Jack Quaid, the star of Emmy-winning series The Boys, exclusively revealed to DMARGE that the latest season’s sixth episode is the best episode of The Boys ever.

With the first four episodes of The Boys Season 3 now available on Amazon Prime Video, it’s safe to say that the ultra-violent and action-packed series is just as good as ever.

As a huge fan of The Boys – I even think it rivals the Marvel Cinematic Universe – I was delighted to chat with Jack Quaid, who plays Hughie Campbell, during a special red carpet event that took place last week in Sydney.

And when I asked what his favourite episode of the latest season was, the actor not only revealed that Season 3 Episode 6, which will be released on the 24th of June, is his favourite – but it’s the best episode of The Boys ever.

“Hands down, six. It’s called Herogasm; I know it’s an insane title. But I love it because it’s such a crazy episode of The Boys but also every character gets something really monumental to do in it and I really can’t wait for you guys to see it.”

Jack Quaid

“I think it’s the best episode we’ve ever done… It’s a big claim but I think accurate. I don’t wanna over-hype it too much but yes, six hands down, it’s so good.”

Quaid also confessed that while he never gets squeamish while filming The Boys, when he watches the episodes… well, that’s a different story.

“I know all the gore is like, you know, cornstarch basically. And I’ve been bathed in the stuff at this point. But, it’s interesting, shooting it and watching it are two different things. When I watch it, yes, I do get squeamish even though I was there on the day and I know exactly what it took to make that gory thing happen…”

Jack Quaid

“But making it, I’m like ‘oh this is just another day at the office’. But when they edit it all together with the visual effects and everything like that, it’s dicey. I’m seeing what you’re seeing and it’s insane.”

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The post Jack Quaid Says The Boys’ Herogasm Is The Best Episode ‘They’ve Ever Done’ appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When you think ‘flight attendant’ what comes to mind? Let‘s be honest, it’s a good-looking woman in a slim-fit skirt and blazer combo with a hat perched upon an elegant hairdo, a scarf tied deftly around her neck and red lipstick painted on her lips, isn’t it?

But long gone are the days of this stereotype. Many airlines have changed their uniforms and policies to better reflect modern times; for instance, Virgin Airlines no longer requires its flight attendants to cover up their tattoos.

However, up-and-coming Australian low-cost airline Bonza is completely smashing through the flight attendant glass ceiling and is taking things to a new level.

They have just launched their flight attendant uniform range which is comprised of super casual, comfortable and modern white tees, black pants, tailored shorts, white sneakers and many other awesome options.

Carly Povey, Chief Commercial Officer at Bonza, said she’s extremely proud of the contemporary uniform.

“Our brief was clear. Create a uniform that Bonza [flight attendants] will wear with pride. We know airline uniforms are the land that time forgot and we wanted to change that with our partners at Total Image Group.”

Carly Povey, Chief Commercial Officer at Bonza

She also revealed that Bonza – unlike other airlines – will not have a ‘grooming guide’ for flight attendants to follow.

“We won’t dictate what lipstick to wear, or whether you have to wear lipstick at all. We won’t ask crew to cover up their tattoos and just because you’re female, that doesn’t mean you have to wear a skirt. If you’re non-binary, pregnant, work in the office or onboard, we have options for you. Bonza is for the many, not the few…”

Bonza’s head office is located in the Sunshine Coast and plans to commence operations in 2022 with a focus on cheap domestic and regional flights.

RELATED: Australians Hit With ‘Business Class Prices’ For Economy Tickets To Europe

Total Image Group Head Designer and CEO, Pamela Jabbour said the airline’s uniforms are a reflection of Bonza itself; it’s an airline that’s going to shake up traditional airline norms.

“My goal was for the uniforms to reflect the excitement and optimism that Bonza brings to Aussie travellers. They’re ditching the rule book in every way and the uniforms are no exception.

Instead of pantyhose, polyester shirts, black high heels and traditional embroidery, we have created a uniform that reflects current trends and that [flight attendants] will wear with pride.”

Pamela Jabbour, Total Image Group Head Designer and CEO

It’s about time flight attendants get to fly in comfy clothing like the rest of us.

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The post Australian Airline Ditches Traditional Flight Attendant Uniforms For ‘Woke’ Alternative appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Stranger Things, the science fiction horror drama show that is streaming on Netflix, has become a global phenomenon. And, with each passing season, the threats to the main cast in the show become more extreme, meaning they need to ensure they’re physically capable of seeing them off.

