How to Play Skins

Ryan Atkins flies Citation 650 aircraft as a pilot for Skyservice Business Aviation. When he is not working as a pilot, Ryan Atkins enjoys a number of sports and outdoor activities, including golf.

Skins is one of the most popular games among recreational golfers. There are a few variations on the game, though each iteration of skins follows the basic premise that people play each hole individually, rather than carrying scores over from one hole to the next, as is the case during a traditional round of golf. Whichever player finishes a hole in the fewest number of strokes wins the hole and earns themselves one point, or one skin. If one or more players finish a hole with the same score, the point rolls over to the next hole, thereby increasing that hole’s value to two skins.

While most versions of the game essentially follow these rules, there are some differences. For example, some players begin each hole with one skin apiece. Rather than earning a single skin, the winner of the hole takes a skin from each of his or her opponents. Following these scoring guidelines, a person competing in a three-player party could earn two skins by winning a hole, while an individual playing in a four-person group could win three skins.

Another version of the game does not focus on the scoring format, but rather the value of each skin. In this version of skins players must finish a hole at par or under par. Securing a birdie nets a player two skins, while an eagle triples results in three skins.

Calgary Sport and Social Club Offers Year-Round Hockey

As a pilot for Skyservice Business Aviation in Calgary, Canada, Ryan Atkins has been working in the aviation field for more than 12 years. Away from his work as a pilot, he relaxes and socializes as an active member of the Calgary Sport and Social Club (CSSC). An avid athlete, Ryan Atkins finds games, leagues, and tournaments to participate in through the CSSC.

The CSSC has hosted year-round leagues, tournaments, and events for the past 20 years, but one of its most long-standing and popular sports is the classic Canadian game of hockey. The CSSC offers co-ed floor hockey and street hockey, allowing participants to choose between playing in-doors or outside.

The outdoor street hockey league has a larger surface to play on and fewer restrictions, but the indoor league can play all year regardless of bad weather. The total fee to register a street hockey team is $525. The registration fee for a full floor hockey team is $915. Both fees can be paid individually or in groups.

Tips for Finding Employment Abroad

Calgary, Canada-based pilot Ryan Atkins flies for Skyservice Business Aviaation. An experienced pilot, Ryan Atkins has flown an array of aircraft over the last 10 years. He hopes to take his skills overseas and put them to use in the Middle East or Asia.

Moving abroad can be difficult, but professionals with specialized skills are usually able to find work overseas. If you are planning to move to another country, try following these steps to jump-start your job search.

1. Fully commit to the idea. Tell your friends, family, and professional acquaintances what you are planning. Networking is important domestically, but it is even more crucial to landing that first job overseas. Someone you know is bound to be able to help.

2. If you don’t already speak it, learn the language of the country you wish to work in. It is much easier to find employment if you speak the local language, or another popular language. Consider an immersion or homestay program to really master the language. Volunteer programs can also help to improve your language skills.

3. Try a transfer. If your current company does not have an office in the region you want to move to, try finding employment with another company that does. Even if you are not offered a position in the country you want to work in, you may be able to transfer there in time.

ONE DROP and Cirque du Soleil Create Sustainable Safe Water

A commercial pilot based in Canada, Ryan Atkins has the opportunity to travel the world and enjoy the unique show that is Cirque du Soleil, an innovative, artistic circus that supports ONE DROP in its goals for safe water. Between his pilot assignments, Ryan Atkins joins audiences that marvel at the artistic circus performances and support ONE DROP.

As Cirque du Soleil travels the world and hires performers specializing in acrosport, artistic gymnastics, and circus arts, it reaches beyond the stage through ONE DROP, which seeks to give safe water to people around the world.

Safe water projects often do not have an integrated approach, creating a lack of maintenance training, broken pumps due to inadequate initial designs, and contaminated water points because of unhealthy hygiene practices and unsanitary facilities.

To resolve these issues, ONE DROP uses its ABC for Sustainability. These elements include teaching people about access (the infrastructure for safe, hygienic, sanitary water consumption), behavior (about making positive changes for the future), and capital (providing financial support that generates far-reaching, long-term improvements). ONE DROP monitors each of the water project it supports carefully, and has an independent study done two years after the completion of each to measure the impact on the local community.

Safety, Simulation, and Technology with FlightSafety

Ryan Atkins, a commercial pilot who flies around the world, completed his training with FlightSafety International. While there, Ryan Atkins used the company’s latest simulation and technology to learn how to pilot a wide variety of aircraft.

FlightSafety offers training programs that teach commercial, military, and government pilots to operate their aircraft with the highest safety standards. Over the last 60 years, the company has developed a network of 1,800 instructors and 3,500 training courses to cover 135 different aircraft.

The company uses its 1,000 visual systems, advanced flight simulators, flight training devices, and displays to train outstanding pilots. FlightSafety’s network (which includes Learning Centers around the world) features 700 full flight simulators for Boeing 737s, Cessna Caravans, C-6 transports, V-22 Ospreys, and every kind of aircraft in between. By collaborating with the airlines, manufacturers, all branches of the US military, and various other partners, the company has some of the most accurate training programs available.