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Saturday, July 31, 2010

America's Royal Wedding: Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky





Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is official married tonight to investment banker Marc Mezvinsky. The happy couple got married in an interfaith ceremony at the estate built by John Jacob Astor on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck about two hours north of New York City.

The bride looked beyond beautiful in a fairytale Vera Wang embellished waist strapless dress. She was simply glowing and smiling from ear to ear. Her dress was very similar to Lala Vasquez's wedding gown but this delicate silhouette suits Chelsea much better. Hillary Clinton wore a lovely magenta Oscar de la Renta dress.

I know I am being a little hasty but I can't wait for Malia and Sasha's wedding day!

Best Dressed Diva Of The Week: Angelina Jolie




There are stars, mega movie stars and then there is Angelina Jolie! She made my heart skip a beat and send shivers down my spine this week in her stunning creations.

I was blown away with her wearing delicious color in her spectacular Versace red chiffon haltered dress. It was like watching her walk on water, what a magical moment!

The gorgeous actress almost send me into cardiac arrest in her magnificent vintage Versace black chiffon high-split open-back dress! She was flawless from head to toe.

It was a slow red carpet week because the celebrities apparently took my advice and stayed off the carpet unless they could look outstanding like Angelina!


Worst Dressed Diva Of The Week: Foxy Brown


I am still in therapy as we speak about this horrendous picture. Is Foxy Brown serious? Is she on something? Does she own a mirror?

I am just dying laughing about the guy expression in the background. Even LiL Kim wouldn't wear this hot mess!

"The Karate Kid" Paris Premiere



Jaden,Will, Jada and Willow Smith



Last week the Smith family looked wonderful for "The Karate Kid" Paris premiere. Jada Pinkett Smith looked absolutely divine in this chic Giambattista Valli off-the-shoulders knotted dress paired with the popular Christian Louboutins Clou Noeud slingbacks. I looove her sweet up-do.

I have been truly impress with Jada's sophisticated style lately!

Diane Kruger style

Picture from Lily Sometimes: I read about this movie only the good, it had standing ovations in Cannes, mainly thanks to Ludivine Sagnier (on the left) and Diane Kruger. I really want to see it when it hits Czech theates (if it ever does). But as a right girl I'm always interested in the looks and here I was really surprized how good Diane looks without make-up (they shot the movie without a make-up artist). She's beautiful, obviously, but most stars look absolutely different and far worse than on the red carpet when they don't wear tons of make-up. Bravo, Diane!
Speaking of her, I have to share some photos of her style. She's really one of my favourites. Her red-carpet-style is defined mostly by interesting, sometimes rather complicated mini-dresses. She never fails.
Photos via Google

Friday, July 30, 2010

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Show





Stunning, Stunning and beyond Stunning! Jada Pinkett Smith is letting me have it in this sensational white sculptural one-shouldered dress. She looks flawless from head to toe.

I am loooving her sleek blunt bob because it softens her sometimes masculine features. I am also losing my mind over her nude quilted cut-out booties! I will kill anyone in my path for this whole ensemble!

Jessica Biel's Style

Next to Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Biel is the hardest working woman in Hollywood this week. The actress wore a cute printed Erdem shirt dress while in London promoting her movie "The A Team".


She looked effortless chic in her ruffled blouse paired with a celery sculptural skirt and flats strolling in London.


She continued her chic style in this lemon Phillip Lim suit paired with a striped Vince sweater and two-toned Vionnet heels for a photo call in Berlin.

Chic Cyclists in Bologna, Italy

My globe-trotting friend E sent these in for your viewing pleasure.

This image certainly fits my idea of a contemporary Italian woman.

cute girl on a bike
This lady looks content as she quickly gets wherever she's going. It must be nice to be on the plaza and avoiding traffic!

lady of a certain age on a bike
Love this blonde's bi-color bike, do you suppose she's an artist or an architect? What else might those rolls of paper be used for?

girlfriends with a bike in Italy
E was right, the use of green here is clearly a personal statement. I love the man in the skinny jeans in the background, giving my friend a curious look.

green bike, trailer, and outfit

DownHill Biking

Downhill biking (DH) is a gravity-assisted time trial mountain biking event. Riders race against the clock, usually starting at intervals of 30 seconds (seeded from slowest to fastest), on courses which typically take two to five minutes to complete. Riders are timed with equipment similar to that used in Downhill skiing. The placing is determined by the fastest times to complete the course; races are often won by margins of under a second. As the name of this discipline implies, downhill races are held on steep, downhill terrain with no extended climbing sections, resulting in high speed descents with extended air time off jumps and other obstacles.[1] The 2009 Downhill World Champion is Steve Peat from the UK.[2]


