sport

Local kayakers take adventures to the web

Written

on Saturday, August 28, 2010

http://www.vimeo.com/12622767

By Aneka Rao

Last November, Mike McKay and Mike Kobzik decided to throw a party. Both avid paddlers, they’d recently started filming their kayaking trips and wanted to share the videos with friends and family. But as they started to plan the party, word spread through the Ottawa white water community. More and more people wanted to come, local companies called wanting to be sponsors and people started donating door prizes. Eventually, the small get-together turned into a movie-screening and fundraising event for the Ottawa Riverkeeper. Says McKay, “It ended up being a lot bigger than we thought. We held it at the Corner Bar down in the Glebe and it was probably the busiest night they’d ever had. It was jammed, people couldn’t move. It was crazy.”

Inspired by this success, McKay and Kobzik formed Five 2 Nine Productions and, from their already shot footage, created a whitewater-kayaking documentary called Just Like You Imagined. They realized that film was a great way to take their love of paddling to another level: to showcase the sport, get others excited about kayaking and educate a broader audience about water issues in Ottawa and around the world.

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No need for Hot Yoga, these Yogis are taking it outside!

Written

Samantha

on Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Photo courtesy of matthew palmer on Flickr.

Finding a free, no-strings-attached yoga class is hard to do in Ottawa, but luckily summer is here (at least for a little while longer) and the classes have been brought outside for all to enjoy. Maybe you haven’t seen people in the park doing sun salutations, but they’ve been there since the beginning of the season.

Yoga with Manohar

After a little investigation it was revealed that Yoga with Manohar is also known as Victor, a professionally trained dancer that has been teaching yoga since 2008. His class runs on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. in Dundonald Park on Somerset Street West (across from the Beer Store). It is a balance of Hatha yoga (a more gentle style that emphasizes physical detail and focus), so it is suitable for beginners to expert downward doggers. Manohar requests that if it is your first time to come a little early to center yourself before practice, and be sure to bring a mat, blanket or towel. Given Ottawa’s weird weather, it’s best to check the website to make sure the class is still on.

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A funny thing happened on the way to the Hintonburg Arts Festival

Written

apartment613

on Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Photo courtesy srboisvert on flickr.

Post by Apt613 contributor Mokum.

A couple weeks ago, I asked my editor at Apt613 if she could get me on the guest list for the recent Hintonburg Arts Festival, a sort of 100-mile diet of Ottawa dance, film, poetry, music, and so on. I’ll admit I wasn’t enthusiastic about paying the $20 cover charge (even though the price was reasonable enough, considering the promise of an open bar), but that wasn’t the whole story behind my request. It’s important to remember that being on the guest list is essential to providing proper coverage of this type of thing. If Hintonburg is serious about turning itself into some kind of Soho north, we critics and associated hangers-on have to do our part as well. Thus, I resolved to attend only if I could get in and drink for free.

In the event, I ended up not attending, not because I couldn’t get in for free, but rather because the festival ran into complications with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, resulting in the following email being sent out the evening prior to the event:

Important change to the Saturday night portion of the Festival

Last-minute difficulties with LCBO regulations mean we cannot serve or sell alcohol at the Saturday night portion of the Festival.

All programming will go forward as planned, however the entry fee has been reduced to $5 and the event is now non-alcoholic. We apologize for this change but are confident that we can still have a great night! Feel free to arrive at the event tipsy…

Pity, that. Not only had the cache of being on the guest list plunged dramatically with the cover charge, but now the beer taps would be turned off, too. Even if one was to bring their own provisions or continuously run back and forth to the Carleton Tavern all night for booze, the party seemed at risk of running in reverse, with the crowd arriving tipsy only to become progressively more sober as the night wore on. Apart from the art stuff, it was pretty much the opposite of what I had in mind.

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Losing my religion: Jocular rugby players bare it all for art

Written

diane

on Thursday, August 19, 2010

April. Dan Ziemkiewicz

Tonight the Ottawa Wolves invite you to Galerie La Petite Mort for an evening of art and athleticism.

Enlisting the expertise of creative duo Martyna Piechowski and Dan Ziemkiewicz - who has played inside centre, flanker and hooker for the team - the ruggers dressed up (and down!) to produce their playfully provocative 2011 Calendar. For a mere $20 you can purchase a calendar of your very own, see some fantastic art, and support your favourite local rugby team!

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For fishes with bicycles: Ottawa’s best bike-accessible swimming holes

Written

apartment613

on Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Photo courtesy Gamma-Ray Productions on Flickr.

Guest post by Andrea Grant - who certainly doesn’t let her gills and fins get in the way of cycling around the capital all summer long.

It’s hot out - we know. You’re uncomfortable and sweaty - we can tell. You’re stuck in the city with only a bike and some bus tickets, and your only post-work saviour is a cold shower, a Slurpee, and the air-conditioned comfort of your grocery store. Right, Ottawa?

