Wednesday September 1, 2021

Ultramarathon Man

 

 

I’ve run the NYC Marathon 3 times. 26.2 miles is a heck of a long way to run, not to mention the hundreds of miles you log training for it. At no point on any of these quests did I think to myself, ‘26.2 miles just isn’t enough… I really wish it was longer’. But in the booming sport of ultramarathons, races are 50, 100, 135 miles, and even longer. Equally as grueling as the distances are the conditions in which they are run.

Dean Karnazes is often credited with that booming popularity, and putting the sport of ultrarunning onto the map. For him, a marathon is a training run, and he usually runs one before breakfast. Karnazes completed his first ultramarathon in 1993. His first 100-miler was the famed Western States Endurance Run, a race that has become the marquis event of the sport. With just 369 spots, there are nearly 10 times the number of applicants. It’s the ultramarathon everyone wants to run, and comparable to the NYC Marathon, there is a lottery to get in. Karnazes is an 11-time 100-Mile/1 Day Silver Buckleholder in the event, which is awarded for completing the race in less than 24 hours.

In addition to other unfathomable challenges is the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon. It is run across Death Valley in the height of summer where temperatures have climbed as high as 130 degrees. Karnazes won it in 2004, in addition to five other top-10 finishes from 2000 to 2008. At the opposite end of extreme, he has run a marathon in the South Pole, with temperatures as low as -40 degrees. He has run across the United States from Disneyland to New York City in 75 days; 50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days; and, just this summer, 1000 miles across Australia. Read More

 

Sunday August 1, 2021

Gold Medal Goggles

 

Image Map

CLICK ABOVE FOR SHOPPING LINKS

Low-profile, sleek, and hydrodynamic: The stealth mirrored goggles spotted on the fastest Olympic swimmers in Tokyo are…

FROM TOP: ARENA COBRA ULTRA SWIPE MIRROR GOGGLES $69.99; TYR EDGE-X RACING MIRRORED NANO GOGGLES $24.99; SPEEDO FASTSKIN HYPER ELITE MIRRORED GOGGLES $75; PHELPS XCEED MIRRORED LENS SWIM GOGGLES $39.99

 

Thursday April 8, 2021

E-asy Riders

 

CLICK ITEMS ABOVE FOR MORE INFO

From city streets to country roads, it’s hard to miss the parade of e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-wheels of all kinds! No matter the mode of transportation, there is an electric model zipping by. Even in the water, you’ve got electric surfboards. If you’re looking for a fun new toy or a new way to get around town, check out these e-asy riders!

CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: ONEWHEEL PINT $950. You’ve likely seen these one wheel skateboards and wondered what they are. The Onewheel is the self-balancing board where transportation meets recreation. There are two models available: the less expensive and more nimble Pint shown above; and the $1799 XR which is geared towards traveling longer distances. You can compare models here, but for some quick stats, the Pint has a narrower stance of 27″, a max speed of 16mph, and a range of 6-8 miles. The XR has a stance of 29.5″, a max speed of 19mph, and a range of 12-18 miles. Both are smooth riding, high-performance, and crazy fun!

BACKFIRE G3 ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD $799. Backfire makes a range of both electric and non-motorized longboards. The G3 shown here is their bestselling high-performance electric skateboard. It features a super flexible bamboo and fiberglass deck; quick and smooth carving ability; and improved stability in high speed riding. It’s got a max speed of 28.5mph; a range 15-18.5 miles; and 3 speed modes, including a Turbo boost for 20% extra power during acceleration. The G2 is their more affordably priced, entry level board. It’s a great value at $499, with a max speed of 24mph and a range 11-12.5 miles. Read More

 

Monday March 8, 2021

Knocking Down The Fences

 

A.J. ANDREWS

Happy International Women’s Day! On this annual celebration of women’s achievements, A.J. Andrews is the perfect athlete to highlight as a true barrier breaking woman. This Pro softball phenom made history in 2016 as the first woman to win the prestigious Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Given to the best defenders on the field, for 59 years it had only been awarded to MLB players until A.J. snagged the trophy… similar to one her infamous diving catches

An outfielder for the National Pro Fastpitch’s Akron Racers, A.J. has always been at the forefront of her sport, known for a fearlessness that no obstacle — fences or even the broken hand she played with for an entire season — can stop. The PBS film Knocking Down The Fences, gives an inside look at what drives this remarkable athlete. In it she declares, “If you hit a ball in the outfield, and it’s anywhere in my vicinity, I’m going to make sure it ends up in my glove.”
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Monday December 28, 2020

Great Performances: The SOS Champions of 2020

 

SARAH FULLER

While professional sports may have come to a crashing halt for much of this year with seasons cut short in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, there were still so many epic sport achievements in 2020. Women showed the boys how to play like a girl, opposing players rallied together against social injustice, and every athlete demonstrated what sports are really all about… the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. These are our picks for the top 10 sport performances of the year, and our 2020 STYLE of SPORT Champions!

