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[futuristic music]
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[narrator] On this episode
of How Tech Works,
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00:00:10,939 --> 00:00:13,775
we hit the links
at St. Andrews golf course
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00:00:13,842 --> 00:00:16,445
with gear that's
over 100 years old
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and still state of the art!
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And...
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things are about to get small,
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very small,
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with this micro engraver.
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[intro music]
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Hello, I'm Dr. Basil Singer,
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and you are in
for a thrill ride
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00:00:44,239 --> 00:00:46,408
on this episode
of How Tech Works.
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[narrator]
We've got the solution
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for your need for speed.
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Horse boarding, speeding along
on this skateboard...
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pulled by a racehorse!
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[Basil] But first,
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I'll admit this story is not
big on high-speed stunts,
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but it will blow your mind.
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It's all about engraving.
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Yes... engraving.
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You see, the engraver
you're about to meet
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does his work
on a miniature level.
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So miniature that you have
to call it microscopic.
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Have a look.
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[narrator]
Take a close look at this coin.
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Can you see anything unusual?
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How about now?
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Right there on that tiny ridge.
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It's an entire phrase.
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The letters too small
to see with the naked eye,
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but carved entirely by hand.
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[man] I'm trying to push
the limits as far as possible
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to try and engrave smaller
than anybody else.
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[narrator] In Birmingham's
historic jewelry quarter,
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Graham Short is a living legend.
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A master engraver
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working in a tiny world
that few can comprehend.
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[Graham] The job I'm most
proud of is engraving the words
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'nothing is impossible' along
the sharp edge of a razor blade.
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Many, many times it went wrong.
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[narrator]
Every micro-engraving
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starts by prepping
the micro-tools.
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[Graham]
I've got some Victorian needles
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which I rub down
as much as I can
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to make them even smaller.
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[narrator]
Graham uses a candle
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to get the needle's steel
just right.
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[Graham] They're very brittle.
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So, I use a candle...
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but because the needle
is so thin,
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the heat shoots right
to the end of the needle
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and it's too soft then.
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So, then I have to harden it.
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I can spend probably three days
trying to get it right.
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That's probably all right.
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[narrator]
His ultimate test for sharpness
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is not for the squeamish.
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[Graham] That's quite sharp.
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That's good,
that doesn't hurt at all.
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And it certainly won't bleed.
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They're frighteningly sharp
on the point.
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They've got to be
small to engrave
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because I'm pushing
the limits of engraving so far.
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[narrator]
The majority of Graham's work
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is done on the heads
of gold pins.
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[Graham] I try to use objects
that everybody will recognize.
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I want them to know
how difficult it is.
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[narrator] Famous quotes
and sayings are his specialty,
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but it all began with a prayer.
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[Graham] I started working
on The Lord's Prayer
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about 40 years ago.
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[narrator]
Seventy words, 278 letters,
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all precisely carved
onto a surface
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the size of...
well, a pin head.
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From here,
there was no turning back.
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[Graham] I've engraved
England's World Cup
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goal scorers on a football stud.
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That's from 1950, when England
went into the competition
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to the present day.
Thirty-eight names on that.
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I've also engraved
on the end of a silver bullet,
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[Graham]
where the firing pin strikes.
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I've engraved
the second amendment.
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The American Bill of Rights
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which allows Americans
to bear arms.
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[narrator] On the tiny tip
of this paperclip
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is a famous quote
by Norman Mailer.
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[Graham] I want to try,
more than anything,
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to shock people with my work.
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I want them to think,
"That's impossible to do."
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And I'm happy with that.
That's enough for me.
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[narrator] Amazingly,
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the key to Graham's precision
is fitness!
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At 65,
he still swims six miles a day.
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And it's all to keep
a steady hand and heart.
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[Graham] The fitter I am,
the lower my resting pulse rate,
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and that's what I'm aiming for.
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And at the moment,
my resting pulse rate
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is about 30 beats a minute.
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[narrator] At this micro-scale,
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even Graham's pulse
could throw him off.
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He tapes a stethoscope
to his chest
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so he can work
between heartbeats.
