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Extreme sports
June 11, 2008
Ready for an adventure?
Terra Firma is hosting the second of five Sprint Adventure Races this Saturday right here in the Austin area at Muleshoe Bend Park.
For those of you who may not know, an adventure race is a combination of two or more events, such as orienteering and navigation, cross-country running, mountain biking, paddling and climbing and related rope skills. In the case of this weekend, it includes a 2- to 3-mile trail run, a 7- to 10-mile mountain bike trek (you can walk your bike if the trail becomes too much to handle), a 30- to 35-minute canoe ride, and a possible mystery event. Examples of past mystery events include zip rides and last week’s ski-walking.
The average Terra Firma Sprint Adventure Race runs approximately two hours long, give or take depending on your experience. Participants will compete in teams of two: coed, male, female, male masters (age 50 and up), and the Clydesdale division (combined weight of 400-plus pounds). There will also be kids’ races for each event. Parents are allowed to participate with their child, and all of the kids’ races are free.
This is a great way to get outdoors with friends and family of all ages and all skill levels — beginner to expert. I am as beginner as beginner can get, and I am really looking forward to a great experience. To participate, sign up online for $85. But hurry because online registration ends at midnight Wednesday. If you miss the deadline, you can sign up the day of the race from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Things get started at 9. This is really going to be a great time. Just remember to bring lots of water!
Required gear list (per team)
2 mountain bikes (only mountain bikes allowed)
2 bicycle helmets (CPSC certified)
Method of carrying water (Camelbaks recommended)
Suggested additional gear (not required, but you may want some of this gear for the events)
Sevylor high-back boat seats (sold at race site) or beach ball
Insect repellant
Hat or cap
Extra CO2 cartridges for inflator
Cycling gloves
Bicycle inflator or mini-pump
Ice chest
Water bottles
Chairs
Spare bicycle tubes
Coolmax top
Bicycle tool kit
Coolmax shorts
Bicycle socks
Paddling gloves
Bicycle shoes
Sunglasses
Bicycle shorts
Tarp
Bicycle jersey
Sunscreen
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May 6, 2008
Playing dodgeball with Bobby Bones
Even if you don’t listen to 96.7 KISS FM, you probably recognize the name Bobby Bones.
Between hosting a morning radio show and “Airwaves” on ME Television, one might think there’s not much time for play. But this past Saturday, Bobby, sidekick Lunchbox and producer Carlos took time out of their busy schedules to participate in a dodgeball tournament in celebration of the opening of So High Sports & Fitness Performance Center in San Marcos.
So High Sports is an athlete’s dream gym. Inside you’ll find a regulation basketball/volleyball court, cardio and weight machines, five-lane running track and 20 yards of astroturf. Outside is where the batting cage, putting green with driving cage, tennis/basketball court, football/soccer field and five-lane running track are located. On top of all this, the owner is 1996 Olympic high jump gold medalist Charles Austin.
There was a great turnout for the dodgeball tournament, and the gym was packed when we arrived. Each team was required to have a minimum of five guys and two girls. Bobby’s team by far had the best two girls, Tammy and Tiffany, who turned out to be a vital key to the team’s success. There was no messing around in these games, with some folks taking the rules and the game a bit too seriously, but all in all it was good fun. Teams played best-out-of-three games, with the loser being eliminated from the tournament. It ended up being an all-day affair with the Bobby Bones team winning the whole thing.
“The Bobby Bones Show” is no stranger to tournaments. Throughout the year they host their very own dodgeball, kickball and whiffleball competitions. The next is June 8. To register your team, keep checking www.bobbybones.com or listen to “The Bobby Bones Show” on 96.7 KISS FM weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
Check out photos from the day of dodgeball here.
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February 27, 2008
Some fun south of the border
Despite (or perhaps because of) its dearth of professional sports teams, Austin has its fill of sports nuts. Luckily, the climate and environs are such that nearly any passion can be supported, from rock climbing to hang-gliding and everything in between, with plenty of temperate weather that’s perfect for running, hiking and biking year-round.
