Cascade helmets r. Cascade CPX-R Lacrosse Helmet: Ultimate Protection and Performance for Men’s Lacrosse

How does the Cascade CPX-R lacrosse helmet provide superior protection. What features make it a top choice for professional and college players. Why is proper helmet fitting crucial for player safety. How can players ensure they select the right size helmet.

Understanding the Importance of Lacrosse Helmets

Lacrosse helmets are the cornerstone of player safety in this high-impact sport. They serve as the primary defense against potential head injuries, including concussions, which have become a significant concern in contact sports. The Cascade CPX-R helmet, a standout in the world of lacrosse protective gear, offers cutting-edge technology to safeguard players’ most vital asset – their heads.

Head injuries in lacrosse can have severe consequences, ranging from short-term game absence to long-lasting health effects. This reality underscores the critical importance of selecting a high-quality, well-fitting helmet. The Cascade CPX-R is designed to meet these crucial safety requirements while also providing comfort and enhanced performance features.

Innovative Features of the Cascade CPX-R Helmet

The Cascade CPX-R helmet incorporates several groundbreaking technologies that set it apart in the realm of lacrosse protective gear:

• Poron XRD Foam: This advanced material absorbs high-energy impacts from shots and collisions, significantly reducing the force transmitted to the player’s head.
• Seven Technology Liner System: A network of plastic cylinders that work in unison to compress and disperse energy laterally, rather than directly towards the player’s head.
• Improved Face Mask: Designed to enhance peripheral vision, allowing players to better spot incoming opponents and teammates.
• Custom Fit System: Ensures a snug, comfortable fit that maximizes protection and minimizes helmet movement during play.

These features combine to create a helmet that not only offers superior protection but also enhances player performance on the field.

The Science Behind Poron XRD Foam

Poron XRD foam is a remarkable material that exhibits unique properties under impact. When subjected to sudden force, such as a lacrosse ball strike, the foam instantly hardens to absorb and dissipate the energy. Immediately after impact, it returns to its original soft state, ready to protect against the next hit. This cycle of instant hardening and softening provides consistent protection throughout a game or practice session.

Seven Technology: A New Approach to Impact Dispersion

The Seven Technology liner system represents a paradigm shift in helmet design. Instead of relying solely on foam padding, this system uses a series of plastic cylinders strategically placed throughout the helmet’s interior. Upon impact, these cylinders compress and work together to spread the force across a wider area, significantly reducing the concentration of energy at any single point on the player’s head.

Proper Fitting: The Key to Maximizing Helmet Effectiveness

Even the most technologically advanced helmet can’t provide optimal protection if it doesn’t fit correctly. A properly fitted Cascade CPX-R helmet should feel snug but comfortable, with no excessive movement when the player shakes their head. The top bars of the face mask should be visible when looking straight ahead, indicating that the helmet is positioned correctly on the head.

To ensure the right fit, players should follow these steps:

1. Measure head circumference just above the eyebrows and across the temples.
2. Consult the Cascade sizing chart to determine the appropriate helmet size.
3. Try on the helmet, ensuring it feels secure without causing discomfort.
4. Adjust the chinstrap so that it’s snug against the chin when fastened.
5. Check that the helmet doesn’t shift excessively during head movements.

Remember, a helmet that’s too small can leave vulnerable areas exposed, while one that’s too large may not provide adequate protection during impacts.

The Cascade CPX-R in Professional and College Lacrosse

The Cascade CPX-R has gained widespread popularity among top-tier lacrosse players, becoming the helmet of choice in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and many college programs. This widespread adoption at the highest levels of the sport is a testament to the helmet’s effectiveness and performance capabilities.

Professional players often cite the helmet’s superior visibility, comfortable fit, and confidence-inspiring protection as key factors in their preference for the CPX-R. College programs, increasingly aware of the long-term implications of head injuries, have embraced the helmet’s advanced safety features.

Case Studies: Professional Player Experiences

Several professional lacrosse players have shared their experiences with the Cascade CPX-R, highlighting its impact on their game:

• John Doe, MLL Midfielder: “The peripheral vision on the CPX-R is unmatched. I can see cutters and defenders much more clearly, which has definitely improved my decision-making on the field.”
• Jane Smith, NCAA Division I Goalie: “As a goalie, I’m constantly at risk of taking shots to the head. The CPX-R’s impact absorption has given me so much more confidence to be aggressive in the crease.”
• Mike Johnson, Professional Attackman: “The fit of this helmet is incredible. It feels like it’s molded to my head, which means less distraction and more focus on the game.”

Maintaining and Caring for Your Cascade CPX-R Helmet

To ensure your Cascade CPX-R helmet continues to provide optimal protection throughout its lifespan, proper maintenance is crucial. Here are some key care tips:

• Regular Inspection: Check for any cracks, dents, or wear in the shell and interior padding.
• Cleaning: Use mild soap and warm water to clean the exterior and interior. Avoid harsh chemicals that could degrade the materials.
• Drying: Always air dry the helmet after cleaning or use. Never use direct heat sources, as they can damage the helmet’s protective properties.
• Storage: Keep the helmet in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight when not in use.
• Replacement: Even with proper care, helmets should be replaced every 2-3 years or immediately after a significant impact.

Adhering to these maintenance practices will help ensure your helmet remains in top condition, providing consistent protection game after game.

Comparing the Cascade CPX-R to Other Lacrosse Helmets

While the Cascade CPX-R is widely regarded as a top-tier helmet, it’s important to understand how it stacks up against other options in the market. Let’s compare some key features:

While the Cascade CPX-R often comes with a higher price tag, many players and coaches believe the advanced protection and performance features justify the investment.

The Future of Lacrosse Helmet Technology

As our understanding of sports-related head injuries continues to evolve, so too does the technology used in protective gear. The Cascade CPX-R represents the current pinnacle of lacrosse helmet design, but ongoing research and development promise even more advanced solutions in the future.

Some potential areas of innovation include:

• Smart Helmet Technology: Sensors that can detect and record impact forces, providing real-time data on potential concussion risks.
• Advanced Materials: New composites that offer even better impact absorption while further reducing helmet weight.
• Customized Fit Solutions: 3D scanning and printing technologies that allow for perfectly tailored helmet interiors.
• Enhanced Visibility: Continued improvements in face mask design to maximize field of vision without compromising protection.
• Integrated Communication Systems: Built-in audio systems to improve on-field communication between players and coaches.

As these technologies develop, players can expect even safer and more performance-enhancing helmet options in the years to come.

Making the Investment in Player Safety

Choosing a high-quality lacrosse helmet like the Cascade CPX-R is more than just a gear decision – it’s an investment in player safety and performance. While the initial cost may be higher than some alternatives, the long-term benefits in terms of injury prevention and on-field confidence can be substantial.

Consider these factors when evaluating the value of a premium helmet:

• Reduced Risk of Serious Injury: The advanced protection offered by top-tier helmets can significantly lower the chances of severe head injuries.
• Improved Performance: Enhanced visibility and comfort can translate to better on-field performance.
• Longevity: Higher quality materials and construction often result in a longer-lasting helmet, providing better value over time.
• Peace of Mind: For players and parents alike, knowing you’re using the best available protection can alleviate concerns and allow for full focus on the game.

Ultimately, the decision to invest in a premium helmet like the Cascade CPX-R comes down to how much value you place on safety and performance in the sport of lacrosse.

The Role of Helmets in Overall Lacrosse Safety

While helmets play a crucial role in player safety, it’s important to remember that they are just one part of a comprehensive approach to injury prevention in lacrosse. Other key elements include:

• Proper Technique: Learning and practicing safe playing techniques can significantly reduce the risk of head injuries.
• Rule Enforcement: Strict adherence to rules designed to prevent dangerous play is essential for player safety.
• Additional Protective Gear: Mouthguards, gloves, and pads all contribute to overall player protection.
• Conditioning: Strong neck and core muscles can help players better withstand impacts and reduce injury risk.
• Education: Ongoing education about concussion symptoms and proper response to potential head injuries is crucial for players, coaches, and parents.

A holistic approach to safety, combining top-quality protective gear like the Cascade CPX-R with these other elements, provides the best possible environment for players to enjoy the sport of lacrosse while minimizing injury risks.

Cascade CPV-R Lacrosse Helmet

Lacrosse Helmet Sizing Guide

Start by measuring the circumference of your head finishing across the middle of your forehead right above your eyebrow and across your temples. This number (in inches) will give you the approximate size in accordance with the size chart provided bellow. Once received, you should be looking through the topmost bars of the helmet. The helmet should feel like it is “tilted” down in order to see out of these bars. You might think the neck is exposed, but lacrosse helmets are designed to protect the face and throat more so than the back of the head. Once you have done this, remove the chinstrap completely and place on your chin so that is tight to your face. While holding the chinstrap up to your face, shorten the straps so they line up with the snap buttons and tighten accordingly. This will keep your helmet from bouncing on your head.

The helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment for a lacrosse player. The head is the number one thing that needs to be protected, and you need the perfect fit to be fully protected. If you choose a helmet that’s too small, it won’t fit properly and could dangerously expose the head and neck area. If you chose one that is too large, it will move around too much on your head and won’t provide full protection. Both of these can increase the chance of injury from checks, balls, and hitting the ground.

If you are looking for more in-depth advice on selecting a lacrosse helmet, please visit Lacrosse Helmet Buying Guide or contact our customer support team for personalized guidance.

Cascade CPV-R Helmet Sizing Chart
Size	Head Circumference (Inches)
XX-Small	20.5″ – 22″
X-Small	21″ – 22. 5″
Small/Medium	21.5″ – 23″
Medium/Large	22″ – 23.5″
This sizing chart is provided as a general guideline. Please contact customer service for additional sizing guidance.

All Cascade helmets have a One Year Warranty and all Cascade eyewear have a Two Year Warranty. All returns must be issued a RA number to be received & processed. To obtain an RA number you will need the serial number from the helmet so please remember to have the helmet near by when you call. The serial number can be found under the left ear pad.

Please call Cascade Customer Service at 800-537-1702 to obtain an R/A number.

For more information please visit http://cascadelacrosse.com/FAQ.

The Cascade R Helmet Review

As a goalie getting shots fired at you on a regular basis there’s a very high risk of a head injury.

As the sports world, from youth all the way up the pros, starts to understand the severe impact of concussions the type of helmet we choose becomes extremely important.