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He straps his engraving arm
tightly in place, then...
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he waits.
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Everything...
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must be perfect.
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[heart beating]
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[Graham] Right,
I'm just about to engrave
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the bar on the top
of the letter 'T'.
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I'm waiting...
until the moment feels right
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to put in the slightest
amount of pressure.
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And I can hear my heart beating.
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If I can do it
between heartbeats,
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it will be okay.
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I'm waiting.
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I'm in the right position.
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[heart beating continues]
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That's it.
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[Graham] If I can do...
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say, seven cuts a night,
that's a good night.
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And that would give me
a letter 'E'
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and a letter 'F' completed.
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[electronic music]
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[narrator] The job Graham just
started could take months,
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even years, before
it looks like these.
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To say this work is slow
is a massive understatement.
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But it's all starting
to pay off.
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That engraved razor blade
was recently appraised
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at over £48,000.
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To Graham,
the best is yet to come.
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Today,
in London's Mayfair district,
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his full collection is on
display for the very first time.
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Through bespoke microscopes,
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these tiny works of art are now
becoming larger than life.
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I just thought
it was incredible.
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Phenomenal.
I was speechless.
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[man]
It's kind of disbelief.
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You want to go back
and back again
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to really make sure that
your eyes are not deceiving you.
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The response has been fantastic.
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It's been better than
I could have hoped for.
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[Graham]
I like people's reaction
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when they look at the work,
they can't believe it!
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And I love to see
the look on their face,
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it's excellent.
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[electronic music stops]
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When it comes to sports tech,
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there's always pressure
on athletes
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to have the very latest
and most advanced equipment,
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whether it's lighter, stronger
materials such as carbon fiber
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and titanium, or computer
assisted training techniques.
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So, what happens when
you play a round of golf
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using wooden clubs from
over a hundred years ago?
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Let's go to St. Andrews
in Scotland to find out.
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[traditional Scottish music]
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[narrator]
St. Andrews in Scotland.
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This is the home of golf.
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[man]
We know golf has been played
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for about 600 years
in St. Andrews.
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[narrator] In that time,
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golf equipment
has seen a lot of change.
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But while many brands
dabble in materials
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like graphite and carbon fiber,
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this local club maker...
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is sticking with wood.
[music stops]
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[upbeat music]
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Hamish Steedman runs
a unique workshop,
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St. Andrews Golf Company.
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It's the only traditional
golf club maker left on Earth.
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And surprisingly, the only club
maker at all left in Scotland.
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We're very conscious that we are
the last club maker in Scotland.
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And very passionate about
keeping that history alive.
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[narrator] The company's roots
trace back to 1881,
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but some of their clubs,
like this Long Nose Spoon,
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go back even further.
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[Hamish]
This club would have been used
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00:07:51,834 --> 00:07:53,602
from the start of golf,
effectively.
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[narrator]
True to tradition,
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the clubs around here
begin as a block of wood.
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[Hamish]
With the Long Nose Clubs,
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there's really a sort of
beechwood that they used,
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which was a softer wood.
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The putter heads we manufacture,
that's a maple wood.
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[shaving]
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[narrator]
With the rough shapes cut out,
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the smaller chunks
go into a special lathe.
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Tracing a stainless steel
master copy,
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00:08:17,759 --> 00:08:21,196
the lathes turn the wooden
heads down to exact dimensions.
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Every club is made to play.
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So, accuracy is everything.
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Just as important as shape...
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is weight.
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Molten lead is used
to bring each head up to spec.
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[Hamish] Every head is weighed
and meets a tolerance level.
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[narrator] Soon, the club head
is ready to meet the shaft.
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For this, the team still
uses hickory wood.
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[Hamish] One of the reasons
they used hickory
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00:08:49,591 --> 00:08:51,460
was because it was quite
a straight grain,
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00:08:51,527 --> 00:08:55,898
and it's quite a strong club
that had a good flex.
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00:08:56,331 --> 00:08:57,633
[narrator]
Even the best materials
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00:08:57,699 --> 00:09:00,536
rely on skilled craftsmen
to put them together.
