When Stu Thomson (Cut Media) and Danny MacAskill approached us (Santa Cruz Bicycles) with the idea of being the first to tackle the Black Cuillin ridge on a bicycle, we were in from the start. Located on the Isle of Skye (Danny’s home on the west coast of Scotland) the ridge is infamous for its jagged trails, wild weather and dramatic climbing route up the “Inaccessible Pinnacle”.

A 15-year-old girl denied a horse from her parents has turned to a cow to fulfil her riding dreams. Teenager Regina Mayer, from southern Germany, is able to ride her cow, Luna. She has even trained her bovine pet to soar over a beer-crate hurdle like a regular show jumper. Why, you may well ask, when most cow-owners are surely content to let the creatures chew and lactate and sit down to indicate the imminent arrival of rain? Well, Regina's parents wouldn't let her have a horse.

Canada's Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps perform in the gala exhibition during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Beijing on December 10, 2023. (Photo by Wang Zhao/AFP Photo)

Residents watch the forest burn in Portezuelo, Chile, Sunday, January 29, 2017. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has announced that the country will continue with its various measures to deal with wild fires, one of the biggest natural disasters in the country for decades, according to a government report released on Sunday. (Photo by Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

A competitor shouts as he takes part in the “Tough Guy” adventure race near Wolverhampton, central England, on January 29, 2017. The Tough Guy event, which is being held for the final time in its 30th year, challenges thousands of competitors to run a gruelling course whilst negotiating over 200 obstacles including: water, fire, and tunnels. (Photo by Oli Scarff/AFP Photo)

Tourists feed freshly picked grapes to 40-year-old elephant Boonruen, a long-term resident of the Hua Hin Hills vineyard, that used to be an elephant corral in Hua Hin, about 200km southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, 08 March 2016. The winery is among a handful of companies producing new latitude wines in non-traditional wine areas of the world near the equator. Harvest is only once a year in Thailand, this year in March. (Photo by Barbara Walton/EPA)

A lioness drinks after being fed by senior keeper Glynn Hennessy at ZSL London Zoo on August 10, 2016 in London, England. Today marks World Lion Day which highlights the first global campaign to celebrate the importance and plight of lions worldwide. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

“Theyyam”. Preparation for the Theyyam performance in the surroundings of Kasaragod city. Theyyam is a popular ritual dance form of North Kerala, particularly in Kannur and Kasargod districts. The Theyyam represents a mythological, divine or heroic character. Make up of Theyyams is done by specialist. There are different types of face painting for which primarily and secondary colours are used. Therefore it is essential that the makeup man should have perfect knowledge of primary and secondary colour combinations. Sometimes, it takes several hours to paint each face. Photo location: Kasaragod, India. (Photo and caption by Rafal Ziejewski/National Geographic Photo Contest)