History

The 1st downhill time-trial race took place in Fairfax, California on October 22, 1976 on a f
ireroad now referred to as Repack Road, due to the need to repack the single rear hub brake after a descent. The bikes used were based on beach cruisers that had a single rear brake that worked by pedalling backwards. A mechanism came into operation causing a conical metal (bronze?) brake shoe to be wound on a thread into a conical metal hub. To prevent a metal to metal brake from snatching it was always filled with grease. Heavy use of the brake during the descent would cause the brake to over heat, melting the grease till it drained from the hub and required repacking. Ten riders descended 1300 feet of Repack in about 5 minutes.[3] The first bikes used for descending were known as "klunkers" or "paperboy bikes": coaster brake cruisers using balloon tires first imported to America by Ignatz Schwinn.[4] By 1979, two organizers and competitors of the Repack downhill, Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher founded the company which named the sport, MountainBikes.[5] As mountain biking grew enormously during the 80s, downhill riders continued to use either rigid or limited suspension travel (under 2 inches) bicycles, and purpose made downhill bikes were not made until the 90s. Some of these innovations included dual crown suspension forks and disc brakes, as well as very elaborate frame suspension designs.
Later, riders from all disciplines of cycling began focusing on downhill. Particularly, many BMX racers made the crossover, including champions such as John Tomac (Team Tomac Bikes), and Brian Lopes. Their influence is seen in the increased difficulty of many courses, especially in the "big air/ Hucking (biker term for big jumps and drops)" aspect of downhill. The coming of age for downhill biking was its inclusion at the first UCI Mountain Bike Championship, held in 1990 in Durango, Colorado. This started new era in mountain biking which has now grew into a level of cycling that seems to have no limits, and has spawned legend of the sport such as Shaun Palmer, steve Pete, Andy McCoy and Nico Voullouz.

Downhill bikes and equipment

Modern race downhill bikes weigh between 16 to 19 kg (35 to 42 pounds), and usually feature full-suspension and frame geometries that lean back farther (slacker geometry) than other mountain bikes. As of 2006, 203 mm (8-inch) is the 'norm' for suspension travel however some commercially available big mountain freeride bikes can have over 300 mm (12-inch). Large-diameter 203–5 mm (8-inch) hydraulic disc brakes moderate speed. Downhill bikes and freeride bikes are very similar but there are some slight differences. Downhill race bikes typically are much lower and have slacker head angles than freeride bikes, so that the bike is more stable at speed and in corners. Freeride bikes have a steeper geometry and a higher bottom bracket height, so that they are better for balance and maneuverability, however freeride bikes sometimes use single crown forks, which are shorter in travel length and lighter than the dual crown forks often used by downhill riders, dual crown forks usually have around 200 mm (8-inch) of travel, and single crown forks are usually around 180 mm (7 in) maximum.
Downhill gear features body armor and full-face motocross-type helmets. Other protective gear such as a neck brace can be added to reduce the risk (by bringing the head to a controlled stop)[6] of neck and spinal injury.

Downhill racing venues

Many ski areas are converted into biking venues in the summer, (Such as Whistler Mountain Bike Park) however there are also many other hills with Downhill Mountain Bike trails built on them. Bikers ride gondolas, trams or chair lifts to the starting point at the top of the mountains. Another method commonly referred to as "Shuttling", uses motorized vehicles to transport multiple riders to the top of the hill. Normally utility vehicles or 4WDs are driven up off-road tracks to the top of the courses. However, some tracks provide access to ordinary cars - such as Kuranda Downhill in Cairns, which runs down the Smithfield side of the Macalister Range and uses the road as access.
Courses used in competition typically feature several "lines" through or around the most difficult obstacles. For example, the "A line" might be a very direct line with a large jump landing on rocks, the "B line" might be a smaller jump with a clear landing, and the "C line" might completely avoid the obstacles, but be much longer.

ustralia

Despite being the flattest continent on earth Australia has produced a large number of internationally successful downhill racers. While the large majority of Australia's downhill riding and racing is accessed by shuttling in cars, buses or by walking to the top of the track (push runs) the venues at Mount Buller and Thredbo provide lift accessed tracks during the snowless summer. Mount Stromlo, nearby to Australia's capital city Canberra, hosted a World Cup Round in August 2008 and which is also host to the 2009 world championships as a part of the MTB World Series.