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00:09:00,702 --> 00:09:03,539
Around here,
that's taken very seriously.
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00:09:03,605 --> 00:09:05,807
[Hamish] A new club maker,
to come into the business,
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00:09:05,874 --> 00:09:08,577
it'll probably take him a couple
of years to be left alone
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to actually craft a craft
from start to finish.
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They are artisans,
there's no doubt about that.
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[narrator] Although
the materials have changed,
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00:09:17,986 --> 00:09:20,455
when it came to hitting a ball
in the olden days,
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00:09:20,522 --> 00:09:22,591
the same physics still applied.
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00:09:24,126 --> 00:09:27,396
Modern clubs, with their
oversized sweet spots,
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00:09:27,462 --> 00:09:28,997
are a lot more forgiving.
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00:09:29,231 --> 00:09:31,800
And golf balls have become
far more springy
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00:09:31,867 --> 00:09:34,069
and aerodynamic
over the centuries.
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00:09:34,403 --> 00:09:36,271
But according to Hamish,
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00:09:36,338 --> 00:09:39,575
club performance hasn't
actually improved that much.
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00:09:40,509 --> 00:09:43,745
That was a theory
we had to see to believe.
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00:09:44,179 --> 00:09:45,414
[soft vibrant music]
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00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,083
Stepping into the company's
golf simulator room,
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00:09:48,183 --> 00:09:52,287
it's time to do some good ole
How Tech Works-style testing.
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00:09:54,189 --> 00:09:56,258
What we're going to do today,
have a bit of fun,
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00:09:56,325 --> 00:09:59,528
and we're going to compare
the three different golf clubs.
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00:09:59,595 --> 00:10:00,896
From the Modern club,
225
00:10:00,963 --> 00:10:03,799
going right back to your
Long Nose from the 1880 period,
226
00:10:03,866 --> 00:10:05,767
just to compare
the distances and performance
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00:10:05,834 --> 00:10:08,270
and see just how similar
these clubs really are.
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00:10:09,238 --> 00:10:10,272
So, I've got Grant here
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00:10:10,339 --> 00:10:12,774
who's going to be my
specialist club hitter.
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00:10:12,841 --> 00:10:14,376
[Hamish] Let's start
with the modern club.
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00:10:14,443 --> 00:10:18,747
So, this is your Driver
with the 460 CC head.
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00:10:18,814 --> 00:10:20,015
[soft vibrant music continues]
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00:10:21,984 --> 00:10:23,385
[Hamish]
That was a great shot, Grant.
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00:10:23,452 --> 00:10:24,486
Straight up the middle.
235
00:10:25,053 --> 00:10:26,622
278 yards.
236
00:10:27,055 --> 00:10:30,559
Now we move onto our Brassy,
which is a 1920s club.
237
00:10:32,995 --> 00:10:34,496
Another great strike.
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00:10:35,063 --> 00:10:36,465
269 yards.
239
00:10:37,366 --> 00:10:40,736
Now we move back to our
Long Nose club from the 1880s.
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00:10:42,171 --> 00:10:43,705
So, let's see how
we get on with this one.
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00:10:45,541 --> 00:10:47,376
[upbeat music]
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00:10:55,517 --> 00:10:57,486
Again,
three great strikes in a row.
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00:10:57,686 --> 00:11:00,622
262 yards with our Long Nose
from the 1880s.
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00:11:01,156 --> 00:11:03,892
It's interesting to see that
there's very little difference
245
00:11:03,959 --> 00:11:05,227
with the three different clubs.
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00:11:05,561 --> 00:11:07,529
This really does show
that it's the golf ball
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00:11:07,596 --> 00:11:10,199
that's taking the distance.
It's not really the golf club.
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00:11:12,100 --> 00:11:14,036
[traditional Scottish music]
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[narrator] As the leather grip
winds into place,
250
00:11:18,574 --> 00:11:21,076
one more club
is ready for the links.
251
00:11:21,143 --> 00:11:24,379
A beautiful and functional
piece of craft work.
