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Trail Building Trail Maintenance Group Rides Education Events
. d e v l o get Inv Scottish athletes really know how to throw their weight around.
BEST REASON TO WEAR A UNITARD
Ballet Lessons at Ballet Idaho balletidaho. org
BEST REASON TO HUG A TREE
Scottish Highland Games Why hug a tree? Why, to chuck it across a field, of course. And nobody throws a tree better than a Scottish Highlands athlete. Around here, that means the Scottish American Athletic Association Idaho Chapter—a bunch of strapping lads and lasses who like to don a kilt and throw heavy things around a field. Whether it’s hurling a weight attached to a chain for distance, hefting a weighted bag over a bar with a pitchfork or lifting a 150-pound log and throwing it end-to-end, Scottish athletes take their sports as seriously as they take having fun. The group has been getting attention for their weekly practices along Eagle Road—you’d think drivers had never seen a bunch of guys in kilts carrying pitchforks.
If the term “barre exercises” conjures up images of waving your arms furiously to get a cocktail waitress’ attention, then Ballet Idaho has something to tell you: “Suck in that gut and squeeze into a unitard; it’s about time your beer-swilling butt got some exercise.” For $15 a class, you can join other ballet beginners for a two-hour workout led by one of Ballet Idaho’s professional dancers. A few BW staffers have become big fans, though they could do without constantly being one-upped by 80-yearold ladies doing the splits.
BEST MOST INTERESTING FORM OF ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
Longboards
Though the origin of the first longboard may be disputed, that they have always had a place in skateboard culture is not. For years, the occasional longboard has clack-clackclacked down Boise sidewalks (only where it’s legal, of course) alongside its shorter brethren, but during the last year or so, it seems like even more of them are out on the concrete. Soft wheels, a longer wheelbase and more comfortable riding lend themselves to the love of the longboard, and with last summer’s gas crunch, the economical, fairly easy-to-learn longboard leapt from counterculture kid’s toy to a viable form of gas-free transportation.
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| SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009 |
BOISEweekly
BEST BIKE PIRATING
Boise Velocache boisevelocache.blogspot.com Boise Velocache stumbled upon a basic human truth: Everyone loves searching for hidden treasure. Every day, velocachers from around the city post pictures on boisevelocache. blogspot.com showing where they’ve hidden various goodies ranging from rum to mystery novels. Though you don’t need a parrot or a peg leg to play, you do need a bike, a camera and Internet access.
BEST WAY TO KICK THOSE DAMNED WHIPPERSNAPPERS’ ASSES
Idaho Senior Games idahoseniorgames.org What better way to show that age is just a number than to run laps around people far younger than you? That’s just what competitors in the annual Idaho Senior Games do. Athletes are all age 50 and older and compete in everything from tennis, bowling and racquetball to basketball, softball and track and field. They’re out there breaking records while some of their grandchildren are sitting on their butts playing video games. Looks like they’ve still got a few important lessons to teach. And if you don’t listen, watch out. They can catch you.
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