Austria

Located right in the Alps this country has a lot of places to downhill race. A large majority of Austria's downhill tracks are accessible via lift shuttles. A World Cup track called the "Planai" is located in the city of Schladming. It is about 5 km long with an average descent grade of about 35%.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is rich with mountains especially around the capital city of Sarajevo,in which a downtown race is held, although MTB and downhill especially are still developing to become known sports in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are more and more riders which use mountains like Igman, Bjelašnica and others for downhill racing. Currently there are two tracks one on Igman and other on Bjelašnica, both featured tournaments on international level. UXO's are one of the reasons for slow development of this sport in a country with a such great potential for it.

Canada

Canada is famous for its downhill racing as well as other sorts of mountain biking. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park in Whistler, British Columbia hosts the annual Crankworx and Joyride Huckfest racing events. The province of British Columbia is also home to several other large lift-serviced mountain bike parks, including Sun Peaks in Kamloops, BC and Silver Star Mountain Resort in Vernon, BC. The North Shore Mountains of North Vancouver, BC, are a famous downhill biking destination in their own right. The popular style of technical downhill freeriding that involves many man-made trail elements originated here. The style is often referred to as "North Shore Style." Canada has produced many world-class mountain bike racers, including downhillers Andrew Shandro. The mount of Bromont, situated in Bromont, Quebec, and Mont-Sainte-Anne near Quebec City are great places for downhill biking.

France

The dramatic scenery of the French Alps is home to many downhill routes and events. The most famous of which is the Mega Avalanche downhill race event in the Alp d'Huez and Bourg d'Oisans region. Another downhill course in the region is Les Deux Alpes which sometimes hosts other downhill events. The downhill courses and events are limited in the area however, because of the alpine winter and snow. The most popular area for downhill in the French alps is the Portes du Soleil including the two more popular resorts of Morzine and Les Gets. Most recently, a world cup was held for the first time in La Bresse.

Germany

In Germany the landscape is quite diverse, reaching from flatlands in the north to medium-sized mountains in the center to alpine mountains in the south. Downhill tracks in Germany are not as steep as in Switzerland or Canada and the difference from top to bottom is less, but the main parts of an average track are everywhere in Germany. Racing on these short tracks is highly intense and allows no mistakes. Due to the country's large population the sport has developed quickly in Germany. Number of riders can go up to 600 at races. With 3 cup races, Thuringia, in the middle of Germany, is the center of gravity riding. The most popular race series is the 'iXS German Downhill Cup'. In Germany is the Europe's biggest Mountainbike Freeride Festival hold, called iXS Dirt Masters. It includes one iXS German Downhill Cup Round, a 4X Race and a slopestyle contest. It is visited by around 25000 spectators and 1200 riders. In the small town Willingen is a former World Cup Downhill and Four Cross Race Course. The World Cup has been held there in 2005 and 2006. With Germany being a high level industry country, there are many firms producing downhill bikes, such as Last Bikes, Zonenschein, Fusion Bikes or luxury downhill bike manufacturer Nicolai. There are also a lot of firms producing high-end parts like Rohloff, Magura or Tune.

Ireland

Downhill cycling has increased in Ireland over the past 10 years e.g. the first of the four-part 2009 Irish Downhill Winter League attracted 190 entrants to round 1 held in Moneyscalp, Co.Down.
Irish tracks vary greatly in length and difficulty. Monenyscalp is one of the shorter tracks with times for Elites coming at just over a minute. Other tracks such as Carrick in Co.Wicklow are closer to 5:00 minutes. Ticknock wood in south Co. Dublin was an important location, particularly for Dublin-based downhillers until Coillte, the Irish semi-state company responsible for forestry destroyed many of its infamous tracks as part of their tree-felling operations. The most famous track of all, 'The Boneshaker', is still in frequent use by the downhill, cross-country and hill walking community.
Irish tracks in general are more technical than tracks found elsewhere though ironically there are no official downhill tracks in Ireland. According to the law it is illegal to ride in the forests. All the tracks are built and maintained voluntarily by individuals and mountain biking clubs who take it upon themselves to do so. As downhill mountain biking has become more popular so has the call for more facilities and practitioners of this sport have begun campaigning with the state on this issue. The most common DH trail in Ireland has to be Moneyscalp Wood as it is "the home of Irish Downhill".
Irish Downhill's "Mecca's" would have to be Moneyscalp,Craigavon lakes and Clare Glen.