252
00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,749
After 130 years in the business,
253
00:11:27,883 --> 00:11:30,152
the team
at St. Andrews Golf Company
254
00:11:30,219 --> 00:11:33,956
is definitely keeping the
ancient history of golf alive.
255
00:11:41,697 --> 00:11:43,832
Coming up on How Tech Works...
256
00:11:43,999 --> 00:11:45,934
[narrator] Inflatable robots?
257
00:11:46,001 --> 00:11:48,470
All in a day's work at Otherlab!
258
00:11:48,937 --> 00:11:49,938
And...
259
00:11:50,372 --> 00:11:51,206
Go!
260
00:11:51,273 --> 00:11:52,674
[narrator]
It's called horse boarding
261
00:11:52,741 --> 00:11:55,210
and you saw it here first!
262
00:11:56,979 --> 00:11:57,980
[music stops]
263
00:11:58,514 --> 00:12:00,415
[futuristic music]
264
00:12:00,716 --> 00:12:02,985
Welcome back to How Tech Works.
265
00:12:03,051 --> 00:12:04,119
\N
I'm Basil Singer.
266
00:12:04,186 --> 00:12:07,489
Now, as far
as cool science jobs go,
267
00:12:07,723 --> 00:12:09,992
it's true, mine is near
the top of the list.
268
00:12:10,125 --> 00:12:11,927
But I have to admit,
269
00:12:12,060 --> 00:12:15,264
the research and development
company in this next story
270
00:12:15,330 --> 00:12:17,566
makes a day at the office
seem more like...
271
00:12:18,033 --> 00:12:19,635
Well, a day at the fun fair.
272
00:12:19,701 --> 00:12:21,036
It's called Otherlab,
273
00:12:21,236 --> 00:12:23,438
and yes,
it lives up to its name.
274
00:12:23,505 --> 00:12:24,573
Have a look.
275
00:12:25,974 --> 00:12:27,342
[lo fi beats]
276
00:12:29,077 --> 00:12:30,412
[narrator] Despite appearances,
277
00:12:30,479 --> 00:12:32,581
this team is not actually
messing about.
278
00:12:33,182 --> 00:12:37,019
This is business as usual
for the staff at Otherlab.
279
00:12:37,085 --> 00:12:39,188
[man 1] What pressure
are you operating at?
280
00:12:39,254 --> 00:12:41,023
[man 2]
I'm operating at 10 PSA.
281
00:12:41,356 --> 00:12:43,525
[narrator] Part laboratory,
part workshop,
282
00:12:43,725 --> 00:12:45,894
Otherlab's goal
is pretty ambitious.
283
00:12:45,961 --> 00:12:47,262
[man]
We want to solve every problem
284
00:12:47,329 --> 00:12:48,497
in the energy space.
285
00:12:48,564 --> 00:12:50,666
[narrator] Taking on
big problems like that
286
00:12:50,732 --> 00:12:52,067
takes big brains.
287
00:12:52,134 --> 00:12:53,268
All kinds of them.
288
00:12:53,335 --> 00:12:55,504
[man] Most of the people
that work here have degrees
289
00:12:55,571 --> 00:12:57,539
across varying specialties.
290
00:12:57,739 --> 00:12:59,908
Everything from art
and graphic design,
291
00:12:59,975 --> 00:13:02,344
comic book art
to mechanical engineering,
292
00:13:02,411 --> 00:13:04,580
controls theory,
applied physics,
293
00:13:04,646 --> 00:13:07,683
mathematics, simulation,
computer science,
294
00:13:08,050 --> 00:13:09,084
software engineering.
295
00:13:10,686 --> 00:13:12,087
[narrator]
Meet Ant Roach.
296
00:13:12,387 --> 00:13:13,455
It's massive!
297
00:13:13,822 --> 00:13:16,191
And it only weighs about 32 kg.
298
00:13:16,358 --> 00:13:20,229
Ant Roach can support almost
15 times that weight, though.
299
00:13:20,562 --> 00:13:22,397
[man]
We're trying to see, just...