For David Harbour – who plays Jim Hopper, the chief of police in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana – the latest season, Stranger Things 4, sees him finding his way to the icy cold climates of Russia. Speaking to Tudum, he says “It was very difficult this year. For me, it was a lot of cold weather. It was barefoot in the snow in Lithuania 20℉ below, and I wasn’t eating a lot of food because I was very emaciated this season. And so it was a brutal season on me, physically and emotionally.”

Naturally, David had to prepare himself physically before filming began, and thanks to his personal trainer, Don Saladino, we’re able to see exactly what kind of brutal punishment David put himself through to get into fighting-fit shape.

Taking to TikTok, Don – a celebrity personal trainer who also calls Ryan Reynolds and Sebastian Stan his clients – posted a video of David completing a brutal full body workout. Exercises include deadlifts, medicine ball slams, sled pushes and farmers carries.

• Deadlift – Check out our complete guide to learn how to perform a deadlift correctly. But, as a quick guide, setup a barbell with some weight (start light to begin), grip it using an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width. Squat down until your shins touch the bar, lock your shoulder blades down, look forward and push up through your feet. Make sure to keep the bar close to your body throughout the duration of the exercise. Squeeze your glutes when you’re in a standing position and slowly return to the starting position. 
  
• Medicine Ball Slams – Grab hold of a medicine ball (your gym should have them lying around somewhere). From a standing position, raise the ball above your head with arms out straight and literally slam it down to the floor. Squat down to pick it up and repeat for 12 – 15 reps. 
  
  Medicine ball slams are great for working virtually all the muscles in your body. In particular, they can help strengthen your shoulders, upper back and core muscles. 
  
  
• Farmer’s Carry – The farmer’s carry can be performed using either dumbbells or kettlebells (David uses the latter). What you want to make sure of is that you’re using a heavy weight. Holding a heavy weight in each hand down by your side, walk for either a set distance or a set period of time, it’s entirely up to you. A good starting point is to walk for around 20-metres. 
  
  During the farmer’s carry, ensure your arms are kept close to your body, your shoulder blades are locked down and your core is braced. The farmer’s walk is great for strengthening your core, forearms and upper back in particular. Perform the farmer’s carry for 6 – 8 reps at 20-metres per rep, for a total of 3 – 4 sets. 
  
  
• Sled Push – The sled push also features in many of Chris Hemsworth’s workouts, so you know it’s good, and it’s particularly effective at strengthening your lower body muscles, along with your glutes and your core. To perform, load some weight on a sled (if your gym has one, there should also be a dedicated sled push track). You may not know exactly how much weight you can comfortably put on to begin with, so take time to experiment. 
  
  With the weight loaded, get into a low position (this will likely happen almost instinctively) and grab the sled handles with a neutral grip (palms facing inwards) with your arms either straight or bent. Digging your feet into the floor, start pushing the sled. The first few metres will be the toughest, but once you’ve got momentum behind you, it will start to feel easier. 
  
  Make sure to brace your core throughout the duration of the movement, and that the main driving force is coming from the front of your feet. Push the sled down the track, turn around and push it back to the starting point. Perform this 8 – 10 times for 3 sets. 

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The post David Harbour’s Stranger Things 4 Workout More Brutal Than The Upside Down appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The upcoming series Black Bird will show the late actor Ray Liotta in one of his final roles…

The iconic Goodfellas actor Ray Liotta passed away at the end of May while filming Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic.

Of course, as films and television series are filmed months – and sometimes years – before they’re released, there are a few projects that Liotta completed before his death.

Apple TV+ just released a trailer (which you can watch below) for the upcoming mini-series Black Bird which shows Liotta in one of his final roles.

Black Bird, which will be released on July 8th, is based on the autobiographical novel In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene. The series follows Keene, played by Taron Egerton of Kinsgman and Rocketman fame, a man sentenced to 10 years in a minimum-security prison without parole.

However, after he makes a deal with the FBI to shorten his sentence, Keene is transferred to a maximum-security prison and must befriend a serial killer in the hopes that he will reveal to Keene where eighteen different women are buried.

Liotta plays Keene’s father, Big Jim. And Dennis Lehane, the creator of Black Bird, wrote a touching tribute and spoke about how thrilled he was to have Liotta play Big Jim.

“It was, quite literally, the culmination of a lifelong dream to work with Ray Liotta… I wrote the part of Big Jim Keene in Black Bird for Ray.

