Atlantica - 01.12.2004, Side 18

16 AT L A N T I C A
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Things we like
REAL Kiteboarding Slezy-J Signature Package
Kiteboarding is the new extreme sport. If you have ever seen Jason
Slezak whipped skyward by his enormous kite, kicking the foil above
his head, you get the idea of the sport. Watching kiteboarding is some-
thing like watching reverse sky diving. Strapping yourself into a kite is
both exhilarating and humiliating, the best kind of extremes. Warning:
kites, boards and harnesses add up to about 1500 USD. Then there’s
the cost of energy drinks and hospital bills.
More info at www.realkiteboarding.com.
Michael Kelly’s Jumbo FT Guitar
One positive aspect of the global Internet economy: a small Florida
guitar shop favoured by bluegrass musicians can sell worldwide.
Michael Kelly was already making inexpensive acoustic guitars and
mandolins that performed on par with Martin and Gibson. Now they
have released a hollow body that is redefining rockabilly. More info at
www.michaelkellyguitars.com,
Nike’s MP3Run
The ipod is amazing. We’re not denying that. But this MP3 player
from Nike and Philips has a Bluetooth device that goes on your shoe,
and the player announces your speed and how much ground you’ve
covered. Seriously. With a synthesized voice. The module also has a
strobe light to improve your visibility. It also uses flash memory, not
the little disc the ipod uses, so there’s no chance of skipping and the
battery life is longer. (Though you can only fit a few albums on the
drive, not every album you’ve ever heard as with ipod.)
Peugeot Quark
The French designed the most beautiful car in the world with the
Citroen DS. With the Peugeot Quark, debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto
Show, they have cornered the market on the ugliest car in the world.
Ever. So ugly you have to admire it. It is a fuel cell off-roader with inde-
pendent motors for each wheel and wishbone suspension. It also has a
smorgasbord of waterproof electronics on it, including GPS, Bluetooth
and MP3. If, in the future, you ever want to off-road responsibly, per-
haps while surfing the net, doing your taxes and listening to the com-
plete oeuvre of Sir Elton John, this will be what you’ll do it in. BC
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