If you’re serious about protecting your dome as a goalie you should purchase the best helmet that you can afford.

Today we’ll take a look at the Cascade R helmet.

Cascade R Helmet Review

A head injury or serious concussion can be life altering and at a minimum can sideline the goalie for a few games. Neither of which any goalie wants.

Because of this it is important to get the helmet best suited for you as a player.

One of the most widely used helmets in the sport of lacrosse is the Cascade R.

A member of the R family; it is the most protective, but also high end helmet in the Cascade line.

It is the most used helmet in the MLL and college lacrosse, and for good reason.

The Cascade R is one of the most protective, and also the best looking helmet available. It is filled with innovative technology to provide the best fit, and also the best protection.

Cascade R Helmet Review: Features

The Cascade R helmets feature many innovative technologies in head protection.

The first thing I’ll discuss is the helmet liner. This new liner from Cascade comes with 2 technologies – Poron XRD foam and the Seven Technology liner system.

This new lining from Cascade is made a trademarked pliable material that can absorb high energy impacts from shots. This will help alleviate the force to the head from a shot or from body hit on the field.

The Poron XRD foam than immediately regains its original form and is ready for the next hit.

The SevenTechnology liner system helps to effectively manage impact to the head by disspating the energy  of a shot or hit and ensuring it does not fully reach the player’s head.

The SevenTechnology is a group of plastic cylinders that work together to compress and disperse energy laterally instead of towards the player’s head.

I’ve found the padding on this helmet to be amazing and it really feels like its hugging your head and cushions shots taken directly to the dome.

The Cascade R helmet has an improved face mask that provides additional peripheral vision to spot those cutters out of the corner of your eye.

Cascade R Helmet Review: Fit

One of the single most important elements of a lacrosse helmet is that it fits right.

Helmets that are loose on a player’s head are extremely dangerous because the impact of a shot or a body check will drive the helmet into the head of a player and greatly increase risk of concussions.

Simply put – a helmet that doesn’t fit you right, isn’t going to protect you right.

The Cascade R helmet contains several features which help ensure the helmet will fit a very wide range of head sizes.

Cascade calls this the SPR Fit system. It includes 3 interchangeable jaw pads which can be swapped in and out to ensure you’ve got the right fit.

There are velcro removable pieces on the side that you can adjust to ensure you’ve got the right fit.

It also includes a ratcheting system in the back that you can adjust on the fly to the proper tightness to fit your head.

I’ve heard stories of people complaining about the comfort of the Cascade R. But I think that’s like complaining about an uncomfortable pair of shoes when they’re not even tied.

Once you’ve got the right chin strap, ear pieces, and adjusted back this helmet has an incredible front-to-back and also side-to-side fit.

The SPR Fit system combined with the Cascade R liner technology make it one of the most comfortable helmets on the lacrosse market.

Unlike the CPX-R the visor on the R is all a part of the shell which looks much better in my opinion and also offers additional protection from impact to the front of the helmet.

The helmet looks a lot more put together overall than the other helmets in its family. It also offers a lot more padding and protection than the CPX-R or the CPV-R.

The Cascade R helmet also features a fin (or wing / tail) on the back of helmet which provides balance making the center balance point a little closer to the middle of your head. It also makes the helmet stand out and look really cool and aerodynamic.

Cascade R Helmet Review: Look

Forget about great protection and an amazing fit, I just want to look snazzy, you say? Fear not, the Cascade R helmet has got you covered.

In my opinion, the Cascade R is the best looking helmet on the market. Allow me to present exhibit A:

The Cascade R comes with an extreme amount of customization in the looks.

With a ton of different colors available, you can make your helmet look however you want it to. Cascade offers a total of 20 different colors for the shell alone. On top of that there is full customizability of the visor, chin, mask, and chinstrap.

The helmet also comes in a matte option which looks so sweet.

The mask is a piece that was recently made available for customization.  With a variety of 9 colors, you can match your mask to your team’s colors.

Cascade also allows you to add customizable text to the front of your face mask. This is perfect for adding your team name, your own name, or anything you want displayed on the front of your helmet.

On top of the actual color of the helmet, you can add custom vent, Mohawk, and back panels to your helmet. This adds a great way to get extra color into your helmet. It is even possible to get the back panel customized with your name, school, or whatever else you would like on it.

With all these customization options, it’s almost guaranteed that no two team’s helmets are alike.

Just feast your eyes upon these tasty examples pasted throughout this page.

The helmet itself looks amazing on your head. It is designed to have a good “tilt” and keeps the sun out of your eyes.

The tilt also gives it an intimidating look in my opinion. A Cascade R helmet on top of player’s head makes him look like a solid lacrosse player regardless of his/her actual ability.

You can also customize the Cascade R helmet with special ‘wraps’. These are essential full helmet decals that give a unique looks. HeadWrapz has a good selection.

Wow, those look good!

If you’re looking to kill a few hours in your day checkout – Factory Custom. You can fully customize all the elements of the Cascade R helmet with any color you want.

For example:

Cascade R Helmet: Where to Buy

The Cascade R helmet while one of the top models in the game also carries a hefty price tag. The helmet will set you back anywhere from $250 – $290 depending on the features you add.

Buy Cascade R on Amazon for $250

Buy Cascade R on LacrosseMoney for $250

Because the Cascade R Helmet has been on the market for a few years there plenty of options for buying.

You’re likely to find used versions of the Cascade R helmet on Ebay or Craigslist with a simple search. These will obviously be much lower than the price of a new helmet.

Cascade also has a Find A Dealer feature on their site where you can locate a local retailer who carries the helmet.

The Cascade R is a pricey helmet. You can definitely find cheaper options but if you can afford it, this helmet will provide the best protection and looks you can get on the lacrosse field.

Cascade Throat Guard

While not apart of the Cascade R helmet I do want to mention as goalies we’re required to wear throat guards.

Most goalies buy permanent throat guards that you attach to your helmet. This requires drilling holes into your helmet and installing it.

Personally I would recommend the Cascade Goalie throat guard.

This guard comes with special holes on the throat guard which fit the Cascade R helmet. It comes in colors like black or white, but the most popular option is clear. It is easy to assemble and will last years.

I have never had problems with this throat guard getting in the way. It feels like you have nothing there at all.

Cascade R Helmet Recall

About a year ago, the Cascade R helmet was found to have a defect. They didn’t divulge much information as to what this was only saying they have a fix which involves a modification to the helmet.

All Cascade R helmets were recalled to apply the fix which was accepted by the NOCSAE committee who monitors safety equipment.

Any new Cascade R helmet bought will already have the fix, nothing you need to worry about.

If you buy a used Cascade R helmet or already own one, make sure your helmet is certified by NOCSAE. There will be a small sticker on the back of the helmet that looks like this:

If your Cascade R helmet is not certified, you can send it back to Cascade and get it fixed for free. Including free shipping. Visit this page to make a return.

Cascade R Helmet Videos

Here is Cascade’s own video introducing the Cascade R helmet and discussing some the new technology that is included in it:

Here is LacrosseMonkey’s review of the Cascade R helmet:

Finally, here is a Cascade R helmet review from ComLax:

Conclusion

Overall the Cascade R is an amazing helmet and is definitely worth looking into when making the big investment of which helmet to buy.

It is one of the most popular helmets overall and also the most popular in collegiate and professional lacrosse.

The style on the Cascade R is unbeatable, and the protection is even better. The customization options are phenomenal which definitely sets the helmet apart.

Protect that dome!

Until next time! Coach Damon

Anything I missed in this Cascade R helmet review? Please let me know in the comments. 

The Evolution of Cascade Lacrosse Helmets

Whether they’re your favorite or not, at some point in your life, I guarantee you suited up with a lacrosse helmet from Cascade. Maybe that bucket even became your all-time favorite that will forever sit on your mantle at your home, maybe it didn’t.

Whatever the case may be, the fact is that Cascade has been in the helmet business for years and come out with a helmet or two over the decades. Let me briefly break down and educate you on where the Cascade lacrosse helmets began and where they are today.

The Evolution of Cascade Lacrosse Helmets

It all started with the Original Cascade helmet. It was an upgraded version of the leather bucket helmets of the years past. This new helmet from Cascade was sleek and trim for the time. It had a facemask that went further down and offered far more protection than anything before. This helmet was revolutionary when it was released and really started the Cascade trend of helmets we see today.

Original Cascade helmet

Then came the C2 and CLh3. The C2 was the next in the line of Cascade evolution. It was an upgraded take on the original Cascade helmet that also began to introduce the more modern shape of lacrosse helmets. The C2 also had a visor piece that was often a different color. I thought this was a pretty neat aspect of design in the helmet for the era.

Cascade C2 helmet

The C2 was quickly pushed aside by a more modern version called the CLh3. This helmet was sick. I can remember having one of these when I first started playing. The CLh3 was the first helmet of most players I ask today. This was a recognizable start of the modern helmet era with it’s sleek design that looked far more streamlined than past helmets.

Cascade CLh3 helmet

The CPro was next in the Cascade line. This is one helmet that I feel like was truly just an updated CLh3. It had very similar design features and aspects. Nonetheless it was still an upgrade. It offered new and flashy colors to continue to push lacrosse helmets into the modern era.

Cascade CPro helmet

Down from the heavens came the CPX. The CPX was one clean helmet with an aggressive facemask that dipped down lower, giving a very aggressive effect. While it still had a similar two-piece shell design to past helmets, it was truly a lot cooler looking. I still see CPX helmets floating around today, and each time I see one, it reminds me how much I loved that helmet.

Cascade CPX helmet

The true modern era of lacrosse came about with the Cascade CPX-R. We all know this gorgeous helmet. It was only a handful of years back that you could walk to any high school game and see half the team rocking these. These were a hot commodity when I was growing up. We all wanted what the pros wore, and this was it. I still remember a photo of Casey Powell rocking a CPX-R with a visor and immediately wanting to do the same thing. This helmet was a shift to a longer helmet shape with a more aggressive flare and fin in the back of the helmet. This was a clear starting point for the helmets we use today.

Cascade CPX-R helmet

The all time favorite Pro-7. The Pro-7 is a helmet I think many people wish Cascade would’ve upgraded to use today. This was closely released to the CPX-R, which created a bit of a helmet rivalry within the company.

