Cornerstone Roots are a successful contemporary New Zealand reggae band from Raglan/Whaingaroa in the Waikato.
Formed in 2001 after a session at the infamous local Raglan Musicians Club, the original three-piece outfit singer/songwriter/guitarist Brian Ruawai and bassist Naomi Tuao (Samoan/Scottish) formed the rhythm section of Cornerstone Roots. The music at that time was raw and riddim focused with a mix of contemporary styled ska/roots/soul and reggae.
The band quickly developed a strong local following with many of the early shows being filmed and recorded by fans. This prompted the band to record their first Extended play One Fine Day in 2001 where they set about touring provincial New Zealand where the cafes were crammed and live shows intense.
By the following year the Corners had released debut album Soul Revolution. The album was recorded in Wellington with engineer Lee Prebble at Surgery where the rhythm tracks were recorded live in one weekend. The album release was backed up with 20 date tour of NZ ending at the Wellington Town Hall supporting powerhouse rhythm section Sly and Robbie.
2004 saw the band cross the Tasman eight times with the release of the Forward Movement EP which was nominated for Best Roots Release in 2005. Veteran Studio One DJ Ranking Joe features over cuts off the EP and remix tracks are to be released at a later date.
2014 the band played Glastonbury and Sziget Festivals.
Cornerstone Roots have supported some heavyweight reggae acts including Burning Spear, Toots & the Maytals, Sly and Robbie with Michael Rose, Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mad Professor. They have also recorded tracks with Ranking Joe & Big Youth.
Discography
* One Fine Day EP - released 2002
* Soul Revolution LP - released 2003
* Forward Movement EP - released 2004
* Free Yourself LP - released 2007
* Future Is Now LP - released 2011
* Journey - Single - released 2012
* Is it Real - Single - released 2013
* Free Man EP - released 2015
* Summer Haze EP - released 2016
Compilations
* Conscious Roots 1 Miracles and Light
* Conscious Roots 2
* Conscious Roots 3 Calling
* Dub Conspiracy
* Kaikoura Roots CD
* Weekend Session 2
Formed in 2001 after a session at the infamous local Raglan Musicians Club, the original three-piece outfit singer/songwriter/guitarist Brian Ruawai and bassist Naomi Tuao (Samoan/Scottish) formed the rhythm section of Cornerstone Roots. The music at that time was raw and riddim focused with a mix of contemporary styled ska/roots/soul and reggae.
The band quickly developed a strong local following with many of the early shows being filmed and recorded by fans. This prompted the band to record their first Extended play One Fine Day in 2001 where they set about touring provincial New Zealand where the cafes were crammed and live shows intense.
By the following year the Corners had released debut album Soul Revolution. The album was recorded in Wellington with engineer Lee Prebble at Surgery where the rhythm tracks were recorded live in one weekend. The album release was backed up with 20 date tour of NZ ending at the Wellington Town Hall supporting powerhouse rhythm section Sly and Robbie.
2004 saw the band cross the Tasman eight times with the release of the Forward Movement EP which was nominated for Best Roots Release in 2005. Veteran Studio One DJ Ranking Joe features over cuts off the EP and remix tracks are to be released at a later date.
2014 the band played Glastonbury and Sziget Festivals.
Cornerstone Roots have supported some heavyweight reggae acts including Burning Spear, Toots & the Maytals, Sly and Robbie with Michael Rose, Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Mad Professor. They have also recorded tracks with Ranking Joe & Big Youth.
Discography
* One Fine Day EP - released 2002
* Soul Revolution LP - released 2003
* Forward Movement EP - released 2004
* Free Yourself LP - released 2007
* Future Is Now LP - released 2011
* Journey - Single - released 2012
* Is it Real - Single - released 2013
* Free Man EP - released 2015
* Summer Haze EP - released 2016
Compilations
* Conscious Roots 1 Miracles and Light
* Conscious Roots 2
* Conscious Roots 3 Calling
* Dub Conspiracy
* Kaikoura Roots CD
* Weekend Session 2
Concept 2 founders Pete and Dick Dreissigacker (brothers) began designing oars for Concept2 in 1976. Concept 2 oars have been used in every Olympic Games since 1976. There have been many new innovations to the design of the Concept 2 oar since the inception in the effort to find more speed. Concept 2 oars can be identified by their lime green sleeve where the oar fits into the oar lock.
The Blade
The blade of the Concept 2 oar has evolved in order to convert the power of the rower into boat speed more effectively. Each type of designed blade has characteristics that affect the movement of the blade through the water, how the power is applied, and the feel of the drive for the athlete. The effects of each blade innovation will be different for every rower due to variations in technique, power, body size, and boat rigging.
