Remote control airplanes were soaring through the sky yesterday at the Steinbach Fun Fly event.
There were plenty of passionate airplane enthusiasts at the event, including Andrew Rodriguez who has a collection of over 40 planes. Then there was Scott Haslem who built some fairly large planes, and his significant other Diana who crocheted pilots for the planes he built.
Another fun fact: some of the planes at the event could fly at over 150mph!
Enjoy these photos we took at the event! Make sure you send us your summer photos to win some awesome prizes that are being given away throughout the season during the Show Us Your Summer contest.
LAUSANNE: Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra believes India is “gradually” making a mark at the global stage of track and field and foresees a bright future for the nation’s athletes in prestigious events like the Diamond League. The 24-year-old Chopra, considered the trailblazer of Indian athletics’ unprecedented success in recent years, returned from an injury to become the first from the country to clinch title in a Diamond League meet by winning the Lausanne leg on Friday. “I will be very happy to see more Indian athletes taking part in these competitions and I will be delighted to participate along with my fellow Indian athletes at a stage like this,” Chopra said after his historic feat.
First @Diamond_League winGreat night at @athletissima in Lausanne and happy to receive so much support from the s… https://t.co/o971V6TS6L
“Avinash Sable and Sreeshankar also participated in the Diamond League this year, so gradually our country is reaching this level and if we will perform better here, then it will help Indian athletics do well at bigger stages.” Recently, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar and 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable participated in the Diamond League though they did not finish in top three. Sreeshankar had finished sixth in Monaco earlier this month while Sable ended fifth in Rabat, Morocco in June. “This win is very important for our country. I feel we shouldn’t be only focusing on the events that happen after four or two years. Competitions like Diamond League Meet or Continental Tour are really good opportunities for athletes. “It happens every year, and it gives us opportunities to do well. It really helps prepare well for the major tournaments because world-class athletes participate here. Performing well in these tournaments will also help Indian athletics,” said Chopra, who claimed the title with a first round throw of 89.08m — his third career-best effort. His second throw measured 85.18m before a pass, foul, another pass and 80.04m in the final round. He pocketed $10,000 for the win. “I don’t want to focus only on the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships because winning a Diamond League Trophy is also a big achievement for an athlete,” he said. Before Chopra, discus thrower Vikas Gowda is the only Indian to have finished in top-three in a Diamond League Meet. Gowda had finished second twice — in New York in 2012 and in Doha in 2014 — and third on two occasions — Shanghai and Eugene in 2015. Chopra had pulled out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to a “minor” groin injury he had suffered while winning a silver during the World Championships last month. But it looked like the injury had not happened at all as he continued his vintage form. He said he thought his season was over due to the injury but he recovered quickly after one-month rehabilitation in Germany. “I had to skip Commonwealth Games due to groin injury, and I felt that I will have to end the season. But there wasn’t much pain, so I had the belief that I will recover before the tournament. “I made some good throws in the training and was feeling well, hence we made the decision to compete here. I did my rehab in Germany with my coach … it went really well. I had very limited time to prepare but the proper planning in rehab helped me recover quickly,” the athlete from Khandra near Panipat said. Chopra qualified for the Diamond League Finals in Zurich on September 8, also becoming the first Indian to do so. Despite the win, he remained on fourth spot with 15 points — with the addition of eight points on Friday. The top six after the Lausanne leg qualify for Zurich Finals. The winner at the finals will take home $30,000. Before Friday’s win, his best was a second place finish in the Stockholm leg on June 30. “Diamond League Finals in Zurich will be the season’s last competition, so the plan is to continue doing the same things which I’ve been doing. It’s only 10 days, I don’t have much time to do more or train extra. The focus will be to end the season on a positive note without any injury.” During his title-winning feat in Lausanne, Chopra also qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest by breaching the 85.20m qualifying marking. “It’s an advantage to qualify for the World Championship much in advance as there are other tournaments like Asian Games and Asian Championships lined up as well, so next year will be very important. “And, then the Olympics in 2024. So the World Championship qualification is already out of the picture, I can prepare well for all the competitions,” he said. Chopra has had a successful 2022 season, having clinched historic silver at World Championships as well as breaking the national record (with 89.94m) at Stockholm Diamond League on June 30. “It’s been a great year for me so far. I have gone over 89m thrice out of the five competitions, 88.3m in World Championship, and 86.69m in Kuortane Games despite the challenging weather,” he said. “So, the performance has been consistent and now the focus is on doing well in Zurich. Yes, everyone has been asking about 90m throw, it will happen when the time comes, I don’t have any pressure about it as such.” Chopra was cheered at the stands by the legendary Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra, the first from the country to win an individual gold medal in Olympics in 2008. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach also witnessed Chopra creating history as the Diamond League leg was happening at the headquarters of the world’s apex sports body. “It was a special night, most importantly made a comeback with a very good throw. Abhinav Bindra sir, IOC President Thomas Bach sir and the crowd were cheering for me,” Chopra said.
