banner

Sports and Vehicles

"He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate."
— Henry David Thoreau

How It’s Made viewers know how to get revved, whether on the field or on the road. See how.

Classic Sports = Classic Expectation

Most of us know the rules of the game, but exactly how does baseball work? How is baseball equipment made? And when a player hits a home run, how do they know how far the ball traveled?
Likewise, we enjoy our Sunday football games, but what about the science and precision that goes into producing helmets, footballs and other equipment? From mouth guards to padding, there are hundreds of specifically chosen pieces for players to decide upon.
What about hockey? The rules and equipment have changed significantly through the sport's 128-year history. The current cutting edge in stick technology is the one-piece composite design, made of Kevlar and carbon – a far cry from the wooden sticks of yesteryear.
Golf ain’t your grandpa’s game anymore. Thanks to the Tigers of the world, you’re likely to see whole families hitting the links these days. The companies that design and manufacture your clubs know this, so have made high-tech advances for pros and economy sets for folks who just want to have a good time. By the way, ever wonder why golf balls have dimples?

Related Articles

Extreme Sports = Extreme Craftsmanship

Skateboarding was a cultural phenomenon that took place during the 1960s and ‘70s when surfers needed to practice their skills in the winter months. Now, it’s a sport in its own right. And it all starts with four simple components: a board, a deck, trucks and wheels. How specialized the board becomes is up to the designers, engineers and manufacturers who make them.
Snowboarding: Though it's done on powder like skiing, snowboarding owes more to skateboarding and surfing than to its partner on the slopes. Watch How It’s Made to see the handcrafted process -- from a plain board to a snowboard costing between $100 to $1,000+.
For those who hand-make kayaks from scratch or design the paddles that range in materials from fiberglass or graphite to Kevlar or wood, it’s an art form. How It’s Made takes you through the process.
Today’s mountain bikes are in a whole new realm of techie-cool by the time they wheel off the assembly line and into your favorite performance biking shop. Engineers, scientists, mechanics and designers are working to make better gears, better hydraulic braking systems, sturdier suspensions are new frame technology.