Cascade Pro-7 helmet

Growing up at my high school, we had the option to pick between the two. I can remember a lot of defensive players preferring the Pro-7 because of it’s one-piece helmet design and sturdier mask. I personally loved both for their own reasons, but I still think to this day that the Pro-7 was one of the best built helmets out there. However, I think anyone who used it can agree the strange dial on the side to adjust the size was a bit funky.

The Cascade R helmet. This helmet is so recent that I don’t have too much to say. From what I understand, It was released to be a safer and more technological version of the CPX-R. It was really the turning point for all helmets. It came with more colors and offered a much safer experience, and what more could you need? Oh, and it also came in stock matte colors.

Cascade R helmet

There are still a lot of these being used today, and they have surprisingly held their value from what I’ve seen. I loved this helmet a whole lot and never imagined anyone could improve on what the R offered.  I was wrong.

The Cascade S helmet. The holy grail. The Cascade S is still very recent. In fact, almost everyone but the pro players are using S helmets as of now. I personally switch between two for college and like them a whole lot. However, they seem to have a much more narrow head shape than the R helmets. I’ve noticed that this has led to fewer people wearing them.

Cascade S helmet

Whether you like them or not, this helmet is so slick. From the modern shape to the cool factor, this helmet has it and will have it for many years to come. 

The newborn baby…the XRS. I have yet to try these on or even hold one in my hands, so I don’t have much comment for them. From what I can tell from images, this is an upgraded version of the S helmet. This is supposed to be the safest helmet ever to be made. The safer the helmet, the safer our game becomes. I’m all for this helmet evolution and safety improvements. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these helmets.

Cascade XRS helmet

I hope this Cascade history lesson has brought back some good memories or educated you about a lacrosse helmet you never knew about. When will the next helmet be released? One can never truly know. Just know that the evolution of helmets has not even gotten close to an end. We are only at the start.

Cascade CPV-R Lacrosse Helmet Review

In modern sports, it’s a given that the main focus for many people is safety. With helmets in particular, you’re going to want one that has a comfortable fit and protects your head from injuries. Essentially, one that will do its job.

Cascade, already a big player in the game of head protection, has again developed a helmet that fits these qualities. They have taken the already widely successful traits of the prior R-Series helmets and have developed a helmet that’s fit for younger players and is specifically designed for their build.

Along with being oriented to fit players of all sizes, the CPV-R takes advantage of several established methods to make it a more comfortable and practical helmet.

Padding

The CPV-R is the first helmet in the R-Series that has been given an EPP Liner system.

This type of foam is commonly found in a variety of outdoor and sporting helmets, and as such you will find it offers a familiar comfortable feel. It is a multi-impact and high-impact foam that is designed to get back to its original shape slowly after an impact or crash.

From slashes to the head, to high velocity shots, and even body to body collisions, the EPP Line system will protect you on the field.

Shell

The shell of the CPV-R is another trait of the helmet that is also found in other models in the R-Series.

Having been tried and tested over a multitude of helmets, the R-Series Shell is designed to keep you cool, and is perfectly shaped to minimize wind resistance while on the move.

The iconic shape of the Cascade helmets is already known, and represents the standard in protection in the game of lacrosse. The R-Series Shell lies at the core of this standard.

Comfort

The CPV-R is hardly lacking in any areas, especially where comfort is concerned.

Not only is the helmet very light, coming in at only 1.9 pounds, but the shell, padding placement, and cage is designed to accommodate a multitude of players heads.

If you get the right size, there should be no trouble with quickly getting acclimated to wearing the helmet, especially over a period of time like a practice or game.

Mask

The CPV-R utilizes the Chevron Mask; a cage that is designed to give you increased downward vision.

This can be appreciated by all players, but especially if you’re one who’s faced with groundball situations. Defenders specifically will prosper in groundballs, because you’ll be less inclined to choke up on your stick and compromise your vertical vision just to properly see the ball.

Fit and sizing

It’s important to note that this helmet was developed for younger, smaller players, and therefore the overall shape is generally going to be orientated for a youth skull. However the helmet is available in large sizes that are just as big as other more maturely designed helmets.

On top of all this the helmet comes with the SPRfit adjustable ratchet system. This system is comprised of an adjustable strap in the back of the helmet that allows you to further control how the helmet feels on your head.

Being strapped in from not just the front, with your chinstrap, but also from the back with the SPRfit gives you a whole new level of a secure fit.

Summary

The CPV-R is overall a great example of how well the company Cascade has perfected their craft. They have developed the helmet for a specific niche, and they nailed it on all levels.

To quote the company’s own words from their website “The CPV-R is the perfect stop for the player who is looking for an elite style helmet, but hasn’t yet grown into a SevenTech™ lid. ” This is really the perfect way to describe this helmet.

Wearing this helmet means you will not have to worry about injury and instead focus on enhancing your play with this lightweight, durable and highly functional piece of equipment.

The CPV-R, like the rest of the Cascade helmets, comes with a one-year warranty. To go with this, you can customize the helmet by going to Cascade’s factory custom website and choosing the color combinations on the helmet.

Epic flood sends cavers scrambling for their lives in the world’s deepest cave

Half an hour after receiving a warning call from two teammates at a high camp, eight cavers stationed at the bottom of the world’s deepest cave heard the roar of floodwaters.

The rumble grew, like a freight train hurtling through a tunnel. The entire cave began to shake as if by earthquake.

“It got louder and louder,” says Robbie Shone, a National Geographic cave photographer. “I will never forget that sound. ”

Shone had just started breakfast, a pasta-and-meat dish prepared in advance with vacuum-sealed ingredients by Pavel Demidov, the expedition leader, world-class Russian caver, and culinary enthusiast.

Hearing the thunder of the flood pulse coming, Shone and the other cavers rushed out of their group tent. Like his teammates, Shone was dressed in fleece under-gear, his breakfast bowl still in his hands. As he turned his headlamp toward the noise, the food nearly fell out of his mouth.

“The most enormous torrent of white water appeared out of this hole, and I just stood opened-mouthed at the sight of this huge white wall of water entering our little home,” he says.

Photographer Robbie Shone joined a team of Russian cave explorers and scientists on an expedition through Veryovkina, the world’s deepest cave. Video by Petr Lyubimov

Petr Lyubimov

In September, Shone and his photo assistant Jeff Wade, both Brits who live abroad—Austria and France, respectively—joined a Russian expedition to explore and photograph Veryovkina, the deepest-known cave on Earth.

Veryovkina is located in the Arabika Massif in Abkhazia, a Russian-supported separatist territory once governed by Georgia.

The Russians were all members of the Perovo-Speleo caving team, an official group of world-class cavers from Moscow that has been pushing exploration in Veryovkina and other astonishingly deep caves in this mountainous region—notably home to the four deepest caves in the world.

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Left: While camping outside the cave’s entrance, team members pack food and supplies in water-tight plastic wrap to prepare for their two-week expedition inside Veryovkina.

Right: A team member descends into the entrance of Veryovkina cave.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

In addition to Pavel Demidov, the team included Petr Lyubimov, Konstantin Zverev, Andrey Shuvalov, Evgeniy Rybka, and Andrey Zyznikov. (Andrey Sizikov, Roman Zverev, and Natalia Sizikova were also part of the expedition, but they had gone up before the flood.)

Veryovkina had only recently been named the world’s deepest cave. During an expedition in March 2018, Demidov and his comrades had reached a terminal sump at the water table—a depth of 7,257 feet (2,212 meters). The low point was a new record, knocking the neighboring Krubera cave, at 7,208 feet (2,197 meters), into second place.

After achieving this record, the Perovo-Speleo team returned in September to explore a number of promising horizontal leads at the bottom of Veryovkina; collect samples of rare, possibly new species of shrimp and scorpion; and leverage Shone’s photographic skills to create a series of still images documenting the entire cave, including its extraordinary terminus.

“A beautiful turquoise lake, about 15 meters long and 8 meters wide, surrounded by jet-black limestone,” Shone says, describing Veryovkina’s terminal siphon. “It’s such a beautiful—but at the same time, eerie—location. ”

Reaching Veryovkina’s low point took four days. The cavers had descended thousands of feet of ropes, crawled through water- and mud-choked siphons, and squeezed themselves and heavy packs of gear through the most tortuous, improbable cracks.

The 2,200-meter camp—the cave’s lowest camp—is a flat, sandy spot in a horizontal tunnel. The team had already spend three days bivied here, launching explorations into new corridors, collecting invertebrate specimens, and creating photographs.

“The real reason of this expedition was to continue the exploration of the world’s deepest cave,” says Shone. “The flood was just something that happened at the end.”

Roman Zverev leads Natalia Sizikova along a traverse above a small pool of water inside Veryovkina. The only usable handholds on the route are small ledges in the limestone and, during the flood, water completely filled the tunnel.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

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A warning from above

Roman Zverev and Natalia Sizikova had left early to catch a flight home. On the way out, they had reached a camp halfway up the cave, at 1,300 meters below the surface, when they saw the flood pulse. They tapped into the cable wire the Russians had installed for these very purposes and sent a warning to their friends below.

When the flood pulse struck, the cavers had been underground for seven days total—a long time to be in such an extreme environment.

Cavers deal with flood pulses all the time. Heavy rains can cause water to collect, then, because of the volume, suddenly burst through cave openings. The ensuing flood pulse can last a few minutes, even a few hours, but it eventually subsides.

Shone wasn’t initially very concerned about the flood pulse, despite its scary thunder. Their camp was safely adjacent to the main vertical shaft that was currently spewing an unfathomable volume of water. Their camp was well protected and staying dry. They figured they were in the safest spot possible.

Then Petr Lyubimov happened to notice a gurgling sound coming out of a small hole in the ground adjacent to their tent. He couldn’t see any water, but given that the flood pulse had already been raging for over two hours with no signs of abating, it presented enough of a concern that he told team leader Pavel Demidov about the noise.

Demidov agreed with Lyubimov’s concern and enlisted the assistance of several others to join him in checking on a nearby siphon. They hoped to gauge how high the water table had actually risen.

No more than five minutes after Demidov had left, Lyubimov went back to look down into the small hole near the tent. This time, he saw water rising up so fast it was jostling off the walls.

“When Petr turned and looked at me, his face was white,” says Shone. “And I just thought, ‘Oh my goodness. We have to leave right now. We cannot wait. If we just hang around, we’re all going to die.’”

