I have BIG plans already in motion for this here blog in 2012, so please stick with me over the coming 12 months for more great content. Follow me on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook for instant updates on new posts, as well as links to other goodies I find on the interwebs!

Here we go!

10. Move. Eat. Learn.

While my travels around the world have begun to slow down somewhat, I have not, and will not, back off posting links and information about the adventures of other brilliant wanderlust individuals who document their globetrotting experiences through word, photos and video.

This year’s 10th most viewed post looked at a series of stunning short films put together by Aussies Rick Mereki, Tim White and Andrew Lees who spent 44 days travelling 38,000 miles across 11 countries linked by 18 flights.

If you haven’t already viewed these three films, covering the three main themes of “Move”, “Eat”, and “Learn”, get over to my post and check them out now. You won’t be disappointed.

9. Red Bull: The Art of Flight

Extreme sporting films (or practically anything presented/sponsored by Red Bull) have become increasingly popular these days, and there’s no finer example than Travis Rice’s “The Art of Flight” released this year which has been described as one of “…snowboarding’s most iconic films made over the last three decades.”

In this popular post, I took a quick look at the trailer for this epic cinematic event!

8. 10 Tips for Google Plus Newbies

It’s fair to say that one of the biggest launches online in 2011 was that of “Google+”, the giant search engine’s attempt at dipping their toe in the Facebook-dominated social network pond. I seriously believe that 2012 will see a trend in online users succumbing to “Facebook Fatigue” and turning their backs on the privacy suspect, advertising riddled, impersonal behemoth.

Will Google+ be “the one” that everyone turns to? Only time will tell. In the meantime, however, I set out back in July to make the sign up, adoption and learning process on the newcomer network a smooth one with a set of practical tips.

Who knew readers would actually find them and share them around with their friends and family the way they have.

7. Vancouver Canucks – 2011 NHL Western Conference Champions

In the end, it was clinched by one particularly bizarre game winning goal by Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa, but the 2011 Western Conference Final Series against the San Jose Sharks was a beauty. It really ignited the belief in all of us fans that the team may indeed be able to go “all the way” in 2011.

Little did we know…

6. The Darwin Ice Hockey Club

For a bit of fun back in May, I posted a video of one of Vegemite’s 2011 TV ad spots. Particularly topical at the time of launch (NHL Playoffs time), the ad takes a comical look at the World Champion Ice Hockey team located in… Darwin, Australia.

It’s brilliant. Just watch it.

5. What Australia’s Census says about you

Back in July I published a post covering a surprisingly clever and well executed viral campaign and online educational tool launched by the Australian Government to promote the “National Census” which was conducted on August 9th.

Since posting, the page has received over 3,500 views, cementing itself smack bang in the middle of my top 10 posts for 2011.

4. And Raffi makes it 1-0 Canucks!

Oh boy! What a roller coaster of a post-season it was for the Vancouver Canucks and their amazing devoted fans. From the highs of the series win over our playoffs hoodoo team, the Chicago Blackhawks, to the eventual heartache of a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss at the hands of the Boston *spit* Bruins, it had it all.

My 4th most popular post of 2011 looked at Game 1 of the Cup Final against the Bruins where unlikely hero, Raffi Torres, slotted the game winning goal in the dying seconds of the 3rd period sending GM Place, and at least one household in North Brisbane, into raptures!

3. Vancouver Canucks Icons & Wallpapers

Who doesn’t love showing off the colours of the sporting team they love?!? Back in May I set off on a graphical journey to create a full set of digital art pieces that my readers, and Canucks fans everywhere, could download and splash all over their digital lives from Twitter and Facebook avatars/icons, to iPhone wallpapers.

The designs were really fun to put together, and have proven to be an ongoing hit with fans of the team.

2. 2011 Rugby World Cup iPhone Wallpaper

Like me, it appears my readers love their rugby. With the big one, the Rugby World Cup, playing out in New Zealand during the Spring, I spent a bit of time putting together a full set of HD iPhone wallpapers for every competing team in the tournament which was eventually taken out on home soil by the mighty “All Blacks”.

Even today, months after the conclusion of the Cup, my designs, which are all available for download, still often rank as the most viewed images daily on my Flickr account.

1. 2011 Queensland Floods: The Big Wet

Without doubt, one of the biggest news stories in Queensland, if not Australia, in 2011 was the massive State-wide floods which occurred back in January, taking the lives of 35 people and affecting the lives of over 200,000 others in 70 towns.

While it was hard for me to really gauge the extent of the natural disaster, images of the capital city, Brisbane, and many of the suburban areas I know well being engulfed by flood waters was one I felt I needed to write about, if only to educate my fellow Vancouverites (at the time) with what was happening back at home.

My attempt at summarising the disaster through images and video proved to be the most viewed post on my blog in 2011, amassing over 17,500 hits throughout the year.

Following the extreme snowboarding antics of top boarders Travis Rice, John Jackson, Mark Landvik, Scotty Lago, Jake Blauvelt, Nicolas Muller, Gigi Ruf, DCP and Pat Moore, “The Art of Flight” looks like it’s going to provide another exciting visual feast of adventure from the “Red Bull” stable.