Sarah Fuller plays like a girl…

#LetsMakeHistory… she said and she did! On December 12th, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to score in an NCAA Football Power Five conference game — which includes the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and ACC — with a kick in the 4th quarter delivered squarely through the uprights. With the remainder of the season canceled due to Covid-19, it was not before her history making achievement. Read More

 

Wednesday October 21, 2020

Wheee-Bike!

 

ZIPPING AROUND ON THE EEYO EBIKE

Photo by Jon Ross

The Gogoro Eeyo is an electric bike, or “eBike”, a mode of transportation that has become increasingly popular — even more so since the Coronavirus pandemic — as an environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and health conscious way to get around. We’ve been writing about eBikes for a while now, since their evolution from junkyard delivery bike with a big battery, to a refined breed of modern commuter bikes. Almost all the major bike companies, along with a host of other bespoke brands, now manufacture an eBike.

The eBikes we are talking about are not like a moped or motorcycle. They do not have a throttle. You have to pedal for your power, and on some bikes harder than others. Class 1 eBikes max out at 20 mph,and Class 3 at 28 mph. Class 2 models are different in that they have throttles and don’t require pedaling. That’s typically what you see the delivery guys riding and not really an eBike. When buying an eBike you want to be sure it has the power, range, and comfort you need for your ride. How long is your commute? Are there a lot of hills? Do you like to ride fast?

The advantage of these “pedal-assist” eBikes, even for the most fit and active rider, is an extra boost of power that is there when you need it… on a long commute, if you’re in a rush, or you’d prefer not to arrive sweaty at your destination. Plus, they’re a heck of a lot of fun! And for you bike geeks and design obsessed, a few of the latest models are so sleek and chic, with the battery and motor integrated into the frame, you’d hardly even know they were eBikes! Check out these 3 new models that are sure to appeal. Read More

 

Sunday April 26, 2020

Kassia Meador: Sound Surfer

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH LEE

Back in early October, I attended a press event for Kassia + Surf in NYC. The company and its namesake founder were introducing a new line of wetsuits made from recycled neoprene and salvaged tires, along with a collection of other eco-conscious surf apparel. Considered perhaps the best female longboarder ever, Kassia Meador’s graceful and effortless surfing style is legendary — cross stepping and tiptoeing up to the nose of the board, hanging out there in a crouch, or maybe topping it off with a twirl.

The press event was hosted at Mndfl, one of the new breed of meditation studios that have popped up over the last few years, and a featured part of the morning would be a sound bath meditation led by Kassia herself. If you have never experienced a sound bath, it is style of meditation that uses vibrational sound waves produced by chimes, gongs, drums, and crystal bowls as a relaxation technique. As you “bathe” in these tones, it facilitates a shift in your brainwaves to a state of deep relaxation and rest. For those who are new to meditation or have found it a challenge, a sound bath is a great place to start. Focusing on these vibrational tones can help tune out distractions to attain that deeply meditative state many of us find so elusive. Read More

 

Monday April 20, 2020

Hooping It Up

 

SABRINA IONESCU

Last weekend was a big one in professional basketball. Though there were no live games, both the NBA and WNBA featured major stories. In the WNBA draft, “virtual” this year, the number one pick went to the New York Liberty who selected Sabrina Ionescu. Over on ESPN, The Last Dance, the much-anticipated documentary series on Michael Jordan and the 1990’s Chicago Bulls debuted.

Basketball fan or not, undoubtably the name Michael Jordan is familiar to you, but likely not that of Sabrina Ionescu. Here’s why it should and likely will be soon.

Star point guard at the University of Oregon, Sabrina Ionescu is the first player in NCAA Division I history – male or female – to record 2,000 career points, 1,000 career assists, and 1,000 career rebounds. She also finished her college career with a record 26 triple-doubles (that’s points, assists, and rebounds). Even more impressive is that she achieved this milestone just hours after delivering an unforgettable eulogy at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service in front of tens of thousands at the Staples Center (watch here).
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