Ads - Part 73

Volley Shoes

Volley is an Australian shoe company.  In 2016 they launched a "grassroots" ad campaign featuring young men and women clad in underwear or naked, wearing Volley sneakers.  Above, on a tennis court.

On the tennis court again, but with couples hugging.  Note that the couple on the right is gay, and the one on the left is lesbian.  The "grassroots" ads enthusiastically depicted gay as well as straight couples.

Another view of the gay couple hugging.

And this photo shows them kissing, though they're not naked.

The Volley "grassroots" ad campaign also partnered with Ansell condoms to promote safe sex.  Here we see a condom on a tennis racquet handle.

More was visible on the Volley website, like this video of underwear-clad and naked young men and women, gay and straight, running around and having fun while wearing Volley sneakers.

Predictably, the religious right, including the Australian Christian Lobby, was outraged by the ads featuring nudity and gay tolerance, and they railed against the ads.  The resulting publicity was great for Volley, whose profits that year went up more than 100%.

In late 2017, believe it or not, Volley launched a line of sneakers called "Fuck Off."  Here's a commercial for the sneakers.

The shoes actually said "Fuck Off."

Clearly Volley is going after a demographic that is not the religious right.

Bodybuilders - Part 27

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Events - Part 75

 Fall Equinox

Today is the Fall Equinox.  In Britain, it's called the Autumnal Equinox.  Every year since 2012, the equinox has been celebrated there by holding the annual North East Skinny Dip at Druridge Bay in Northumberland, England.  This year the event will be held at dawn on Sunday, Sept. 28 (since more people can participate on a weekend).

Druridge Bay is in northern England, and the sea water is quite cold in late September.  That didn't stop the North East Skinny Dip participants, above, in 2019.

A colorful skinny dipper in 2018.

This skinny dipper in 2022 had a sea horse – or unicorn.

Almost all the photos of this event are rear views, but here's a front view of a couple returning from the sea in 2017 with the dawn sky behind them.

And the photos are almost always anonymous, but the skinny dipper above posted his photo in 2024 as James Walton.  Thumbs up, James!

Hiking - Part 74

 Trolltunga

Trolltunga is a spectacular rock formation in Norway.  It can be reached by a lengthy 27 km  (17 mile) round-trip hike starting from Skieggedal, which takes 10-12 hours, or you can take a shuttle to Mågelitopp from which it's a 20 km (12 mile) round-trip hike, taking 7-10 hours.

Above, part of the trail.  Most of it is not difficult, just long.

But at the end is the Trolltunga, which means troll's tongue in Norwegian.  It sticks out into the air like a giant tongue, 700 meters (2300 feet) above a lake.

Despite the long hike, Trolltunga attracts many hikers, some in groups, so it's unusual to have it to yourself.  Nevertheless, a few hikers have managed to get memorable shots of themselves standing on Trolltunga naked.

Another intrepid naked hiker.

This is the naked handstander on Trolltunga, the same guy who was doing a naked handstand in front of Uluru in Australia.  He has made it his mission to do naked handstands around the world.  Perhaps he'll be the subject of a future post.

Most of these naked hiker photos are anonymous, but this one gave his name: Neil Price.  Note the snow on the surrounding mountains.  There is considerable snow in Norway lasting into June.

And in this photo, Trolltunga itself is covered with snow.  I would not venture onto a snowy, slippery rock with a 2300 foot drop on all sides.

Three naked hikers enjoying the view.

Look out below!  Well, it's a long hike, and sometimes you've just gotta go.

Not the Same Old Song - Part 66

 Shake Your Booty

Need I say more?

Weighing In - Part 75

 Zurab Noniashvili

Zurab Noniashvili, born in 1984, is a boxer from Georgia.  Not the state of Georgia; the country Georgia, located between Russia and Turkey.  He competed professionally from 2005 to 2018.  He was a contender for the Georgian heavyweight title in 2012.

Above, we see him weighing in with his pants down.  Because he was a heavyweight, with no upper weight limit, he would not need to lose his pants to weigh in.  Did someone "pants" him on the scale?  That might not be a smart thing to do to a heavyweight boxer.

The poster behind him identifies the event as "Price vs Sexton", which took place in Liverpool, England in 2012.  Noniashvili fought against Jamaican boxer Dillian Whyte.  Whyte won.  Noniashvili's overall record is 13 wins and 13 losses.

Poem of the Day - Part 75

 Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Today's poem is a proverb attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

Early to bed,

Early to rise

Makes a man healthy,

wealthy,

and wise.