There’s just one problem: water. Austin is more or less landlocked, so for open-water sports aficionados, there’s not much to do but to get in a plane (or car, or train) and travel to the nearest surf.
Luckily, Austin’s neighbor to the south is a hotbed of action. I’m talking, of course, about Mexico. Last month, I traveled down to Mexico and Belize to take part in perhaps both the oldest and the newest “extreme” water sports to hit the world’s coasts — scuba diving and kiteboarding.
Scuba has been around since World War II, give or take, and it is based on technologies originally honed for military application. Kiteboarding, meanwhile, is a wholly new pastime with no clear practical application save having fun; in it, daredevils use large, parachute-shaped kites to catch air and propel themselves along the water while skimming atop the waves on a small fiberglass board.
Each sport requires expensive equipment and the training of a watchful master; either can be fatal if attempted by an unsupervised novice.
Though a bit off the beaten track, Tulum in southeastern Mexico offers wonderful diving and kiteboarding. While its big brothers Cancun and Cozumel draw most of the crowds, Tulum offers unbelievable diving in the crystal-clear waters of its caverns (called cenotes in the local parlance), and the sparsely populated beaches and waves of its coastal shores make for an ideal learning ground for the art of controlling the kite.
Belize, for its part, offers some truly world-class diving; the seaward alleys between the islands of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye are filled with sharks, rays and, at night, phosphorescent bioluminescent fauna (try saying that five times fast); the famous Blue Hole is also a not-to-be-missed natural phenomenon that affords some of the world’s most unforgettable scuba. Want to see a 400-foot sinkhole in the ocean? This is it. Plus, as residents of a native English-speaking country, the Belizean kiteboarding instructors are likely to keep you at ease when you’re just getting your feet wet.
Neither sport is cheap. Expect to pay on the order of $50 per dive, or per hour of kiteboarding lessons, in either locale. But rest assured, they’re worth it. Either sport will afford you a great sporting experience that you’re sure not to soon forget — and one that your buddies back in the Hill Country will be sure to envy for a long, long time.
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The Limestoner is calling
If you’re like some of us at Austin360.com, you’ve been spending a lot of time in front of the TV this off-season, engrossed by the exploits of the body-contorting supermen and women on shows like “Ninja Warrior,” who manage to navigate seemingly impassible aerial obstacles using nothing more than the strength, precision, and wits that their arms and legs can muster.
While we can all likely remember the amazement we felt watching a daring sibling or friend climb to the top of the neighborhood’s tallest tree, for most of us, it’s likely been quite a while since our last opportunity to watch athletes defy gravity hand-over-hand in person.
Luckily, outdoor enthusiasts here in Austin won’t have to wait much longer. This weekend, our region plays host to the Limestoner at nearby Reimers Ranch Park.
The Limestoner is a rock-climbing competition in which climbers of all skill levels congregate to show off their stuff. Whether focusing on the unroped bouldering routes or the roped ascent division, neophyte competitors and experts alike will take to the cliffs on Saturday to show off some of their best and toughest climbing, all in pursuit of top prizes from internationally known gear manufacturers.
“We’re expecting 50 to 60 competitors this year,” says Tommy Blackwell, one of the event coordinators. “But there’s plenty to do at Limestoner even for people who aren’t in the competition. There will be climbing slideshows, a silent auction, and a Saturday evening dinner. We’re even planning to hold bouldering clinics on Sunday, where nationally renowned climbers and local guide groups will be there to give tips.
“There’s even a separate speed-climbing event in the late afternoon,” Blackwell says. “One year, the winner completed the climb — a 40- to 50-foot climb — in just 12 seconds.” At Limestoner, there is always action to be found.
The costs of participating in the clinics is low, but climbers are expected to bring their own gear. Spectating is free, but all attendees will have to pay Travis County fees to enter. On-site camping for the event begins Friday, and carries on through Sunday. For the latecomers, registration is available at either of the Austin Rock Gym sites, www.ctmrocks.com, or on-site 7:30 to 9 a.m. the day of the event.
