The Teenage Girl free essay sample

It is the most satisfying feeling in the world. So for me to get to go to my first Metal concert a few years ago, you can imagine there was no happier guy on earth that day. It was a school day, but as you can guess, I had no intention of going to school. I had bought that beautiful little piece Of paper reading, Lamb Of God. FIEF My suffering has almost come to an end. My patience is finally about to pay off. The only thing standing between myself, and the most glorious experience of my life, was a few hundred miles of interstate, and a line of eager fans much like myself. We will write a custom essay sample on The Teenage Girl or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Now, I had been waiting for this life changing experience for far too long to not be right up front, looking my idols in the eye. So I planned my trip so I would be the first person in line, and the first to the front of that stage. Its 4 in the morning, and I have to leave right now!Unfortunately, it wasnt quite time for my voyage to start just et, had to pick up a couple people to come with me before I left, but I sure as hell made sure they were ready to go fifteen minutes before I even left to pick them up. My buddy TTY, and my bands manager Dillon were also big fans of all of the bands on the line-up for that night, so they were hitching a ride with me. TTY is pretty much an acquired taste kind of person. He definitely isnt warm and welcoming right off the bat, and he generally never has money. hey man let me bum a smoke, or BRB do you want buy me some food? Were often heard sneaking out of his mouth, as if his mouth didnt really want o let it out because it knew he was being an ass- You could also say he isnt the best looking guy around. We all make jokes that he looks like Lars Lurch of Metallic, poor guy. Then theres Dillon. You know Thomas the Train, The little engine that could? Well Dillon was The big manager that couldnt. Always making horrible deals, and sending us to terrible shows, resulting in his termination as manager, but I digress. Hes a big brute who doesnt take sit from anyone, and loves to drink and listen to heavy metal and hang out with chicks.Thus the reason we hired him. So picked them up, and off we go, on an epic journey to our personal heaven. Once I started the car, It was on. Said, guys, I hope you passed before this morning because Im not stopping until were there. I suppose I should tell you, we lived in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska at the time, and there was in Colorado. Against my will, my screaming stomach forced me to stop at a McDonalds about half-way there, which was good because Dillon had informed me that he was about to pips his pants, and I had just got done extensively cleaning my car. After the short break, it was back to business.More driving, down that seemingly endless stretch of pavement leading to the best day of my life. Im going to go ahead and skip the rest of that agonizing drive for you, because Im too embarrassed to talk about the fact that got us lost for about 20 minutes. So here we come, over a small hill, looking down on the colossal venue that were about to see our idols in, and you can almost hear some triumphant symphony in the distance saying, youre here! . We park in what seems to be a ghost town at the moment, but soon we will be three members f an army of metal heads ready to brutalize this town with metal! Hough that time was done mocking me, seeing how its today, Im here. Was sadly mistaken. Didnt realize that the wait in line would drag on slower than a one legged turtle trying to get across a muddy cornfield. I will tell you right now, that it was far beyond worth the wait when finally, down the street See several tour busses heading our way. I apologize if my language offends you here, but I almost sit myself with excitement when They pulled up. The lock could finally stop staring at me with that devilish smirk, and I could finally take my rightful place as ruler of the front row.The big doors to the venue,which proudly I stood directly in front of, slowly creaked open, as if asking are you sure youre ready? , and we all started scampering in like dogs that had been left outside in the rain all day. I proudly handed the first ticket over to the burly dude collecting tickets, and immediately ran to the front of the stage. Guess I forgot about TTY and Dillon, but they ended up making their way up to the front any. . N. ay. Standing there, you could feel the thick anticipation in the air, and smell the musty, sweaty bodies that had been waiting outside all day. Didnt notice on my way up, probably due to being overly excited, but your shoes stuck to the ground like the floor was made of duct tape. There was apparently a concert the night before that the cleanup crew got lazy on. Oh well, didnt care. My life was about to be complete. Stood patiently through the first three bands who were not nearly as important as the headliners, but very good bands none the less. Finally, those agile words were said that seemed to bring a tidal wave of screams from the floor up that filled the whole stadium and shook the earth. Welcome to the stage, Lamb. Of. GOD! . My heart jumped and so did l. check it out dude! There they are! screamed in Toys ear as the band members came through the back of the stage, surrounded in a sheath of fog. Hell yeah! was the reply I got. We waited, and waited, and waited a little more. Boom! The lights go out and the lasers and strobes immediately go off. It looked like what I imagined the apocalypse to kick like, but the insane music I was hearing Enid those lights assured me, this was far from the apocalypse.

