Photos: NYC's First Annual Great Big Wheel Race

This was a busy weekend for the Geekanerd photo team - our fair city was host to two great events, the ZombieCon and the first annual NYC Big Wheel Race, presented by ZombieUnicorn. I got to cover the race, and I spent the whole time whining about how I wished I was competing. It was that awesome.

As with all of these "weird sports" events, pageantry is a major part of the proceedings. There were plenty of geek-centric costumes, and we've got shots of Ninja Turtles, Batman, and um, Joe Dirt? after the jump...

Please note the triple decker luge-style skateboard....not too functional, but a sight to see.




The race was run in several heats down a paved hill in Central Park, between 103rd street and 107th street. This dude, in his highly appropriate Formula 1 speedsuit, won multiple times. I asked him if he'd souped up his Big Wheel somehow, but he said he'd just picked it up that day for $2 at a garage sale. So I guess it was pure driving skills that got him to the finish line...

...OR WAS IT SABOTAGE?


This was the coolest cart of the day - a very homemade Turtle Van and two Ninja Turtles! It wasn't the fasted rig in the line-up, but they scored major style points for shouting "Turtle Power!" as they made there way down the hill.

Bonus points for a seasonal reference and democracy power!

This was also a ambitiously rendered cart. And yes, that's Norse lettering on the back, spelling out the competitors names. Awesome.

How did we get a Joe Dirt reference in this event? Did that movie have more cultural significance than first assumed?

Dangit, sorry this is blurry. Two fine nerdy costumes! Batman and....uh. I thought this was Speed Racer at the time, but I think I'm wrong. Someone help me please.

Here's another shot of that crazy triple-skateboard.

The sweet logo. Go ZombieUnicorn! This event was massively successful, with an unscientifically estimated turnout of, oh, like 50 racers, maybe? Spectators gathered all along the route, and after a few heats, tons of photographers were clogging up the starting line. I'd expect next year to be even bigger, so next time you see a big wheel in a trashcan, nab it and save it for next fall.

For lots more great photos of the event, check out our new friend Hbomb's coverage of the event over at Flickr! He got some of the costumes we missed, including the wheel-less Ziggy Stardust!

Olympic Highlights...Matrix Style

Okay, so this is actually kind of an old video, and was made long before the Beijing Olympics. But I never had a good excuse to post it here, and the end of The Biggest Olympics Ever is probably the best reason I'll ever have.



You can actually feel your brain struggle to keep up with your perceptions as you watch it. It's not an unpleasant feeling.

What really blows my mind is that if you showed this video to someone twenty years ago, they would have no idea what they were watching. The "Bullet-Time" 360 effect is unique to contemporary filmmaking, and whether we realize it or not we're all fluent in a kind of film language that would be totally inaccessible to people just a few decades ago.

This skit is from semi-annual Japanese program called Kasou Taishou . You can also watch version of this video where the puppeteers are more obvious.

Video: 2008 Wiimbledon Wii Tennis Tournament

The final serves have been smashed and the final beers have been consumed and after a long hard day of Wiimbledoning we lonely bloggers are back at home licking our wounds and kicking back with a few cilona-extract death sticks. This year's event was great fun. All our old pals from last year were back, but also present was a whole bunch of new blood that absolutely stomped us old-timers into the ground. I don't think a single person in the final eight played in the tournament last year. Last year's champion Russ Yagoda was eliminated in his very first match by John, and Benjamin Melinger, the winner of the Lexus Wii Tennis Virtual Open champion, was defeated in his first match by John's roommate Steve (who also later beat me). So I guess my point is, today was a total shakedown wherein previous titles meant nothing and some real superstars were playing the best Wii Tennis this chump has ever seen.

The top prizes were some sweet bowling-style Wii carrying bags stuffed with games (ooh, how I wanted one!), and there was a big pile of rackets and headbands and shoes and stuff from Prince that were handed out as well. AHR snagged some sweet tennis kicks for being in the right place at the right time with the right sized feet.