300
00:13:23,165 --> 00:13:24,833
can we make an inflatable robot?
301
00:13:24,900 --> 00:13:27,736
Basically, that moves
and does interesting things.
302
00:13:27,836 --> 00:13:30,205
[narrator] The strength
of inflatable robots like this
303
00:13:30,272 --> 00:13:32,674
is pretty amazing,
given that it's made of fabric.
304
00:13:32,808 --> 00:13:34,743
Of course,
that's super strong fabric!
305
00:13:34,810 --> 00:13:36,211
[man]
We have all these options,
306
00:13:36,278 --> 00:13:40,015
and we're not constrained by
the mechanical gearing system.
307
00:13:40,082 --> 00:13:42,284
So, we can use hydraulics,
we can use pneumatics.
308
00:13:42,584 --> 00:13:45,320
Then, we can basically make
very light-weight structures
309
00:13:45,387 --> 00:13:47,990
that move in many, many ways.
310
00:13:48,056 --> 00:13:49,958
[narrator] Because textiles
are so flexible,
311
00:13:50,025 --> 00:13:52,628
they can make all kinds
of interesting shapes.
312
00:13:52,928 --> 00:13:54,630
Unlike more traditional robots,
313
00:13:54,696 --> 00:13:56,698
inflatable ones
are a lot cheaper.
314
00:13:56,865 --> 00:13:58,467
[man] The materials cost
for this arm alone
315
00:13:58,534 --> 00:14:01,436
is probably only
on the order of $20.
316
00:14:02,604 --> 00:14:04,106
[rock music]
317
00:14:11,346 --> 00:14:12,981
[narrator]
Getting Ant Roach to walk
318
00:14:13,048 --> 00:14:14,950
requires a few connections.
319
00:14:15,317 --> 00:14:18,754
[man] This thing has 28
different degrees of freedom.
320
00:14:19,254 --> 00:14:22,591
Which basically means
it has 28 different actuators.
321
00:14:23,058 --> 00:14:28,530
And each single actuator has
to have its own operated valve.
322
00:14:28,697 --> 00:14:31,200
Every air flow has to have
a little valve that operates it,
323
00:14:31,433 --> 00:14:33,836
which has an electrical signal
that operates that valve,
324
00:14:34,002 --> 00:14:36,038
which traces back
to a little central computer
325
00:14:36,338 --> 00:14:37,472
that controls it.
326
00:14:37,573 --> 00:14:39,141
And then we have
the wireless link
327
00:14:39,775 --> 00:14:41,443
to a main computer.
328
00:14:41,610 --> 00:14:43,078
[narrator]
Inflating and deflating
329
00:14:43,145 --> 00:14:46,415
the actuators is like
contracting a muscle.
330
00:14:46,682 --> 00:14:50,118
The result is an inflatable
robot that can walk, turn,
331
00:14:50,185 --> 00:14:52,054
and stick its nose into things.
332
00:14:53,388 --> 00:14:56,425
[man] For a large class
of engineering problems,
333
00:14:56,859 --> 00:15:01,396
the solutions have tended
to be rigid, heavy structures
334
00:15:01,463 --> 00:15:05,334
when there was really no reason
for it other than convention.
335
00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,102
[narrator] Otherlab hopes
that breathing life
336
00:15:07,169 --> 00:15:09,371
into robotics
will make a huge difference.
337
00:15:09,438 --> 00:15:11,240
[man] We're investigating
everything from
338
00:15:11,306 --> 00:15:13,876
explosives removal
to lightweight locomotion,
339
00:15:13,942 --> 00:15:16,311
to human-safe orthotics
340
00:15:16,378 --> 00:15:18,814
to augment people
with physical impairments.
341
00:15:18,881 --> 00:15:21,483
[narrator] In the meantime,
they're just enjoying the ride.
342
00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,556
Our last story doth
harken back to a time
343
00:15:27,656 --> 00:15:31,727
when horses were ridden into war
by knights in shining armor.