FMBA is back and bringing a full-on calendar of slopestyle events to 2022. Highline Festival in Australia, the first of 24 events currently scheduled, kicks the season off in less than two weeks’ time.
For Canadian slopestyle fans, there are a raft of returning high-level competitions. Red Bull Joyride and the Big White Invitational are back after a brief hiatus. The Gold-level SilverStar Invitational is new.
The 2022 Calendar also brings more details on the recently-announced women’s slopestyle category. It is set to debut at FMBA for 2022.
O Marisquino. Photo: Alba Pardo
Canadian events highlight growing calendar
The big news for Canadian fans is, of course, the return of the Diamond-level event, Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler. It’s not just fans looking forward to getting back to B.C., either.
“I have some unfinished business in Slopestyle there,” said Polish rider Szymon Godziek, one of many riders itching to get back to Whistler’s Boneyard. “I feel super motivated for the 2022 season. After my last year in 2018, lots of things happened and the progression of the sport went up so quick. I see riders like Emil [Johansson] doing tricks that I was always dreaming of [and it] gives me even more motivation. Unfortunately, my 2021 plan didn’t go exactly as I wanted, and I haven’t got back into Crankworx yet. That’s my main goal for this year.”
At the Gold level, FMB mainstay O Marisquino is back after two years. So is a Canadian event, the Big White Invitational.
“This blank space of two years has served us all to reflect on the future of O Marisquino and see how we want to approach it for the next editions,” said Pablo Moreno, O Marisquino Dirt Jump Director. “We hope to see thousands of people from the public cheering on the riders, a great atmosphere, and the best Dirt Jumps we have seen so far in Vigo. This year the riders are going to find a circuit similar to the 2019 edition, but a little faster and with bigger jumps. We have decided to extend the receptions and improve the speed so that they arrive more comfortably at the jumps and can comfortably demonstrate their best tricks.”
There’s a new Gold-level event coming to Canada, too. The SilverStar Slopestyle had a test run in 2021. That year, it was part of the Crankworx B.C. series. It returns as a full FMB Gold event for 2022. It’s one of what FMBA expects to eventually include five Gold, six FMB Silver events and 16 Bronze-level events on the 2022 calendar once it is complete.
Kathi Kuypers getting a hand off the bars. Photo: Dominik Bosshard
13 events are already signed up for the new opportunity. It shows there’s already strong support for giving female riders the long-deserved platform to show their skills.
Kathi Kuypers first competed a slopestyle event back in 2016. She shares how much this changes the game for women.
“I couldn’t focus on developing my skills on the Slopestyle bike because my sponsors didn’t see a market, so I rode all the other disciplines like Enduro, a little bit of Downhill, [did] loads of magazine story productions, and so on. But I never gave up and continued progressing,” says Kuypers. What she sees in 2022 is much different. “Brands are hiring [Women], especially for freeride events and content, and [with] the FMB World Tour Women’s Division, there will be even more attention on [Women in freeride] and their accomplishments.”
“This is all I’ve ever wanted,” Kuypers sums up.
Renata Wiese inverted. Photo: Oscar Sanchez
“Women like Kathi Kuypers ride FMB World Tour events and have been fighting for this moment for over 10 years,” adds photographer Dominik Bosshard. “I am very pleased to see that this effort is now paying off. The shared love of the sport, nature, travelling, pushing the limits, and have a really good time,” is what drives this community,” the photographer added.
Chilean rider, Renata Wiese is similarly excited about the new category.
“I love it!! I feel like it is going to be awesome to see what the girls can do!” Says Wiese. The Chilean rider adds, “I like what the FMBA is doing by adding a Women’s Division and giving us the chance to compete equally.”
Rihanna certainly sparkled at an event celebrating the launch of her Fenty Beauty brand at ULTA Beauty in Los Angeles Saturday, March 12. The pregnant singer, who is expecting her first child with A$AP Rocky, wore a long sleeve, silver twisted crop top and a matching sparkling column maxi skirt.
She accessorized her growing baby bump with a delicate silver chain, and also sported a silver bracelet and diamond hoop earrings. Rihanna completed the look with a high ponytail.
Rihanna did a little shimmy as she arrived at the event, as spectators cheered, as seen in an Instagram video posted by Fenty Beauty. “Mama came through at @ultabeauty with that #FENTYFACE and glow on,” read the caption.
Rihanna has taken maternity fashion to the next level since she revealed her pregnancy in late January with a stylish street photo shoot with A$AP Rocky.
The star later showcased more gorgeous maternity looks at another Fenty event in February and on her Instagram.
Great night at @athletissima in Lausanne and happy to receive so much support from the s… https://t.co/o971V6TS6L