History of the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969

History of the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 The Woodstock Festival (aka An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music) was a three-day concert (which rolled into a fourth day) that involved lots of sex, drugs, and rock n roll, plus a lot of mud. The Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 has become an icon of the 1960s hippie counterculture. The festival took place on August 15-18, 1969, at Max Yasgurs dairy farm in the town of Bethel (outside of White Lake, New York). The Organizers of Woodstock The organizers of the Woodstock Festival were four young men: John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld, and Mike Lang. The oldest of the four was only 27 years old at the time of the Woodstock Festival. Roberts, an heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, and his friend Rosenman were looking for a way to use Roberts money to invest in an idea that would make them even more money. After placing an ad in The New York Times that stated: Young men with unlimited capital looking for interesting, legitimate investment opportunities and business propositions, they met Kornfeld and Lang. The Plan for the Woodstock Festival Kornfeld and Langs original proposal was to build a recording studio and a retreat for rock musicians up in Woodstock, New York (where Bob Dylan and other musicians already lived). The idea morphed into creating a two-day rock concert for 50,000 people with the hope that the concert would raise enough money to pay for the studio. The four young men then got to work on organizing a large music festival. They found a location for the event up in an industrial park in nearby Wallkill, New York. They printed tickets ($7 for one day, $13 for two days, and $18 for three days), which could be purchased in select stores or via mail order. The men also worked on organizing food, signing musicians, and hiring security. Things Go Very Wrong The first of many things to go wrong with the Woodstock Festival was the location. No matter how the young men and their lawyers spun it, the citizens of Wallkill did not want a bunch of drugged-out hippies descending on their town. After much wrangling, the town of Wallkill passed a law on July 2, 1969, that effectively banned the concert from their vicinity. Everyone involved with the Woodstock Festival panicked. Stores refused to sell any more tickets and the negotiations with the musicians got shaky. Only a month-and-a-half before the Woodstock Festival was to begin, a new location had to be found. Luckily, in mid-July, before too many people began demanding refunds for their pre-purchased tickets, Max Yasgur offered up his 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York for  the location for the Woodstock Festival. As lucky as the organizers  were to have found a new location, the last minute change of venue seriously set back the Festival timeline. New contracts to rent the dairy farm and surrounding areas had to be drawn up and permits to allow the Woodstock Festival in the town had to be acquired. Construction of the stage, a performers pavilion, parking lots, concession stands, and a childrens playground all got a late start and barely got finished in time for the event. Some things, like ticket booths and gates, did not get finished in time. As the date got closer, more problems sprung up. It soon appeared that their 50,000 people estimate was way too low and the new estimate jumped to upwards of 200,000 people. The young men then tried to bring in more toilets, more water, and more food. However, the food concessionaires kept threatening to cancel at the last minute (the organizers had accidentally hired people who had no experience in concessions) so they had to worry about whether or not they could airlift in rice as a backup food supply. Also troublesome was the last-minute ban on off-duty police officers from working at the Woodstock Festival. Hundreds of Thousands Arrive at the Woodstock Festival On Wednesday, August 13 (two days before the festival was to begin), there were already approximately 50,000 people camping near the stage. These early arrivals had walked right through the huge gaps in the fence where the gates had not yet been placed. Since there was no way to get the 50,000 people to leave the area in order to pay for tickets and there was no time to erect the numerous gates to prevent even more people from just walking in, the organizers were forced to make the event a free concert. This declaration of a free concert had two dire effects. The first of which was that the organizers were going to lose massive amounts of money by putting on this event. The second effect was that as news spread that it was now a free concert, an estimated one million people headed to Bethel, New York. Police had to turn away thousands of cars. It is estimated that about 500,000 people actually made it to the Woodstock Festival. No one had planned for half a million people. The highways in the area literally became parking lots as people abandoned their cars in the middle of the street and just walked the final distance to the Woodstock Festival. Traffic was so bad that the organizers had to hire helicopters to shuttle the performers from their hotels to the stage. The Music Starts Despite all the organizers troubles, the Woodstock Festival got started nearly on time. On Friday evening, August 15, Richie Havens got up on stage and officially started the Festival. Sweetwater, Joan Baez, and other folk artists also played Friday night. The music started up again shortly after noon on Saturday with Quill and continued non-stop until Sunday morning around 9 AM. The day of psychedelic bands continued with such musicians as Santana, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, and The Who, to name just a few. It was obvious to everyone that on Sunday, the Woodstock Festival was winding down. Most of the crowd left throughout the day, leaving about 150,000 people on Sunday night. When Jimi Hendrix, the last musician to play at Woodstock, finished his set early on Monday morning, the crowd was down to only 25,000. Despite the 30-minute lines for water and at least hour-long wait to use a toilet, the Woodstock Festival was a huge success. There were a lot of drugs, a lot of sex and nudity, and a lot of mud (created by the rain). After the Woodstock Festival The organizers of Woodstock were dazed at the end of the Woodstock Festival. They didnt have time to focus on the fact that they had created the most popular music event in history, for they first had to deal with their incredible debt (over $1 million) and the 70 lawsuits that had been filed against them. To their great relief, the film of the Woodstock Festival turned into a hit movie and the profits from the movie covered a large chunk of the debt from the Festival. By the time that everything was paid off, they were still $100,000 in debt.