“It’s a great event,” says Blackwell. “We’ve got a great relationship with the park, and we’d like to keep doing this for years.”
So clear your calendars, local rock climbers: this weekend, the Limestoner is calling.
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February 26, 2008
Will she make it up? It's up to you
Voting season is upon us and one of our very own needs your help.
Carrie Barrett is competing for a spot on the Team Evotri national triathlon team and has made it to the final round along with three other competitors. What Team Evotri does is shine a light on a select few non-professional athletes to give them the opportunity to train and compete — just like pros — with best-of-the-best resources and equipment. In turn, these members compete in events nationwide, and host camps, races and other training sessions in the name of Team Evotri.
Carrie seems a great candidate for this because she is no stranger to our active community, with numerous triathlons, marathons, and half-Ironmans under her belt. She’s also a member of Gilbert’s Gazelles, T3 Triathlon Team and the former race director of the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot.
She’s currently training for the upcoming Arizona Ironman. One of Carrie’s reasons for wanting to become a member of Team Evotri is that she “definitely see(s) this as a way to continue to make Austin shine as one of the fittest and most active cities in the U.S.” But in order to get this far, Carrie has undergone quite the selection process and now needs your vote to cross the finish line.
From now until the stroke of midnight Friday, you can vote for Carrie by sending an email directly to vote@evotri.com. Simply put “CARRIE BARRETT-FINAL ROUND” in the subject line. To find out a little more about Carrie and her mission of becoming the next member of Team Evotri, go here to see her video or visit her very own Web site.
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February 12, 2008
It's always time for ultimate frisbee
Here you are, sports fans. Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone, creating a vacuum in the spectator sports world.
Well, almost. Last weekend, Austin’s ultimate frisbee league — and yes, there is a league, operating even in the dark depths of winter — hosted its season-ending tournament of champions.
Quick primer for the uninitiated: Ultimate, unlike the more staid disc golf, is a fast-paced team sport that combines the aerial attacks of football with the ball movement and speed of basketball or rugby. Squads of seven face off on a field roughly the size of a football field and complete passes to each other while avoiding interceptions. As with rugby, everyone is a potential thrower or receiver; the main differences are a.) no running with the disc, which, as in basketball, is a “travel”, and b.) no tackling.
The Austin league is quite strong, with nearly 200 players participating in a months-long contest to crown the best of the best.
“We have a saying about winter league — no whiners, no crybabies, no prima donnas,” says Gary Breaux, league commissioner. “We actually run three frisbee leagues year-round. There’s the spring league, which is geared toward newcomers and people just getting interested in the sport. Then there’s the summer league, which includes everyone from beginners to elite players and is the largest. But winter league is the most extreme.”
Apparently, others agree. Between the potential for unsettling weather, the multiple rounds of weekly competition, and the perks — free food and beverages are provided to players and spectators at every event — everyone from players to local business owners has been getting in on the act. RunTex, the running shoe and apparel outfitter, and EZ’s, the restaurant revered by burger buffs, have signed on as primary sponsors for the league.
“If you want challenge, if you want adversity — come out to winter league,” Breaux says.
There’s plenty here for the casual spectator, and for those wanting to get in on the act themselves, sign-ups for spring league are just around the corner. More information about the final tournament times and location - as well as future games - can be found at austinwinterleague.com and austinultimate.org.
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February 6, 2008
Oh, yes, it's Ladies' Night
Ladies’ Night no longer means half-price drinks while getting pedis and manis at your favorite restaurant or bar.
Austin Rock Gym hosts Ladies’ Night rock-climbing clinics every Monday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. — and I am hooked! It’s open to all women and it’s cheap! Admission is free with the purchase of a day pass, or if you’re a current ARG member, and half-price for first timers. I went to the south location for the first time this past Monday with no rock-climbing experience whatsoever and had a blast.
I showed up a few minutes early because first-timers have to take a safety course, which basically shows you the ropes of rock climbing … literally! After I passed with flying colors, I was free to roam the gym or even climb if I chose to do so. I decided to lay low and watch others fearlessly go at it.
