape into 4 patties.

Chill until ready to cook. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.

These turkey burgers freeze well, so why not make double and freeze for another time?

2. Mix the beetroot with the juice from ½ the lemon, onion, parsley, oil and mustard. Grill, griddle or barbecue the burgers for about 6 mins each side and serve with the beetroot relish, lettuce and pitta breads.

INGREDIENTS: TURKEY dried 500GMINCE ½ tspthyme 1LEMON for the relish:

250G small finely

(not in vinegar) beetroot cooked & peeled finnely diced

parsley 1red onion chopped 2 tbspchopped

2 tsp

Olive

Oil

2 tsp

wholegrain mustard

kcal

fat

183

4g

carbs

saturates

7g

1g

sugars

fibre

6g

2g

protein

salt

30g

0.5g 25

SIMPLICITY IS ELEGANCE.. .

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