344
00:15:32,027 --> 00:15:34,796
More recently,
there's a group of competitors
345
00:15:34,997 --> 00:15:36,665
who still need
to don their armor
346
00:15:36,732 --> 00:15:39,134
when it comes time
to go into battle.
347
00:15:39,635 --> 00:15:40,836
The only difference is
348
00:15:40,903 --> 00:15:43,238
these knights
are on shining skateboards!
349
00:15:43,405 --> 00:15:45,841
If it sounds weird
and a little bit wild...
350
00:15:46,208 --> 00:15:47,142
that's because it is!
351
00:15:47,209 --> 00:15:52,080
So, take a good look at what
one day may be an Olympic sport.
352
00:15:52,247 --> 00:15:53,982
It's called horse boarding.
353
00:15:55,484 --> 00:15:57,352
[soft uplifting music]
354
00:15:57,686 --> 00:15:59,087
[narrator]
In Malvern, England,
355
00:15:59,188 --> 00:16:02,224
today is the biggest
race day of the season.
356
00:16:02,524 --> 00:16:03,959
[battle interlude]
357
00:16:04,193 --> 00:16:05,527
[soft uplifting music continues]
358
00:16:05,627 --> 00:16:06,929
Horse and rider teams
359
00:16:06,995 --> 00:16:09,798
have come from across
the country to compete.
360
00:16:09,965 --> 00:16:11,333
[action music]
361
00:16:12,334 --> 00:16:15,437
But this isn't
your typical horse race.
362
00:16:15,504 --> 00:16:17,039
[action music continues]
363
00:16:17,139 --> 00:16:18,140
Go!
364
00:16:20,542 --> 00:16:22,644
[narrator]
This is horse boarding.
365
00:16:22,711 --> 00:16:24,012
[man] It's adrenaline.
366
00:16:24,079 --> 00:16:25,514
It's the simplest way
of describing it.
367
00:16:25,581 --> 00:16:26,849
It's a pure adrenaline rush.
368
00:16:27,182 --> 00:16:29,451
[narrator]
It's a brand new extreme sport,
369
00:16:29,618 --> 00:16:32,221
and if you're anything
like us here at How Tech Works,
370
00:16:32,287 --> 00:16:34,556
you're probably wondering
one thing...
371
00:16:34,756 --> 00:16:36,358
[man laughs]
Horse boarding?
372
00:16:36,491 --> 00:16:38,694
Um, what's that?
373
00:16:39,628 --> 00:16:41,096
[narrator]
Daniel Fowler-Prime
374
00:16:41,163 --> 00:16:42,664
is one of the best
in this sport.
375
00:16:43,065 --> 00:16:44,766
He's also its creator.
376
00:16:44,833 --> 00:16:48,871
Today, he's got the national
championship trophy on his mind.
377
00:16:49,738 --> 00:16:50,973
[Daniel] We have some new teams,
378
00:16:51,039 --> 00:16:52,808
we were finding our feet
in the last competition,
379
00:16:52,875 --> 00:16:54,743
so, we'll see,
there should be some good races.
380
00:16:55,110 --> 00:16:57,045
[narrator] It all started
about five years ago
381
00:16:57,179 --> 00:16:59,214
When Daniel decided
to mix his day job
382
00:16:59,281 --> 00:17:03,151
as a professional trick rider
with his love of board sports.
383
00:17:03,418 --> 00:17:05,320
It was like, "Hmm, can we tie
it to the back of a horse?"
384
00:17:05,387 --> 00:17:06,388
[Daniel] Ready!
385
00:17:06,455 --> 00:17:08,056
And then we started
experimenting from there
386
00:17:08,123 --> 00:17:10,759
as to what can be done and what
the application of it would be.
387
00:17:11,026 --> 00:17:12,094
[narrator] Five years on,
388
00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,496
the sport has
a country-wide following
389
00:17:14,563 --> 00:17:16,798
and its own national
race circuit
390
00:17:16,865 --> 00:17:20,569
where teams go head to head
on a 100m drag strip!
391
00:17:20,936 --> 00:17:23,105
So what do you need to play?
