The Sports Archives – Too Old to Skateboard?

Posted on May 26, 2011 by thesportsarchives

There are plenty of incredible older skaters out there and seeing them at the park or hearing about how Tony Hawk can still bust big vert tricks at the age of 43, just might be enough to send you running for the skate shop.

Tony Hawk tricking big at 40

Heed my advice on this though; when you wipe (you will!) it hurts like hell. I tried to return to skateboarding a few years ago, at 35. My understanding girlfriend was supportive of the idea, and probably bored of hearing about how much I missed it. In fact she provided the catalyst by getting me a lovely board for my birthday that year.

The Old Man Wipes in Style

That very same day, I hit the local skatepark, a well-known spot in Stockwell, South London. I went after dark, in disguise (ok the disguise is an exaggeration) so I could have some peace and quiet to see what I remembered without embarrassing myself too much.

To cut a long story short, I was soon happily rolling about, managing some nice smooth turns on the ramps, staying on my board over the bumps & ripples, and having the best birthday treat in years. After an hour or two of good gentle fun, I got my confidence back, pushing it slightly too hard… then CRUNCH.

coming down hard

(image: http://www.shockacomm.com/)
 

Yup, it’s true, kids are bouncy. But brittle, bony 35-year old me made one slip-up, reacted badly, and landed heavily on my jaw. I lost teeth, had concussion, a dislocation, got stitches in my chin and spent most of a week in bed, suffering. It felt like they make concrete harder these days, and sad to say, that board has stayed in the cupboard at home since that fall!

Local Resources – The Sea!

I don’t live in Stockwell anymore, having moved to the seaside a few years back. Last summer I was out walking by the beach with the kids, and lo and behold, hallelujah! There was some perfect surf, just east of Brighton Marina. I guess the surfer network gets word out quick when the waves are right, but every few minutes more surfers were arriving, wetsuits on and boards under their arms. Watching these people, all shapes, ages & sizes, out there riding some great waves just a mile or so from my home, got me wondering if I could get some exercise – and some board kicks – minus the concrete.

Hell, the first surfers were skateboarders on wheels, so why not reverse the trend?

Surfers in England

(image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/k_uk75/)
 

Getting set up for surfing wasn’t as expensive as I feared, and the sport really is fun. 1 year later surfing gets me in the sea I’d just looked at before. Paddling out, treading water, and trying some tricks is an effective but gentle workout for the whole body. The spills & wipes can be a shock, but seriously – compared to landing hard on concrete, these old bones don’t mind a bit.

With skateboarding, the gear was a major part of the obsession. We were always looking for the best trucks we could afford, admiring the new board designs and then tweaking our darlings with a spanner. Happily, I’ve found surfing meets those needs too, and I’m proud of my kit.

I was pleased to notice last weekend there is an overhead wakeboarding tow-line set up, with ramps, at nearby Hove Lagoon. This will be my next water sport challenge, so I’ve already got my eye on some funky o’brien wakeboards! Really… heed my words, fellow 30-somethings.

Unless you already have skills like Bam Margera, or can afford a lot of time off work with broken bones – surf don’t skate, it hurts a lot less.

I am an independent writer, father and jack-of-all-trades based near Brighton, UK. For anyone as interested in the gear as me – today I’ve been checking out board designs from Bic surfboards, as much as I love mine, this summer deserves an upgrade! I recently picked up a gorgeous ride from rusty surfboards for my eldest daughter and after trying a few makes including quiksilver, we have come to swear by Rip curl wetsuits. Believe me – you need a warm one for the English Channel! For my next adventure in water-borne thrills, O’brien wakeboards are looking extremely tempting… somebody stop me!? 😛

Posted: 05/26/2011

Special Thanks to Author: Gerry Bern

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The Sports Archives – Indianapolis 500 Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on May 25, 2011 by thesportsarchives

On May 29, 2011, everyone… “start your engines”… as the commencement of the 95th Indianapolis 500 and its 100th year anniversary will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  The race has run annual except for the battle years of WWI and WWII.  Some of the drivers to watch are last year’s champion and two-time winner Dario Franchitti in car 10; 3-time winner Helio Castroneves in car 3; 2008 Champion Scott Dixon in car 9; Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe in car 6 and Will Power in car 12; (with a name like that, how could you lose?) and Danica Patrick in car 7.