America History19th Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

America History19th - Essay Example However, in ‘The Yellow Wallflower’ the author has provided a scenario which indicates the dominance of men over women in the second half of nineteenth century. Both these literary works give a contradicting view of the gender roles in the society. The ‘Hospital Sketches’ is a short account of the experiences of a woman who worked as a nurse during the Civil War. The story starts with a woman who is trying to figure out what she wants to do in her life. After turning down a number of suggestions like; teaching, writing a book, acting and getting, she finally determines to nurse the soldiers in the Civil War. This starting of the story suggests the freedom of the women to choose what they want to do in their life. The setting of the story also suggests that the decisions of the women were also encouraged. The author is strong supporter of female equality. In her journey to become a nurse, she is helped by a number of gentlemen. The story further provides the account of the author regarding learning how to nurse and the difficulties faced by the author in the process. Throughout the story, the author provides an indication of the importance of women in the society. ... Thus, the author defines the roles of gender in the society by providing a convincing example. Since the author supports female equality, she has provided a convincing example of how men and women can work together in society for better results. However, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is a story of a woman who is compelled to be confined within the bounds of a room and ultimately the psychological impacts of such confinement on the woman. The story provides a completely contradicting account of the gender roles in the second half of the nineteenth century when it is compared to the ‘Hospital Sketches’. The author tells the story in first-person perspective and she has written it in the style of journal entries. The story starts when a family goes to a colonial mansion for the summer and the woman who tells the story is confined in a room upstairs. Throughout the summer, she remains confined in that room with nothing to stimulate any of her feelings. The story provid es a gradual account of the woman’s descent into madness. With nothing else to interact with, the woman finds interest in the yellow wallpaper of the room. She finds it unnaturally intriguing. She closely inspects the pattern of the wallpaper and she perceives it to be more than ordinary wallpaper. The woman obsessively describes the wallpaper and claims that it has a unique â€Å"yellow† smell. After observing the wallpaper for days, she perceives a figure trapped in the wallpaper. She thinks that there is woman trapped in the wallpaper and in order to free her, she starts removing the paper off the wall. From a critical perspective, it can be said that the author is trying to represent the women

Wilson War Message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wilson War Message - Essay Example These vessels were comprised not only their enemies, but of peaceful ships on innocent business. Germany became responsible for the destruction of many innocent men, women, and children. Their activities were deemed inhumane and in need of correction. Wilson thoroughly described Germany’s awful behavior as he presented the case against them before Congress. In expression of his feelings regarding the situation Wilson stated, â€Å"I was for a little while unable to believe that such things would in fact be done by any government that had hitherto subscribed to the humane practices of civilized nations† (Wilson). In describing the actions of Germany, he told how the vessels were destroyed without any warning to the passengers. They were not given the chance to escape. They were not afforded the opportunity to change their course and save their lives but were immediately struck down. However, Germany had previously promised that they would not sink any passenger boats and that all other vessels would be given fair warning; a promise that they clearly did not keep. In framing the US’s involvement in the conflict, Wilson informed Congress that some of the vessels that had been sunk were American. He explained that the vessels of both neutral and friendly nations were being attacked insomuch that the conflict had become an issue of every nation. Basically, by sinking American ships Germany was responsible for causing America to get involved. Although Wilson had not wanted to make a declaration of war, the actions of Germany had brought America to the point where they had no choice but to do so. America would now have to fight, not only for the protection of their vessels, but, as Wilson put it, â€Å"the vindication of human rights† (Wilson). Germany’s actions could not be ignored. If they had been, then the destruction of innocent lives would continue, Germany might have advanced in their shameful actions by