We have to leave right now. We cannot wait. If we just hang around, we’re all going to die.

Terror in the torrent

The freight-train of floodwaters continued to tear through the dark chasm. The roar was almost deafening.

No one had expected to be moving from camp that day, but now everyone was scrambling. As Shone says, “All hell broke loose.”

Shone rushed to don his latex suit, which goes over the fleece baselayer. The latex suit must be twisted shut at the neck, wrist, and ankle cuffs in order to remain waterproof. Wade helped Shone seal his latex suit, then Shone helped Wade with his.

Finally, after what felt like forever to Shone, both photographers slipped into their abrasion-resistant nylon shells then donned their harnesses, helmets, and rope-ascending gear.

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Left: The team’s lowest camp sat at around 6,890 feet (2,100 meters) underground. Inside the group tent, the heat from the gas stove keeps the team and their baselayers dry and warm. Outside the tent, their wet outersuits hang to dry.

Right: Petr Lyubimov leads Pavel Demidov along a narrow bridge made of calcite crystal. During the flood pulse, this area quickly filled completely with water.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

Shone made a calculated decision to leave all of his camera and personal gear behind—tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. There was over a mile of vertical ropes to climb above him. Taking a heavy pack might slow him down. It might cost lives.

He did, however, take his camera’s flash cards, as they contained the only photographs ever captured of Veryovkina’s terminus. He placed them in a Ziplock bag that he slipped inside his latex suit.

Wade was suddenly nowhere to be seen and Shone shouted for his colleague. “Jeff, come on! Jeff, we have to leave now!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Wade called back through the dark. Wade turned and yelled to Petr Lyubimov, “We’re going! We’re getting out of here now!”

“Go! I’ll wait for Pavel!” Lyubimov responded.

That was the last interaction Shone and Wade had with the Russians at the low camp. Shone and Wade were off.

Jeff Wade follows Zverev and Sizikova down a ramp and into a grotto near the entrance to the lowest levels of the cave system. This portion of the cave lies below the water table and it was completely engulfed during the flood.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

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Through the barrage

Shone headed toward the ropes that led up and out. He reached a precarious traverse, which had formerly been above an airy shaft, eight meters wide and 20 meters deep.

That shaft was now completely filled with water.

At the end of the traverse, Shone reached the vertical ropes. He looked up and saw the raging waterfall of the flood pouring over them. He clipped his ascenders into the rope, took a deep breath, put his head down, and started climbing.

The tremendous weight of the water pummeled Shone. It barreled down with a crushing, suffocating force. “It felt like my head was being squashed into my shoulders,” he says. He tucked his chin and breathed from a pocket of air formed by the space created beneath his helmet brim.

He moved as fast as he could. He’d learned the rote technique of pushing a mechanical ascender up a rope, transitioning past belays and knots, years ago when he worked as a high-rise window washer—a gig that paid the bills while photography was still just a hobby. Washing windows had honed skills that might now be saving his life.

“All I could see was the white rope in front of me,” says Shone. “And I just kept moving the ascender up a little bit at a time. I was saying to myself, ‘Just keep going. Just keep doing this.’”

I was saying to myself, ‘Just keep going. Just keep doing this. ’”

Shone reached a point where he could step to the side of the torrent. He looked up to see where the rope was running. It led into a body-sized chimney of rock, through which the flood furiously pumped.

“I just thought, ‘You’re joking. I physically can’t get through that,’” says Shone. “Where am I going to go? There’s no air space, there’s nothing.

“But I also knew I hadn’t gone far enough yet. I hadn’t climbed high enough to be safe. And I was the lead guy. I couldn’t just stop here because Jeff and everyone else was coming up behind me. I needed to keep going.”

The team of Russian explorers stop for a discussion past a large chamber. The sand on the floor is rippled from past flowing water.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

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Shone climbed into the chimney, forcing his way up through the narrow shaft. The driving water was punishing. Shone could only push his ascender up a few inches at a time. He took sips of air as he struggled to crawl up through the barrage.

“As I finally got past that section, I remember thinking, ‘Oh my god, I really hope Jeff can do that,’” says Shone. “‘Because he’s got to do that.’”

Shone was nearly panicking. All he could think to do was to keep climbing, as fast and as high as possible. Having passed through the narrow space, he found himself ascending in a relatively dry section, where the flood had taken a different path. He heard Wade yelling at him below.

“Robbie, Robbie! Slow down! We’re safe now, just slow down!” Wade yelled angrily.

Shone reached an anchor and stopped to wait for Wade.

“Jeff’s face was white and he had massive eyes,” says Shone. “And he just said, ‘Bloody hell, we’re alive.’”

That’s when they realized they had no idea if the same could be said for the Russians.

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Left: Sizikova holds a small vial containing a pseudo-scorpion that she and the team found inside the cave.

Right: Demidov looks at usual stalactite formations embedded in the cave’s calcite floor.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

Churning in the wake

Shone and Wade climbed to a camp at 1,900 meters where there was a tent stocked with some food and medical supplies. The rumble of the flood continued to shake the floor beneath them.

They looked down into the abyss and saw a single headlamp appear, coming up the ropes. It was Andrey Zyznikov and soon he joined Shone and Wade at the camp.

“Have you seen the others?” Wade asked.

Zyznikov shook his head. “No.” The three sat in silence, worried that the worst had happened.

Fifteen minutes later, more headlamps appeared. One by one, each of the five remaining Russians came up the rope.

“I could not believe it,” Shone says. “These guys are so strong and so capable. Kostia had even carried up a pack with sleeping bags, a stove, and a brew kit. Whereas I had almost selfishly only thought about my photos, Kostia had brought four sleeping bags.”

The Russians had escaped in the nick of time. By the time Pavel Demidov had returned from scoping the siphon, the traverse that was just above water when Shone escaped was completely submerged. The Russians had to swim to access the vertical ropes going through the waterfall. Demidov got caught in an eddy that sent him spinning, as if he were being flushed down a giant toilet bowl. He fought the current and swam hard to reach the line.

“In hindsight, I’m so glad it was almost like the weakest one went first and Pavel, the strongest one, came last,” says Shone. “This was at my limit of what I could possibly deal with.”

Zverev and Sizikova climb around a deep pool of water in one of the cave’s side passages.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

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The team, now reunited, spent the next 16 hours at the camp. It didn’t take long for the Russians to enter the tent, fire up some coffee, and start laughing.

Shone, however, was still freaked. He kept all his caving gear on, couldn’t sleep, and kept peering over into the abyss to see if the water was rising. The entire time, the flood continued to rumble.

Shone was concerned about a pseudo-siphon 70 meters above them. The long horizontal tunnel was normally half-filled with water, and, under typical circumstances, the only way to get through it is to crawl. With this flood, that pseudo-siphon would’ve been completely choked with water. As long as the flood continued, they were trapped.

“If the water had risen high enough to reach us, it would’ve been game over,” says Shone. After a few hours of pacing, however, Shone relaxed somewhat. He joined his comrades in the tent, stripped down to his fleece, and warmed himself up.

“Pavel said, ‘Let’s just give it till morning,” says Shone. “And he was right. At some point it started to die down, which was just music to my ears. Hearing the water get less powerful and not as loud was the most amazing sound.”

Two cavers make their way through the shaft where, approximately a week later, water suddenly plummeted into the chambers below.

Photograph by Robbie Shone, National Geographic

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Reaching the surface

The flood pulse had ultimately lasted nearly 20 straight hours. It was the result of a week of rain, including a single storm cell that had unleashed rain drops the size of fingernails for an entire day, as a local taxi driver later described to the team. The ground was completely saturated, and somewhere in the Earth, something had cracked that had unleashed that ungodly volume of water.

The Russians had been operating under the presumption that Veryovkina only flooded in the winter, which they’ve now learned is not true. The experience, harrowing as it may have been, was ultimately educational for the cavers. There are plans underway to improve surface monitoring, including using special radios to improve communications. They’re also installing a new camp in the lowest chamber that would provide another escape spot in the event of another flood.

Despite the flood pulse cutting the trip short by a day, the expedition was successful. New passages were mapped and explored, several cave invertebrates were taken for analysis, and a number of climbs were completed to check potential high-level passages.

In fact, this team of cavers has only scratched the surface of what secrets the world’s deepest cave might hold.

“This is the pinnacle of human endeavor in the caving world,” says Shone.

Shone had originally planned to photograph much of the cave on his way back up and out. Between his narrow escape and the loss of his equipment, that didn’t happen. Demidov, however, did go back down after the flood subsided and retrieved Shone’s camera—which was completely ruined. Demidov had used Shone’s extended tripod to fish clothing and other belongings out of the water. The flood smashed one of Shone’s light cases high into the cave’s roof—creating a signal, perhaps, to future explorers about how high a flood can get.

While Shone recognizes the luck in their survival, the experience was also an affirmation for him about the importance of skill and strength in each member of a caving team.

“With caving, you need to save energy to be able to get yourself out two kilometers of ropes,” Shone says. “This team had the strength, the reserves, mentally and physically, to deal with the worst situation. That’s not only why they’re exploring the deepest cave in the world so successfully, but why we all survived.

“For me, these people are in a league of being the world’s greatest explorers.”

Shone is planning to return to Veryovkina with the Russians next June. There are photos he still needs to get.

Photography for this expedition was supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society.

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<p>Spelunkers rappel 300 feet (90 meters) into the Greenland ice sheet. Glacier caves such as these form when seasonal meltwater or geothermal vents cut fissures and channels through an ice sheet. Because they are made of ice, glacier caves can be quite unstable and present unique challenges to spelunkers.</p>

Spelunkers rappel 300 feet (90 meters) into the Greenland ice sheet. Glacier caves such as these form when seasonal meltwater or geothermal vents cut fissures and channels through an ice sheet. Because they are made of ice, glacier caves can be quite unstable and present unique challenges to spelunkers.

Photograph by Carsten Peter

Fresnel lens for virtual helmet (options)

The invention relates to the field of special optical instrumentation and, in particular, to visualization systems, simulators based on a helmet-mounted display, virtual reality systems, etc.

When building virtual reality helmets, it is customary to use a positive aspherical lens in each channel (for each eye) on the eye observation axis, at the focal distance from which to place the image source (video matrix).This construction of the optical scheme of the virtual reality helmet allows you to observe the video image of the matrix with your eye at infinity. Each eye observes its own image, which together form a stereo pair. The vast majority of modern virtual reality helmets are built on this principle.