I had no other actor in mind and was floored – humbled, honoured, fist-pump elated – when he leapt at playing the part less than 24 hours after we sent him the scripts. And the performance he gave? It was a master class.”

Dennis Lehane

We can’t wait to see Liotta’s performance in Black Bird; the actor may have died but his talent lives on.

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The post Ray Liotta Lives On In Upcoming TV Series appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Mitsubishi Motors has been on the decline for years, but they seem to be making one bad decision after another.

First, they discontinued the Lancer Evolution, their ‘halo car’ and one of the most beloved affordable performance cars ever made. Then, they discontinued the Pajero, their amazing, Dakar Rally-conquering 4×4. Now, Mitsubishi Australia is discontinuing their passenger car range altogether in what feels like yet another bewildering decision from a brand that’s on the ropes.

“We do believe that passenger cars are history,” Mitsubishi Motors Australia boss Shaun Westcott told CarsGuide earlier this week, as the once-great brand announced there’ll be no successor to the Lancer sedan or Mirage hatchback (currently Australia’s cheapest new car) offered Down Under. Instead, Mitsubishi will focus on SUVs.

Westcott has suggested that the Lancer nameplate could return – but most likely on an SUV, like how they slapped the Eclipse name on the Eclipse Cross or the Pajero name on the Pajero Sport.

“Lancer is a valuable nameplate, we will hold onto Lancer, but it’s unlikely that we’re going to see passenger cars in the future…

“I just think they are dead, and that’s not just Mitsubishi… Just look at the market, look at the trends, the world has moved past that.”

Shaun Westcott

But is Westcott right? Are passenger cars truly dead, or has Mistubishi Australia got things wrong? Is this just spin, justifying ailing sales and average products?

While Mitsubishi continues to produce some truly decent vehicles such as the Triton ute (which is one of the best available in Australia right now) and the Outlander PHEV, there’s a broad consumer perception that the brand’s offerings in the West are a bit boring and unrefined.

It’s undeniable that the big thing in cars over the last two decades has been SUVs (and in Australia, dual-cab utes) – and demand for these types of vehicles remain incredibly strong – but as electric vehicle technology becomes more and more mainstream, there’s a good chance we’ll see a move back to hatchbacks and sedans.

The ‘skateboard’-like battery structure of purpose-built EVs tends to suit sedans and hatchbacks better than it does high-riding SUVs. Indeed, one only has to look at the some of the best electric cars in both Australia and around the globe to see it’s EVs that are resonating with consumers: the Nissan Leaf, the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai’s Ioniq models…

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It’s also a bizarre thing for Westcott to say when many of Mitsubishi’s best-selling cars globally are indeed small passenger vehicles, like the eK kei car – but that’s a whole other story…

Mitsubishi’s decision to abandon the performance/enthusiast market is also a shame and could be the cause. of some of their sales woes. Sure, most car brands don’t tend to make a lot of money selling those sorts of cars, but the halo effect means a lot… And there’s still plenty of demand for fast passenger cars.

Think about it: why do other affordable Japanese brands like Nissan, Toyota and Mitsubishi’s rallying rival Subaru continue to invest in new enthusiast vehicles?

And it’s just a fact: SUVs are an inferior starting point for performance models compared to traditional passenger cars, so if that’s all you’ve got, you’ll suffer. As Carsales‘ Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair has told DMARGE, “SUVs are inherently not as high-performing… At the end of the day, a lighter, lower hatch will always outperform a higher-riding SUV.”

RELATED: Australia’s Small SUV Obsession Might Spell The End Of Affordable Performance Cars

To an extent, it’s a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ situation. Either invest a lot of money in enthusiast vehicles (which are expensive to develop) for questionable returns or stop making them and then your brand image suffers.

We guess you could make the same argument for passenger cars now too – although at least SUVs, crossovers, utes and commercial vehicles continue to sell very well.

Mitsubishi isn’t the only car brand trying to ditch passenger cars in favour of an SUV-only or dominated lineup Down Under. Ford Australia, for instance, only offers performance variants of the Fiesta and Focus, which are both facing discontinuation here – leaving only the Mustang, which isn’t really a passenger car, as the only traditional car in their lineup.

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Our take? SUVs and crossovers will continue to dominate Australian roads for at least another decade, but as EVs become more and more mainstream, we might see traditional passenger cars like sedans and hatchbacks make a comeback.

