STYLE of SPORT | Gear & Apparel Curated for the Stylish Sports Enthusiast

Last Saturday, 27 swimmers took to New York Harbor for the annual Liberty to Freedom Swim, a 2.2-mile open-water swim connecting two of New York City’s most striking landmarks and vistas: Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The swim was established in 2012 in remembrance of September 11, and as a celebration of the resilience possible in the aftermath of adversity.

Organized by URBANSWIM, the Liberty to Freedom Swim, gives experienced open water swimmers the rare opportunity to experience New York from the water, crossing the Hudson River channel with the Manhattan skyline, One World Trade Center, and the Statue of Liberty as their reference points — with a perspective of the city that is impossible to experience from land.

New York City based, URBANSWIM puts on a series of open water swims in iconic locations such as the Brooklyn Bridge Swim, Roosevelt Island Swim, and the Swim Around Manhattan. The events were created to serve as a catalyst for change in the relationship between urban populations and their waterways, and make the joys and benefits of clean urban waters accessible to everyone. Read More

TOP (AND BOTTOM RIGHT): HAYDEN LUCAS LEADS THE WAY IN THE HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH INAUGURAL TEEN RACE OF HOPE 5K

 
It was a sea of yellow t-shirts on Sunday, May 21st when more than 275 teenagers, their families, friends, and teachers flooded Pier 40 for Hope for Depression Research Foundation’s (HDRF) inaugural Teen Race of Hope 5K to defeat depression. On a perfect spring day, with beautiful views of Manhattan as a backdrop, participants set off on a 3.1-mile course along the Hudson River, unified in HDRF’s signature color t-shirts and hats.

The race was conceived by 17-year old Hayden Lucas in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month with the goal to bring attention to the youth mental health crisis in the US. and fight the stigma that still surrounds mental health and treatment. The event marked HDRF’s first Race of Hope in New York City, and the first one to be youth focused. HDRF also holds an annual Race of Hope in Palm Beach, FL. and Southampton, NY.

Lucas, a junior at Dwight High School, served as the leader of the newly formed HDRF Teen Task Force. Joined by 16 student ambassadors, Lucas was the Chief Student Ambassador for the Race. “When I came to the Hope for Depression Research Foundation with the idea of a teen race, they were all in, supporting me from the beginning”, Lucas told STYLE of SPORT. “Thanks to them we are able to run here today to spread awareness and work towards ending the stigma about Mental Health.” Read More

Last week Project ALS hosted their 24th Annual Gala, Tomorrow is Tonight, at Bowlero at Chelsea Piers. Rather than a typical black-tie dinner, we went bowling! The evening honored Ben Stiller, his wife Christine Taylor, and their kids Ella and Quin, who like its founders, have made Project ALS a family affair.

Project ALS was founded by sisters Valerie, Meredith, and Jenifer Estess. In 1998, Jenifer, a 35-year-old New York theater and film producer, was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that destroys nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain which control voluntary muscle movement, eventually leading to paralysis and death.

Prior to Jenifer’s diagnosis, the sisters had been planning to start an entertainment company. They had always wanted to work together and had just put together a business plan when out of nowhere Jenifer was diagnosed with ALS. “Her symptoms presented as unimpressive at first”, Valerie told me, “general weakness, getting tired after walking a couple blocks, muscle twitches and stuff like that. She went to the doctor who said nothing was wrong. Go see a shrink.” Read More

IMG and Spring Studios have joined forces for the creation of GLAM SLAM, a fashion meets sport experience happening during two of NYC’s most exciting tentpole franchises: the US Open, the last tennis major of the year, and New York Fashion Week (NYFW).

GLAM SLAM celebrates the intersection of tennis and style with match screenings, fashion panels, culinary offerings, DJ sets, and a different fashion pop-up shop takeover each day. Read More

Clockwise top left: Bill Dellinger and Jim Bailey training at Hayward Field in 1955; The mythical Steve Prefontaine, University of Oregon’s famed alumni and one of the greatest runners ever, whose life was tragically cut short at age 24 in a car accident; Newly renovated Hayward Field; The women of gold medal winning Team USA 4 x 100m relay; Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Limited Edition
 

The 2022 World Athletics Championships concluded last weekend with another thrilling gold medal performance by Team USA in the Womens 4 x 400m relay anchored by Sydney McLaughlin. It was a blazing follow-up performance for this running sensation who had broken her own world record once again on Friday night in the 400m hurdles with a dominating gold medal win. The Team USA women also took gold in the 4 x 100 relay on Saturday, shocking favored Jamaica with a upset win.

These were just a few of the highlights that made these World Championships so memorable — especially for this editor who had the opportunity to attend as a guest of Seiko, the Official Timekeeper, and run a lap on the same storied track as the world’s greatest runners.

For the first time in history the World Athletics Championships were hosted in the US at legendary Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Otherwise known as TrackTown USA, it was in Eugene that Nike was born, and where its co-founder, University of Oregon Track & Field head coach Bill Bowerman famously created the first waffle trainer that Nike would later produce, inspired by his wife’s waffle iron. Bowerman was the head coach from 1948-1972, succeeding Bill Hayward for whom the field is named. Read More