Plus a little creative non-fiction about the invention of the sponge table tennis paddle, starring the great Marty Reisman and a suitcase full of stolen gold.

Marty was returning to the States not as a man but as a human asterisk, the answer to a ping pong trivia question: Who was the man that was supposed to win the tournament that changed everything?

Norfolk is more bike-oriented than ever. Downtown Granby Street is reverting to its centuries-old, humanistic roots: A fifteen mile per hour speed limit encourages drivers to take parallel streets to their on-ramps, leaving plenty of space for pedestrians and cyclists. T

Plus an interview with Monster Truck driver and all-around nice guy John Seasock. “I’m very much an adrenaline junkie. I white-water kayak, scuba dive, sky dive, ski, anything that you can bleed, I’m into. But I make candles at home.”

I’m not going to lie, when I applied to Old Dominion for grad school, one of the big draws was the amount of world-class fishing within reach.

We headed out to that beautiful campus on the water to check out the band and to get to some input from HU alumni on what makes the school so special. Turns out there was a football game going on as well.

I thought it was a little icky to kayak in The Hague, but then I challenged myself as to why I thought that. I came to the conclusion that beyond anything sordid, it’s because I don’t see many people doing it.

Just like in the movies an outsider came into town and shook everything up.

The trails, the tack shops, and the vets to keep you and horse happy and galloping throughout the summer.

Envision yourself strolling down Colley Avenue, spotting a community bicycle and deciding you want to pedal over to the Ferry for an afternoon at the Bier Garden.

As Wes is fond of saying, “We are not riding IN traffic, we ARE traffic.” BikeFest is this Saturday.

Often times when the average person thinks about a pro cheerleader, they think only about the cliche persona, the glitz and the glamour. However, as a former pro cheerleader myself, I know it is so much more.

Three more skate parks will eventually be in Virginia Beach. Also, an interview with Brian Solis, Director of Planning, Design and Development for VB.

8. It’s as far from golf’s “exclusive” stereotype as you can get. Just like the rest of Norfolk — all are welcome.

On his cross-country cycling trip last summer, Nick captured what it is to be American–to battle Kansas headwinds, tackle the Rockies, navigate the Wyoming dessert, and commune with his favorite wilderness, Lochsa River in Idaho.

Most of the snow had melted, but it was still a chilly morning, a great day to go exploring Northwest River Park’s 7.5 miles of hiking trails.

At five o’clock, a melodic blend of Farsi, Hausa, and Cantonese marks the opening of the session. China and Germany lace up their boots. Iraq borrows a pair of shin guards from Mexico. Morocco, Jordan, and Israel stretch hamstrings in the shade cast by the schoolhouse.

What are the best ways to get from A to B in Norfolk by bike? You tell us.

The grind, crunch, and swoosh of the player’s skates on the ice, the crack and pop of their puck-handling sticks, and the loud crashes of players against the boards are infectious.

You can find a race every weekend in just about every city in Hampton Roads, but Jerry and Amy’s races–such as this weekend’s fantastic Wicked 10k–are always a big deal.

Costumed runners come in colors.

People throw away a lot of bicycles. The lucky ones meet Andrew Hund.

Editor’s Note: This weekend saw the opening of the Northside Skate Plaza. Great crowds. Great vibes. Great action. Jessica shares the view through her lens. | Next >>

Jenn runs into True Blood’s Denis O’Hare at The Hare and Tortoise 8K in Williamsburg.

A new company in Norfolk rents bikes, and will even pick up and drop off.

Local biker Wes Cheney talks about his methods of staying cool and professional riding his bike to work in the summer heat.

Continued from The Cycling Life: Tour de Pants

With the Tour de France entering its last week, we thought it an opportune time to take a look at Hampton Roads’ bizarro version of the race, the Tour de Pants.

We’ve posted an interactive Google map called Bike Routes in Norfolk that shows the best ways to get from the North to South and East to West.

We are the runners of First Landing State Park. It is our commons, our church, our hallowed place of worship and meditation… and of sweat.

One of Hampton Roads’ top pro skateboarders, Julian Etheridge, has earned a reputation for pulling off some of the most innovative and insane tricks ever seen.

Rob Stuart and Randy Carnell are two Hampton Roads kids about to make a name for themselves.

Local Review: No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, directed by Hampton native Steve James.

Last night was my first time at a Tides game. I resisted the fried Twinkies. A Norfolk Southern train passed in the distance. A big ole barge passed on the Elizabeth River to the right. My friend got all Zen-like doing The Twist.

Click images for full view of photograph.

Some hamming it up and having fun, some pushing through to meet their personal goal. << Previous | Next >>

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Amy Wheeler photo-documents the Shamrock Marathon, which took place over the weekend in Virginia Beach.

Abbi Jaffe enlightens us.

Jerome seeks out the magic of sports at an Admirals game.