Skinny
The skinny shaft is available for sweeping and sculling oars. This shaft has a smaller diameter than the ultralight that creates a feeling of a softer oar. The skinny shaft is made of high modulus carbon fiber in order to achieve the necessary stiffness of the oar with the smaller diameter. This smaller diameter reduces the wind resistance by 25% on the sculling oar shaft and 50% on the sweeping oar shaft in comparison to the ultralight shaft. Although the skinny shaft weighs the same as the ultralight shaft, athletes report that the Skinny feels lighter. The skinny feels lighter in the hands because there is a different balance point from the Ultralights due to the distribution of carbon along the shaft. The Skinny shaft helps the oar respond quickly and is well suited for high stroke rates.
The oar represents a lever with the fulcrum situated at the collar (where the oar connects to the boat through the oar lock). The load of the water is applied to the blade which causes deflection or a “bend” in the oar. The stiffness of the oar is measured by how much the oar deflects from equilibrium position when a 10 kg weight is hung from the neck (where the blade meets the oar shaft). The higher the deflection of the oar, the softer the shaft.
A bent oar stores energy like a spring. This storage is not perfect, however. Much of this energy is released as heat and cannot be recovered. This is one of the inefficiencies of the softer shafts. When the rower applies force to the relaxed handle at the beginning of the stroke, the shaft of the oar flexes and stores the energy as elastic potential energy. At this point in the drive, the power delivered at the blade is less than that applied at the handle of the oar. When the force on the handle decreases, the shaft returns the stored energy to the system. The power of the blade becomes higher than the power of the handle by the end of the drive. The total amount of energy stored in the shaft is estimated to be 2.5% (for the stiffer shafts) and 3.3% (for the softer shafts) of the total work per stroke.
The ratio of handle and blade force is known as the “gearing ratio.” Because the outboard length is so much longer than the inboard length, the blade forces are much smaller than the handle forces. A stiffer oar shaft requires a more powerful handle force at the beginning of the drive. The oars with the stiffer shafts often result in the blade velocity falling below the velocity of the boat. As the boat accelerates through the drive, the force on the handle decreases naturally once the leg drive is complete. The velocity of the blade must be greater than the velocity of the shell as to not slow down the boat. A flexible or softer shaft that remains flexed helps maintain a positive blade force near the end of the drive.
The length of the oar is measured from the end of the handle to the end of the blade. For the hatchet-shaped blades (Fat2, Smoothie2 Vortex Edge, Smoothie2 Plain Edge, or Big Blade), the measurement is continued through the blade.
The boat rigging depends on the length of the oar and variables like the spread (distance from the center of the boat to the oarlock), blade size, blade type, inboard length (distance from end of handle to collar), and catch angle. If the rigging of the boat is consistent, a longer oar gives a heavier load compared to a shorter oar.
Handles
There are two types of handles available for the Concept 2 oars.
Composite Handles
The composite handle is the lightest handle offered. This handle can either be fixed or include the Length Adjustment System.
* The Length Adjustment System uses a composite handle with an outside grip that has a 5 centimeter range of length adjustment. The grip is keyed to the handle of the oar to prevent rotation. The grip can be adjusted 0.25 cm with each turn of the screw over the entire 5 centimeter range. The handle has a stable connection to the shaft which prevents wiggling and reduces stress on the oar.
* The Fixed Length composite handles are available for sweeps, but not for skinny shafts. It is available in narrow or medium for sculls.
Wood Handles
The traditional basswood handle is available only for the fixed length oars. The wood handle comes in three sizes for the sweep oars: small (39 mm), medium (42 mm), and large (45 mm).
Grips
Concept 2 offers these grips for their sweeping oars:
* Smooth Green Rubber Grip
* Microfiber Suede Grip
* Wood Veneer Grip
* Blue Cellular Foam Grip
* Contoured Orange Rubber Grip
* Ice Blue and Azure Blue Rubber Grip
* Black Rubber Grip
The grips offered for sculling oars:
* Smooth Green Rubber Grip
* Microfiber Suede Grip
* Blue Cellular Foam Grip
* Contoured Orange Rubber Grip
* Ice Blue and Azure Blue Rubber Grip
* Black Rubber Grip
Assembly of the oar
The shafts and blades of the oar are molded at the Concept 2 factory in Morrisville, Vermont. The carbon material is constructed into patterns using a computer controlled cutting table. The blade is then cut into its desired shape then tested for structural defects.
The blade is bonded to the shaft of the oar followed by the installation of the sleeve, handle, and grip using adhesive glue. Final measurements of the pitch, length, inboard, and blade orientation are taken and confirmed for quality.
Port and starboard markings are added to each oar as well as identification markings that include the oar specifications and the unique serial number.
