Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Winter 2008/2009 | Page 14

FORESTER
bags – due to a revised rear suspension
system that doesn’t encroach into the
cargo area. The cabin is also filled with
smart storage compartments of various
sizes and purposes, all designed to carry
life’s little necessities.
The Forester 2.5X is available as a
well-equipped entry model or with one
of two upgrade packages. The Touring
Package includes a power moonroof,
multi-reflector halogen fog lamps and
16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, while
the Limited Package adds Xenon High
Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights,
a 6CD premium audio system with
SRS CS-Auto™ enhancement, a 10-way
power driver’s seat, 17-inch aluminum
alloy wheels and perforated leather
seating surfaces.
Last but certainly not least,
there is the Forester 2.5XT with its
fire-breathing 2.5L turbocharged
SUBARU BOXER engine. This engine
offers explosive power – 224 hp
and 226 lb-ft of torque – combined
with surprising driveability and
eye-opening fuel efficiency. The 2.5XT
also boasts a functional hood scoop,
4-speed automatic transmission with
SPORTSHIFT™, rear roof-line spoiler,
aluminum sport pedals and 17-inch
alloy wheels.
Regardless of which Subaru Forester
captures your fancy, you can rest assured
that you will have the distinct pleasure
of driving a fun, efficient SUV that’s
loaded to the gills with style, comfort
and convenience.
With all that the new Subaru
Forester has to offer, you can’t deny that
Japanese SUVs just got a little sexier.

*Top Safety Pick for 2009 Forester. Ratings of “Good” are the highest rating
awarded for 40-mph frontal offset, 31-mph side-impact and 20-mph
rear-impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) (www.iihs.org). A “Good” rating obtained in all three crash tests
and the availability of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) (Vehicle Dynamics
Control) achieves a ‘Top Safety Pick’.
**5-star front and side-impact ratings for 2009 Forester. U.S. Government
star crash-test ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov).
A five-star crash-test rating is the highest government rating for
a) Driver and right front seating positions in frontal crash tests and
b) Front and rear seating positions in side-impact crash tests.

14 |

THE WAY OF THE

SUMO
Just like the 2009 Subaru Forester, sumo wrestling is
steeped in Japanese tradition. While the smart-sized
SUV first appeared in 1997, the ancient sport dates
back some 1,500 years, making it the oldest of the
Japanese martial arts. The first sumo matches
were staged as a form of ritual dedicated to the
gods, accompanied by prayers for a bountiful
harvest, sacred dances and staged dramas.

THE SUMO MATCH
In order to win a sumo wrestling match,
a rikishi (Japanese for “a gentleman of
strength”) must either force his opponent
out of the inner circle of the dohyo (the
sumo ring) or throw him down. A force-out
is scored if a rikishi puts a toe or a heel
outside the inner circle, which is marked by
bales of straw. A throw is scored if any part of
a rikishi touches the ground, including even the
tip of a finger or the top-knot on his head.
Upon first entering the dohyo, the rikishi go
through a series of symbolic movements to cleanse
their mind (rinsing their mouths with water) and body
(wiping themselves down with a towel). Soon after, the
rikishi then squat and face each other in the centre of
the ring, before crouching forward with their fists set
on the ground. At this point, the two warriors glare at
each other, then abruptly get up and return to their
respective corners, grab some salt and scatter it to
purify the ring. This process is repeated again and
again until the four-minute (depending on rank) mark,
at which point the match begins in earnest.
The rules of conduct during a match are strict:
no punching, kicking, hair-pulling, eye-gouging,
choking or seizing the part of the mawashi (silken
loincloth) covering the groin. There are no weight
limits in sumo wrestling, so a rikishi could conceivably
face off against an opponent twice his weight – this
is where the true champion must show superior
balance, confidence and stability.
THE TRAINING REGIMEN
Sumo wrestlers undergo strict and rigorous training
from a very young age. In all of the numerous
sumo schools in Japan, young wrestlers learn
the rules, etiquette and history of the sport. They
also concentrate on gaining serious weight and
performing in front of scouts from various “stables,”
or sumo training centres. Only the most promising
young men are picked to graduate to a sumo
stable – it’s here that they then commit to the years
of training required to become a champion rikishi.

In the stables, the youngest recruits often
rise as early as 4 a. m. to train and work as personal
assistants to the older rishiki. They also eat many
meals consisting of high-protein foods for optimum
weight gain. In an effort to produce healthier fighters,
stables have recently adopted weight training and
other forms of exercise to create slimmer, yet equally
powerful wrestlers. In order to become a rishiki, a
sumo wrestler must be a healthy male over 173 cm
in height and weighing over 75 kg.
THE GROWTH IN POPULARITY
As with the Subaru Forester, sumo wrestling has
become so popular, interest has stretched far
beyond Japanese borders. There are wrestlers
from many nationalities competing in matches
throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America,
and more – and even women are getting into the act!
All over the world, grand champion wrestlers are real
celebrities with legions of dedicated admirers.