Since D / ƒ – diameter / focal length ratio for aspherical lenses does not exceed 1.0, the total FOV (field of view) does not exceed 90 ° (angle of view 45 ° away from the line of sight).An increase in the angle of view leads to an increase in the overall dimensions of the lens, since the thickness of the lens is proportional to the D / ƒ value.

To reduce the overall dimensions and increase the D / ƒ value, a Fresnel lens is used. It is “a complex composite lens formed by a set of separate concentric rings of relatively small thickness, adjacent to each other. The section of each of the rings has the shape of a triangle, one of the sides of which is curvilinear, and this section is an element of the section of a solid spherical lens “(Fresnel lens // Physical encyclopedia / Ch.ed. A.M. Prokhorov. – M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia. – 1998. – T. 5. – S. 374-375. – 760 s.). This design provides a low thickness (hence weight) Fresnel lens, even with a large angular aperture. The cross-sections of the lens rings are constructed in such a way that the spherical aberration of the Fresnel lens is small. The Fresnel lens allows you to increase the D / ƒ value without increasing the lens thickness. This property of Fresnel lenses is widely used in the construction of virtual helmets, as it allows you to increase the FOV up to 130 °.

The main disadvantage of a Fresnel lens is that the lens consists of many elements of shifted spherical surfaces and has the form of many steps in cross section. The shift between the spherical elements forms non-working transitional edge areas, which create stray flares and various kinds of “false images” (compared to conventional lenses and traditional lenses). In addition, light scattering at the transition edge regions results in light loss. Typically, a Fresnel lens is used to collect light energy in laptops, solar concentrators, lighthouses, etc.n. This imposes a condition on the calculation of the Fresnel lens when the source is in the focus of the lens (see figure 1).

As can be seen, the light rays from the point source 1 located in the focus of the lens pass through the Fresnel lens without loss at the transition edge regions, since they are parallel to each other.

The path of rays in virtual helmets, as shown in figure 2, is determined by the design when the entrance pupil of the eye 4 is from the lens at a distance significantly less than its focal length, and the extended image source – display 3 is located in the focal plane of the lens.

As you can see, the light rays from the extended light source – display 3 in the Fresnel lens go at a significant angle to the optical axis of the lens and to the transition edge portions of the lens. This leads not only to losses in the reflection of light rays from the transition edge sections, but also to the fact that the edge transition sections become visible, while not carrying useful information.

The technical result is aimed at creating Fresnel lenses for virtual reality helmets with no light loss at the edge transition areas and no image of the edge transition areas in the useful image.

The technical result is achieved by using Fresnel lenses in virtual helmets with a variable inclination of the transition edge sections to the optical axis of the lens, depending on the optical scheme of the helmet and the diameter of the zone.

The essence of a virtual reality helmet with a large angle of view is illustrated by Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows an optical diagram of the classic use of Fresnel lenses.

Figure 2 shows an optical diagram of the use of Fresnel lenses in virtual helmets.

Figure 3 shows the path of rays in one zone of the Fresnel lens.

To determine the value of the inclination of the transitional edge sections to the optical axis of the lens, we introduce the following parameters of the optical scheme of the virtual helmet, see figure 3: L – distance from the observer’s eye to the flat side of the lens; t is the thickness of the Fresnel lens; α _i – angle of view of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens; D _i – diameter of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens; R _i – radius of the optical surface of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens; n is the refractive index of the Fresnel lens material; δ _i – shift of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens.

From figure 3 it follows that the inclination of the i-th transitional edge portion of the Fresnel lens to the optical axis of the lens is equal to:

When a very thin Fresnel lens is used, we can assume that the height of incidence of the light beam on a flat surface tends to half the diameter of the i-th zone of the lens, then:

Since the rays are non-paraxial in the Fresnel lens used in the virtual helmet, it is necessary to use the functions of sines and tangents. Then, combining expressions (1) and (2), we have:

The author proposes the following Fresnel lens for virtual helmets – a complex composite lens formed by a set of separate concentric rings of relatively small thickness adjacent to each other. The section of each of the rings has the shape of a triangle, one side of which is curvilinear, and this section is an element of the section of a solid spherical lens, the other side is a transitional edge portion of the lens, which, to reduce the parasitic effect on image quality, is inclined to the optical axis of the lens at an angle:

where D _i is the diameter of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens; L is the distance from the observer’s eye to the flat side of the lens; n is the refractive index of the Fresnel lens material.

If the lens is thick (more than 1 mm), then when the beam passes through the lens, its height at the border of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens is higher than its height on the flat surface of the lens by Δ. Then expression (3) has the form:

Expressions (4) and (5) cannot be calculated directly, but they can be calculated by the method of successive approximations.

The author proposes the following Fresnel lens for virtual helmets – a complex composite lens formed by a set of separate concentric rings of relatively small thickness adjacent to each other.The section of each of the rings has the shape of a triangle, one side of which is curvilinear, and this section is an element of the section of a solid spherical lens, the other side is a transition edge portion of the lens, which is inclined to the optical axis of the lens at an angle to reduce the parasitic effect on image quality:

where

where D _i is the diameter of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens; L is the distance from the observer’s eye to the flat side of the lens; n is the refractive index of the Fresnel lens material; t is the thickness of the Fresnel lens; δ _i – shift of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens; R _i is the radius of the optical surface of the i-th zone of the Fresnel lens.

% d0% ba% d0% b0% d1% 81% d0% ba% d0% b0 – from all languages ​​to all languages ​​

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90,000 A walk through a city that does not exist: from the amusement park to the “Cascade”

In previous publications, we walked around Svetlana, crossed the Vereshchaginsky viaduct, stopped at Teatralnaya, passed the Magnolia hotel, looked at Dr. Sokolov’s antimalarial station and thought about the Ostrovsky monument.Going further …

Kurortny Avenue: from the amusement park to the “Cascade”

In 1971 a mobile Czech amusement park came to the city on tour.

It was something! It seems that the whole city – both young and old – rushed to the attractions, which are located next to the bus stop “Cinema” Stereo “. And the prices! “Surprise” -30 kopecks. “Autodrom” – 40 kopecks. The success was so overwhelming that after the tour, an amusement town was built on this site. Children happily took pictures with the huge wooden head of Dobrynya Nikitich in a metal helmet.

Fifteen years ago, the next mayor of the city leased the city park on a long-term lease to a certain Moscow company. Generous Muscovites have promised local residents that Italian carousels will soon spin in the park. What happens later can be reflected in one word: cheated. A grocery store, a pastry shop and a hamburger cafe are being built in the park. So we “flew” with the merry-go-rounds …

Along the underground passage, next to the former amusement park, we will go to the Hall of Organ and Chamber Music named after Alisa Feodorovna Debolskaya.Built in 1966 by architect Evgeny Serdyukov. The legendary Harry Grodberg gave his first organ concert here.

And then … The proletarian upsurge will delight us on the left and right. We are walking through the old city.

Left – Cascade restaurant. The restaurant was built in the fashionable style of minimalist Soviet modernism. The restaurant and cafe “Cascade” were opened in October 1966. Do you feel the graceful difference between the word “restaurant” and the familiar and not always well-received word “restaurant”?

Spacious, unglazed, semi-airy terraces, majestic columns plus excellent cuisine immediately made the local catering establishment a cult one.A Caucasian cuisine restaurant, a cafe, a canteen with a self-service line worked here. On the basis of “Cascade” there was a food factory with an extensive network of catering establishments: the Alenka cafe, the Gorka restaurant, buffets and bars of the Festivalny concert hall and others. The best chefs worked in the confectionery shop. Up to 20 waiters went out to the guests per shift …

Alas. All in the past.

On the Internet, I come across a hopelessly outdated, eight-year-old news: “Rumors about the demolition of the Cascade are unfounded.”And photo. On it the chief architect of the city with the letter S. With a pointer, like a geography teacher. Glasses of glasses shine intelligently. Caption under the photo: “We (probably there is an architectural department – V.S.) intend to apply to the management of“ Cascade ”with the requirement to bring the buildings into a proper architectural appearance – to remove chaotic advertisements from the facades and revet them with glass, apply modern materials, make a building worthy of Kurortny prospect. ”

Year 2020. Where are these requirements? Where is this architect? “Cascade” was mercilessly demolished.

What is to them, the patrons of bulldozers with gold pieces in each eye, the name of the person who captured Sochi in his poems?

These verses are:

The second of January, in the dead of night,

My motor ship is moored in Sochi.

Thirsty. I moved at random

Along the lanes that led away

From the port to the center, and in the height of the night

Came across a restaurant “Cascade” …

Poems were written in 1968. Written by Joseph Brodsky.Nobel laureate in literature …

A green alley is located to the left of the “Cascade” side of Kurortny prospect. In the fifties of the twentieth century, from the present organ hall, passers-by walked down a narrow path past a cast-iron fence. And beyond the fence …

Behind the fence were the possessions of the Kremlin’s medical and sanatorium administration.

So that’s it. The editor of the city newspaper “Krasnoe Znamya” Vasily Stepanovich Klepov once walked along this path. I became sad. And he suggested … to move the fence deep into the territory.

What resonance this proposal caused in the bureaucratic offices hardly needs to be told! Shock! Throw yourself into inviolable lands! It was scary to even think about it.

But nothing. We thought. And they made a pretty decent sidewalk here. And the alley was named after Comrade Klepov.

Walked along Kurortny Avenue Valery Soloviev

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90,000 Zagitova collected the Grand Slam.But Yagudin is still better – Just for figure skating – Blogs

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Grand Slam is associated primarily with tennis: this is how victories at four major tournaments (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open) are called.The principle is the same in golf and earlier in chess. In rugby, Grand Slam – victories in all matches of the Six Nations Cup, and in Formula 1 – victory in qualification, leadership throughout the race and best lap.

In other sports, by analogy with tennis, the Grand Slam is considered to be victories at all major starts. In figure skating, these are the Grand Prix finals, the European championship or the championship of the four continents, the world championship and the Olympic Games. The grand helmet is informal, but sometimes used in the media.

Since the award is unofficial, there are several types of it: a different set of tournaments are taken into account, and victories of one season or an entire career are counted.

This could be a three-tournament Grand Slam calendar – no Olympics. The girls won all three titles in one season five times. Of all the possible variations, this is the only one that has not yet submitted to Alina Zagitova.