The Blade
The blade of the Concept 2 oar has evolved in order to convert the power of the rower into boat speed more effectively. Each type of designed blade has characteristics that affect the movement of the blade through the water, how the power is applied, and the feel of the drive for the athlete. The effects of each blade innovation will be different for every rower due to variations in technique, power, body size, and boat rigging.
Skinny
The skinny shaft is available for sweeping and sculling oars. This shaft has a smaller diameter than the ultralight that creates a feeling of a softer oar. The skinny shaft is made of high modulus carbon fiber in order to achieve the necessary stiffness of the oar with the smaller diameter. This smaller diameter reduces the wind resistance by 25% on the sculling oar shaft and 50% on the sweeping oar shaft in comparison to the ultralight shaft. Although the skinny shaft weighs the same as the ultralight shaft, athletes report that the Skinny feels lighter. The skinny feels lighter in the hands because there is a different balance point from the Ultralights due to the distribution of carbon along the shaft. The Skinny shaft helps the oar respond quickly and is well suited for high stroke rates.
The oar represents a lever with the fulcrum situated at the collar (where the oar connects to the boat through the oar lock). The load of the water is applied to the blade which causes deflection or a “bend” in the oar. The stiffness of the oar is measured by how much the oar deflects from equilibrium position when a 10 kg weight is hung from the neck (where the blade meets the oar shaft). The higher the deflection of the oar, the softer the shaft.
A bent oar stores energy like a spring. This storage is not perfect, however. Much of this energy is released as heat and cannot be recovered. This is one of the inefficiencies of the softer shafts. When the rower applies force to the relaxed handle at the beginning of the stroke, the shaft of the oar flexes and stores the energy as elastic potential energy. At this point in the drive, the power delivered at the blade is less than that applied at the handle of the oar. When the force on the handle decreases, the shaft returns the stored energy to the system. The power of the blade becomes higher than the power of the handle by the end of the drive. The total amount of energy stored in the shaft is estimated to be 2.5% (for the stiffer shafts) and 3.3% (for the softer shafts) of the total work per stroke.
The ratio of handle and blade force is known as the “gearing ratio.” Because the outboard length is so much longer than the inboard length, the blade forces are much smaller than the handle forces. A stiffer oar shaft requires a more powerful handle force at the beginning of the drive. The oars with the stiffer shafts often result in the blade velocity falling below the velocity of the boat. As the boat accelerates through the drive, the force on the handle decreases naturally once the leg drive is complete. The velocity of the blade must be greater than the velocity of the shell as to not slow down the boat. A flexible or softer shaft that remains flexed helps maintain a positive blade force near the end of the drive.
The length of the oar is measured from the end of the handle to the end of the blade. For the hatchet-shaped blades (Fat2, Smoothie2 Vortex Edge, Smoothie2 Plain Edge, or Big Blade), the measurement is continued through the blade.
The boat rigging depends on the length of the oar and variables like the spread (distance from the center of the boat to the oarlock), blade size, blade type, inboard length (distance from end of handle to collar), and catch angle. If the rigging of the boat is consistent, a longer oar gives a heavier load compared to a shorter oar.
Handles
There are two types of handles available for the Concept 2 oars.
Composite Handles
The composite handle is the lightest handle offered. This handle can either be fixed or include the Length Adjustment System.
* The Length Adjustment System uses a composite handle with an outside grip that has a 5 centimeter range of length adjustment. The grip is keyed to the handle of the oar to prevent rotation. The grip can be adjusted 0.25 cm with each turn of the screw over the entire 5 centimeter range. The handle has a stable connection to the shaft which prevents wiggling and reduces stress on the oar.
* The Fixed Length composite handles are available for sweeps, but not for skinny shafts. It is available in narrow or medium for sculls.
Wood Handles
The traditional basswood handle is available only for the fixed length oars. The wood handle comes in three sizes for the sweep oars: small (39 mm), medium (42 mm), and large (45 mm).
Grips
Concept 2 offers these grips for their sweeping oars:
* Smooth Green Rubber Grip
* Microfiber Suede Grip
* Wood Veneer Grip
* Blue Cellular Foam Grip
* Contoured Orange Rubber Grip
* Ice Blue and Azure Blue Rubber Grip
* Black Rubber Grip
The grips offered for sculling oars:
* Smooth Green Rubber Grip
* Microfiber Suede Grip
* Blue Cellular Foam Grip
* Contoured Orange Rubber Grip
* Ice Blue and Azure Blue Rubber Grip
* Black Rubber Grip
Assembly of the oar
The shafts and blades of the oar are molded at the Concept 2 factory in Morrisville, Vermont. The carbon material is constructed into patterns using a computer controlled cutting table. The blade is then cut into its desired shape then tested for structural defects.