Plus, as our cities get more and more congested and fuel gets more and more expensive, we might see punters ditch their big and bulky SUVs for smaller, more fuel-efficient passenger cars… Watch this space, we say.

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The post Mitsubishi Is Giving Up On Cars. Here’s Why That’s A Bad Move appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Circumcision isn’t just for babies. In Australia at least, it is becoming more common in adult men. This is one Australian man’s account of what to expect if you were thinking about going through with the procedure.

Talking about anything penis-related can be a touchy subject for men of all ages. Whether you’re worried about your penis size or worse, shrinkage, discussing anything below-the-belt is something men tend to avoid. So, what about circumcisions?

Cutting to the point, circumcision relates to the removal of the foreskin from the penis. The procedure is most commonly performed as a religious rite, for cultural reasons or as a preventative measure to relieve discomfort or to prevent more serious medical issues.

According to Bio Med Central, just over a quarter of the Australian male population is circumcised. However, these statistics don’t reveal when these men had their surgery performed. It is common to believe that the majority of procedures are performed on newborn babies. In religious and cultural circles, this is certainly the case.

But elsewhere, some of the older male population are electing to have the procedure performed. So, what is it like to get a circumcision as an adult male?

It’s a question recently answered by The Hook Up segment of the Triple J radio station in Australia, which saw host Hannah Reily speaking to listener Jack, who called into the show to speak about his experience of getting a circumcision when he was 23-years-old.

Jack revealed that he had experienced a low sex drive with his new partner, whom he has been with for nearly a year. However, he said “about halfway [into the relationship] I got circumcised and after that, sex started feeling really good for me and my sex drive went through the roof.”

He added that he suffered from phimosis, which is a medical condition that prevents the foreskin from being able to be retracted. Jack said “through ages 18 to 19, I was sleeping with people and it was painful. I would have the worst experiences. The doctors gave me an ointment to help loosen it up and I had to stretch it out because the skin was too tight, but because the skin was too tight and it was super painful to do, I didn’t really do it.”

“And then I was like, ‘I think I might just get circumcised,’ because it was just the biggest problem.”

“What would happen is when I would go to have sex I would have to be like ‘ok let’s do this so slow because this is so painful for me,’ and ultimately, it just wasn’t a pleasurable experience for me.”

“I had been through sex education but I didn’t think there was anything seriously wrong. There’s an issue but didn’t put too much thought into it. It came to a point where I was just like maybe I can’t just come during sex. No girl was ever able to make me come. Sex wasn’t enjoyable. Is it really my thing? It was pretty crap.”

“I don’t think the doctors diagnosed me with phimosis, I basically just looked it up and it came up with phimosis and I just said ‘I have phimosis’.”

“Ever since I was 19 I wanted to get circumcised, I’m 23 now and last year I had enough funds and so I booked it in. I need to get this done because I’m now dating a girl and I want sex to be enjoyable.”

When it came to the day of the snip, Jack said he wasn’t scared about going under the knife and in fact felt pretty confident. Speaking of his experience, he said “they put a few needles in it and asked if it hurt, and I was like ‘ah yes it does!”

“They numbed it but they didn’t knock me out, I just closed my eyes. They literally got scissors and cut around it. I could feel the scissors cutting it and I’m just closing my eyes. I couldn’t feel it fully but you could feel your body was going through a traumatic experience.”

“When I first got it done I went back home and went straight back into my uni class and told my mates what had happened. They asked how I was feeling and I said I was feeling fine because the anesthesia was still in there.”

“But then an hour later the anaesthesia wore off and I was in the most immense pain. I was feeling the cut there. Imagine all the skin off your arm ripped off. The doctor didn’t prepare me for it, which was really interesting.”

“It took about a month to get back to normal and I feel like it was the best decision I made, I’m so happy. I feel like I can do anything with it, with no restriction.”

“Before I had it, sex was painful so turned me off a bit. I knew there would be pain there, I would be scared for a girl to go down on me or whatever. Now it feels amazing, I feel my libido has shot through the roof within the last year of getting it done.”

“People may think talking about their private parts is quite a private thing, but I’m open and happy to talk about it. If anyone wants to get it done, literally get it done. It will be painful for the first few weeks but after you’ll be so happy.”

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What the experts say

Host Hannah Reily spoke with Dr James Thompson, a Urologic Surgeon at St Vincents & St George Hospital in Sydney, to understand exactly what circumcision is, how it should be performed and who is getting them today.