But don’t take my word for it, watch the trailer below. If that 3:30min masterpiece doesn’t turn you on just a little bit, then you, my friend, are not human!

PS. The killer track used for the trailer above is “Fire Shall Devour Them” by “The Three Corners of the Earth”, a collaboration between Anthony Gonzalez from “M83″ and Curt Morgan from “Brain Farm”.

Whether anyone believes me or not, I had a funny feeling that we were going to be in for a great sunset and it’s always been a dream/bucket list item to be up on Grouse overlooking Vancouver’s downtown as the sun set at the distant reaches of English Bay. I’ve heard people rave about the spectacle, some going as far as saying it’s a truly unique experience that everyone should have the chance to take in before they die. I, for one, didn’t need anymore motivation to get up there!

The 45min or so journey from my apartment to the Grouse Mountain chalet is less than an hour despite covering three modes of public transport (Skytrain, Seabus & Bus). Sounds unbelievable to have a hill the quality of Grouse so close to home, but Vancouverites are well aware of the fortunate position they find themselves in.

Heading across Burrard Inlet on the Seabus, the ski fields (see image below) beckon in the distance not all that far away from my workplace (approx. 17 minutes by Bus). Crazy, I know!

Once at the top, I strapped in, got a few runs on “The Cut” under my belt before heading straight for the Quicksilver Terrain Park to see if there were any gun boarders and skiers around, flipping and contorting in the air. The following are a a few shots I captured of some pretty talented kids.

Leaving the terrain park, it was up to “The Peak” and the highest vantage point possible from which to catch the pending sunset.

The whole idea was to get a few quality runs in as the sun dropped behind the horizon and give the sky a chance to be drenched in colour, ready for me to snap the shot I have been wanting to take for almost 6 years now. Here’s what I ended up with.

What do you think? It’ll do, eh? – haha! Good enough to make it into my project365 as day #3 anyway.

I can’t recommend a Grouse Mountain winter sunset viewing enough. Whether on ski, board, snowshoe or foot, it’s a spectacle I’ll certainly remember for a long time and I hope others who have not known about it get the chance to experience too after reading this entry.

It’s amazing to think that the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic organisers had difficulties with a lack of snow up at Cypress not 2 months ago, considering the awesome coverage they have up there right now. With that in mind, I somehow managed to squeeze out roughly 6 hours of boarding right across the resort’s 2 mountains and loved every minute of it.

Towards the end of the day I headed down into the “Bell Power Park” in the hope that some crazy talented skiers and boarders would slide through and launch themselves off the various jumps and table tops providing me with the opportunity to grab some shots. I can’t say that there were too many people coming through, but I did get the chance to talk to the resident park maintenance guys who were more than happy (HUGE THANKS GUYS!) to strap on their boards and throw down a few mad runs for me so that I could walk away with at least something.

I really don’t have the time to go into each amazing achievement on their own unfortunately. Sleep is needed ahead of the history-making day/gold medal hockey game tomorrow between Team Canada & the USA – another great shot at gold!

So, I’m going to do my best here to quickly acknowledge those Canadians of whom we are extremely proud of who received medals since last Thursday (Ladies Ice Hockey GOLD!), with emphasis placed on those athletes who have been responsible for the flurry of gold experienced this weekend which has already sealed Canada’s position as one of, if not the most successful nation in any Winter Olympics with a gold medal haul of 13 already (with one to come – fingers crossed!).

Thursday – 25 February, 2010

Ladies Free Skating – Joannie Rochette (Bronze)

A true heart-tugging story this one. Joannie’s beloved mother passed away last Sunday suffering a heart attack after arriving in Vancouver for the Games. She missed witnessing her daughter’s courageous short program by just 2 days. After she landed everything, earned the highest short-program marks of her life and secured herself an Olympic bronze medal, the tears started flowing both for Joannie and every inspired spectator in the stadium. What a moment.

Friday – 26 February, 2010

Ladies Curling – Canada (Silver)

After being a tower of strength and concentration for the past week and a bit, in the end Canada’s skip, the super sexy (I think so anyway) Cheryl Bernard, missed a pair of gold-medal winning shots in the 10th and 11th ends to lose to 7-6 to Sweden. A mighty effort nonetheless from the team – Susan O’Connor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Cori Bartel, Kristie Moore. The Canadian ladies are partly to blame for why I have a real respect for curling now. It’s actually really entertaining!

Men’s 500m Short Track Speed Skating – Charles Hamelin (Gold)

Men’s 500m Short Track Speed Skating – Francois-Louis Tremblay (Bronze)

In a wild final corner of the men’s 500m final, Canadian Francois-Louis Tremblay clashed with US glamour boy Apollo Ohno. The tussle effected South Korea’s Sung Si-Bak’s line as well reducing Hamelin’s final lunge for the line and ultimate gold. After review, Apollo Ohno was disqualified for pushing and Tremblay was rightfully promoted to the bronze medal position.