The blade is bonded to the shaft of the oar followed by the installation of the sleeve, handle, and grip using adhesive glue. Final measurements of the pitch, length, inboard, and blade orientation are taken and confirmed for quality.
Port and starboard markings are added to each oar as well as identification markings that include the oar specifications and the unique serial number.
Michael Takla (born 18 March 1986) also known as the Sushi Traveler, is a YouTube Personality who travels all over the world finding the best sushi bars and the Chefs who rise to the occasion. He has a large social media following with over 100 thousand followers on Instagram which he garnered from posting some of the best looking sushi from all around the world. Takla currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most sushi rolls eaten in one minute.
Career
Takla learned the basics of sushi at the age of 13 from dining at sushi bars across the country. Takla has a large fan base on social media from hosting segments such as "All You Can Eat Sushi" on his YouTube channel "Sushi Traveler". In 2021, he broke the Guinness record for the most sushi rolls eaten in one minute.
Career
Takla learned the basics of sushi at the age of 13 from dining at sushi bars across the country. Takla has a large fan base on social media from hosting segments such as "All You Can Eat Sushi" on his YouTube channel "Sushi Traveler". In 2021, he broke the Guinness record for the most sushi rolls eaten in one minute.
Anthony James Sledge (born September 1, 1985), also known as AJDaGuru or by his stage name Mr. Live, is an American singer, rapper, and producer. His work has been featured in magazines such as Hype, Hip Hop Weekly, Sheen Magazine, Singersroom and AllHipHop. He has produced music for artists including GLC, Chevy Woods, and King Chip.
Time In Junior High:
Entering Junior High School Sledge Behavior issues continued. Sledge later got into a fight with a classmate over the knock-off brand boots he wore to school. Many of Sledge's classmates wore Timberland boots, but Sledges' mom could only afford the replica version of boots and for that he was teased. Sledge joined the school's football team months after a suspension for fighting. He was forced to stop playing after he was seriously injured one day at practice. His femur bone and growth plate in his right knee had broken badly, causing Sledge to have surgery on both his right and left legs. From the Injuries, Sledge had to learn how to walk all over again by going to physical therapy daily for a year. Sledge missed the rest of the sixth and seventh grade due to his injuries. Sledge spent a great deal of his Junior High years in the house learning with the help of a tutor. To help him get through the tragic moments, Sledge mother would purchase him all the new latest video games to help with keeping him busy. At the age of thirteen, Sledge healed and made his return back to school for his last year in Junior high school. Sledge would ride his bike after school to speed up the recovery process and gain the strength back in his legs. Due to his Injuries from football, Sledge looked for other hobbies to enjoy and music later became his new hobby. Sledge used his time at lunch tables and would beat-box while friends wrote raps to the music he created with his mouth. Sledge enjoyed the popularity he received from his newfound talent and was happy to show off new sounds to his friends. At fourteen Sledge graduated Junior high school and advanced to High school.
* Seen It All (2021)
* Sledge Family Rules (2020)
* Livestrumentals Vol. 1 (2015)
* Livestrumentals Vol. 2 (2016)<ref name=":5" />
Time In Junior High:
Entering Junior High School Sledge Behavior issues continued. Sledge later got into a fight with a classmate over the knock-off brand boots he wore to school. Many of Sledge's classmates wore Timberland boots, but Sledges' mom could only afford the replica version of boots and for that he was teased. Sledge joined the school's football team months after a suspension for fighting. He was forced to stop playing after he was seriously injured one day at practice. His femur bone and growth plate in his right knee had broken badly, causing Sledge to have surgery on both his right and left legs. From the Injuries, Sledge had to learn how to walk all over again by going to physical therapy daily for a year. Sledge missed the rest of the sixth and seventh grade due to his injuries. Sledge spent a great deal of his Junior High years in the house learning with the help of a tutor. To help him get through the tragic moments, Sledge mother would purchase him all the new latest video games to help with keeping him busy. At the age of thirteen, Sledge healed and made his return back to school for his last year in Junior high school. Sledge would ride his bike after school to speed up the recovery process and gain the strength back in his legs. Due to his Injuries from football, Sledge looked for other hobbies to enjoy and music later became his new hobby. Sledge used his time at lunch tables and would beat-box while friends wrote raps to the music he created with his mouth. Sledge enjoyed the popularity he received from his newfound talent and was happy to show off new sounds to his friends. At fourteen Sledge graduated Junior high school and advanced to High school.
* Seen It All (2021)
* Sledge Family Rules (2020)
* Livestrumentals Vol. 1 (2015)
* Livestrumentals Vol. 2 (2016)<ref name=":5" />