I’ll admit it was quite intimidating at first, but the feeling quickly passed when our instructor Jenn showed up. We all gathered to introduce ourselves and went straight to the wall. I’m not going to pretend that I’m an expert after one class, but before I go on I need to explain to the newbies the difference between rock climbing with a harness and bouldering.
Rock climbing with a harness, or “sport climbing,” is exactly what you think it is — one person climbs up the wall while another is anchored at the bottom with adjoining ropes.
Bouldering is rock climbing without a harness on a wall about half as high while having a large mat underneath for safety.
There was one other girl who was also a beginner, so we received special attention. We did both bouldering and climbing, and I think I did really well for my first time. It was an awesome workout, a great experience, the instructor and all the other employees were so helpful and knowledgeable, and I can’t wait to go back next week. My sister even showed up for a few minutes for moral support and liked what she saw so much that now we’re thinking about making Mondays our Ladies’ Night.
Before I go, I’d like to make a few recommendations:
Go with a buddy. It’s always good to have someone there you know.
Cut your nails. You’re going to be digging and grabbing into the wall and the last thing you want to worry about it breaking a nail. Seriously.
Eat a good meal before you come because it really is an intense workout.
Stretch. I can barely write today because my arms and hands are so sore … and that’s WITH stretching.
Socks? I seemed to be the only dorky one wearing socks, but I wasn’t about to go barefoot in rented shoes. You might not mind, but I do!
Leave your personal belongings in the car or at home. The only things you really need are yourself and a bottle of water. There’s no official place to put personal belonging so you don’t want things of too much value out in the open.
Get there early. First-timers need to get there early to get the safety course out of the way. Others, you can climb and do your own thing before class and it’s a good chance to get warmed up.
Have an open mind. No one is going to judge you. You’re just there to have a good time and learn something new.
FYI: The gym is not restricted to females only, but everyone is pretty consumed with what they’re doing, so it’s not a big deal.
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February 4, 2008
Big crowd turns out for 'Gladiators'
“American Gladiators” held auditions Saturday at the Tech Ridge Gold’s Gym in North Austin.
I had free reign of the whole gym (with the exception of taking pictures inside the facility … NBC policy) and had a blast seeing what went into casting the show. My friend Angela and I arrived around 9:15 a.m. and were surprised to see the line already wrapped around the entire building. We decided to check out the competition before heading inside and were not disappointed in least. The camera crew for NBC was outside at the same time as us getting some B-roll and the crowd really got into it.
Inside the gym, the tryouts were pretty intense. They consisted of 30 seconds of military pull-ups, 30 seconds of up-downs (where you go down into the push-up position and back up into the standing position as quickly as possible), more agility drills, timed sprinting, and then straight to the casting agents where you had to sell yourself to get to the next round.
One of the best stories we came across was Allie, who showed up in her wedding veil and was jumping around everywhere. We thought she was just doing it for attention, but it turns out she was getting married in about four hours and had a hair appointment in one hour. Her friends and brother dragged her to the tryouts — without her fiance or her parents knowing. The casting people got word and swept her through as quickly as possible. Her personality alone was enough to get the scouts’ attention, but her surprising athletic ability was amazing. She made it to the next round and is my pick to make it on the show.
Best of luck to everyone who tried out. You all did GREAT!
Click here to view photos from the tryouts.
Click here to view scenes from the show.
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February 3, 2008
Alix tries out for the Outlaws
Liz, Liz, Liz, Liz!
One of the other defensive backs was shouting that the receivers were stronger to the left, where I was covering as cornerback. Watching both my receiver and the quarterback’s movements, I waited for the snap. I saw the quarterback throw the pass as I was chasing my receiver down. She was going to catch it. I sped up, and for a moment it seemed the ball would bobble out of her hands, but she got a grip on it. I was right there and, instinctively tucking my head and shoulders down, I grabbed hold of her just as a member of the defensive line smashed through from the other side. Right into my head and face, knocking me sideways. Still feeling the vibration of the impact in my nose and jaw, I sprung up and jogged out of my half-fall. The play was over, and I was exhilarated.
