Masters Swimming

 

MASTERS SWIMMING AT ASPHALT GREEN

 
Contrary to what you might think, Masters Swimming is not just for master swimmers. In fact it’s for everyone, swimmers of all levels, as I learned last week at Asphalt Green where I trained with the AGUA Masters swim team for week 3 of 52 Weeks of Fitness.

“Masters Swimming is for anyone 18 and over. At Asphalt Green we’re really trying to welcome everyone, from someone who just learned how to swim to former Olympians”, says Jim Wu Head Coach AGUA Masters. “We try to incorporate workouts that will appeal to all levels.” AGUA Masters swim team is dedicated to helping adult swimmers improve their swimming by developing better technique, fitness, and endurance through structured group instruction and training.

The last time I was on a swim team, I think I was 12 or 13. I still swim regularly but recreationally, not very far or particularly fast. I had seen the AGUA Masters team practicing at Asphalt Green where I am a member, their workout written out on the white board, and thought it looked like a fun way to increase both my distance and speed. Read More

 

52 Weeks of Fitness! Tennis Everyone?

 

 

Welcome to Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Fitness! Unlike my usual January marathon of 31 Days of Fitness, with a different sport, workout, or wellness activity every day, I’m stretching it out through the year with one new thing every week. That’s 52 different health and fitness activities in the year to come. We’re kicking it off with tennis. The first major of the year, the Australian Open, starts next week and I’m tuning up my game…

While everyone has been talking about Pickleball, tennis is alive and well, and you’re never too old to learn. Group adult instruction programs and classes like Drill & Play and Cardio Tennis are offered for all levels at almost any tennis club, at many of which you don’t need to be a member to join a class. It’s a fun and social approach to the game, with a non-stop format that makes it a great workout too. Read More

 

Like Pickleball? Try Padel

 

PADEL HAUS

It’s hard to miss the pickleball craze that has swept the country in the last few years. Nearly everywhere you look, courts have popped up in parks, schoolyards, driveways, and other open spaces. CityPickle took over Wollman Rink in New York City’s Central Park this summer with 14 courts.

But a few weeks ago I was strolling along the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and I saw four packed padel courts in Domino Park at a place called Padel Haus. While pickleball may be the fastest growing sport in America with over 36 million participants (Association of Pickleball Professionals), padel is actually the fastest growing sport in the world with over 25 million players (International Federation of Padel).

Padel is like a hybrid of tennis and squash. The sport originated in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico. Like pickleball, it is played with a paddle, but one that is thicker, perforated, and with a slightly different shape. Unlike pickleball, the ball is not plastic, but a tennis ball. The court is bigger, roughly half the size of a tennis court, and enclosed with glass walls. What makes the sport really fun is you can play the ball off the back wall, adding a new and challenging element to the game. Like pickleball, padel is quick and easy to learn, making it as fun and addictive of a sport to play. Read More

 

Snow Falls at the Mall

 

 

Photographs by Evan Kay

Some people go to the mall to shop, others to eat, some go the movies, or to hang out with their friends. At the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey you can ski and snowboard too at Big Snow, North America’s only indoor, year-round, real-snow ski and snowboard facility.

About 20 minutes from Penn Station without traffic, Big Snow is situated across from Met Life stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, in the middle of the mall. Just get off the escalator and there it is, alongside other stores and attractions. They make fresh snow and groom the hill every day, where the slogan goes “Every day is a Snow Day”.
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Field Station

 

FIELD STATION

AutoCamp has just introduced Field Station, their latest foray into revolutionizing the camping experience. AutoCamp was founded in 2013 and has redefined outdoor lodging by bringing uniquely modern hospitality to some of America’s most beautiful locations. Accommodations include Airstream suites and luxury tents in such destinations as Yosemite National Park, the Russian River Valley, Cape Cod, the Catskills, and Joshua Tree National Park.

With boutique-style amenities and mid-century modern design, AutoCamp invites people to experience nature and camping in a whole new way. Launching early 2023 in Moab, Utah, Field Station offers a more affordable option with the same modern design and outdoor spirit, in a traditional hotel footprint. Field Station is upcycling and renovating existing lodging and motels in prime outdoor destinations to provide inclusive, supportive, and sustainable basecamps for exploring nearby natural areas. Read More

 

Meditation On The Run

 

Photo by Larry Gloth

Whether you already meditate or want to get started, meditating while running is a different way to meditate and a different way to run. While running itself can be a meditative experience, when you combine it with a guided meditation it changes the experience. “Mindful running is the ability to run with a clear intention, fully connected in body and mind, free from distraction, and with an equal balance of focus and relaxation”, says Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of the popular meditation app Headspace.

At the core of meditation is the focus on staying present in the moment. The goal is to leave thoughts of the past behind and not get caught up in the future that has yet to happen. The breath is the tool that keeps you present by focusing on the rhythm of inhales and exhales — hard to ignore when running. Running can help you meditate and meditation can help you run. The two together can help make you better at both.