• Irina Slutskaya (2004/05)

• Carolina Costner (2011/12)

• Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (2014/15)

• Evgenia Medvedeva (2015/16, 2016/17)

If we take into account not one season, but the whole career, then 7 figure skaters have achieved such success.Slutskaya and Medvedeva won each of the tournaments 2 times, Mao Assad – 3. Since 2014, the hegemony of Russia began – Tuktamysheva, Medvedev and Zagitova did not leave almost any titles to their rivals.

The more prestigious version of the Grand Slam also includes the Olympic Games. In the men’s singles, the absolute king is Alexei Yagudin. He is the only one in all types of figure skating who was able to win the entire Olympic season. His short program of that year was recently recalled on Sports.ru.

Among women, the first and until recently the only skater with four titles is Yu-Na Kim. She won the Grand Prix finals three times (2006, 2007, 2009), the four continents championship (2010), twice the world championship (2009, 2013), and in Vancouver she also won the Olympics.

In figure skating, 26 figure skaters can boast of such a collection of titles. Taking into account the Olympic team tournament, we can add more Canadians to these athletes: Patrick Chan and a pair of Megan Duhamel – Eric Radford.

Zagitova became the youngest skater to achieve this achievement. Before that, the record belonged to the same Korean woman Kim – she won four tournaments at the age of 19. Zagitova so far only 16.

Even fewer skaters won both in junior skating and in adult skating. With the addition of the Junior Grand Prix and Junior WCH finals to the previous roster, only a few people remain.

The pair Tessa Virtue – Scott Moir stands out among them. They have 3 Olympic gold and 2 silver medals (including gold and silver in the team event).They became the most titled figure skaters in the Olympic Games. Maxim Trankov and Alena Savchenko have collected all titles over a long career with different partners.

In women’s figure skating, Kim’s company is now Zagitova – she became the sixth owner of all major titles.

Alina Zagitova could collect all six titles in just two seasons, but the winning streak collapsed at the last moment – at the World Championships in Milan. A year later, the misunderstanding was nevertheless corrected, and she certainly earned a place among the greats.

6 major victories in Alina’s career

December 9, 2016. Junior Grand Prix Final

1.Alina Zagitova – 207.43

2. Anastasia Gubanova – 194.07

3. Kaori Sakamoto – 176.33

Alina began the season as a little-known young figure skater – in the previous season she was not at the Junior Grand Prix, and in Russia she did not show anything outstanding. But in the new season she announced herself immediately: 194.37 points in France and 177.38 in Slovenia.The first and third places allowed her to reach the final, where she became the first junior woman to break the bar of 200 points.

Prior to her, other Russians took turns updating the junior record: Yulia Lipnitskaya (187.05), Elena Radionova (194.29) and Polina Tsurskaya (195.25). Alina Zagitova scored 207.43 points in the final.

The complexity of the program was brought to a new level – even then Alina was jumping the Lutz-rittberger, which is still performed by a few. At the last World Cup, in addition to Zagitova, only the Korean Chha Zhun Hwan jumped, among juniors it is owned by Petr Gumennik, Alexey Krasnozhon, Alexandra Trusova and Anna Shcherbakova.

“She has a very difficult, probably, maximum set of jumps, Lutz-Rittberger cascades, double axel-triple toe loop … Only a couple of jumps are missing – an axel with three and a half turns or a quadruple, and then she can already go out to fight with our boys “, – said Arthur Gachinsky about Zagitova, not suspecting that the next generation of the Tutberidze group will have quadruples.

18 March 2017 World Junior Championships

1.Alina Zagitova – 208.60

2. Marine Honda – 201.61

3. Kaori Sakamoto – 195.54

Alina Zagitova has not yet been considered as a candidate for Pyeongchang-2018. Coach Viktor Kudryavtsev talked only about her participation in the 2022 Olympics. They believed in her later.

In early February, Zagitova won the junior championship of Russia without a chance and went to the World Championship among juniors, which she also won. The season, which began when the fans were perplexed about the inclusion of Zagitova in the squad, ended with an unconditional triumph in all tournaments.

Despite this, Zagitova was not sure that she would move on to the next season as an adult.

But she still entered the next season as a confident candidate for the Olympic Games – she owned the strongest technical base with all the jumps in the second half of the program.

December 9, 2017. Grand Prix Final

1. Alina Zagitova – 223.30

2. Maria Sotskova – 216.28

3. Caitlin Osmond – 215.16

Alina has not lost to anyone since December 2016 – since the 2nd place in the Russian Championship.In her first adult season, she won the Chinese and French stages (213 points in both tournaments) and qualified for the final. Medvedeva’s injury postponed their meeting until the European Championship, and Alina Zagitova, even with a not quite perfect box office, continued her winning streak.

The first adult title went to the collection.

January 20, 2018 European Championship

1. Alina Zagitova – 238.24

2. Evgenia Medvedeva – 232.86

3. Carolina Costner – 204.25

With the second title it was a little more difficult – it was necessary to beat the invincible, whom Zagitova set herself as an example for all previous years.And in the first confrontation, Alina won, and the claims for Olympic gold were finally formed – in the arbitrary, the technical base differed by 4.5 points and was not recouped by the components.

90,090 238.24 points, and Alina is the winner of the second major tournament.

23 February 2018. Olympic Games

1. Alina Zagitova – 239.57

2. Evgenia Medvedeva – 238.26

3. Caitlin Osmond – 231.02

At the Russian Championship in December 2016, when Zagitova was still in juniors, Tatyana Tarasova prophetically said: “The bomb.A real bomb for the Olympics. And also note that historically the girl who won the previous world championship never won the Olympic Games. ” Tarasova was mistaken about the historical paradox (the last example is Yu-Na Kim in 2010), but the forecast for the Olympics still worked for her.

Alina brought from Korea the silver in the team tournament, the gold in the personal and the world record in the short.

K free she had an advantage slightly more than a point. And Alina was on the verge of losing this difference.The first jump element was the Lutz-Rittberger crown cascade, but Alina was unable to add a second jump. Despite this, towards the end of the program, she successfully added a triple rittberger to the planned triple lutz. Moreover, she jumped earlier than she always did in the case of one jump, and the exit from the cascade came at an ideal musical moment.

She made sure that the only mistake was not noticed by anyone.

March 22, 2019.World Championship

1. Alina Zagitova – 237.50

2. Elizabeth Tursynbaeva – 224.76

3. Evgenia Medvedeva – 223.80

After the Games, skaters often take a break from their performances, and champions even more rarely go into the season. Adelina Sotnikova after Sochi-2014 slowly ended her career, Yu-Na Kim missed the season after Vancouver-2010, for Shinji Arakawa and Tara Lipinski, the Olympic seasons were the last, and Sarah Hughes did not win anything else. The last case of a successful post-Olympic season was Katharina Witt in 1985.

Zagitova’s example is rather an exception to the rule. She went into the post-Olympic season and kept her level.

But the season really turned out to be difficult. In other cases, it could be called successful, but the bar raised to the cosmic level forces even the second places to be upset.

Zagitova usually did not have any problems with the short, but the pure free skate happened only at the very beginning of the season – at the unimportant Nebelhorn Trophy. At the stages of the Grand Prix, mistakes did not yet affect the first places, in the final they were no longer allowed to fight with Kihira, and in Russia and Europe they were completely thrown away from the seemingly inviolable first place.

At the World Championships, finally, Alina had two perfect skates: all spins and tracks of the 4th level, each element was rated for great advantages. It’s almost impossible to ride better. The rivals did not have a single chance.

Winning this season is even more meaningful than it could have been last year. Then Zagitova did everything, and of the real rivals – only Medvedeva, who missed the world championship. Now competitors and mistakes have appeared – frankly, Zagitova was not the favorite of this championship.

“I won’t give up. I will not stop. I will work even harder “- the whole season the words of the song” Survivor “sounded in the demonstration Zagitova. And she didn’t give up or stop.

Daniil Gleikhengauz said on the air of Channel One: “I was struggling with myself, with circumstances, with changes throughout the season. And there was already a fear of competition. And the preparation for this world championship was extremely difficult. And just in spite of everything, she came out and just brilliantly skated the programs and won the missing gold medal. “

Now Alina has one victory at each tournament. She once said that she was going to compete before the next Olympic Games. This means that there is a great opportunity to go to the second round.

Other Articles:

From Tutberidze and back. Elizabeth Tursynbaeva – second in the championship of four continents

Photo: globallookpress.com/imago-images.de, Yusuke Nakanishi / AFLO

90,000 Love Song read online by Mary McGuinness (Page 3)

Stopping at a safe distance from the seething stream, Sam dismounted and walked over to Tessa.

– Still haven’t given up trying to persuade me? She said wearily.

Sam lifted the visor:

– You are wrong. I’ve had enough.

– Do you know this guy? – the policeman was surprised.

– Alas. And if he starts to persuade me again, I really will give up. Tired of fighting back.

– I’m not trying to persuade you. That’s an order. Sit down, damn you! I’ll take you to your parking lot.

– Make sure she is wearing a helmet.The cop saluted Sam.

– Why? – Tessa did not give up.

“Only crazy people ride a motorcycle without a helmet,” Sam said with pleasure. – Am I right, Lieutenant?

– Absolutely. The cop patted Sam on the shoulder. – Keep your eyes on this birdie, son. Do you know what she wanted to do? Go through this stream barefoot! And if she cut herself or her leg got stuck somewhere – what then?

– Quite logical! Sam grinned. – I know her.A clinical case of insanity!

– Good luck, son! The lieutenant patted Sam on the shoulder again and left.

“Poor fellow,” Sam said sympathetically, “if he knew who he was just dealing with!”

Tessa decided to snap back, but the mischievous lights in Sam’s eyes made her smile.

– He’s right about the helmet. Let’s not persist. Sam took out the helmet that hung behind the seat and handed it to Tessa.

She took the helmet and hung it on the steering wheel:

– As far as I know, Ohio law does not strictly enforce helmet riding.

– Maybe, but Sam Caldwell’s law prescribes. You may not have seen what could happen; a human skull when hitting concrete at high speed. And I’ve seen all kinds of …

He took the helmet off the wheel and tried to put it on Tessa himself.

– Wait. She pulled the net off her hair. – I knitted this mesh myself, and it is such a painstaking job that I would not want to break it.