It was just an ordinary football practice at Kealing Middle School. The day was sunny, warm but not too hot, and not so windy that anything but an occasional dust cloud swirled across the field. It was an ordinary winter day in Texas, arguably the most football-oriented state in the country, and the tryouts and practice looked just like any other. Coaches shouted encouragement and inspiration: “Everything you do in football matters!” “We would rather see you try to do what we tell you than do what you think we want!” Players slapped hands as they passed each other after a run.
All very ordinary, except for, perhaps, the pronouns used to describe the players. I was participating in the tryouts and first practice for the Austin Outlaws, a team belonging to the National Women’s Football Association. The NWFA is a full-contact American football league with NFL-style tryouts for more than 40 teams nationwide.
Go on! Go, go, go! Just let the girls fly! During a tryout drill, one of the rookies was, uh … bouncing uncomfortably, and she slowed her gait as she brought her arms to her chest. The cheering from the 15 women who had assembled for tryouts, 10 of whom were rookies like myself and five who played in previous seasons, inspired both laughter and rejuvenated effort. The atmosphere of camaraderie and support is overwhelming, starting from Lily Messina, general manager of the team, to every one of the players and coaches, to the handful of friends and family gathered to watch.
For the record, I don’t look like much, and with a couple of exceptions, team sports have not really been my thing. I played field hockey in high school (which I did not particularly enjoy, apart from the thwacking things — and people — with a stick) and a little rugby with friends when I lived in Tennessee some years ago. Probably the most fun I ever had while participating in a team sport was during grade school, when my best friend egged me into playing ice hockey with her. We were the first two girls to play ice hockey in our region and age group, and I stayed on the team long after my friend got tired of playing. More recently, I have generally enjoyed athletics that are geared to the individual: swimming. Trail running. Sitting in front of a computer thinking of pithy remarks to make about current events.
The defensive backs coach, Bobbie James, says, “You will be different at the end of the season. You will not be the same person you were when you started.” I’m hoping the new person I become is stronger, runs faster, and contributes a valuable effort to my team. For now, this old Alby is going to take some ibuprofen and a bath. If want to know more about what makes a women’s football player, you can check back with me throughout the season, which officially starts with a game against the Houston Cyclones on April 19.
And, for the record, Alix is proud to share a birthday with Tom Brady.
Click here to view photos of the Outlaws practicing.
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February 1, 2008
'American Gladiators' tryouts this weekend
Do the names Crush, Wolf, Helga or Toa ring a bell?
If you’ve been keeping up with the rebirth of NBC’s “American Gladiators” on Monday nights, you know what I’m talking about. If not, you’ve been missing out.
As of this Monday, the competitors have been demolished down to the top 8, which means that soon the season will come to an end. But have no fear — theme music playing in the background! — “American Gladiators” has been renewed for a second season, which means bigger and better things coming our way. The best news is that you can be a part of it.
“American Gladiators” is hosting open auditions for contenders and Gladiators right here in Austin this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gold’s Gym Tech Ridge. All you have to do is bring a non-returnable photo of yourself and a completed application. You may arrive no earlier than 8 a.m. and there’s no guarantee that everyone will be seen.
If you can’t make the open call, you may submit a five-minute videotape to: AmGlad Productions, “American Gladiators” casting, 10061 Riverside Drive, Box 749, Toluca Lake, CA 91602.
Go to the official NBC Web site for more details. And, of course, give me a shout out if you make it on the next season of “American Gladiators.” Tell ‘em Megan sent you.
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January 23, 2008
This polo's not for preps
To much chagrin, I used to think water polo was reserved for preppy, non-pushy athletes who try to out do one another by seeing who can pop their collar the highest while saying appalling terms like “bro” repeatedly. Well, for the most part water polo players do fit that mold, but last week I discovered kayak polo.
These guys are like water polo players, only, you don’t ever want to be caught floating up a creek without a paddle if you happen to cross paths with a kayak polo player. This is only a slight exaggeration.