392
00:17:23,172 --> 00:17:24,473
If you want to start
horse boarding,
393
00:17:24,540 --> 00:17:26,408
the first thing you're
going to need is a board.
394
00:17:26,475 --> 00:17:29,511
[Daniel] Now, we use
Off-Road mountain boards.
395
00:17:29,578 --> 00:17:31,914
These have got
pneumatic tires on them.
396
00:17:32,214 --> 00:17:33,615
And toe straps.
397
00:17:33,682 --> 00:17:34,583
No heel straps.
398
00:17:34,650 --> 00:17:37,686
So that you can get your feet
in and out of the board quickly.
399
00:17:37,819 --> 00:17:39,354
If we flip the board over,
400
00:17:39,721 --> 00:17:41,290
[Daniel] we use the skate truck,
401
00:17:41,456 --> 00:17:44,126
and we put hard
compound rubbers in here
402
00:17:44,193 --> 00:17:46,595
as opposed to the soft
or medium compound rubbers,
403
00:17:46,662 --> 00:17:48,363
so that at high speeds,
404
00:17:48,430 --> 00:17:50,599
it's not as twitchy
as it could be.
405
00:17:51,466 --> 00:17:52,501
[narrator] For the tow rope,
406
00:17:52,568 --> 00:17:54,536
a standard wakeboard
handle is used.
407
00:17:55,470 --> 00:17:58,740
A special quick-release clip
allows the horse rider
408
00:17:58,807 --> 00:18:00,976
to detach it from
the saddle in a hurry.
409
00:18:01,376 --> 00:18:02,945
Finally, there's the padding.
410
00:18:03,145 --> 00:18:06,615
To Daniel, that's the most
important piece of kit.
411
00:18:06,682 --> 00:18:08,417
[Daniel]
When it comes to race day,
412
00:18:08,483 --> 00:18:10,552
you strap yourself in knowing
that you're going to crash.
413
00:18:10,619 --> 00:18:12,921
The question is how controlled
that crash is going to be,
414
00:18:12,988 --> 00:18:14,857
and hopefully,
it's over the finish line.
415
00:18:15,357 --> 00:18:16,558
[narrator] To avoid a crash,
416
00:18:16,625 --> 00:18:19,027
the best skill
you can have is balance.
417
00:18:19,394 --> 00:18:20,662
[Daniel] Go, go, go!
418
00:18:20,996 --> 00:18:22,798
You've got to be able
to recover the board
419
00:18:22,865 --> 00:18:25,000
when you get bent
into awkward positions
420
00:18:25,067 --> 00:18:26,802
as the acceleration is so fast.
421
00:18:27,536 --> 00:18:28,804
[man] Let him go, go on!
422
00:18:28,871 --> 00:18:31,373
[narrator]
At speeds close to 14 mph,
423
00:18:31,473 --> 00:18:33,408
communication is also key.
424
00:18:33,876 --> 00:18:36,278
[Daniel]
The board rider is the driver,
425
00:18:36,612 --> 00:18:39,314
But the horse rider
is the controls.
426
00:18:39,381 --> 00:18:41,550
So, the board rider tells
the horse rider
427
00:18:41,617 --> 00:18:43,352
what to do with the horse
and where to go.
428
00:18:43,485 --> 00:18:44,553
[man] OK, release!
429
00:18:46,088 --> 00:18:47,723
[narrator]
But to win races,
430
00:18:47,789 --> 00:18:50,225
all that means nothing
without a good horse.
431
00:18:50,826 --> 00:18:52,027
[Daniel] In a competition sense,
432
00:18:52,094 --> 00:18:54,363
the most important thing that's
going to make a team good or bad
433
00:18:54,429 --> 00:18:57,032
is the consistency of the horse.
434
00:18:57,366 --> 00:19:00,035
You've got to have a good horse
that's steady in the box.
435
00:19:00,102 --> 00:19:01,837
[man] Go, go!
Go on!
436
00:19:01,904 --> 00:19:03,505
[narrator]
After years of stunt riding,
437
00:19:03,572 --> 00:19:06,241
Daniel's horse, Rohan,
is as steady as it gets.