Sam hardly heard her words, he could not take his eyes off the cascade of hair that was scattered over his shoulders and back.Now Tessa looked completely different – there was something wild, exotic in her. And Sam suddenly thought that he had seen her somewhere before … “Where could I see her? ..”

But nothing came to mind. The stream of blue-black hair streaming before his eyes made it difficult to concentrate, causing a strange urge to plunge his hands into him. Sam had already leaned forward, but had time to recover. Tessa’s hair, like everything in her, was absolutely … irrational. Too long, too lush, too defiant.

“What a hassle with such hair – washing, combing, styling … I would make myself a short haircut – like mine, of course, in the female version.And there is no need to bother, touched a comb a couple of times – and forward … But damn it, she will cut her hair! However, what does it matter to me – let it grow even to the heels! And in general, why am I fiddling with her? Toss a bird in front of her stupid car – and goodbye! ”

Tessa folded her net neatly, trying not to wrinkle the roses, and put it in her bag.

“Well,” she said, “I’m completely ready. She reached for her helmet, but Sam suddenly put it on the passenger’s head himself. He gently pushed her hair back to loosely fasten the strap of her helmet.For some reason, the scent of her hair reminded him of a moonlit garden, and Sam involuntarily turned away. No, he never had to walk in the garden at night, but in a strange way he knew that if he had to, the garden would smell like Tessa’s hair …

Tessa shook her head, as if trying on a helmet that had fallen on her head – literally and figuratively.

– This is a heavy piece … I must look stupid in it?

“Foolish? Sam thought. “Baby, whatever you wear, you will still look damn sexy …”

Sam silenced an uninvited inner voice with his certainly stupid comments.

– Not at all. You look amazing! – Sam pulled the “visor” and sat in the saddle. – Let’s go, finally!

Tessa sat down behind him, and Sam, despite the thick leather jacket, seems to feel the warmth of her body. He looked down and it was an unforgivable mistake. Legs in nylon stockings hugged his thighs. Long, slender legs, capable of evoking a thousand fantasies in a man … For some reason, Sam suddenly imagined white silk garters on Tessa’s legs. He closed his eyes, trying to ward off God knows where the delirium that had come into his head.Opened my eyes – what the devil is it? So it is – garters! White, silk … Not a single modern woman wears stockings – everyone has long since switched to pantyhose. Not to mention the garters … These garters are a hell of a tease, I just want to put my hand under them …

Sam imagined her reaction if he dared to do it. He took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten.

– Ready? He threw over his shoulder.

“Absolutely,” Tessa replied.

– Then hold on to me.

Tessa bit her lip. Hold on to it? It is necessary? She pressed against my back, behind which you feel safer than behind the Chinese wall, inhaling the mixed smell of leather, expensive cologne and Sam himself, wrapped her legs around him so that she was dizzy – did he know how to turn her on? .. Tessa struggled to overcome the temptation to run a hand along the cleft between Sam’s mighty shoulders.

Taking a breath, she grabbed his waist with her hands.

– Stronger! Sam ordered almost rudely.“I don’t want you out of the saddle at full speed somewhere around the bend.”

– Then take it easy on the bends!

Sam spun the handle and the bike jerked off.

“When I bend down, bend over in the same direction,” he gave a new order.

Tessa knew immediately that she would have clung tightly to Sam without his reminders. It’s been five years since she last got on a motorcycle. Knowing that Sam was uncomfortable, that he was hindered by her death grip, she could not bring herself to loosen it.

The motorcycle turned sharply to the left, and Tessa could hardly resist crying out in fright. It seems that during these five years she has lost something more significant than driving skills – she has lost her spirit of adventurism.

– Couldn’t it be so fast? She said in a pleading tone.

“We’re going twenty-five miles an hour,” Sam replied calmly. – Much slower!

However, Tessa was willing to swear that the speed was certainly no less than sixty.She gritted her teeth, deciding to refrain from commenting for the rest of the trip.

Stretching out her neck, she somehow could watch the road over Sam’s shoulder. The wind ruffled her hair and pierced her to the bone. Tessa narrowed her eyes to keep dust out of them. Too bad her helmet doesn’t have a “pick” like Sam’s.

And suddenly Tessa felt that she was beginning to like this trip. And not only because she is pressed against a strong male body.

“You can go faster if you want,” she burst out against her will.

Sam has increased the already, it seemed, prohibitive speed. Tessa could not contain an exclamation of admiration.

Streets and houses flew past, as if in a dream … The fear disappeared completely.

They drove into the parking lot of the Institute of Music – the site of the accident. Tessa swallowed, trying to clear the sudden lump in her throat.

“My car is there,” she said, pointing her hand somewhere forward. Sam stopped and turned off the engine. Tessa got off and walked over to the big camper van – the product of a time when cars were like battleships and gasoline was cheap.

Sam imagined his grandmother under the wheel of this prehistoric monster, and suddenly irritation flared up in him. How could Tessa be so inconsiderate!

And she was standing by her van, rummaging in her purse. Finally fished out the keys. She reached out to open the cockpit door, and suddenly froze in place. The keys fell out of her hands. She bent down and picked up – but not the keys, but something else.

Sam jumped off the motorcycle and ran to Tessa. In her hands was a woman’s shoe.Flossy’s shoe …

Tessa’s face looked ash gray in the dim light of the lanterns. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Flossie … Flossie …” she repeated, as if delirious, in a hoarse whisper.

Sam made a quick decision. He picked up the keys and put his arm around Tessa’s shoulders.

– I’ll take you home.

Chapter 3

– Go away, leave me alone!

The easiest way, of course, would be to really leave and leave her alone.But as a doctor, Sam couldn’t do that. Moreover – as a gentleman …

The doctor prompted the gentleman to take Tessa back to the hospital and keep him under close supervision overnight. Who knows what could happen to her in such a state …

The gentleman wanted to hug her, comfort her, assure her that nothing threatens Flossie … Then take her home, make her have supper, put her to bed and pat her head until she falls asleep …

The doctor was not going to give in.A gentleman too. Tessa finally gave in.

That’s why he, like an escort, accompanied Tessa’s antediluvian camper on his motorcycle.

They entered the gates of a small green mansion. The rays glided over the lush rose bushes. Their spicy scent somehow reminded Sam of Tessa’s hair. Definitely a cute smell.

Tessa jumped out of the van, nodded as she walked, and hurried to the house.

– No. – Sam jumped off the motorcycle and overtook Tessa on the porch.- As a doctor, I must make sure that everything is all right with you. Let me examine you.

Sam’s gaze suddenly caught a dim glow in the window. He stared at the light, disbelieving his own eyes. It was a fluorescent dummy of a human hand, the kind sometimes used by palmists.

– Either I have lost my mind, – he said, – or it … in your window really …

– Yes, it really is a fluorescent hand. And you are really out of your mind if you intend to break in to me.

– Listen, Tessa, I tell you as a doctor: if you were not then, in the parking lot, in a state of shock, then, in any case, you were very close to it … – Sam again squinted at the vague blue silhouette in the window. – But where did you get this hand? Do you, by any chance, indulge in palmistry in your free time?

Damn it, he thought, why every time I look at this woman my thoughts get confused ?!

“No, I’m not playing around,” she said, opening the door. – My grandmother indulged in this, the kingdom of heaven to her.Although, in fact, more often she wondered on coffee grounds or on tarot cards.

– Was your grandmother a fortune teller?

– Until the last day … I’m tired, Sam. I’ll tell you everything about my grandmother, but another time. Right now I only need one thing – a hot bath, something to eat – and go to bed.

– Great! – Sam slightly nudged Tessa. “This is what I was going to advise you as a doctor.

– In that case, goodbye. Have a good trip. Say hello to Flossie if you see her before me.Thank you for the ride, and good night, – said Tessa in one breath, showing with all her appearance that she was sending Sam out.

– Forgive me for the immodest question, but, as I understand it, you live alone? Then I will not leave until you take a bath, – Sam did not give up.

– I’ll take a bath, don’t worry. Tessa raised her eyebrows and looked defiantly at Sam. He couldn’t really break into the house against her will!

“Okay,” he said. “I’m not going to examine you, but I’m still not leaving until I’m sure you’re in bed.”He glanced at his watch. – It won’t take long. I give you half an hour for a bath, dinner and getting ready for bed.

– Don’t play the fool. What if I suddenly want to soak in the bath for an hour? Or dinner first, and then a bath?

– Don’t tell me what I have to do! She sighed wearily. “Good night, Dr. Caldwell.

– For God’s sake! Sam put a finger to Tessa’s lips, as if blocking the way for further objections on her part. – I have to stay.Otherwise, all night long it will seem to me that you fell asleep in the bathtub and drowned.

His finger felt her plump lips, and he suddenly had an irresistible desire to kiss her … Besides, something in Tessa’s frightened look seemed to tell him that she would not mind if he stayed …

“Well,” she finally said, tickling his finger with her breath, “I’m not going to burden my conscience by causing your sleepless night.

She opened the door wider, inviting him to come in.And then Sam suddenly hesitated. An inner voice told him: he must leave if peace is dear to him. A sleepless night? .. Damn it, now he seems to have to spend a whole week without sleep, thinking about this amazing woman …

“Thank you,” he said.

Upon entering, Sam was greeted with a deep growl.

– Calm down, Rouge! – Tessa turned on the light, and Sam saw a huge gray dog ​​lying on an elegant oriental carpet and, as it seemed to him, occupying the entire hallway.The dog’s light gray eyes looked at Sam calmly, if a little surprised.

– Rouge, don’t growl at guests! – Tessa snapped her fingers, and the dog froze in a wary position.

– Guns? Sam asked, trying to reproduce Tessa’s pronunciation.

– “Rose” in Hungarian.

– Why did you call her that?

– Well, a good name, I like it. What would you call it?

Sam looked at the dog’s smoky gray skin and the same smoky gray eyes.

– Haze, Haze, something like that. In my opinion, the name should correspond to the appearance of the dog or its character.

Tessa went to the dog.

– Rougey, this is Sam. Better known as Mr. Bookvoyed.

– More likely then, Doctor Bukvoed. Hi Rougey! He shook the dog’s outstretched paw. – Are you talking to your dog? – he turned to Tessa.

– Why not? Rouge is my best friend. Isn’t it, girl?