National Points Series

The 2009 Irish DH NPS has 9 rounds and takes place on tracks the length and breadth of the country. A typical race weekend in the Irish NPS consists of practice day on Saturday with uplifts being provided using a tractor and trailer set-up or a van to bring the racers to the trailhead. Practice is also allowed on Sunday, it being raceday practice ceases at 10:00am and the riders then get their two runs as part of the competition.

Italy

Bardonecchia, one of the Torino 2006 winter olympic venues, converts some of its ski courses and lifts for use by mountain bikers in the summer, and a number of downhill courses are present. Other ski resorts turning to mountain bike parks in summer are Pila, Italy, Sestola and Livigno. The area of Finale Ligure, near Genoa, offers year round tracks that end on the seaside, served by shuttles. Among the most famous tracks in the country is the Sanremo Downhill, a rocky, technical and dangerous course won in 2007 by Fabien Barel. The 2008 World Championship were held in Val di Sole.

Portugal

Portugal is the host country of a Unique variety of down hill races, the Urban Down Hill, know as Down Town races, Lisbon Down Town, helded in May is the start of a new down Scene. Places Like Lousã, offer a big variety of single tracks, and big down hill circuits.

Russia

Some of the notable Russian downhill venues are ski-complex "Metallurg" (Bannoe lake, Magnitogorsk), Mashuk and Chaget mountains.

Slovenia

Slovenia's vast hilly landscape and undamaged nature makes very good conditions for downhill cycling, thus one of the world's top, not only tracks but riders are also in Slovenia. The famous tracks that are included in the world cup are at ski resort Kranjska Gora in north-west tip of Slovenia, while the other track is on ski resort hill Pohorje at Slovenia's second largest city Maribor. The Pohorje track has been considered as the second best in the world.

South Africa

Downhill racing is not such a big sport in South Africa, but is rapidly growing. South Africa boasts some great tracks and riders, especially from the Western Cape and the Pietermaritzburg area in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the hometown of Greg Minnaar. In the Western Cape, the best tracks are Edeouth and Jonkershoek in Stellenbosch, Playgrounds in Paarl, Sir Lowry's Pass near Somerset-West (hometown of Andrew and Jonty Neethling), Zevenwacht near Kuilsriver and Witfontein in George. They provide quite technical, but fun courses. Ferncliff and World's View are great in Pietermaritzburg. Helderkruin (West of Johannesburg), Klapperkop (Google map) in Pretoria and Gillooly's Farm in Johannesburg. South Africa held the first round of the 2009 UCI World Cup, which was in Pietermaritzburg(Greg Minnaar's hometown).

Sweden

With the Caledonian mountains forming the borderland with Norway this country has places to downhill race. The majority of Sweden's notable downhill tracks are situated around Ã…re, accessible via lift shuttles. In 1999 Ã…re was the host for the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships and it hosted the Nordic Championships in 2007. There are numerous graded biking trails down the Ã…reskutan fell.
Sweden's most southerly DH bike park is called Vallåsen Bike Park [1] and is located on the north side of the Halland ridge between Skåne and Halland. Vallåsen opened in 2008 and attract riders from not only Sweden but also Denmark due to its relatively close location to Copenhagen. Vallåsen holds an annual DH race at the end of the season called the Vallåsen DH Challenge.

Switzerland

Located in the Alps and surrounded by the downhill nations of France, Germany, Italy and Austria it is kind of a center for the European downhill scene. You can find tracks in or near every city with high quality and a steep descent. It has several World Cup tracks like "Champery" or "Portes de Soleil". Switzerland is the home of parts manufacturer DT Swiss and frame manufacturer BMC.

United Kingdom

Within the UK most downhill tracks are in Scotland or Wales, as these countries are more mountainous. Fort William in Scotland is Britain's only World Cup standard track and was the venue for the 2007 World Championships. The main series in the UK is the NPS series. Many of the NPS rounds take place in Wales including the rack at Caersws. Rheola in the Vale of Neath is another venue, near the town of Glynneath in South Wales. The major race series in Wales is named the "Dragons".[7] Other tracks in Wales include Moelfre, Afan, Rugog Farm, Glyncorrwg and Cwmcarn. In Scotland the main race series is run by the Scottish Downhill Association or SDA.