I knew I had found a new favorite sport to take part in when I realized no one was yelling “Marco … Polo” or treading water like goggle-wearing chums who debate over which Ivy League school is better.
It was a pack of water-bound minotaurs, chasing and charging after a ball under the Mopac bridge. They were half boat, half human, slapping their paddles in the hunt like an agitated bull paws at the ground.
As I ran over the bridge, I was surprised that throngs of people were not flocking to the sport. The people didn’t even really stop and stare at the little known sport. They only offered a shoulder shrug.
But this was my kind of sport.
Kayak water polo, is as it sounds, water polo played in kayaks, with each team trying to score the most goals. But leave those regal Ralph Lauren shirts at home.
The action is intense as players jam into rainbow-colored cluster of boats, paddles, helmets and life jackets while chasing the same ball. They play in zippy, whitewater kayaks that weigh 30 to 50 pounds.
The ball is not advanced or moved with the paddle. You’ve got to grab it with your hands and pass it, or try to paddle while you clasp it, usually in the crook of an arm. You can’t place it on your boat and you can’t hold it for more than five seconds. But you can toss it a meter or more in front of you and scoop it up again before the five-second clock starts ticking again.
Sometimes the game takes the form of bumper boats, and all the drivers of the boats just received blatantly obscene “Yo Momma” insults from opposing players. Now and then in the frenzy, one player’s kayak gets launched into the air.
The best part about this sport is that it’s within the rules and encouraged to shove an opponent if he or she is within a meter of the ball. A good shove will submerge the opponent upside down, forcing a classic Eskimo roll back to the air. It’s guaranteed to cause a thunderous belly aching laughter as well.
For more information you can contact the Austin Kayak Polo Club, an informal group of players, at 585-1015. The players usually try to meet twice a week, Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
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January 7, 2008
Mojo madness
With a name like Mojo kickball, one can only assume the sport requires a great deal of cunning acumen fit for a womanizing pseudo-athlete to kick gently pitched balls into outer space. Rest assured fellow female-repellent sports enthusiasts because it’s not far-fetched to say Mojo kickball will leave you saying, “Yea, baby.”
But actually, Mojo kickball is so much more. The Austin-born sport is essentially made up of dodgeball, kickball, tag and two-hand touch football.
Though the sport is as complex as human relationships, with elements of love (tag), avoidance (dodgeball), teamwork (tag football) and foul play (kickball) it’s still simple to see why the sport is more fun than plain-Jane kickball.
Put simply, Mojo kickball is not kickball.
And Austin Web developer Eric Heiberg, who actually spawned the sport, said it was created in an effort to combat exercise-free lifestyles. So he re-imagined a sport that even the non-athletic can enjoy.
Summary
The game is timed and divided into four 12-minute quarters.
Whoever gets the most runs wins.
There are six balls in play simultaneously.
The pitcher is on the kicking team.
Unlimited outs, strikes, and fouls.
Runners score on third base. (In mojo world it’s a score.)
There is an official part of the game called “mayhem,” in which anyone on the team can chase anyone holding a ball.
The game starts out like kickball — only there are six rubber balls hurled your way and you kick. Similar to kickball, you get a runner out by tagging or throwing the ball at them.
But getting out isn’t a bad thing. Once out, the runner can score points for their team and tag other people and collect points and “shagging balls.”
The offense also gets to put two players in the outfield. They’re called chasers. They wear bright belts and can do two things: guard their runners and tag outfielders who are holding the ball.
The sport is a compilation of strategies, replete with game-play terms like “monkey in the middle,” “the train” and “cannon fodder.” The game play is continuous, which means it is mayhem for the casual onlooker. This makes it a sport that emphasizes improvisation and spectacle over competition.
The chaos on the field is controlled by rules, even if the game sounds very complicated. But after playing it for at least one-quarter it all becomes clear.
There is a Mojo kickball e-mail list that more than 350 people have signed up for to receive updates and details on upcoming games, which are usually held every other Sunday and Tuesday at Krieg Fields. They are free to play with a $2 suggested donation.
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