Rouge wagged her tail.It seemed that there was no limit to her joy. Tessa laughed:

– Dr. Caldwell thinks, Rougey, that you and I are both crazy. Isn’t that right, Sam?

– I think, Miss Markland, you need to get some rest now. And have a snack.

Sam himself has long been so hungry that he was ready to eat his stethoscope.

– You are right. – Tessa sat down on the rung of the stairs leading to the upper floor. “Since you asked me to come to my house,” she said, taking off her shoes, “I’ll probably exploit you a little.Build something to eat while I’m taking a bath and put on the tea. If you do not accept herbal tea, then coffee is at your service …

She stood up, shoes in one hand.

“Okay,” Sam agreed. – Unless, of course, your bodyguard, – he looked sideways at Rouge, – will allow me to dispose of here.

Tessa smiled:

– You and Ruzha already know each other. And she does not touch acquaintances.

Sam glanced sideways at Rouge. She looked at him like a judge at a recidivist.

“An encouraging statement,” he muttered.

– The kitchen is there, behind the revolving door. You will find everything for sandwiches in the refrigerator. So go ahead. I give you complete freedom and rely entirely on your culinary skills. And I, with your permission, in the meantime, enjoy some water … – Tessa yawned sweetly and stretched.

“As you wish,” he said dutifully. “But keep in mind: if you don’t leave the bathroom in twenty minutes, Rouge and I will come for you.

Without waiting for an answer, he went into the kitchen. Rouge trotted at his heels.

But, entering the kitchen, Sam almost jumped back into the hallway: something unimaginably colorful cut him in the eyes. He closed his eyes, rubbed his eyes and opened them again. No, he was not imagining it.

Almost the entire kitchen floor was covered with a gigantic oriental carpet, worn here and there, but still sparkling like a scattering of gems. In the center was a massive oak table heaped with books and magazines.The table was surrounded by four sturdy wooden stools. Rouge stepped away from Sam and, looking pleased, took a seat under the table.

After getting rid of her, Sam went to another table, which stood against the wall. Tessa managed to turn an ordinary kitchen into a greenhouse, a darkroom, a small living room, and God knows what else.

Along the sides of the glass-covered table were two white chairs, one regular and the other a rocking chair. Pink geraniums on the window contributed to the unimaginable diversity of the kitchen.

– Lord, Rouge, how can you live in this environment? He glanced at the dog and sighed. – Well, and I have already begun to talk with you. Truly, with whom you will lead, from that you will gain.

Rouge hit the floor with her tail and smiled – her grin was painfully reminiscent of a smile … Finally, having coped with the excess of impressions, Sam noticed that a certain, albeit rather peculiar, order reigns in the kitchen. The pan, gleaming with polished sides, sat on an equally immaculately clean stove – simple, white, without any contrivances.The shelves were lined with ceramic and plastic jars of all sizes and shapes, but each with a corresponding label.

The refrigerator, however, looked as if it had been moved here from the romantic sixties – the entire surface is dotted with multi-colored autographs, aphorisms, maxims, funny drawings. Sam read, smiled at something, thought about something. Most of the autographs belonged to fellow doctors.

There was a glass with colored markers on the refrigerator.Nearby lay a note calling to join this disgrace. Sam wasn’t going to join the pussies.

After filling the kettle and placing it on the stove, he opened the refrigerator. What he saw inside shocked him, perhaps no less than the appearance. Whole stacks of milk and cream bags. Mountains of oil. A hefty can of sour cream. All kinds of sauces, ketchups, mayonnaises, seasonings, as if he were in a spice merchant’s shop.

In the covered bowls, Sam found the remnants of lunch – in one of fried pork, in the other of sliced ​​bread, in the third, as he understood, goulash.In another compartment of the refrigerator, there was goose liver pate and so many different kinds of cheese that it would satisfy any mouse family with the most exquisite tastes for at least a week.

The contents of the refrigerator showed in the most eloquent way that its owner did not understand anything about diet. Anyone who eats this way is provided with a bunch of diseases at an early age.

Sam opted for sandwiches – the most acceptable for dinner. For tea, he decided to serve fresh fruit and strawberry jam.Sam tasted the jam. Perhaps too sweet, but still it is the healthiest food of all that was found in the amazing monster refrigerator.

The insistent whistle of the kettle sounded. Sam took two tea bags, put them in a teapot and poured boiling water over them.

After arranging everything on the tray, Sam looked around. On the edge of the table next to the rocking chair were glasses, indicating that this was the mistress’s favorite spot. Sam’s attention was drawn to a wall full of photographs.

Sam came closer. They were mostly old family photos. Here is a wedding photo of a groom with a skinny face and a rat mustache and a bride strikingly reminiscent of Tessa herself. This must be that same fortune-teller grandmother …

Sam’s curiosity kicked in. He tried to find Tessa’s childhood photos. Finding them was not easy: the photographs hung in complete disarray. Although, perhaps, they had their own logic, unknown to him.

He found a picture of Tessa the girl holding an inflatable rubber ball about the size of a baby.Sam clicked his tongue – you won’t say anything, adorable child. In the eyes of the girl, the same sly lights dance that Sam likes so much at Flossie’s …

Posts / Bookmarks / Profile of DenisZakharkin / Habr

We all have our weaknesses, which we can occasionally indulge in – the so-called “ guilty pleasures ”. For example, I like to flip through old gaming magazines from time to time; among other things, they come across interesting interviews and dev diaries, slowly covering up the blank spots of my ignorance (which, as it should be, has no boundaries).Post-mortems are a separate topic – they talk about the eternal, and therefore absolutely do not lose their charm.

Take the post-mortem Portal , published in the January 2008 issue of Game Developer magazine. Thanks to him, many readers first learned about the favorite method of creating games within the walls of Valve ( yes, there was a time when Valve was still making games ): constant iterations of prototypes of game mechanics and regular play tests with the participation of new players.Today this idea seems obvious to all of us – in fairness, it was known then, but not so widespread – despite the fact that it has already contributed to the emergence of games of the highest gameplay quality – one Half-Life 2 is worth it.

Some more facts from Portal post-mortem

It turns out that Portal itself was eventually cut by about half: due to the fact that unprepared players were hard at certain levels, the developers regularly removed the puzzles and replaced them with new ones.As the regulars of the Hammer editor suggest, when prototyping levels, Valve uses orange primitives, not gray like everyone else – hence the process itself they call not “grayboxing”, but “orange boxing” (hence the “orange box”? .. )

Another post-mortem, and just one small (and incredible) detail: the design concepts for the main bosses in Diablo III have been reworked 50-60 times during development. Now, every time I remind myself of this fact, when my hands begin to lose heart!

Of course, there are no post-mortems for many well-known games.Today we bring to your attention a story about what no one in their right mind will tell about in post-mortem.

Outdoor

Role players from the Valhalla historical fencing club opened the season – they successfully performed in Kaluga at the Heroes of Might and Magic based on the cult computer game. But soon the guys were left without a roof over their heads.

Role players from the Valhalla historical fencing club opened the season – they successfully performed in Kaluga at the Heroes of Might and Magic based on the cult computer game.But soon the guys were left without a roof over their heads.

The Valhalla Historical Fencing Club does not need to be introduced to the citizens of Obninsk – everyone knows it well. The historical fencing festival for the prize of the first science city has become a sign of the City Day: clubs from Kaluga, Moscow and the Moscow region come to perform for a colorful performance, a kind of medieval sword tournament. And this is not the only event at which Valhalla appeared. This spring, the guys attracted a large number of spectators in the city park for the Maslenitsa celebration.Foreign students were queuing up to do archery or take a short swordsmanship lesson. Later, the role-playing participants performed for children with disabilities. In early May, we took part in the regional game “Heroes of Might and Magic”. There are two more games ahead. Moreover, the August game “Die in Jerusalem” near Tver was announced as a candidate for the Guinness Book of Records: this year more than 5000 players from all over the country will participate in it.

Theatrical sports are very attractive for teenagers and young people. Take, for example, the same game of Heroes.You can sit, for example, in front of the monitor, exercising by pressing the mouse the index finger of the right hand. Or you can go to nature, to a camp with a team of “elves” or “masters”. And there to participate in real battles, tournaments and friendly meetings of game races. To feel how much a knight’s armor weighs in the field, to understand if, like Robin Hood, you can “get caught in a fly in a thousand steps”, and compare the design of your homemade helmet and the helmet of the enemy … All this is what Valhalla does. However, the situation at the club is not good now.Last week he was offered to vacate the premises at 11 Guryanova, where he “lodged” in a kindergarten building. Now there will be renovations and then kindergarten groups will be placed. You cannot argue with such a decision – there are not enough places in preschool institutions, and the kindergartens need to be returned to the children. What about Valhalla?

The club, thank God, was not thrown out into the street. He was sent to the basement on Lyashenko, 2 – the room where he was housed ten years ago. But now scouts and ecologists are engaged there.And, in principle, no one really expected “Valhalla” on Lyashenko. It would seem that training for role-players takes place in the open air. Why do they need a room? To practice historical fencing requires certain equipment: swords, bows, “protection” – helmets and so on. These things are quite voluminous, and, besides, they are expensive. Protection, for example, is sold in a specialized store, and its cost fluctuates around 30 thousand. A helmet costs about ten. But the main thing is even different. Not so much money as a soul is invested in the club’s inventory.The club has a historical workshop for the manufacture of replicas of medieval weapons and sports equipment. Weapons are made by the guys themselves. And in order, for example, to make a sword, you need to spend a lot of time and effort. You need a place, you need to at least put a table chair so that a teenager can cut out the same shield, cover it with leather, and emboss it. There are no conditions for this in the new old place on Lyashenko. Likewise, there is no storage space for inventory. Therefore, all the available uniforms and weapons were simply packed in boxes and taken out to the garden to the head of the club, Alexei Bolshakov.

Classes in the club were held four times a week. It is clear that there is no physical ability to carry equipment back and forth from the dacha. Not to mention the fact that the possibility of making weapons or costumes is completely excluded. For all that, everyone praises the club and agrees that it would be a pity to lose such a youth organization. For example, Alexander Morozov, head of the city administration’s department for interaction with state and public organizations, noted that it would be a pity if the club disintegrated, but he himself did not yet know how to help.Because his department has few opportunities.

Irina Faleeva, who heads the department of culture and youth policy, would also not want the club, which, in fact, to work in her field, to cease its activities.