United States

The Sea Otter Classic, held each April at Laguna Seca near Monterey, California, is a major riding event that opens the racing season (course map). The 2006 U.S. National Championships were held at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Plattekill Mountain in the Catskills, Mammoth Mountain, the Northstar at Tahoe, Brian Head Resort, Attitash and Deer Valley ski resorts, and Moab UT are also well known to mountain bikers. In the southeastern United States, Snowshoe Mountain is well known for its extensive mountain bike park, camps, and even freeriding areas during the summer.[8] Vail, Colorado was the site of the 1994 Downhill Championship. The trail was renamed "'94 Downhill," and is still ridden by many downhill bikers today. It was considered one of Vail Mountain's hardest venues.

Diablo Freeride Park

The Diablo Freeride Park located in Vernon, New Jersey is a downhill facility on the East Coast of the United States. Historically they have hosted the US Open of Mountain Biking, which is the premier US gravity race. The 2010 U.S. Open will prove to be the largest U.S. Open event to date with various new improvements and additions including; an improved Downhill Course, $50,000 in cash and prizes and a $7500 purse for men's pro champion. The race disciplines are Kenda Downhill and Kenda Giant Slalom.
Diablo also hosts their own series of competitions called the Gravity Series. “At Diablo Freeride Park, each race course is designed, built and maintained by a dedicated crew of seasoned trail building experts with a proven track record of delivering safe, fun and exciting courses for all ability levels.” [9]The races offer cash prizes as well as a ‘lightning-fast gondola’ so that riders can get in more practice runs throughout the day. “The Diablo Gravity Series is broken down into three competition categories for both men and women."
[10]

Governing bodies

The Union Cycliste Internationale is governing body for downhill mountain bike racing. Racers qualify to compete in World Cup races by earning UCI points, which are gained by being a top ten finisher in certain races, usually national.
In the U.S., NORBA, as part of USA Cycling, runs the National Mountain Bike Series, and the NCCA is the governing body for collegiate cycling. In the UK, British Cycling controls mountain biking as well as road and BMX. In Australia, MTBA controls all disciplines of Mountain biking.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

"The A Team" Berlin Premiere




First, I would like to thank Jessica Biel for brushing her hair! The sexy actress looks amazing in her ice blue sparkling beaded Atelier Versace dress. This silhouette fits her body like a glove.

I adore the sheer panel bodice and the seductive scallop skirt. She completes this gorgeous look with silver Sergio Rossi platform heels. Pure Perfection from head to toe but will this beat Angelina Jolie's stunning Versace creations? Time will tell.

Anna Wintour's Fashionable Friends...



A who's-who of American creatives descended upon houston and sullivan street this week for a fundraiser to benefit the 'Democratic National Committee' and where was this to take place, only Anna Wintour's house. Guest of honour? Only Obama!

The guests were all said to exit way after expeted, with one exclaiming 'it was just excellent' - Just imagine this, a party with Anna Wintour, Barrack Obama, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Georgina Chapman, Diane Von Furstenberg and many more! That's a list worthy of one of those questions you get asked at a dinner party...

Oh and PS this dinner party cost roughly £30,000 per head.


(Left to Right: Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Diane Von Furstenberg)


(Left: Bee Shaffer - Anna Wintour and David Shaffer's Daugher. Right: Harvey Weinstein - American Film Producer and partner Georgina Chapman - Creative force behind Marchesa)

(Left: Andrew Rosen - Retail Mogel and Tony Burch - American Fashion Designer)

(Anna Wintour's Town house in NYC)

Fabulous Events

2010 NYILFF Premiere of "The Dry Land"

America Ferrera looks fantastic in her purple belted sheath Brian Reyes dress. The color and silhouette is perfect for her.

2010 CBS, CW and Showtime Summer Press Party

Holly Robinson Peete looks refreshing in her white brocade one-shouldered dress.


Jessica Stroup decided to take the couture route in this exquisite black and gold embroidered Chanel dress. She completes her look with a Chanel quilted bag and black heels.


AnnaLynne McCord is never shy to show off her incredible body. The actress looks fabulous in her Rock & Republic "Lucca Eye Take" dress paired with black peep-toe Christian Louboutin heels.