Position Paper - Topic - Inside the Minds of Google Essay

Position Paper - Topic - Inside the Minds of Google - Essay Example Instead, different entities that cater for the youth should support them both financially and socially in order to realize their ambitions. Additionally, IT experts and creative minds are stimulated by the success stories of the Google team in terms of working together to attain a common goal (Genzlinger 1). This implies that the aspect of Ms. Bartiromo to address the privacy issue is quite illuminating considering that complaints have been raised how Google handles such information. Therefore, it is imperative to note that security of internet users’ should not contravened because this is a violation of one’s private life. For example, there regular deletion of information contained in most databases of IT companies that are interconnected globally. This is why Google and security items have generated a fuss across different sectors of the nation. In other words, complaints of most modern innovations of technology being used to snoop into the private lives of citizens have even elicited fierce debate in the Congress. Therefore, suggestions have proposed the passing of legislation that monitors how IT comp anies handle the information of its clients and the legal action one is entitled to incase of a violation. In other words, this means that one of the most innovative and a successful company in the world is worried on how it is perceived by its more than one billion clients around the world. Similarly, from the video there is the chief executive of Google, Eric Schmidt explaining how the gigantic IT Company nurtures its workers by fostering a creative environment. This teaches IT managers and other leaders of other companies on the need to cater for its workers in order to attain results desired by the clients on time (Genzlinger 1). However, management should at times adopt its position depending on the existing environment of its workers and the expected goals and objectives. On that perspective, motivation of workers is