So go ahead, ride through the snow: Guys will respect you for your fortitude. Girls will love you for your courage. And your mother will think you’re nuts.

On buying the right lock to keep your bike safe and sound.

A bike culture won’t grow in Norfolk overnight. But a place to start is more people owning bikes.

So in a traffic event as freakish and fun as a Virginia Beach blizzard, I ride my bike through a stilled-life portrait of cars in the city. With impish delight I pretend that Norfolk is New York, the Berkley Bridge is the Brooklyn Bridge.

There are bike-friendly routes to be found in Norfolk. In fact, there’s a whole network that is passed by, unnoticed, by speeding motorists: parallel side streets and slower byways, where the speed limit doesn’t exceed 25mph, and the streets are bare of traffic-controlling yellow and white lines.

Continued from Part 1 MMA wasn’t like this. Yeah, people cheered and there were shouts for blood, but it was more like watching an action movie at a theater where yelling at the screen is socially acceptable. It was all just… entertainment. I think part of this might be due to the fact that MMA [...]

Local mixed martial arts and what it means, (if anything).

A short put together from CageFest 9 @ Old Dominion University’s The Ted. The fight was between undefeated George “Lights Out” Sheppard and Scott Monish.

The Hampton Roads area is going to be eager to declare big-time football at ODU a failure or a success. Let’s start with the stadium.

“We’re not a place filled with dead old fossils, human or otherwise,” says Hennessy. “We’re not to be confused with a bank or archive or a country club.”

Master’s final, Beach Bum Triathalon, Stand-Up Paddle Surfboards, and the Men’s Professional Division.

Local surfer/writer/photographer Joel Mednick continues his coverage of the ECSC at the VB Oceanfront with a conversation with 71-year-old surf legend Dick Catri.

Local surfer/writer/photographer Joel Mednick continues his coverage of the ECSC at the VB Oceanfront, as the festivities kicked off with a great day of surfing.

Local surfer/writer/photographer Joel Mednick gets his feet wet as surfers and fans gear up for the 47th annual ECSC at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Continued from Part 1… As an all-season cyclist, he’s had to learn to ride in cold, in rain, in hot sun, sometimes all of those conditions in a single day. He’s learned to wear wool, even in summer, because it wicks away sweat it doesn’t smell bad after you’ve worn it a few times without [...]

“One thing that keeps me safe on the roads,” a local bike rider, David, told me, “is I assume all drivers are trying to kill me.”

A crowd of students gathered on campus last night to snatch up football tickets. But what, really, are they expecting ODU (and by proxy, themselves) to gain from having a big time football team?

“Being put in a body cast was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” writes Gym Downtown manager and personal trainer Lacey Lee about a dream-shattering injury that ignited a lifelong passion for fitness.

I’ve been a cyclist for years, worked as a bike messenger, even ridden a hundred-mile century. But I’ve never blended into a “paceline,” the fast-riding groups of would-be racers that cruise the streets in single-file, hunched over the handlebars and pedaling like locomotives.

Continued from Part 1 True to its reputation, the streets of Norfolk are no place to ride fast. We start and stop along Lafayette Avenue, avoiding potholes and broken glass, never getting much past 14 mph. Riding in a group has some advantages over riding solo. You can take a whole lane and the drivers [...]

While Percy Harvin is obviously an insane athletic talent, his most recent fumble is by far his worst yet. You’re on the verge of the NFL draft, man. The big time. Guaranteed millions of dollars. And you get blazed with some frat dogs in Gainesville?

The 2009 MLB season is here. What a day. While I sit and look ahead at the sport that will take over my life for the next six months I can’t help but to rant and rave about the things and people that I hate about the sport.

“Tradition. Tradition is one of the major things. Look at the band. Look at the fellowship. They all share a goal and an experience. The experience is one of coming together and having a good time with each other.” – Allen Davis, stadium electrician of 15 years “We know the students, and they know us. [...]

“It’s family. The relationship between the students and the alumni. The concern we have for the students… We help them with anything they need. We recognize them. We reward them.” – Jeanette Clarey, chapter secretary, HU Alumni Association “It’s not so much about the black college experience. It’s not a black world. Now you’ve got [...]

“You knew you were at a good institution. Just the name–Hampton–had a ring of success.” – Virginian Owens, class of ’73 “They looked after you here. When your parents sent you to Hampton they knew you’d be taken care of. Even though the world has changed, the atmosphere on campus has remained the same.” – [...]

“Black college bands are essential. You don’t just come to see the game. Here, for a lot of folks, you come specifically to see the band and the football game is just an extra.” – James Lyons << Previous | Hampton University >>

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  Self-evaluation: “Harbor Park, with its outstanding view and sound design, is one of the finest baseball facilities in existence. The ballpark is located in downtown Norfolk on the Elizabeth River, and was opened in 1993. The Tides christened their new home on April 14th of that year with a 2-0 victory over the Ottawa [...]