The term monopoly refers to the domination of a single entity. It has its origins in the study of economics. The game is one of the most successful games in the history of USA.  The game basically consists of forty board spaces which contain twenty eight properties, which are further sub divided. The rest twelve spaces are like community chest space, income tax space, jail, free parking etc. The players roll the dice and accordingly start the game. The number on the dice is the number of spaces one moves. According to the details of the space, one either gains some amount or loses some amount.

The game is a Parker brothers publication, played with two to six people. It requires about 10 minutes to set up the board of the game and requires about one and a half hour to play. It is played with a dice or by drawing cards. It enhances the negotiation and resource management skills of an individual.

There have been many versions of the game. The US version was released before, and then the UK version came up. There has been also been a world edition which is constantly revised and updated. The latest UK edition has $1000 notes as well. There are further additions with respect to the introduction of bus tickets, skyscrapers etc.

The game of monopoly dates back to 1904, when Elizabeth J. Magie Phillips devised a game in the hope of explaining the single tax theory which was formulated by Henry George. The game devised by her was published a few years later. Since then new and revised versions of the game have been constantly out in the market. Apart from the standard ones, even local games have been out. This shows the reach of the game.

The game is played within a set of rules which the players must follow. For example, a rule says that if a player starts late, then he should pass the Go before he is able to buy any property. There are different bonuses available if you roll a pair of ones or twos etc. The Parker brothers also released a set of tricks and strategies which would help the players in deadlock situations.

The game of monopoly requires intense planning and good negotiating skills. It enhances your ability to use the amount or the resource available to you in the best possible manner. It helps you to think quickly and analyze difficult or tricky situations. It must be played with immense concentration and attention to the other player’s moves.

There are several add on like the stock exchange, play master, speed die etc available with the game now. There are world championships in the game of monopoly. Other games such as Express Monopoly, Monopoly Junior, Monopoly deal etc. are also available which are quite similar to the original game of monopoly. The first ever monopoly championship was held in 1973. It was held in the city of New York.

So play and sharpen your brains!!

- P. Asha Ritu.

Miniature golf is an excellent sport for the not-so-rich countries since they do not have to invest so much for a full fledged golf course; yet could enjoy the sport. There are many types of golf courses that can be built for miniature golf but currently there are four which are approved by World Minigolfsport Federation. They are beton, eternite, felt and Minigolf Open System. Not only as an outdoor sport but miniature golf has also increased in popularity due to its indoor golf courses. In cold countries where the climate does not allow golf to be played outdoors, miniature golf courses are being constructed indoors. Indoor ‘glow in the dark’ miniature golf is increasing in popularity!

There are many championships held for miniature golf. The World Minigolfsport Federation holds bi-annual championships in every odd year while the ones in Asia and Europe are held every even year. Such championships are held on two courses of 18 holes, out of which one is ethernite while the other is concrete. The Minigolf Open Systems have still not been used for international championships but WMF is expected to host miniature golf games on MOS courses as well since it is well suited for American and British players!

US Masters, British Open, Irish Open etc are some MOS miniature golf championships held every year. The Harris Cup tournament of USA is also an important tournament for miniature golf players. About $10,000 USD are spent for prizes in Harris Cup! The M.C. Mini Masters is another miniature golf tournament.

Although miniature golf is not much popular in the countries of the East yet if developed properly, there is a good possibility that it might come up to the level of any other national sport!

- P. Asha Ritu.

Iggy Pop and Peter Gabriel have been acknowledged as the people to stage dive for the very first time. They are known to be the originators of stage diving.

‘Stage diving’, ‘crowd surfing’ and ‘moshing’ are related terms when it comes to these performing traditions. In fact, stage diving is the thing that needs to be done, which leads on to crowd surfing.

In modern and pop cultures however “cool” this act maybe, there is a lot of risk involved in it. It is dangerous for not only the performers who do it but also the concert goers on whom they plan to dive. It might just end up hurting any of the people involved in the activity. If not caught properly by the crowd, it can lead to serious injuries or jerks to vital parts of the body such as the spinal cord.

