Sports and Recreation Photo/Ryan Wilcox
From surfing to ice hockey, you name it, the Lowcountry has it.
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he Lowcounty’s coastal environment makes outdoor life here a special draw, but its sports and recreation scene doesn’t end with beachgoing. The area boasts three professional teams, three small college athletic programs, excellent venues and dozens of amateur recreational leagues in a variety of sports. Folly Beach is generally considered one of the best surfing destinations on the East Coast, and dedicated wave riders keep track of conditions at its storied “Washout” via webcam. Waves at the Isle of Palms aren’t quite as powerful, but East Cooper surfers swear by them. Sullivan’s Island waves are inadequate for surfing, but kiteboarding is a popular alternative. Kayaking has been a popular local sport for years, and outfitters along Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant cater to locals and tourists alike. Remote islands in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge are a draw for many, but others prefer to drive south of Charleston and strike out into the blackwater wilderness of the pristine and sprawling ACE Basin or head farther inland to explore the swamps and groves of Dorchester County. Sailing — either competitive or contemplative — has been a Lowcountry passion since antebellum days. Charleston Race Week, a three-day regatta sponsored by the Charleston Ocean Racing Association, draws more than 1,500 sailors to the Charleston Harbor every April. The College of Charleston and The Citadel both field competitive sailing teams. The local sailing season ends in August with the Rockville Regatta, a tradition for more than 100 years. Recreational boating — particularly as it relates to fishing — takes up much of the calendar and deep sea charters are available from Shem Creek and other locations. Charleston County runs a fishing pier 44 | INTRO
at Folly Beach and in Mount Pleasant at the Memorial Waterfront Park, and surf casters land sizable fish every year. Locals dip for crabs in tidal creeks all summer and shrimp-baiting season typically runs from September to November. Hunters flock to inland private game preserves and public game lands each fall in the Francis Marion National Forest and the ACE Basin. Fall and winter are also the best time for hiking and biking in the local forests. Running has grown in popularity since the founding of the Cooper River Bridge Run in 1978, but received a healthy boost in 2005 when the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge opened with a pedestrian/bicyclist lane. The Bridge Run takes place each April, attracting worldclass 10k runners and tens of thousands of amateur athletes and walkers. The race begins near Shem Creek and finishes in downtown Charleston. Kiawah Island hosts an annual marathon and half-marathon, and there are organized races throughout the year in various locations across the region. In recent years, triathlons have been proliferating, many of them taking advantage of the region’s open water for the swimming legs.
The area’s flat roads make for fast cycling. The Lowcountry hosts a series of popular cycling events, including criterion races at Charleston’s Hampton Park, 100k and 100-mile “century” rides in the Francis Marion National Forest and group rides that make use of the long, shady roads on Johns Island. Johns Island is also home to the Mullet Hall Equestrian Center. Most municipalities in the area offer recreational leagues, but amateur youth and adult baseball/softball leagues are extremely popular in Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Goose Creek and the St. Andrews District west of Charleston. Gahagan Park in Summerville is a softball shrine. Mount Pleasant, which is riddled with ballfields, opened an extensive recreation complex at Dunes West earlier this decade and has been expanding it ever since. Soccer is popular in the suburban areas, and recreation departments in some locations run the football leagues for their local public and private middle schools.