If you’re like most recreational runners, myself included, you run with music. Music gives you rhythm, energy, and motivation, but it’s also a distraction. It blocks out many sensations your body is feeling. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when you turn the music off, running becomes a different experience. You take in the sights and sounds. You become aware of your inhales and exhales. You hear the sound of your breath. I discovered how loud that can be when I tried the Mindful Running with Lynne Goldberg on the Breethe meditation app, which on that particular run was more labored than I realized. Read More

 

E-asy Riders

 

 

Forget the car and driver… the electric bicyle has become the ultimate way to get around town. From luxury fashion designers like Saint Laurent, to automotive and motorcycle brands like BMW and Harley-Davison, a deluxe fleet of e-bikes has hit the streets — tailor made for the stylish commuter.

SAINT LAURENT (above)

SUPER73-S2 ELECTRIC BIKE $6500

 
The Saint Laurent SUPER73-S2 combines American motorcycle culture with the refined aesthetics of the French fashion house. Produced in collaboration with Super73, it is rugged as it is chic: crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy; with a battery pack designed like a fuel tank; and a cafe racer style seat. This Saint Laurent limited edition is distinguished by its all-black matte finish and logo on the frame, tires, and seat. Other features include a rear-hub mounted 250 watt DC motor with 2000 watts of peak power; 4 levels of pedal assist; a 10-Speed Rear Derailleur; and fully adjustable air spring suspension fork to max out your ride at speeds up to 28 mph. Read More

 

Lift Off

 

 

It’s surfing without a wave, snowboarding without the powder, flying without a plane… it’s eFoiling, your new (albeit expensive) board sport! An eFoil is a motorized surfboard with a sleek hydrofoil design that lifts the board out of the water at speeds of up to 25 mph with the control of a wireless handheld remote. Lift, the family-owned, Puerto Rico based company, is the creator of the best-selling eFoil on the market — and one can be yours for a mere $12,000.

You are likely familiar with the concept of foiling as it applies to sailing, and have seen the hydrofoil race boats that have become standard design in the America’s Cup. As speed increases, wing-like foils propel the board up and you float above the surface as the blade slices through the water below. A two-hour charge lets you ride for about 90 minutes.

Described by some as a cross between a Jet Ski and a surfboard, thankfully the electric motor is silent, and eFoiling takes some athletic skill to master. I’ve been wanting to demo an e-Foil for a while, and Lift hooked me up with a lesson in Montauk, L.I. earlier this week. Kai Costanzo, owner of KaiKai sandals located at Gossman’s Dock (and other locations) was my instructor. Telling me most people don’t stand up on their first lesson, such would be my motivation!
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Fire and Iceland

 

Skogafoss Waterfall

 
When it came time for busy actress Alysia Reiner — star of such hit shows as Orange Is the New Black, Better Things, and The Deuce — to plan a family vacation last December, it was not one that included much rest. While many people choose a warm beach or tropical climate over the holidays, Alysia and her husband, fellow actor David Alan Basche, along with 11-year old daughter Livia, packed up for frigid but beautiful Iceland — in fact, it was her daughter’s idea!

Livia has always loved volcanoes. “Since she was tiny, she was slightly obsessed”, Alysia told Style of Sport. I suggested Costa Rica, but she came up with Iceland”. Perhaps volcanoes are not what first come to mind when you think of Iceland — it’s more glaciers and the famous Blue Lagoon — but actually Iceland has some the most geothermal activity in the world. There are approximately 130 volcanoes, both active and inactive. Many of them are underneath the surface of the earth and underwater, which is how those incredible hot springs were formed.
 

Skaftafell 5 hour Glacier Hike with Iceland Rovers Tour Company

 
Known as the “Land of Ice and Fire”, Iceland is a natural wonderland where the freezing forces of arctic weather are in constant battle with the explosive heat of the earth. The result is a dramatic landscape of stark contrasts — fields of moss-coated lava, plains of black sand, explosive geysers, mountainous glaciers, and of course, those blue thermal hot springs. All of which make for a very adventurous vacation. Read More

 

The Sunfish

 

 

There are few images more evocative of summer than that of a Sunfish sailboat lazily cruising around a lake or bay — with its cheerfully striped triangle sail, topped off with the black silhouette of its namesake fish. If you went to summer camp or grew up near a flat body of water, chances are you learned how to sail on a Sunfish or at least were along for the ride. The Sunfish has been around since 1952 and continues to be one the most popular sailboats for both beginners and experienced sailers alike.

The Sunfish is distinguished by its simplicity, which makes it one of the easiest boats on which to learn how to sail, for both kids and adults alike. Its small size and single “lateen” sail (a triangular sail mounted at an angle on the mast), with its basic two line rigging, make it an easy boat to set up and set sail. Upgrades can be added for competitive sailing, of which the Sunfish is in fact a popular class of racing.