Blood pressure and heart rate in humans

Blood pressure and heart rate in humans Introduction: Blood pressure is the measurement of arterial pressure as a result of the contraction and relaxation of the heart. The pressure upon the contraction of the heart is normally defined as the systolic pressure while the pressure upon relaxation is referred to as the diastolic pressure. Both are measured in milliliters of mercury (mm Hg) and are most important in measuring a healthy blood pressure. The heart rate, which is usually expressed in beats per minute, is also important when measuring the strength and wellness of a heart. An individual with a healthy heart will usually have a systolic pressure of 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80 mmHg (Bishop 2009). A normal heart rate is within the range of 60 bpm and 80 bpm (Weedman 2009). The most common way to measure an individuals blood pressure and heart rate is with a sphygmomanometer, a machine that when used correctly is able to accurately determine a persons blood pressure. Both blood pressure and heart rate are unfixed and constantly changing in response to the body. Factors such as diet, exercise and physical and psychological stress can alter the arterial pressure. An individuals blood pressure will increase when the vessels in the body constrict while the heart tries to continually pump the same amount of blood throughout the body. The blood pressure will decrease when the vessels increase in diameter and blood is able to flow through them with ease. High blood pressure is referred to as hypertension while low blood pressure is referred to as hypotension. An individuals body might react to pain or stress with an increase in blood pressure or respond to constant and frequent exercise with an over all decrease in blood pressure over a period of time. Hydration is an important part of the circulatory system. Appropriate hydration is crucial for normal body function. Hydration helps to distribute the necessary nutrients, regulate body temperature and dispose of waste within the body (Patterson, 2005). Water should make up approximately 60% of an adults body weight. A lack of proper hydration can affect blood volume, plasma volume and the volume of red blood cells in the body (Costill 1974). In the experiment we designed and performed in class, we wanted to observe different factors affecting blood pressure. We asked the question, â€Å"Does hydration effect an individuals blood pressure and heart rate?† We then generated a testable hypothesis that the consumption of water will increase blood pressure as well as heart rate. Materials and Methods: We began the experiment by choosing two variables, dependant and independent. The independent variable was ingestion of 16 ounces of water in order to hydrate an individual; the dependant variable was the measured heart rate and blood pressure. We also designated our experimental replicates groups. All together there were a total of 26 individuals in the experimental group. The entire experimental group was divided into pairs. When blood pressure and heart rate were taken throughout the experiment, they were taken by the individuals partner. We took three basal / resting blood pressure readings. To do so we placed the blood pressure cuff on the left arm of the individual tested and used the sphygmomanometer to determine the individuals resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as his/her heart rate. To correctly situate the pressure cuff on the arm, we assured that the cuff was placed approximately 3 cm above the elbow. We made sure there was no bulky clothing between th e individuals arm and the cuff. The tube leading from the sphygmomanometer to the cuff was situated on the innermost side of the arm, near the brachial artery (Weedman 2009). When wrapping the pressure cuff around the arm, we assured that it was neither too snug or to loose. We pumped the cuff with the rubber bulb until it reached 150 mm Hg. To do so required that we squeeze the bulb while our finger covered the air hole and releasing to allow the bulb to refill. Once at 150mm Hg, the sphygmomanometer gradually released the pressure until the digital reading came up on the screen. We then recorded the data and repeated this step two more times to have a total of three basal readings. After retrieving the resting blood pressure, we had the individual consume about two cups (16 oz) of water quickly (less than one minute) and the partner immediately took a blood pressure reading with the sphygmomanometer. We followed the initial post reading with four more readings in time intervals of three minutes switching off between partners. We recorded the systolic, diastolic, and heart rate for each of these readings. The cuff was taken off after each reading to allow the pressure to be reestablished in the individual between each reading. Throughout the experiment, the data was collected by each individual and then collected and put into an excel spreadsheet. The data that was collected included each subjects basal and experimental blood pressure and heart rate readings along with the relative temperature of the water consumed (cold or room temperature). The collected data was then analyzed using different forms of statistics. We used a â€Å"T test† as well as dividing relevant data into subgroups and found the range and average of the data. Results: In this experiment, we exposed a group of 26 individuals to dehydration and then had them consume a total of 16 ounces to rehydrate. Their blood pressure was then taken immediately as well as in intervals of three minutes for a total of twelve minutes. We predicted that hydrating an individual would increase their blood pressure and decrease the heart rate, however, we found that hydration in fact does the opposite. When organizing and reviewing the data for this experiment it is clear that our results for this experiment were relevant. Our data was calculated based on averages of pulse rates and blood pressures. Our averaged data was then organized in graphs and tables that were divided into subgroups based on the temperature of the water consumed (cold, room temperature, and unknown temperature). Finally, the ranges of each subgroup and T-tests were calculated based off of our data. We calculated three T-tests from our data. One T-test used results of average pulse rate readings from the cold, room temperature, and unknown water consumed. Another T-test was calculated from the average systolic results from the cold water, room temperature water, and the unknown water consumed. The final T-test used the average diastolic results from the cold water, room temperature water, and unknown water consumed. The values for each T-test can be seen in Tables 1, 2, and 3, T-tests. Because the values for each of the T-test was less than 5%, it can be concluded that the data collected shows a correlation between hydration and blood pressure and heart rate. In graph 1, the room temperature graph, the heart rate overall decreased. In graph #2, the second room temperature graph, the systolic and diastolic pressures also decreased. In the cold water heart rate graph, graph #3, the heart rate drastically increased. In graph #4, both the systolic and diastolic pressures decreased. Finally, in graph #3, the graph showing unknown temperatures of the water, the heart rate had an overall decrease. Graph #4 showed that the diastolic pressure had an overall decrease in pressure while the systolic had an overall slight increase. Discussion: Originally, we hypothesized that blood pressure and heart rate would be affected by hydration. We predicted that an increase in hydration would proportionally increase the blood pressure and heart rate. Our results do to some extent support our hypothesis and predictions. Our results show that hydration does affect blood pressure and heart rate. Our data collected generally shows that hydration, over a short period of time, will overall decrease the arterial pressures (systolic and diastolic) as seen in Graphs 2, 4, and 6. The data in each subgroup also shows that pulse rate will be affected differently by different temperatures of water. When ingesting cold water, the pulse rate generally increases, while those that consumed room temperature water have a decreased pulse rate as seen in Graph 1 and 3. A hypothesis that would correctly support the results of this experiment would be, â€Å"Hydration (the consumption of water) will decrease blood pressure while cold water will increase heart rate.† Though this hypothesis is accurately supported by the results, this hypothesis may also be incorrect. One way it can be determined that our results wholly support our hypothesis is the value of the T-tests calculated for this experiment. The value of the T-tests based off of the average pulse rate, systolic pressure, and diastolic pressure were all below 5%. This shows low variability within the experiment and suggests that our experimental results are valid. Because the T-test was below 5%, it can be concluded that our results from this experiment are significant. Our results support the fact that hydration does decrease blood pressure. After much research, it is shown that, â€Å"dehydration and blood pressure are linked that it is not aging that leads to High Blood Pressure, but rather dehydration.† (Healthy Water 2007). Our results for our experiment relate to this statement because our data shows that hydration lowers blood pressure, and inversely suggests that dehydration would do the opposite by increasing blood pressure. When an individual is dehydrated, their blood vessels compensate the lack of water by contracting and heightening blood pressure. When an individual is sufficiently hydrated their vessels are filled with a high blood volume that holds the vessels open and relaxed while transporting water to fundamental organs and systems throughout the body. There were many weaknesses and flaws in our experiment and experimental design. One flaw in experimental design was the lack of a control group. Though basal readings were taken prior to the experiment, there was no separate group that was not treated with the independent variable and measured throughout the experiment. Also, our experiment was done in a hurry that could have affected the blood pressure and heart rate throughout the experiment. The sphygmomanometers that were used often came up with â€Å"error† which may have contributed to the insignificance of our data. Finally, there was no way of measuring the level of dehydration of the experimental group prior to drinking the 16 ounces of water. The data will vary with the different levels of hydration and without knowing the exact level of hydration of each individual it would be impossible to group them together. Though our results did not match our hypothesis, they were comparable to similar experiments. Our data did show that an increase in hydration will decrease blood pressure. However, our data and experimental design is neither accurate or acceptable due to errors in experimental design and experimental flaws. Literature Cited: Bishop T. 2009.Measuring Blood Pressure. Practice Nurse 38: 11-16. Costill DL, Dill DB. 1974. Calculation of percentage changes in volumes of blood, plasma, and red cells in dehydration. Journal of Applied Physiology 37: 247-248. Healthy Water. 2007. Dehydration and Blood Pressure disorders are linked. http://www.healthy-water-best-filters.com/dehydration-blood-pressure.html. February 20, 2009. Patterson SM, Rochette LM. 2005. Hydration status and cardiovascular function: effects of hydration enhancement on cardiovascular function at rest and during psychological stress. International Journal of Psychophysiology 56: 81-91. Weedman D, Sokoloski ES. 2009. Biology of Organisms. 5th Edition. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. P 173-184.

