When GURU talks about “clean energy,” we mean it (”dirty minds,” too, but that’s for another time). And not just the kind you find in a certain organic energy drink. We told you about Bixi back in May, now we’re on board with the Zipcar. As much as we (and most gung-ho cyclists) would like to believe a bike can take you anywhere, some trips need four wheels: heading out to Ikea, spending a weekend in the country, taking your turn with your office car pool.

That’s where Zipcar comes in. “The car for people who don’t want one” is how they put it. By signing up through their site, you get hourly or daily access to cars across the United States, in Vancouver and Toronto in Canada, and all the way in London, England. No huge car payments, no monthly parking bill – even gas and insurance are included.

As with Bixi, you get a special card that allows you to unlock and lock your vehicle. And like Bixi, you’re doing more than saving money and getting around, you’re helping out the environment (but there’s no need to be smug about it!).

Zipcar’s so committed to eco-friendliness they encouraged people from 13 Zipcar-zealous cities to go on a Low-Car Diet by swapping their car keys for running shoes, bikes and rollerblades. You can check out their photos, videos and testimonials here.

The results of last year’s challenge?

Now if only some us more coddled urbanites would get around to actually earning our driver’s licenses, we’d be set…

(photos c/o zipcar.com)

Forget car chases. Forget shoot ‘em ups. And try to put zombies aside, if only for an evening. As Montreal’s GURU-sponsored Fantasia Film Festival enters its last week, the craziest on-screen action can be summed up in two words: combat basketball.

Yeah, that’s right. Bare-knuckle brawls and mixed martial arts on the basketball court, courtesy of Thailand’s Fireball. The high energy action flick premieres in North America this Sunday (and plays again Tuesday), courtesy of GURU.

Fireball mixes slam dunks and Muay Thai fighting as its main character investigates his brother’s involvement in the underground world of five-on-five, to-the-death basketball. Sound a bit, er, out there? As the Fantasia site summary makes clear: “It’s preposterous, yes, but firm direction… a surprisingly strong script that treats its characters with respect and a great cast make Fireball a winner.”

Says director Thanakorn Pongsuwan, “The theme of this film is that every man on earth has to pass a test: we all need to overcome harsh obstacles, which is an interesting proposition.”

Hmm. Makes the NBA seem a little lame in comparison.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Fantasia Fireball page.

When GURU Juicy Superfruit isn’t enough to take the edge off this summer, there’s nothing quite as refreshing as a swim. For most city dwellers, this mean’s finding an outdoor public pool (or pretending to be friends with someone who’s got one of their own). On the off chance we are blessed with another day or two of sunshine before September, here are three sweet spots to get your swim on.

The ‘Secret’ McGill Pool
A shady, grassy, no-frills escape for under $5
Pros: Full of hot locals, a great antidote to a sweaty hike up and down the mountain, like a picnic in the park – with swimming!
Cons: A bit of a trek from Mile End or further, the bathrooms smell funny, somewhat less of a ‘secret’ as the word spreads (oops)

De La Montagne Hotel Roof
Just an elevator ride away from the hustle and bustle of downtown
Pros: Stunning view of the city, right by the bar, open late, features kitschy live music every Thursday
Cons: The pool’s quite small, prepare to get ogled

Mont St. Sauveur Water Park
Feel like a kid again with an out-of-town adventure
Pros: With water slides and restaurants it’s more than just a swimming pool
Cons: A day pass costs $35, expect extreme line-ups on weekends, some of those steep slides are apt to take your bikini top (wait, is that a pro?)

Images c/o Rhiannon Brock

Tracy Anderson is the personal training guru behind Madonna’s tiny dancer body on the Sweet and Sticky tour. She also works with Gwyneth Paltrow and Shakira (to name a few), produced three DVDs showcasing her method and when she’s not on tour with a celeb, she trains several clients a day at her elite studios in Los Angeles or New York.

Tracy discovered GURU Lite while giving a workshop a gym in the Upper West Side. She called us a few weeks later, hooked, asking if we could send some product overseas for the dancing crew of the Sweet and Sticky tour. ‘GURU Lite helps me get through my longest and most grueling days when I need to train many clients in one day.  My favorite way to enjoy the benefits of GURU Lite is to drink it thirty minutes before my training.  I mix GURU Lite with coconut water to give me consistent energy and hydration throughout these days.  GURU Lite has hardly any calories at all and when mixed with coconut water it is extra refreshing,’ she stated.

This was a beginning of a great relationship with Tracy and Madonna’s team throughout the tour and leading up to the opening of a new gym in Tribeca, where our drinks are available for the healthiest dancers in New York!

Another GURU Tip from Tracy: ‘If I’m really tired, I mix GURU Lite with GURU Juicy Tangerine so that I still get all the natural energy with an extra kick of flavor.’

YUM!

Got fond-but-hazy memories of playing in the park to the world’s top DJs every Sunday at Piknic Électronik in Montreal? Take a break from shaking it and hit GURU’s photo tent for an impromptu, high energy fashion shoot. It’ll give you a chance to cool down/look cool, saves you from strapping a camera to your dance wear and lets you capture the moment… the sun… the good vibes… the beginning of a short-but-sweet summer romance with that trance dancer you met by the washrooms…

Photographers will be on site July 12, August 23 and September 5 and 6 and you can pick up your photos (or check out all the fun you missed) in the next few days in our photo gallery here.

July 12: Justin Long (US) + JT Donaldson (US) + Fred Everything (CA/US)

August 23: SIESTES ÉLECTRONIQUES @ PIKNIC : Joakim (FR) + Jackson (FR) + TBC + Guests made in Toulouse, TBA !

September 5: James Holden (UK) + Creator (CA) + FM Radio Gods (CA)

September 6: Misstress Barbara (CA) + Romeo Kardec (CA) + PFreud (CA)

Our new contributor Eve Thomas tries on the Bixi.

Montreal’s new public bike system is much appreciated and ridiculously simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind before buying into the BIXI revolution:

There are no free rides. Despite what you’ve heard, the first 30 minutes aren’t technically free. You’ve got to be a member to ride, which costs between $5 (24 hours) and $78 (the whole season). Still a steal, but something to keep in mind before swiping your credit card.

Know your BIXI boroughs. Plans are for 300 stations, but there are currently only 74 up and running, so save the station map to your iPhone.

Get in gear. There are three gears – too many for a hipster, too few for a mountain bike – and most riders don’t think to check how to change them ‘til they’re well into traffic. You’ve got to click the button by your right handlebar. Bell’s on your left.

Biking is hard. Not quite a newsflash, but many of BIXI’s early adopters haven’t been on a bike since they were kids. So if you’re driving, try not to get behind them on a hill. Once they come face-to-face with their own lack of gluteal endurance, not even third gear will save them.

Photos: Rhiannon Brock