Dr Thompson told The Hook Up a circumcision is “a procedure performed on boys to remove the foreskin, which is the excess skin that sits in the resting position covering the head of the penis. It can be performed a short time after birth, but this has progressively gone out of favour in Australia. These days the removal of the skin is usually because of a problem in a teenage or adult male.”

“I’ll typically see men who are aged between 18-40 at least twice a week. Only a small minority are circumcised as young boys for religious reasons or because their father or brother were, but most men aren’t these days. The majority of procedures are now performed on adults.”

“The most common reason for circumcision is because the foreskin can’t be retracted on a newborn. In about 98 to 99% of boys, by the time they reach puberty they can retract the foreskin. The reason is that a boy becomes sexually active and they have trouble retracting and it can cause pain during an erection or during sex, it can also split or, because it can’t be retracted, it can cause infection because the area underneath the foreskin can’t be cleaned properly.”

“Boys tend to ignore their health more than girls. They’re not as used to seeking medical help as girls. Girls are more used to seeing the doctor about below the belt issues. Boys are scared, and won’t want to talk about it with their friends.”

“Usually, when their partner points it out as an issue or difficulty with an infection, that is when they’ll then reluctantly come to see a doctor.”

How is circumcision performed?

“A circumcision is a minor operation,” according to Dr Thompson. “We prefer to do it in the operating theatre and most adult men prefer to be put to sleep by way of anesthesia.”

“The surgery takes around 30 to 40 minutes. We make a small incision at each end to remove a ‘cuff’ of skin and then stitch it back together with dissolving stitches. There is usually not much pain afterwards, although there will be some soreness. Taking some panadol is usually fine as a means to reduce pain.”

“After surgery, you should hold off from physical activity for a couple of weeks and obviously, you shouldn’t engage in any sexual activity for six weeks or so. I often get asked questions such as ‘what if I get an erection when I’m sleeping?’ but don’t worry, this won’t cause any problems, it’s only vigorous sexual activity you should refrain from.”

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“Guys rarely regret seeing a urologist to at least talk about it. Guys that have it move forward with confidence and more fulfilling sex lives. Don’t procrastinate, just get it checked.”

How much is circumcision?

The cost of circumcision can vary depending on your age and where you have the procedure performed. As Jack says in his story, he had to save up from the age of 19 until he was 23 to be able to afford it. He doesn’t disclose how much it cost him.

However, host Hannah also spoke with a man called Matt, who said the cost of his procedure was covered by the healthcare system in Australia, which she seemed surprised by.

Gentle Procedures Clinic in Revesby, Sydney, says the cost of circumcision for newborn babies is $400 but will increase as you get older, stating “The fees for an older boy or adult circumcision procedure at our greater Sydney clinic are based on the age of the patient.”

Australian men will be able to reclaim some of the cost back through Medicare.

Benefits of circumcision

Besides being able to reverse the effects of phimosis, there are other benefits to getting circumcised. These, according to Healthline, include a decreased risk of urinary tract infection (UTI), a decreased risk of sexually transmitted diseases, and that it makes it easier to maintain good genital hygiene.

Downsides of circumcision

There are very few downsides or risks to getting circumcised. The main one would be you simply don’t like how it looks. Some men and women have a preference for aesthetic appearances and removing the hood could be seen as a disfigurement to some.

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The post Adult Circumcisions: What It’s Really Like To Get The Chop At 23 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Pickleball is a racquet sport that originated in the USA but is now becoming more and more popular around the world. In fact, the Pickleball Australia Association says it’s the “fastest growing sport worldwide.” Introduced to Australia in 2015, the low-impact sport has been adopted by communities around the country.

But if you’ve never heard of it, you’re probably wondering, “what is Pickleball?”. Well, we’re going to answer that and lay out how you play it, along with where can you play it in Australia. Read on to find out more.

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball is best described as a mash-up of a number of other racquet sports, including tennis, badminton and table tennis. The basis of the game sees two or four players (2 vs. 2) using solid paddles, similar to table tennis paddles, to hit a perforated ball over a net.

The court Pickleball is played on is similar to a badminton court, and the net you have to hit the ball over is similar to a net from a tennis court.

History of Pickleball

Pickleball originated on Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965 and was initially a game for children to play in their backyard. Joel Pritchard, a former politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Governor of Washington, is credited with inventing the game and its rules with a couple of his friends.