While a lot of people refuse to attend music concerts because of previous bad experiences of stage diving; a lot of people believe it is just the right thing to do in a music concert. So even if they do get hurt, they do not stop because they like the “adrenaline rush”. They enjoy it and boast off their injuries later on. Stage diving for a lot of people is a cultural norm. After their injuries, these artists just call this ‘adventure sports’ and be happy about having done it.

A lot of times these acts are scripted or planned before hand, as spontaneous jumping on to the crowd can be dangerous.

A stage dive can even prove fatal. In the worst case scenario, if a stage diver jumps and the crowd moves out, the fall right from the stage, several feet down can cause – a disability, injure a person badly or even cost ones life. Beside this, the crowd or the audience stands the risk to be hit by either a shoe or some other sharp object in the artists’ attire which can cause grave damage.

Bernadette O’Brien is one of the many examples of the people who lost their life while attempting a stage dive.

A lot of times these divers are even robbed off or stolen of their belongings. There have even been cases of abuse among women divers and surfers by the male audiences. In a lot of places like U.K. and others, stage diving has been banned to some extent. In order to ensure safety of the concert goers as well as the performers, the security appointed during these concerts, make sure that no such activity takes place.

Even after injuries and death, stage diving continues to be a favourite of many fanatics and performers. In terms of injuries, stage diving is the safest when already planned or when the crowd is a lot. Stage divers should keep in mind to wear soft shoes and clothes which do not have anything that might end up hurting someone in the audience. Stage diving needs courage to do and is definitely not for the weak hearted.

- Shaan.

Besides the board and the wheel, there are many other parts to a skateboard which may seem as wooden plank to many eyes. Each part contributes to the performance and is uniquely essential. The deck, the trucks, the wheels and the bearings, the hardware and the grip tape constitute the primary of a skateboard.

The deck: the board of the skateboard on which you stand, is known as the deck, which is made of multi-ply wood. Usually, maple is used, but at times, other woods are compressed together. While the average width varies between 7.5 and 8 inches (19.05 to 20.32 cm), the average length is within 32 inches. Both these specifications are subject to change based on the manufacturing company.

The trucks: the parts attached underneath the skateboard, directly on the deck constitute as the trucks. Apart from various small parts, they include axels, brushings and kingpins. Usually made out of aluminium alloy or titanium using nuts and bolts as hardware to hold the board, they are often sold in a variety of colours.

The wheel: the wheels of a skateboard vary in hardness and are usually made out of plastic urethane. Wheels are used for different purposes based on their hardness and softness. While soft wheels are preferred for skating vert, the hard wheels are preferred for street skating for obvious reasons. Wheels are not only classified on the basis of hardness or softness but also on the basis of their sizes which affect their performance levels. While manoeuvring tricks smaller wheels offer less resistance and larger wheels provide more stability.

Grip tape: applied on the top of a deck, grip tape is the rough self adhesive whose purpose is to provide traction while the person is riding. Available in different colours and graphics, a grip tape is what brings character to a skateboard.

Risers as the name suggests, changes the height of the skateboard from the ground.

Why are skateboards used?

Skateboards are used as a source of entertainment for people. With the upcoming craze of surfing in water, skateboards were invented as a means of surfing outside water.

Who uses skateboards?

Skateboards are usually used by the youth as a hobby and for some, even as a profession.

The invention of skateboards?

In the early 1930’s, children attached roller skates to wooden planks of dimensions two by four and used it for playing games. It was only in 1958 that the modern skateboard came into existence. From the very basic models and years of evolution this kid’s toy was created into a sophisticated skateboard which today is being used worldwide. What is the history of skateboarding?

One of the known patents in this field is by Thomas Welsh was issued on August 17th, 1993 for a platform steerable skateboard.

What are the types of skateboarding?

Over the years, many practitioners have discovered a unique way of skateboarding of which Ollie is particularly famous. The credit of the Ollie goes to Alan Ollie Gelfand whose trick involves a huge leap into the air with the skateboard while staying flush with the feet.

- Nikita Gupta