Fun in the Sun - Cal Ripken Regional  

Check out the talent in youth baseball this weekend at the Cal Ripken Regional Tournament at North Augusta Riverview Park. The tournament for 10-year-old squads begins Thursday and continues through August 3. The format is double-elimination with the winner advancing to the World Series! 

Championship teams from Alabama, Virginia, South Carolina, southern and northern Florida, eastern and western North Carolina and eastern and western Tennessee are expected to compete. North Augusta’s first game will start on Thursday at 8 p.m. against Western Tennessee. All other opening games will also start on Thursday at 5 p.m. with the opening ceremonies following.

Admission for each session is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Tournament passes are also available at $25 for adults and $15 for students.  

Beat the Heat- Girl’s Basketball

Elite girls basketball will be showcased this weekend at Augusta State University’s Christenberry Fieldhouse and North Augusta's Riverview Park Activities Center.

At Christenberry Fieldhouse, the JumpOffPlus.com Elite 24 Summer Jam is underway. The invitation-only tournament is loaded with talent, including our own Georgia Ice, coming off a championship at the Basketball on the Bayou tournament in New Orleans. The Summer Jam wraps up Thursday with the finals of the 15U and 16U divisions being played simultaneously at 2:50 p.m.  Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for anyone with a student ID.

Over at Riverview Park, the Nike Nationals feature 35 elite youth teams from across the country.  This tournament is invitation-only and will feature over 30 teams. The 16U championship will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5 per session. 

The Tri the Parks sprint triathlon series will make its annual visit to Mistletoe State Park this Saturday, July 24. The Mistletoe Sprint Triathlon, which will begin at 8am, consists of a 600-meter swim, an 11.8-mile cycling leg, and finishes with a 3.1-mile run. The event also features a duathlon, beginning and ending with a 3.1-mile run and includes an 11.8-mile cycling leg. There will also an “aquabike” category featuring the 600-meter swim, finishing with the 11.8-mile bike leg. The races are sanctioned by USA Triathlon, the governing body for the multi-sport organization.

Local triathlon club, TriAugusta, is expecting over 20 local competitors for this weekend’s race at Mistletoe State Park. Members of the USAT-affiliated club will be using the race as preparation for the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta race, which will take place on Sunday, September 26. The ESi Half Ironman consists of a 1.1-mile swim, a 56-mile cycling leg, and finishes with a 13.1-mile run through downtown Augusta.

TriAugusta will be offering a 12-week training program for beginner triathletes starting this Saturday, and concluding with the Hickory Knob Sprint Triathlon, to be held October 16, in McCormick, SC. For more information on triathlon training, or joining TriAugusta, interested athletes are invited to attend the TriAugusta meeting this Thursday, July 22 at 6:30pm at Mi Rancho on Washington Rd. E-mail the club for more information.

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

Hello fellow athletes training has been going well this week. I have been taking this week to focus on my swimming skills. The heat will slow you down, even with being in the water, so make sure to keep plenty of fluids in your system like sports drinks or water is the best way to keep hydrated.

The swimming I believe will be my hardest of the three endurance events that are contained within the triathlon competition. I am going on vacation next week to Fripp Island, a flat island in South Carolina with very clean beaches to run on and some good roads to ride on. I will concentrate on riding then running this coming week at the beach. Just because you take a vacation with family for friends does not mean that you should take a vacation from training.I hope to keep up the three F's: family, fun, and fitness throughout this vacation.  The beach will provide a change of atmosphere that might make the training more interesting and challenging. I will let you know how it went when I get back next week. So, keep training hard switch us your regular course and training if you find yourself getting bored. Remember that the Ironman is right around the corner on September 24^th.

 As always I’d like to thank my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

Hello fellow athletes, last week I traveled to Atlanta in search of a wetsuit at a store named All 3 Sports. When I got there it was totally packed with athletes picking up their race packages for an Atlanta Tri. Well, talk about being intimidated I was a fish out of water, really I was. When a sales associate asked me if she could help me I told her my request was a wetsuit she said,"Are you an experienced swimmer or beginner?"  I said, "newbie!" She called for the reinforcements.

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I’m starting to work on my swimming and with the swimming section of the Ironman being 1.2 miles I know I have a long way to go. I’ve found some helpful tips and swim plan at Beginnertriathlete.com. It gives a plan for endurance and pacing focused work outs. I have to be realistic and know that I can not do swim everyday so I am setting a goal of three times a week. I plan to start this week off right and getting into the pool to start working on form and technique and then hopefully work my way up to speed and endurance, beucase I've heard that this is the best way for a beginner to train. Do you have any other suggestions or quick tips that could help me on my swimming?