Pritchard and his friend, Bill Bell, wanted to play a backyard game of badminton one afternoon in 1965, but couldn’t find a shuttlecock. They then went to a badminton court and decided to try playing games using other racquets and balls. They eventually made their own, larger versions of table tennis paddles, lowered the badminton net and used a Cosom Fun Ball, and so Pickleball was created.

The name, Pickleball, is said to have come from a couple of potential sources. Joel’s wife, Joan Pritchard, said the name came about after she said to her husband the game reminded her of the Pickle Boat, which she said is where oarsmen “were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.” The connection here would be the use of various traits from other racquet sports.

It’s also been suggested the name was inspired by the Pritchards’ family dog, Pickles, although evidence suggests Pickles was named after the game.

Increase in popularity

Just a few years after inventing the game, Joel Pritchard and his friends found Pickleball had become incredibly popular with neighbours and relatives, and so in 1968, the group of friends formed Pickle Ball, Inc. They even began producing their own paddles and complete kits, so more and more people could play the game at home.

How To Play Pickleball

Despite Pickleball being created as a simple backyard game, there are official rules to follow and criteria for the court, net, paddle and ball.

Pickleball Court

Pickleball is played on a court that is 20 feet wide x 44 feet long, regardless if you’re playing singles or doubles. It’s the same size as a doubles badminton court. The front service line lies 7 feet from the net, making the service area 20 feet x 15 feet.

The area between the net and the front service line is known as the non-volley zone and the front service line is called the no-volley line. The back service line is known as the baseline.

Pickleball Net

A Pickleball net is 36-inches high at the ends and 34-inches high at its centre. The net posts should be placed 22 feet apart, with the distance being measured from the inside edge.

Pickleball Ball

When Joel Pritchard first invented Pickleball, a wiffle ball was used – a perforated, lightweight ball – and a similar one continues to be used today. An official Pickleball ball now has to be made from a durable moulded material, with a smooth surface and 26 to 40 evenly spaced circular holes.

The Pickleball ball needs to weight between 22.1 and 26.5g and measure between 73 – 75mm in diameter. USA Pickleball and the International Federation of Pickleball have determined a list of pre-approved balls for use in official tournaments.

Pickleball Paddle

Official Pickleball rules state there is no requirement with regards to the thickness or weight of a Pickleball paddle, but the combined length and width can’t exceed 24-inches, and the length can’t exceed 17-inches. Other criteria says the paddle’s surface must be smooth and be made from a non compressible material.

Rules of Pickleball

Players can determine who serves first in whichever way they wish, such as flipping a coin or even playing rock, paper, scissors.

Singles

In a singles game of Pickleball, the server must take their first serve from the right service court. The ball is served to the diagonal crosscourt of their opponent, similar to other racquet sports. If an official oversees the match, they will announce the score before each serve. If you’re just playing casually, then the server has to announce the score before each serve.

The starting score is “zero zero” and goes up in single points.

Doubles

Doubles matches of Pickleball are a little more confusing to understand. The score has three parts; the serving team’s score, the receiving team’s score and the server number. The server number is either a 1 or 2, and refers to whether the current server is that team’s first or second.

In what could be seen as a slightly backwards way of determining server number, the first server of the game is considered to be their team’s second server and can take on the server number of “start” or “2”. The starting score in a doubles match would therefore be “zero zero start” or “zero zero 2.”

Manner Of Play

The first two plays in a Pickleball game require the ball to bounce once before being returned. I.e., once the server has served, the receiver must let it bounce once before hitting the ball back. Likewise, the server, now receiving the ball, must also let the ball bounce once before hitting it.

After this, players are allowed to volley the ball; i.e. hit it back without letting it bounce. The ball can never bounce twice before being returned, and players can’t volley the ball from the non-volley zone close to the net.

Serves must be taken from alternating right and left service courts. But, teams and players can be susceptible to faults.

Faults in Pickleball

Faults are called whenever any of the following occur:

• The wrong server hits the ball or serves from the wrong side of the court
• Either of the server’s feet step over or touch the baseline
• The ball isn’t hit into the opponent’s diagonal service court
• The wrong receiver returns the ball
• Volleying the ball when returning a serve
• Volleying the ball when returning the first service return
• Hitting the net
• Allowing the ball to bounce twice
• Hitting the ball out of the court
• Volleying the ball when inside the non-volley zone
• Touching the net

If either a singles player or a player on a team commits a fault, the serve switches to the opposing player.