Men’s 5,000m Relay Short Track Speed Skating – Canada (Gold)

Gold medal winner Charles Hamelin joined fellow medalist Francois-Louis Tremblay, his brother Francois Hamelin and team mate Olivier Jean to take on talented squads from South Korea, China and the USA (amongst others) in the 5,000m relay on the short track. Happy to sit behind early pace setters China for the opening half of the race, the Canadian team used a measured strategy to ease in front of China in a crucial move that allowed them to cruise to victory and claim another Canadian gold!

Saturday – 27 February, 2010

Men’s 4-Man Bobsleigh – Canada (Bronze)

I have to admit I didn’t get to see this event LIVE. I suspect I was lining up for something, somewhere. Regardless, the boys (Lyndon Rush, Chris Le Bihan, David Bissett & Lascelles Brown) threw their little rocket down the Whistler ice tube with skill and confidence, only missing the silver medal (which went to Germany) by a measly 0.01 sec. A super effort from the fellas!

Men’s Team Pursuit Long Track Speed Skating (Gold)

This was a really cool event to watch, and from the Heineken House down in Richmond, home to the Dutch team who are the historical champions in long track speed skating, I managed to take in every last enthralling second of the race which saw the Canadian team comprising of Mathieu Giroux, Lucas Makowsky and Denny Morrison beat arch enemies, the USA, across the line to chalk up another Canadian gold on the medal tally sheet.

Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Snowboarding – Jasey Jay Anderson (Gold)

Team Canada veteran Jasey Jay Anderson pulled out the snowboarding run of his life in the second run of the final of the men’s parallel giant slalom to upset Austrian favourite Benjamin Karl for gold!

Men’s Curling – Canada (Gold)

While the Norwegian Team were unanimous winners when it came to Olympic competition fashion, it was the Canadian team skippered by veteran Kevin Martin and consisting of John Morris, Marc Kennedy, Ben Herbert and Adam Enright, who were the most accurate on the day taking away a very popular gold for Canada!

Since day one when Gretzky carried the torch down Vancouver’s Waterfront Road to the outdoor cauldron, I had made no secret of my support and high hopes for 23 year old Aussie sensation, Torah Bright, in the women’s snowboarding half pipe.

When it came to the much anticipated final up at Cypress Mountain this evening, the blonde haired, sun kissed beauty with the irresistible smile (check out the press photos below and tell me I’m wrong), gave all of Australia a huge fright when she bombed her first run. However, with a technically impressive second run which included a tough “switchback 720″, Torah impressed the judges enough to pick up a score of 45.0 out of a possible 50 – a score that would not be bettered, not even by the squad of talented US ladies.

Personally, I was all fired up to see Torah pull out a “double cork”, a move that her male counterparts find difficult at the best of times (with the exception of the incomparable Shaun White perhaps). It wasn’t to be on this occasion, but she did tell reporters to, “stay tuned.”

A MASSIVE congratulations to Torah and the entire Bright family including her brother and coach Ben Bright. A mighty effort which is going to be celebrated by Aussies up at Whistler and back at home for a long time to come.

A special mention also for fellow Aussie competitor Holly Crawford who came in 8th, and Canadians Mercedes Nicoll (6th), Sarah Conrad (12th) and young Palmer Taylor (26th). Well done ladies.

The plan was to get up there around 6pm, meet up with Dan and Candace at the bottom of one of the Quad chairs and then just kick around the resort for a few hours. The place was pretty much deserted when we arrived in the carpark which was a great sign. It meant that the slopes would be open and the lift line-ups minimal – desirable conditions by anyone’s standards.

Everything was AOK until I looked down and strapped into Ryan’s old board (which I was borrowing for the night) noticing that the binds were actually set up for a “goofy footer” (left hand rider) which Ryan is. I know, I’m left-handed and this should have been spot on for my needs, but due to the same quirk that renders me a “right-hander” when playing cricket, soccer etc I actually board “regular”. Soooo… after a small amount of consideration at the top of the first chairlift to heading back down and switching the binds over, I figured I’d give it a shot down the first slope and just see how it felt. Thankfully (in terms of saving time), it felt ok and I was able to keep up with Ry and Corrie to the bottom so I decided to just wing it for the rest of the night.

As expected, across the two peaks only the long intermediate trails were lit which meant, after having met up with Dan and Candace, we spent the best part of 3 hours hurtling down the hills with reckless abandon. It was actually kinda tricky conditions as the recent combination of fine sunny days and cold clear nights have created a pretty icy cover and finding edges was sometimes difficult. But… I managed to stay upright the entire night and only called it quits along with everyone else once the cold started to penetrate both my boots and gloves. It got to the point where tucking into a few pitches of beer and some nachos and chili fries were a more appealing prospect (like you really need much more motivation) so we headed to the lodge for a little late night Apres Ski!

Considering the close proximity (30-40 minutes by car) to Vancouver downtown and the quality of trails, Cypress is a great location for night skiing and I hope to get up there a few more times under lights before the season wraps up in a couple of months.