Continuing a theme from last year, much of the floor space was taken up by video teams from various media outlets. C|Net, Rocketboom, Jace Hall, Internet Week, Bush League and a bunch more I never identified all had people there to capture the showdown of hipsters and geekanerds. No square media like last year, but that was probably for the best as it felt like a more intimate Brooklyn hoedown without the stuffed shirts prancing around.

Anyway, it was a helluva way to spend a 95-degree Saturday. Props must be given to Lane Buschel and Steve Bryant, the kind gentlemen who made it all happen for no better reason than "why the hell not?". They sure know how to throw a party.

Related: Our photo post.

Weekanerd NYC: David Lynch, Dodgeball, Comic Bloggers, and LOST

Monday, March 10

• Eraserhead w/ J. Hoberman
  
• 4:30, 6:50, 9:30 @ BAM Rose Cinema, 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

Film critic J. Hoberman is celebrating his 30th year at the Village Voice, so BAM is showcasing a number of films he memorably reviewed, or just plain liked a lot. Hoberman will introduce this screening of Eraserhead, who called it a "piece of post-nuclear guignol" in his original 1977 review.

Comic bloggers, Lost, and gym class flashbacks after the jump...

Tuesday, March 11

• Heidi MacDonald (PW Beat), Brian Heater (The Daily Cross-Hatch), Kiel Phegley (Wizard Universe), and John DiBello (Bully Says)
  
• 8pm @ The P.I.T., 154 W. 29th Street, Manhattan
  

Comic bloggers on parade! If you have any questions about where the comic industry is headed (or the comic blogging industry), this is the place to get your voice heard. Tickets are, as always, a mere $5.

Wednesday, March 12

• Drop-In Dodgeball
  
• 7pm @ Some Gym in Manhattan (you need to RSVP for the address)
  

Dodgeball may generally be associated with positive memories for geekanerds, but you're all grown up now and surely decades of playing first person shooters have sharpened up your hand eye co-ordination. Registration is $15, which guarantees you at least two games. Winners get two pitches and free Pizza at the Boss Tweed after party. Losers get to feel bad about themselves. The website says it's co-ed, friendly, and 22 and over.

Thursday, March 13

• Get Lost!
  
• 6:30 @ Professor Thom's, 219 2nd Avenue, Manhattan
  

Free jello shots whenever someone says "oceanic 6" or punches Ben. I don't even like Lost, and I know that's awesome. I passed by this place last week, they've got the show on a bunch of huge screens and the volume is cranked, if you're concerned about missing some valuable info in a public setting.

Photos: The 1st Annual New York State Yo-Yo Contest and International Yo-Yo Open

It's Yo-Yo, yo! Geekanerd was on the scene at Manhattan's South Street Seaport for the first annual New York State Yo-Yo Contest and International Yo-Yo Open. And it blew our collective minds. What, you didn't know yo-yo-ing is cool? Don't you remember that Simpsons episode where the Professional Yo-Yo team come to Springfield Elementary and makes yo-yos like, the must-have item at school the next day? This was exactly like that.

After the jump, check the pics of these skillful bastards, and stay tuned to Geekanerd for video highlights.



Lots of young, highly skilled yo-yoers turned out for the event, and most of them looked a lot cooler that you'd expect. A lot of the style choices brought to mind B-Boys and Skater Punks, and between-round stage events included break dancing and hip-hop performances.


There were a fair amount folks rocking the nerd look as well.


The age range of the competitors and fans ran from about 30 down to 8 - grade-schoolers were very well-represented .

Participants were mostly male, but pretty diverse racially.


Yo-Yos were of course for sale at stands near the stage, and Duncan must have made a killing. I saw someone buy a yo-yo for fifteen dollars. That's one dollar per every minute of fun they'll have with it. Or that's how it worked out for me in sixth grade, anyway. Perhaps these hipsters will have more patience? Hipsters are known for their commitment to trends.