Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY STOKKETE (ARCHER) Thrill Seekers BREAK OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE THIS SUMMER WITH THESE EXHILARATING SPORTS. BY JESSICA LANIEWSKI Ace Archers Bows and arrows might be in vogue thanks to The Hunger Games, but this company has been teaching locals to aim and shoot like Katniss for years. Ace Archers takes the sport beyond summer- camp level with committed instructors who work with archery enthusiasts to learn the basics of the sport and advance toward competition. New students get started by taking an introductory class held on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. 131 Morse St., Foxborough, 508-697-5647; acearchers.com ArborTrek Soar from tree to tree high above the forest f loor during a Zip Line Canopy Tour in the Green Mountains. You will hit dizzying speeds as you f ly along more than 4,500 feet of zip lines, learn to land on platforms high in the treetops, and keep your balance as you cross sky bridges. Each participant is equipped with a helmet, gloves, and a safety harness that's carefully monitored by instructors, but the exhilaration of speeding through the air is all yours. 1239 Edward Road, Jeffersonville, VT, 802-644-9300; arbortrek.com Block Island Parasail and Watersports Channel your inner seagull as you take to the air above Block Island's waters. You can fly solo or tandem up to 500 feet above Block Island Sound. Captain Bob Littlefield will even get you as low as the surface of the water before bringing you back into the boat. Old Harbor Dock, 401-864-2474; blockislandparasail.com Old Silver Beach Water Sports If the Jetsons were beach bums, they'd be Flyboarding for sure. The cutting-edge new sport, which uses what looks like a personal jet pack strapped to your feet and rigged to hoses for water propulsion, can lift you up 10 feet above the water. Adventure seekers and celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, are fans of this sci-fi sport. 350 Quaker Road, North Falmouth, 508-801-3329; capecodwindsurfing.com Magic Falls Rafting Company Hold on tight as you rocket down the Kennebec River for a raft ride this summer. Choose from packages like the Weekend Upper Gorge Adventure with a barbecue on Saturday and a level three and four trip on Sunday morning, or the overnight "Out-Back" Camping Adventure with rafting, a hike to Moxie Falls (where you'll keep an eye out for Maine wildlife), and then a raft trip of the Upper Gorge the following morning. 38 Dead River Road, West Forks, ME, 800-207-7238; magicfalls.com Mooney Mountain Guides Take an introductory rock climbing lesson with Art Mooney, who will teach you how to tie knots, belay, and move safely across a rock face. If you already have some experience, opt for a guided tour of Cathedral Ledge, Cannon Cliff, and Huntington's Ravine. Try the Vertigo or Moby Grape rock climb on Cannon Cliff for a challenge that will test your skills. 638 Old Bristol Road, New Hampton, NH, 603-744-5853; mooneymountainguides.com Skydive New England Take the ultimate leap of faith and go skydiving. Your maiden voyage will start with a 30-minute lesson on the ground to learn the basics. First-timers f ly tandem with an instructor while they get used to the feeling of free-falling and opening their parachute. You'll see New England in a whole new way as you descend over coastline and mountains. 40 Skydive Lane, Lebanon, ME, 207-339-1520; skydivenewengland.com Trapeze School of New York The experts at this school will gear you up, teach you how to jump, and then watch you leap from a 24-foot indoor platform. Start with a traditional f lying trapeze class, where you will learn how to do a knee hang with a black-f lip dismount, before trying private lessons focused on silks, trampo- line, and conditioning. 50 Walkers Brook Dr., Reading, 781-942-7800; boston.trapezeschool.com BC View Maine's coastline from a new perspective at Skydive New England. Archery is more popular than ever thanks to The Hunger Games. TAKE AIM Ace Archers' founder Tom Herrington talks about going for the gold. Which is more important in archery, strength or tech- nique? Technique is more important at first, but since the Summer Olympics Archery games are outdoors at 70 meters, strength becomes important for elite-level archers. What's the biggest challenge while using a bow and arrow? Learning to control your body so you can control the bow. Has the sport become more popular? We've had a great increase in target archery since the first Hunger Games movie, the TV show Green Arrow, and the televising of the Archery Summer Olympic Games. The biggest part has been the entry of girls into the sport, which is great! 122 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM GUIDE play