Here are some interesting facts of past Indy 500 races:

  • The first Indianapolis 500 was won by Ray Harroun in 1911.  It took him 6 hours and 42 minutes to complete the 500 miles in a Marmon Model 32.  In 1990, Arie Luyendyk finished in 2 hours 41 minutes with his Chevrolet averaging a record speed of about 186 MPH.
  • Women were not allowed to enter the pit or garage areas of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until 1971 (probably for the same reason women weren’t allowed on pirate ships)!
  • Janet Guthrie became the first woman in history to qualify and compete in the Indianapolis 500.   Her best race was in 1978 when she finished 9th.
  • Danica Patrick became the first woman in history to ever lead the Indy 500.  In her first ever start; she led 19 laps which is still a record among female competitors.
  • Driving while under the influence?  In 1913, Indy 500 winner Jules Goux of France drank chilled champagne during pit stops.  Could only have been French champagne!
  • In 1920, Gaston Chevrolet outdid his brother Louis (founder of Chevrolet) by winning the Indianapolis 500 in a redesigned Monroe-Frontenac.  Tragically, he lost his life in another race later the same year when his Frontenac crashed.
  • Who said racing wasn’t dangerous?  By the year 1928, over one third of the first 15 Indy 500 winners had suffered race-related deaths.
  • Who said watching racing wasn’t dangerous?  A spectator was killed when a loose tire went flying into the stands during the 1987 Indy 500.

Posted: 05/25/2011

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500 - "Start Your Engines"

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The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – 1912 Indianapolis 500 Push to Finish

Posted on May 24, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Ralph DePalma was one of the greatest race car drivers in the early 20th century. He earned first place in the Indianapolis 500 in 1915 and had won nearly 2000 races, including 24 American Champ car races.

However, before achieving greatness in 1915, DePalma was humbled by an incident that occurred while racing in the second Indy 500 race in 1912. DePalma was first and in control most of the race when, with just a few laps to go, his Mercedes engine broke down and the car was choking along at 20 miles per hour. DePalma had built up a large lead, but his car died on the last stretch of 199th lap. Needless to say, he didn’t finish first but refused to not finish and pushed the car across the finish line with help from his mechanic because completing the race in those days meant winning prize money!

Ralph DePalma

Ralph DePalma and mechanic pushing car to finish line in 1912 Indy 500.

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The Sports Archives – How a Fan Letter Contributed to Pitcher Steve Carlton’s Success

Posted on May 18, 2011 by thesportsarchives

From the book “You Can If You Think You Can’ by Norman Vincent Peale is a little known story about one of the best pitchers in baseball history.  Steve “Lefty” Carlton who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies has won 4 Cy Young Awards and is presently second in total strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

According to the story, it wasn’t all glory for Carlton.  He had pitched well for St. Louis from 1965 to 1969, but started struggling in 1970.  He had 6 wins and 18 losses when he received a letter from a fan that commented on how well Carlton threw, but also added how Carlton did not seem positive on the mound.  The fan seemed to sense a lack of ambition or enthusiasm in Carlton’s performances.

The story goes on to explain how Carlton attributes a major turnaround in his career to that letter and a major change in attitude.  Carlton’s numbers speak for themselves; after that letter he went on to win 4 of his last 5 games that season and posted a 20-9 record the following season.

In 1972, Lefty was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and had his best season yet, leading the league at 27-10 with an ERA of 1.97, 30 complete games, 8 shutouts and 310 strikeouts.  Carlton posted an amazing 46% of his team’s victories as the Phillies finished the year at 59 – 97.

It only goes to show that a few words, written or spoken, can go a long way!

Steve Carlton

Steve Carlton - A Believer of Fan Mail

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The Sports Archives – More Stanley Cup Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on May 15, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The 2011 Stanley Cup semi-finals are gearing up with the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks are up against the Vancouver Canucks.  To get you in the Stanley Cup mood, we thought you would enjoy some more interesting facts about the Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup playoffs.  (see The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories and Fun Facts).