In singles games, a player is called out – also known as a side-out – each time the serving player commits a fault. When a player does commit a fault, and the opponent then serves the ball, they must serve from the right side of the court – also known as the even side – if their current score is an even number. If their current score is an odd number, they must serve from the left side of the court.

In doubles games, each team is only allowed one fault before they are called out. Once both teams received a side-out, they are then allowed to commit two faults before being called out.

However, in doubles games, the serve must continue to be taken from alternate sides of the court. If one player on a team serves from the right side of the court and commits a fault, that team’s second sever must then serve from the left side of the court.

Serving

Two types of serve are permitted in Pickleball; a volley serve and a drop serve. Both must be performed behind the baseline and on one side of the court.

A volley serve is performed using an underhand motion and without letting the ball bounce on the ground before being hit. The ball has to be hit before the paddle reaches waist height, which is defined as being inline with the belly button.

A drop serve allows the ball to bounce on the ground before being hit by the serving player.

How To Win Pickleball

To win a game of Pickleball a player or team must get to 11 points and lead by at least two points.

Only the serving team can score points and can continue scoring points for each time the opposing side commits a fault. If the serving team commits a fault, nobody scores.

Where to Play Pickleball in Australia

Since being introduced to Australia in 2015, Pickleball has increased in popularity. This means you can now find courts to play Pickleball in every Australian state. We won’t list every single venue on this page, because there are far too many to mention. But, a full list of venues that host Pickleball games (days and times may vary) can be found on the official Pickleball Australia website.

Why is Pickleball Popular?

Pickleball has become popular because it mimics the style of play of other racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, but is much easier to learn and to play.

Pickleball is far less intensive on the body compared to the likes of tennis and badminton, which require high speed serves. So, while you will still certainly get a workout from playing Pickleball, you’re unlikely to feel quite so exhausted once you’ve finished your game. It’s this reason that makes Pickleball popular with older people.

The post What Is Pickleball? The Sport Taking The World By Storm appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Gianni Versace’s former New York townhouse has just hit the property market – for a hefty price.

An opulent and luxurious townhouse located in New York’s Upper East Side that was formerly owned by the iconic Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace has just been listed on Sotheby’s International Realty for a whopping US$70 million.

The mansion features seven bedrooms, seven full and three partial bathrooms, five fireplaces, two kitchens, a grand dining room, – that opens up to a private garden – a game lounge, a media room, a library, an elevator and a roof terrace that overlooks Fifth and Madison.

Constructed in 1950 and purchased by Versace in 1995 for US$7.5 million, the entire home was redesigned by the late fashion icon in the Italian Baroque style that his couture is famous for; one room even has a Sistine Chapel-inspired painted ceiling that features restored 19th-century panels that were sourced by Versace himself.

The master bedroom occupies an entire floor in the townhouse and offers a dressing room and “one of the grandest” double bathroom spas (which is comprised of a polished sunken marble Jacuzzi, a steam shower and double sinks) in the city, according to the listing.

Previously, the townhouse was available to rent for US$120,000 a month in 2016 and was worth roughly US$36 million back then. However, considering how high property prices have risen over the last six years and that the current owners of the ‘Versace house’ “meticulously restored” the home before putting it on the market, the current asking price is unsurprising.

Also available to purchase are “Versace inspired furnishings” and let’s be honest – if you’re going to drop a cool US$70 million on a home previously owned by Versace, of course, you should invest in the matching furnishings so you can properly kit out the townhouse…

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The post Fashion Icon’s $70 Million New York Mansion Hits Market… And It’s Kinda Tacky appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Josh Giddey might only be 19 but he’s taken the basketball world by storm. The talented Melburnian, who joined the Oklahoma City Thunder as the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, has quickly and definitely made his stamp on the sport.

So, who is Josh Giddey, what position does he play and how much does he earn? We’re about to answer all these questions and more.

Josh Giddey Quick Facts

Name: Joshua Giddey
Age: 19
DoB: 10 October 2002
Nationality: Australian
Height: 6ft 8in / 2.03m
Weight: 93kg
Net Worth: $1 million (estimated)
Instagram: @joshgiddey – 370k followers

Who is Josh Giddey?

Josh Giddey is an Australian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was born in Melbourne, Australia and grew up in the suburb of Yarraville. Josh Giddey showed incredible talent for basketball from a young age and he attended the NBA Global Academy in Canberra. At the same time, he was training for basketball in Canberra, he also attended UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra.