438
00:19:07,075 --> 00:19:10,012
Together,
they go by the name 'I-Horse'.
439
00:19:10,812 --> 00:19:13,515
To stay on top,
even they need to practice,
440
00:19:13,582 --> 00:19:15,651
and time is running out.
441
00:19:16,818 --> 00:19:18,253
[announcer]
Ladies and gentleman,
442
00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,391
welcome to the National Horse
Boarding Championships, 2011!
443
00:19:22,457 --> 00:19:24,526
Today has been
an interesting competition.
444
00:19:24,593 --> 00:19:28,630
In first place at the moment,
we have I-Horse with 89 points.
445
00:19:28,697 --> 00:19:30,666
They're going to get through
to the knock-out finals.
446
00:19:30,732 --> 00:19:32,334
And it's anyone games
when it gets to there.
447
00:19:32,401 --> 00:19:34,002
What do you think
about that, Andy?
448
00:19:34,069 --> 00:19:35,470
I think they're
going to win it, Tom.
449
00:19:35,537 --> 00:19:37,239
We've got four points each,
haven't we?
450
00:19:37,940 --> 00:19:39,408
You've got... what?
451
00:19:39,474 --> 00:19:40,909
Four points,
I've got four points.
452
00:19:40,976 --> 00:19:41,977
It's sudden death!
453
00:19:43,512 --> 00:19:45,380
[narrator] In the final race
of the weekend,
454
00:19:45,647 --> 00:19:48,250
It's I-Horse
vs. Perfectly Frank,
455
00:19:48,317 --> 00:19:51,453
the biggest and strongest horse
in the competition.
456
00:19:52,087 --> 00:19:53,822
[soft piano music]
457
00:19:55,123 --> 00:19:57,526
This isn't going to be easy.
458
00:19:57,993 --> 00:19:59,127
[referee] Go!
459
00:20:01,230 --> 00:20:02,798
[narrator] Right from
the starting block,
460
00:20:02,865 --> 00:20:04,566
this race is a dead heat!
461
00:20:06,468 --> 00:20:08,470
As the riders
cross the finish...
462
00:20:08,537 --> 00:20:09,538
[crowd groans]
463
00:20:09,705 --> 00:20:11,673
[narrator] It's hard to tell
who actually won.
464
00:20:11,740 --> 00:20:13,075
[man cheers]
465
00:20:13,141 --> 00:20:15,511
Then...
the judges make their call.
466
00:20:15,944 --> 00:20:17,579
-Yeah!
-[cheering and applauding]
467
00:20:17,646 --> 00:20:19,815
[Tom] That is Perfectly Frank
in first place
468
00:20:19,882 --> 00:20:23,619
on the 2011 National Horse
Boarding Championship!
469
00:20:24,186 --> 00:20:26,154
[narrator] As the season comes
to a close,
470
00:20:26,355 --> 00:20:29,825
there is some disappointment
for Daniel in his own defeat.
471
00:20:29,892 --> 00:20:31,026
[clapping and cheering]
472
00:20:31,426 --> 00:20:33,328
[narrator]
As for the sport he created,
473
00:20:34,129 --> 00:20:35,998
he's certain it's a winner.
474
00:20:36,064 --> 00:20:37,332
[Daniel]
The future of the sport,
475
00:20:37,766 --> 00:20:40,068
we're looking for nothing less
than world championships.
476
00:20:40,135 --> 00:20:41,737
Next year,
there's going to be competitions
477
00:20:41,803 --> 00:20:44,640
in at least France,
England, and Scotland.
478
00:20:46,008 --> 00:20:47,943
[Daniel] And this is
the very tip of the iceberg.
479
00:20:48,377 --> 00:20:49,878
Yeah,
we haven't even started yet.
480
00:20:52,447 --> 00:20:54,650
You've been watching
How Tech Works.
481
00:20:54,750 --> 00:20:57,619
I'm Basil Singer,
and I'll see you next time.
482
00:20:58,854 --> 00:21:00,455
[ending music]
37164
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