  • The Boston Bruins have not won the Cup since 1971-72.  The Lightning took home the Cup in 2003-04 just 12 years after joining the NHL and 3 years after posting 4 consecutive seasons of 50 or more losses.
  • The San Jose Sharks have never been in the Stanley Cup finals and the Vancouver Canucks have never won the Stanley Cup in their 40 years of existence.
  • After winning the Stanley Cup in 1947, the Toronto Maple Leafs swept the next two Stanley Cup finals in 1948 and 1949 which gave them 9 consecutive Stanley Cup victories.
  • After just 9 years in the NHL, the New York Islanders eliminated their cross-town rivals, the New York Rangers (who were part of the ‘original six’), four years in a row from 1981 to 1984
  • Lester Patrick was 44 years young and coach of the 1928 New York Rangers when he put himself in for injured goalie Lorne Chabot and helped the Rangers win the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 overtime victory.
  • The player who has been on the most Stanley Cup championship teams is Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens.  Between the years 1955 and 1975, Henri Richard and the Canadiens won 11 Stanley Cup finals.
  • The individual who has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup more than anyone else is Jean Beliveau.  His name appears 17 times; 10 times as a player and 7 times for management.
  • There are names of 12 women engraved on the cup.  Charlotte Grahame was added when the Colorado Avalanche won the Cup in 2001 and her son, John Grahame, was added in 2004 as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, making them the only Mother-Son combination with both their names on the Cup.
Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup

Who will hoist the Stanley Cup this year?

A great tradition of winning the Stanley Cup is when the captain of the winning team hoists it overhead and skates it around rink and then each player gets a turn to do the same.  It is said that Ted Lindsay of the 1950 Detroit Red Wings started the tradition of hoisting up the Cup so the fans can get a better look.  Later, the players share a drink of champagne from the bowl on top!

Posted: 05/15/2011

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The Sports Archives – The Players Championship and Signature Hole Number 17

Posted on May 9, 2011 by thesportsarchives

On May 12, 2011, the PGA Tour stops in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass, also known as The Players Championship and TPC at Sawgrass.  The course is best known for its signature 17th hole.

The 17th hole is par-3 and 132 yards.  What’s so bad about that you ask? The hole is called the “Island Green” and is basically an island, a very small piece of real estate about 15 by 25 yards accessed by a narrow path leading up to it.  The island is built up on bulkheads about 3 feet above the surrounding lake surface.  But there’s more, the lake is infested with alligators… (no not really, we made that last part up, but it is Florida!)

Nevertheless, the hole will give the willies to any golfer; amateur or professional, and making par is reason to celebrate.  Golfers need to consider not only wind and water, but also the firmness of the green and it’s height above the water.  Oh yes, did we mention the golfer needs to consider the surrounding body of water?!

One of the greatest putts on the “Island Green” was a 60 footer executed brilliantly by Tiger Woods in the 2000 Players Championship.  You can see it here.

Still the best highlight of the infamous hole featured Steve Lowery who landed a great shot on the green during the 1998 Players Championship only to see his ball picked up by seagull which eventually dropped it into the water.  See the comical act here.  Lowery was able to play his ball where it had originally landed and a new hazard was announced for the 17th…beware of seagulls!

Posted: 5/9/2011

TPC at Sawgrass 17th Hole

TPC at Sawgrass 17th Hole - Beware of Seagulls

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The Sports Archives – Stanley Cup Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on May 7, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Lord Stanley’s Cup goes to the last NHL team standing after a series of four playoff rounds where each round is best-of-seven.  The playoffs usually run mid-April to early June and are, in my opinion, the toughest 7-8 weeks of any sporting event for the teams that continue on.  For all cuts, bruises, hits and stitches taken on over the season, you can expect twice that in the playoffs.

The following are some interesting facts about the Stanley Cup and the Stanley Cup playoffs.

  • The Stanley Cup is unique in that it has the names of all the previous winning players, coaches, management and staff engraved on it.
  • The first woman to have her name engraved on the cup is Marguerite Norris, president of the 1954 Detroit Red Wings.
  • Still the only team to win the Stanley Cup after being down 3-0 and coming back to win 4 straight in the finals is the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.
  • From 1995 to 1998 the broom was taken out by the New Jersey Devils, the Colorado Avalanche, and twice by the Detroit Red Wings as these teams swept their opponents in the Stanley Cup finals.  (The NHL must have lost a lot of money those years!)
  • The St. Louis Blues were in the Stanley Cup finals in 1968, 1969 and 1970, but did not win a game.
  • Speaking of shutouts, goalie Frank McCool of the Toronto Maple Leafs scored 3 consecutive shutouts in the 1945 Stanley Cup finals and did not allow a goal in 192 minutes.
  • Last minute heroics were demonstrated in the 1964 Stanley Cup finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The first three games were decided by a goal in the final minute.
  • Every game of the 1951 Stanley Cup finals went into overtime with Montreal losing 4 of 5 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Before the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, opposing fans (especially Islander fans) would shout “1940” at them as a reminder of the last time they had won the cup!