Physics of Skiing :: physics ski skiing

The sport of skiing has been around for thousands of years, originally existing solely as a form of transportation. Today the sport is entirely dependent upon the laws of physics, and has even had advancements through reliance on physics. There are two types of Nordic Skiing. These are Classic (or diagonal) and Skate Skiing. Usually these two forms are raced separate. To be fair, there are actually two slightly different forms of skate skiing; V1 and V2. As these can get very very complicated and precise in the technique, I will focus mainly on classic skiing, which is also the type of skiing that most people are familiar with. Cross-Country Skiing is the most basic form of skiing, even preceding downhill skiing. Primitive skis may have even been used about 3000 B.C. in Norway. There have been cave drawing found that seem to depict men on skis. Skiing has its roots in Scandinavia; Vikings used skis as a form of transportation in the 10th century A.D. Early skis were made of wood, and even the word ski comes from the Norse word skith a stick of wood. Norse skies were very rudimentary, little more than snowshoes. Glide was little to none. It was not until the early 1800s when Sondre Norheim changed the face of skiing and gave skis glide that the sport was introduced to the world. Competitive skiing started in the late 1800s, again in Norway. In the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, Nordic Skiing as we know it was added. Today the sport has evolved to be both extremely competitive and leisurely. In the past 30 years the sport has changed dramatically, adding skis made of synthetic materials, and utilizing waxes for improved speed. Physicists have been at the front line of all this; from determining the coefficent of friction for both the wax and the ski, to helping skiers change their technique based on the laws of physics. To maximize speed, Nordic skiing is more about form than probably any other sport. Brute strength and athletic prowess certainly have their advantages, but these pale in comparision to proper technique. While the shape of classic skis is slightly different than that of skate skis, the real difference is that classic skis have a "kick zone." This is a spot directly underneath the foot that has kick wax applied to it. Kick wax is a sticky poly-hydrocarbon that in theory is only supposed to provide a sticky surface from which to push back from.