Sailing basics, like learning how to tack and jibe and use the wind, are easy to teach on a small boat. Being so low on the water, its size makes it very responsive too. Says Susan Koehler, one of the founders and owners of The Dinghy Shop in Amityville, Long Island in New York, and one of the largest Sunfish dealers on the East Coast, “With the Sunfish you can feel the water, feel the wind, and feel the response of the boat.”

Part of the fun of being so low in the water is on a hot summer day you’re sure to get wet — be it a refreshing splash or a likely dunk, if like this editor you decide to take one out for a sail for the first time since summer camp. Yes, the Sunfish can be easy to tip as we did, but they are easy to right as well and a good laugh usually ensues. Though I was acting as first mate, after 30 plus years my skipper’s sailing basics returned quickly as we jibed, tacked and sailed our way home — with me gleefully leaning off the side of the keeling boat, laughing and smiling just as I’d done as a kid.

A Sunfish is still what summer memories are made of.

 

The “Optimists”

 

 
It was very windy last Sunday afternoon on The Great South Bay in Bellport, Long Island, and out in full force were the fleet of  “Opti” sailboats, or “Optimists” as they are formally called. Optis are the most sailed single class boat. They are used to teach kids to sail and thus are also the biggest youth racing class of sailboat. While younger sailors begin in Optimists, competitive sailors usually continue to race them up to 14 or 15 years of age. Due to their inherent stability, robust construction and relatively small sails, these little boats can handle winds of up to 30 knots and so seemingly can these impressive young sailors!


optisail3

OPTI1

 

Formed in 1999, the Bellport Bay Sailing Foundation teaches the sport of sailing to children and adults; promotes an awareness of the long and rich tradition of sailing on Bellport Bay; and supports the preservation of the environment and nautical heritage of the community.

 

 

The XPT Experience

 

3 DAYS WITH GABBY REECE, LAIRD HAMILTON…

AND KERRI WALSH JENNINGS, TOO!

IT’S THIS SPORTY GIRL’S DREAM COME TRUE!

 

PHOTOGRAPHS & COLLAGES BY KEITH KING

Ever wonder what life is like for Gabrielle Reece and Laird Hamilton? Well, wonder no more. Gabby and Laird, along with Brian MacKenzie, a human performance specialist, have created The XPT Experience, a 3-day turbo-charged immersion into their lives. XPT stands for Extreme Performance Training and for $5000, you get full access to this trio and a roster of the most buzzed about – although you may not have heard about them yet — trainers, coaches, health and wellness experts. The XPT Experience is an action packed program of workouts, lectures, and playtime too, all of which comes from the cutting edge training, nutrition and recovery these professional athletes have integrated into their daily lives.

For those who don’t know this Amazonian beauty, Gabby Reece is a former professional beach volleyball player, model, best-selling author, mother, and world-renowned fitness personality, most recently seen as the host of NBC’s Strong. At 6’3 she is a towering presence, and at 47 years old, as gorgeous and fit as ever, enhanced by a big heart and generosity as large. Husband Laird Hamilton is the world famous big wave surfer, who at 53 defies age and gravity, riding massive walls of water for a living and inventing new water sports for the rest of us to enjoy. He is recognized as the creator of Stand Up Paddleboarding. His rock hard physique and hunky good looks are hard to ignore, along with an engaging stream of dialogue that questions many common assumptions on health and fitness, while offering alternative ways of thinking with the latest discoveries in human performance. Read More

 

Lie Down Paddleboarding

 
   YOUR EDITOR VENTURING OUT ON A BARK COMMANDER AST PRONE PADDLEBOARD

 
While the popularity of stand up paddleboarding has exploded, a new offshoot of the sport has arrived, which is actually where SUP got its start. Prone paddleboards are now what many of the pros use on the SUP race circuit, and this trend has begun to trickle down to the recreational paddler. Designed to be paddled while lying flat or sitting on your knees, prone paddleboards are like bullets — sexy and fast! No paddle is required, nor is there standing involved. Typically 12 or 14ft, these boards slice through the water with ease and make chop feel like glass. Prone paddleboarding delivers a great endurance workout and can also improve your surfing by strengthening those paddling muscles needed to catch waves.
 
CommanderProElite12

BARK COMMANDER PRO ELITE

 

One of the biggest names in SUP, Bark Paddleboards and namesake surfboard shaper Joe Bark, manufactures some of the top prone boards as well.  Shown above is the Bark Commander Pro Elite ($1999/2249), the carbon fiber production model of the winning board for the last seven years of Molokai-2-Oahu — the 32-mile island-to-island World Championship race in Hawaii. Up top, and what I demoed at Island Surf in Westhampton Beach, is the less expensive and more durable Bark Commander AST ($1499/$1699) — ready for those who want to go out and have some fun trying a new summer sport. Ideal for both fitness and racing, the AST features comfortable knee wells and a built in chest rise, so you can max out every stroke. It has a sleek matte finish too, for a cool look both in and out of the water.

Top photo by Ally Greenberg / Swimsuit by Milly Cabana

 
 

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