As always I’d like to thank my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

Well, it was 95 degrees when we started at the boathouse downtown and went over to Jackson, SC then through SRS and over to Williston and back .On the way back I couldn`t keep the pace with the girls (did I fail to mention that one of the girls is the spin instructor at the Augusta Country Club, talk about being in shape).I quickly realized my limit and told them to go ahead and that I would find my way home. Wrong idea, I traveled into SRS 3 miles before I realized that I was on the wrong path, so I turned around and finally found my way out through the turn. My little 56 mile ride turned into a 62 mile adventure. This was by far was the hardest thing I have ever done! I weighed 175 before the ride and 170 after. Yes, I lost 5 pounds in just one ride. This ride did more for me than any nutrition plan has, though it is not my choice of weight loss techniques.

I believe that I will start on some shorter rides and do some running this week so I can enjoy this sport a little more until I build up more stamina. I have a little more than three months left so I hope to continue to keep up my work, though maybe I will take smaller steps towards accomplishing them.

As always I’d like to thank my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.

Saturday, June 19^th the ASA Big-Air Triples will take place at the James Brown Arena .The ASA Big-Air is the first of its kind, combining the best of BMX Dirt Jumping, Box Jumping and Park Course disciplines into a unique head-to-head competition.

This event will have some of the world’s top BMX and skateboarding pros like Mike Spinner, Scotty Cranmer, and Dennis Enarson . There will also be some of the top skateboarders such as Pierre Luc Gagon and Rob Loriface.

The doors will open at 1 pm with two shows starting at 3 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $18. To purchase tickets click here or call  1.877.4AUGTIX.

Previous ASA- Big Air Triple Competition

The Katherine M. York Adaptive Aquatic Center opens Wednesday, June 2, 2010 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 am. Tours of the facility and festival activities will continue until 4:00 pm. Activities are free and open to the public.

The new pool, commonly known as Katie's Pool, will feature a 34' by 60' swimming pool. The temperature will be 88-90 degrees, the optimal temperature for individuals with blood pressure and joint issues. It will feature a 42-foot ramp into the shallow end of the pool. The new facility will provide handicap accessible changing rooms, including a lift system that will enable a wheelchair-bound individual to be more easily assisted within the changing room. The facility will also include therapy rooms and office space.

For more information, click here or contact The Family Y at 706.922.9622.

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

There’s an old saying in the biking world: When it comes to crashes, it’s not “IF,” it’s “WHEN.” Well, last Sunday was my “when” moment. My personal cycling expert, Randy DuTeau, took me on my first 10-mile bike ride. It was my longest ride to date, but in Randy’s capable hands, I had no worries. Unfortunately, I was wrong!

We started our ride with a couple of warm-up laps around Lake Olmstead, and then headed out to Beech Island. The trouble started when we pulled to a stop sign and I couldn’t get my locked foot out of the pedal. Before I knew it, I had dumped my brand new bike on the ground. Thanks to my gloves, the only thing I hurt was my pride, but after that I made sure to unlock my foot prior to stopping. I found out the hard way that practicing stopping and starting would have been a good idea!

Tune in next week for more of my training trials and tribulations! Thanks as always to my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly constructed bicycle “pump track” will be held Friday, May 7, 2010 at 6:00 pm at North Augusta’s Riverview Park. Festivities will include bike demos, music and free organic hot dogs courtesy of Applegate Farms. The pump track is located at the old Riverview Park campgrounds, next to the water works.

Immediately following the grand opening, at 7:00 pm, “Wheel Impact” will host a group ride from the pump track into downtown Augusta, finishing at the International Mountain Bike Association World Summit Expo. Located at 9^th Street and Riverwalk, the Expo will feature bike demos, outdoor gear, apparel and more.  The Expo is open from 1:00-8:00 pm on Friday.

All events are free and anyone who enjoys riding a bike is encouraged to attend. However, all group ride participants must wear helmets.

About Wheel Impact
Wheel Impact is a local committee of cycling advocates who seek to combine resources to better promote Augusta as a cycling destination. Working with the Augusta Sports Council, the coalition assists organizations with event promotion and venue development. They also seek to work with city leaders to incorporate bike lanes into long term city planning.