Before he turned 18, Josh Giddey racked up a few accolades, including helping the NBA Global Academy to win the Torneo Junior Ciutat de L’Hospitalet in Barcelona, where he also won the MVP award.

Josh Giddey Basketball Career

Adelaide 36ers

Josh Giddey’s professional basketball debut came with the Adelaide 36ers, an Australian basketball team that is part of the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia. When he joined, he was placed into the league’s Next Stars program, which aims to find players talented enough to join the NBA in the USA. In doing so, Josh Giddey became the first Australian basketball player to be a part of the program.

During the 2020-21 season with the Adelaide 36ers, Josh Giddey was named NBL Rookie of the Year and became the youngest Australian basketball player to record a triple-double (scoring 10 or more points in 3 of the 5 scoring categories) in one game, as well as being the first Australian player to record a triple-double in consecutive games.

Josh Giddey was released at the end of the season to go into the official NBA draft. He left the Adeliade 36ers as the NBL Rookie of the Year.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Josh Giddey declared himself for the 2021 NBA draft and was chosen as the sixth overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, on the same day he signed his contract with the team, he suffered an ankle injury when competing in the pre-season NBA Summer League competition.

Fortunately, he was still able to make his NBA debut on 20 October and in the following game on 27 October, Giddey recorded his first double-double in the NBA. In doing so, he became the third-youngest player to record at least 10 assists in a game, behind only LeBron James. In fact, LeBron has spoken highly of the Australian youngster, saying “he’s really, really, really good”, has “great vision” and “play[s] beautiful basketball”, Fox Sports reports.

Josh Giddey bested LeBron in January 2022, however, when he became the youngest ever NBA player to record a triple-double.

Josh Giddey Stats

Josh Giddey’s current playing statistics aren’t exactly several pages long, since he’s only been playing for a short period of time. However, considering his age and relative newness to the game, they make for impressive reading.

Josh Giddey has currently played an average of 31.5 minutes per game in all 54 games he has started and played in. He has an average of 6.4 assists per game, 12.5 points per game and a 0.419% field goal percentage.

Josh Giddey Salary & Net Worth

Josh Giddey signed a four-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder worth $27.2 million. His salary for his first season with the team is valued at $5.9 million. This is said to increase to $6.3 million for the 2022/23 season and $6.5 million for the 2023/24 season.

Information regarding Josh Giddey’s net worth is thin on the ground at the moment, but it is estimated to be anywhere between $1 million – $5 million.

How tall is Josh Giddey?

Josh Giddey stands at an impressive 6ft 8in tall (2.03m). Both his mother and father played professional basketball for the men’s and women’s Melbourne Tigers teams, respectively. Clearly, he was always destined for a career in basketball.

Josh Giddey Style

Josh Giddey is probably one of the best-dressed Australian athletes on the planet right now, full stop.

Unlike some of his NBA colleagues – who have a constantly evolving, somewhat wacky approach to fashion – Josh has a pretty defined aesthetic, and it’s one that works really well for him.

He’s a fan of denim, regularly pairing black jeans with a contrasting trucker’s jacket, and paired with white or light-coloured sneakers (he’s a Nike athlete, so we’d say he’s got Air Force 1s and Dunks on tap). It’s a look that anyone who’s spent time around inner-city Sydney or Melbourne would be intimately familiar with – don’t call it a Canadian tuxedo, it’s a Fitzroy fit.

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It’s also a very versatile look that complements his height well and can be easily jazzed up with a cool accessory, such as a luxury timepiece. Giddey’s not been in the NBA for long but he’s already got a few: his favourite watch seems to be his Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph (not sure of the exact reference) but he’s also been spotted with what looks like an OMEGA Speedmaster.

Speaking of luxury, Giddey has definitely discovered a passion for designer jackets. He’s recently shared photos where he’s rocking a Louis Vuitton x Human Made work jacket, and his most Instagram post shows him staying warm in a Dior puffer.

Actually, he seems to be a big fan of puffer jackets. Seeing as Oklahoma City gets pretty cold during the winter – and being smack dab in the middle of Tornado Alley, often gets hit with twisters, hailstorms and the like – having a few toasty puffers in your wardrobe is a smart move.

All in all, Giddey’s style doesn’t reinvent the wheel or anything, but he dresses consistently well and cuts a sharp figure. Indeed, the only thing that looks better than his wardrobe is his moves on the court. We’re keen to see his style continue to evolve… And for the young Aussie to keep dominating the NBA.’

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