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Take a big breath for underwater rock running
This is why those heads are bobbing off the coast of La Jolla San Diego’s crazy for Zumba
Dance-exercise instructors pay to learn something they already know, but it seems to be worth it Ridiculed and ostracized, rollerbladers hit new strides
Did you know that San Diego is considered a mecca for inline skating? Feeling the burn of competitive pole dancing
Meet “Flying” Laura Martin of Encinitas, a national champion Unleashing the inner beast with hard-court bike polo
A small group of riders heads to Golden Hill every week to play the 120-year-old sport San Diego Parkour Club finds the quickest route between two points
For members, it’s all about philosophy and movement A surfer learns to stand-up paddleboard
San Diego’s varied waters are ideal for newish hybrid sport Racewalking may look silly, but just try to keep up
Olympic sport is all about swaying hips, straight legs and surprising speed Undisputed Ones score goals—and set ’em, too
San Diego soccer team hopes to take their game overseas Fighting to keep chivalry alive
Crossing blades at a class in historical sword combat

Wednesday, May 23,2012
Far Afield

Britney Henry hopes to throw her way to the Olympics

Can centrifugal force carry a San Diego athlete to London?

By Dave Maass

Britney Henry throws hammers. Mind you, these aren’t your hardware-store, ball-peen or claw hammers. Henry throws the Olympic hammer, an ancient cousin of the sledgehammer, with a cannonball-like sphere at the end of a wire.

Wednesday, April 25,2012
Far Afield

Undisputed Ones score goals—and set ’em, too

San Diego soccer team hopes to take their game overseas

By Kelly Davis

One side of Rosa Parks Field in City Heights is a patchwork of dust and dry grass. At halftime, Janice Jordan passes around a bag of Halls to her team, the Undisputed Ones— UD1s for short—to soothe dry throats.

Wednesday, March 28,2012
Far Afield

Fighting to keep chivalry alive

Crossing blades at a class in historical sword combat

By Kinsee Morlan

Weapon in hand, I immediately want to swing my sword around like Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, maybe finishing my swordsmanship debut with a backflip into the splits.

Wednesday, February 29,2012
Far Afield

A surfer learns to stand-up paddleboard

San Diego’s varied waters are ideal for newish hybrid sport

By Morgan Wood

A few days before trying my luck on an SUP, I did what any self-respecting neophyte would have done: I Googled the sport and watched a few clips on YouTube. I found that a serious SUP subculture has emerged—and then I watched a cat jump into a cardboard box.

Wednesday, February 1,2012
Far Afield

Ridiculed and ostracized, rollerbladers hit new strides

Did you know that San Diego is considered a mecca for inline skating?

By Peter Holslin

As skateboarding culture became increasingly mainstream, the anti-rollerblading propaganda got louder and aggressive inline skating steadily waned in the United States

Wednesday, January 4,2012
Far Afield

Racewalking may look silly, but just try to keep up

Olympic sport is all about swaying hips, straight legs and surprising speed

By Claire Trageser

The racewalker’s goal is simple: Walk as fast as possible. In fact, racewalking—an Olympic sport—has only two rules. One foot must always be on the ground (unlike in running) and each leg must be straight when its foot touches down.

Wednesday, December 7,2011
Far Afield

San Diego Parkour Club finds the quickest route between two points

For members, it’s all about philosophy and movement

By Ryan Bradford

We’re standing on top of a Downtown building that Tisdale manages, six stories up, on a particularly breezy evening. It’s his suggestion to hold our interview up there, to show me where he practices parkour. It’s an astonishing scene, set against San Diego’s skyline, and one that I can’t fully appreciate due to my intense fear of heights. I tell him that I’m fine, but, really, I’m terrified.
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Tuesday, November 8,2011
Far Afield

Feeling the burn of competitive pole dancing

Meet “Flying” Laura Martin of Encinitas, a national champion

By Alex Zaragoza

Just like any other athlete, getting to top form doesn’t come without its bumps and bruises. Martin often works the pole so hard that her skin turns raw. But it’s no big deal to her.

Wednesday, October 12,2011
Far Afield

Unleashing the inner beast with hard-court bike polo

A small group of riders heads to Golden Hill every week to play the 120-year-old sport

By Peter Holslin

Today, bike polo is a people’s sport. Teams play regularly in cities around the world, competing in tournaments and maintaining friendly rivalries. Pickup games are played every week; all you need is an old beater of a bike, a helmet and a wheel guard to protect the spokes from getting mangled.

Wednesday, September 14,2011
Far Afield

San Diego’s crazy for Zumba

Dance-exercise instructors pay to learn something they already know, but it seems to be worth it

By Seth Combs

Whether Zumba is like Yoga (here to stay) or Tae Bo (a passing trend) remains to be seen. Peña says she’ll continue to teach it primarily because she knows that there are so many people like her in the gym who hate working out on treadmills and spinning classes.