Posted: 5/7/2011

Frank McCool

Toronto goalie Frank McCool cooled off the Detroit Red Wings with 3 consecutive shutouts in the 1945 Stanley Cup Finals.

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The Sports Archives – More Kentucky Derby Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on May 2, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The 137th Kentucky Derby is scheduled to take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on May 7th, 2011.

We would like to provide more interesting facts and notes that occurred in Derby history:
(See first article: The Sports Archives – Kentucky Derby Memories and Fun Facts ).

  • Swale won the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes; unfortunately the horse succumbed to a heart attack in June of that year.
  • The first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby was Diane Crump in 1970.
  • Willie Shoemaker is the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby when he rode Ferdinand to first place in 1986.  Willie was 54 years young!
  • Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby in 1978 and was ridden by jockey Steve Cauthen who had never raced in the Kentucky Derby before.
  • One of the biggest upsets in Kentucky Derby history was Dark Star’s victory over Native Dancer in the 1953 Derby which was the only defeat suffered by Native Dancer.
  • One of the most successful studs of all time was the horse known as Lexington.  Lexington sired 236 winners who won 1,176 races and was directly and indirectly responsible for 51 of 62 Derby winners!  (This a good name for your next son!)
  • Exterminator won the 1918 Kentucky Derby against 30-1 odds after replacing Sun Briar.  Iron Liege won the 1957 Kentucky Derby after replacing the favorite General Duke who had become lame.
  • Iron Liege won the 1957 Kentucky Derby after passing Gallant Man ridden by jockey Willie Shoemaker who pulled up about 100 yards short of the finish line.

Posted: 05/02/2011

Lexington

Lexington - "The Stud"

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The Sports Archives – Kentucky Derby Memories and Fun Facts

Posted on April 30, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The 137th Kentucky Derby is scheduled to take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on May 7th, 2011.   The “Run for the Roses” (named for the blanket of 554 roses draped over the winner) is the first leg of the US Triple Crown event and is the most attended and considered the most prestigious of the stake races.  It has been labeled as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”.

We would like to provide some interesting facts and notes that occurred in Derby history:

  • The 1905 Kentucky Derby had only 3 horses running.
  • Broker’s Tip won the 1933 Kentucky Derby; it was the only race the horse ever won!
  • After the 1933 Kentucky Derby, winning jockey Don Meade was suspended for 30 days for engaging in a fist fight with jockey Herb Fisher.
  • Dancer’s Image won the 1968 Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for illegal use of the drug phenylbutazone which is now regarded as legal to use.
  • Secretariat holds the record by running the 1973 Kentucky Derby in 1.59.4.
  • The traditional drink of the Derby is the Mint Julep served over ice.
  • The song “Run for the Roses” was composed by Dan Fogelberg for the 1980 run.
  • Persistence pays off; Jockey Eddie Arcaro lost his first 250 races but then went on to win 5 Kentucky Derbys and almost 5,000 races.
  • The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978.

Posted: 04/30/2011

Kentucky Derby

America's Kentucky Derby

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The Sports Archives – 1971 Stanley Cup MVP and then 1972 Rookie of the Year!

Posted on April 27, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Winning the Stanley Cup MVP and then being awarded the Rookie of the Year in the following year is something that no one can boast about except goaltender Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens.

It was 1971 and once again the Montreal Canadiens were a dominate force; however, they finished third in the East Division behind the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.  They needed something more to beat the hot-flying Bobby Orr and the Bruins in the playoffs.  That something more came in the form of rookie goalie, Ken Dryden, who was called up late-season and won all six games he played for the Canadiens with a 1.65 goals against average.  His performance earned him a start in the playoffs and the Canadiens never looked back as they upset the Bruins in seven, handled the Minnesota North Stars in six and overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 in the finals to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 for the Stanley Cup.

Ken Dryden out-dueled Chicago’s Tony Esposito and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the series MVP.  The following year Dryden won 39 games and had a 2.24 GAA which earned him the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year.  Although, the Habs did not win the Stanley Cup that year, Dryden would help the Canadiens to five more including four in a row from 1976 to 1979.

Ken Dryden

6 ft. 4 in. Ken Dryden and his trademark pose in front of the goal!

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