video – North Korean MASS games

On May 27, 2007 By Rick McIn government, gymnasticsLeave a comment

This was originally posted on my gymnastics blog.

There’s no doubt the most spectacular large gymnastics displays are in North Korea.

Canadian coach David Burgess visited years ago and became something of a foreign celebrity there. He was several times interviewed on Korean TV.

Dave brought back photos from the “Mass Games” from that trip and we were blown away by the scale of the shows.

Click PLAY or watch the clip on YouTube.

These spectacles are criticized as totalitarian government propaganda. But a British Film crew was allowed unrestricted access to film A State of Mind, a documentary following two North Korean child gymnasts and their families for over eight months leading up to the 2003 Pyongyang Mass Games.

The movie paints a much more sympathetic picture of one of the Axis of Evil nations.

Watch the movie trailer on YouTube.

Is Spring coming?

On April 20, 2007 By Rick McIn gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

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Spring is coming?, originally uploaded by Rick McCharles.

I’m off to Salt Lake City next week for the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.

Unless the weather improves, I may NOT return!

wordpress.com domain registration problems

On April 18, 2007 By Rick McIn blogs, gymnastics, product complaints, product endorsementsLeave a comment

I love WordPress, the software that runs this blog.

Just set up a new blog for a friend. Only US$15 / year including the domain name.

Sweet!

ANYONE can afford that for their own website.

One complaint. When I went to purchase the $15 domain name, the process was a nightmare.

This is the evil page:

Perhaps it works on a Windoze machine and IE, but it was near impossible for me to get the confusing process to work on a Mac using Safari, Opera and Firefox browsers.

I will complain to Matt, the front man for WordPress.

from historic Penn State …

On April 14, 2007 By Rick McIn Cirque du Soleil, gymnastics, travelLeave a comment

“We Are… Penn State.”

I never tired of hearing the official team chant hundreds of times en route to victory by the Men’s Team of the host school.

Cirque du Soleil sent me to charming State College in Amish central Pennsylvania to report on the state of Men’s Gymnastics in the USA. (Cirque hires many College gymnasts after they graduate.)

The competition was loud, proud, fantastic. Despite a steadily diminishing number of participating Universities, those that remain are strong.

My friend Sue Raffin competed for Penn State. I had heard many good things. With over 80,000 students it is one of the largest schools in the States.

Legend has it one of my favourite books — Catch-22 — was inspired when Joseph Heller taught here.

Penn State’s mascot is the Nittany Lion.

Though Penn State professors denounced Wikipedia for academic purposes, it’s a far more useful source of information than the official Penn State website.

Pennsylvania State University – Wikipedia

gymnastics competition in Idaho

On March 6, 2007 By Rick McIn gymnastics, photosLeave a comment

On route home I stopped to help out at the huge (1500+ kids) gymnastics competition in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

It was an impressive show.

I only wish we had Canadian competitions anywhere near as fun.

They do know how to keep the volunteer workers going for 16hr days. Giant pizzas!

more information on the Great West Gym Fest

The following weekend at Altadore I helped with our competition of 300 kids. Good — but not nearly as Funtastic as in Idaho.

Merry Christmas to friends and family

On December 25, 2006 By Rick McIn Cirque du Soleil, gymnastics, health & fitness, hiking, internetLeave a comment

Happy Holidays !!

Trust you are getting a change, a rest, some exercise. (A gift or two that you actually wanted.)

Year end update.

More of the same for me. I continue to focus on as few things as possible: gymnastics, hiking, fitness, travel, the internet.

2006 started with a family reunion in Mazatlán, travels through that country to Belize and Guatemala.

I made four different trips through the States this year. Still a love / hate relationship with the USA.

My new part-time work as a talent scout for Cirque du Soleil has taught me a lot. In fact I founded a gymnastics blog with a focus on other acrobatics sports including diving, sport acrobatics, circus, martial arts, X sports and more. It’s amazing what gymnasts can do.

My hiking website is doing great, as well. Certainly the best resource on the internet for those looking for the “best hike”.

I’ve been avidly following the wild, lawless internet where millionaires are literally made (and crushed) overnight. The future will be amazing. I am very optimistic My ruminations on the web (and other nonsense) I post on this, my personal blog.

That’s it.

Gone to Saskatoon for a catch-up with old friends over New Years. Then off to Australia in early January for a series of gymnastics conferences. Finally, some hiking in Tasmania.

And I’m waiting on Cirque for 2007 assignments. That is my highest priority right now.

: )

Merry Christmas from the Thompsons

On December 20, 2006 By Rick McIn good news, gymnasticsLeave a comment

I worked with Kelly Thompson (the little guy) for 10 years at the Taiso Gymnastics Club in Saskatoon. He was one of our Olympic judges in Athens 2004.

Kelly and family several years ago relocated to Nova Scotia where he and Angie work at SFX.

A highlight of 2006 was a trip to Hawaii. (Everyone I know is going to Hawaii except me.)

gymnastics and ski this weekend

On December 7, 2006 By Rick McIn gymnasticsLeave a comment

I will be cheering on the guys at Men’s Elite Canada Saturday.

Then skiing Sunday. The snow is good early this season and a Chinook is rolling in to warm the temperatures.

: )

my latest website

On November 23, 2006 By Rick McIn blogs, gymnastics, health & fitness, internetLeave a comment

For years I’ve been a volunteer Board member on the Altadore Weightlifting and Fitness Club. I put together a website / blog for the club to improve our visibility and communication.

More importantly, I want to store our documentation in password protected folders on the site for ease of access and revision.

Using gymnastics as a base, our club offers strength, power and flexibility improvement training in an adult social environment. Our members are age-16 and older.

Under the supervision of certified gymnastics coaches, you decide your own training regime. Our facility has gymnastics equipment not available in the weight room. You use your own body weight as resistance.

Altadore weightlifting & fitness club

new baby boy

On November 10, 2006 By Rick McIn good news, gymnasticsLeave a comment

Debbie (Broderick) Rodriguez, long time Altadore gymnast, now coach / owner of Byers Gymnastics Center in California just sent me photos of #2.

Big sister welcomes Luke into the world, all 5lbs, 11oz of him. Healthy and content, and with Eli Rodriguez as father — I’m thinking we have another good gymnast here.