No way. Here at Apartment613, we’re surprised by how many of you car-free folks are still spending your hot summer soirees amongst the concrete and pigeons, when there are so many fabulous lakeside and riverside mini-vacations to be had. In fact, one of the most fantastic things about this city is that there tons of swimming options close to the urban core. So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to share the best swimming holes around – all within cycling distance from downtown. So wipe that sweat off your brow, kick off your flippy floppies, and jump in!

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Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah-ing Through Trees

Written

Khoi

on Thursday, August 5, 2010

Photo courtesy of khoioi on Flickr.

“We’re going zip-lining… are you in?”

“Sure!” I replied. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I should have perused the website to prepare mentally for this ‘aerial experience’, as they call it at Camp Fortune. All I can say is that zip-lining gives the term “tree-hugger” a whole new meaning.

I envisioned zipping through Gatineau Park, enjoying the thrill of speeding through the trees and having a cool breeze on my face. For some unexplained reason, I did not envision “how” we would get high enough to experience all that. By climbing trees and going through an obstacle course in mid-air, that’s how! It literally felt like a suspended version of boot camp. As first-timers, we did the “easy” Explorer trail. I don’t even want to imagine the intensity of the Amazone trail. Not just yet.

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City Chase! The race is on…

Written

apartment613

on Thursday, July 15, 2010

Photo courtesy of Sarah and Mike....probably on Flickr.

The only TV I’ve been watching lately are the huge screens at Bluesfest, but back in the day I had a soft spot for one reality TV show in particular: THE AMAZING RACE! I know I’m not the only one who pined for the chance to mime “The Bund” to a rickshaw driver in Shanghai.

Well lucky us, this Saturday Ottawans will have the opportunity to show off their orienteering and stranger haggling skills at

The Mitsubishi City Chase! An annual event in various cities across Canada (there’s a USA and international series as well), teams of two participate in this “part obstacle course, part scavenger hunt” to win prizes and the chance to represent Ottawa at the National Championships!

You can still register for the event at a cost of $150 per team. It’s a great way to learn more about the city AND bond with someone you already adore (or test to see if that OkCupid match is really “the one”). Volunteer opportunities are also available!

Everything you need to know can be found here: Mitsubishi City Chase.

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Community capture the flag game

Written

Katie

on Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy presents community capture the flag game!!!

Date: Sunday, July 18, 2010
Time: 12:30pm - 3:30pm
Location: Strathcona Park, Ottawa, Ontario

Join CSSDP for an afternoon of CAPTURE THE FLAG!, bbq, baked goods, and the spinningest drug facts wheel in town!

All ages welcome!

Say no to the drug war and yes to Sunday afternoon fun!

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HOPE Volleyball SummerFest

Written

Katie

on Thursday, July 8, 2010

July 10, 2010 marks the 28th year for the HOPE Volleyball Summerfest event at Mooney’s Bay. The event combines 3 categories of volleyball (Competitive, Recreational and Corporate) along with all-Canadian talent rocking the Ampitheatre. 10,000 players register and play on more than 80 courts. Each year, up to six charities in the National Capital region receive significant funding from the HOPE event. In its history, HOPE has provided over $5 million to more than 100 local charities.

competitive, recreation and corporate team volleyball
amphitheatre with concerts featuring all-Canadian talent
vendor village
refreshment tent

Parking will not be available at Mooney’s Bay or on Riverside Drive on the day of the tournament. Cars parked illegally in the surrounding areas will be ticketed and/or towed, including vehicles parked on the inner boulevard of Riverside Drive and the side streets around the community.

A limited number of parking spaces (approximately 250) will be available at Hog’s Back Park for a $10 fee.

A supervised bike compound will be located near the Gate 1 entrance off Hog’s Back north end of the beach for a fee of $2.00 per bike or $5.00 per family. All proceeds from bicycle and vehicle parking support HOPE Charities.

There will be a free park and ride shuttle service from Carleton University, parking lots P3, P5 and P9 from 7 am to 8 pm. In addition, participants and spectators are encouraged to use OC Transpo services to travel via Carleton University or Greensboro Park & Ride (600 parking spaces available to OC Transpo riders) to Confederation Heights (at Canada Post, walking distance to Mooney’s Bay) or take routes 87 or 111. Please check the OC Transpo website at www.octranspo.com for the O-Train route details.

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Apt613 Guide to getting a bike on the cheap.

Written

apartment613

on Thursday, July 8, 2010

Photo courtesy of Geekgirly on flickr

Post by Dev Marr

Picking your first bike (or simply a replacement bike) can be a daunting task. If I hadn’t had help from a friend I wouldn’t have known where to start. In fact, even if I had known where to start, having a friend come along to give a second opinion is always a good idea.

Lets face it, bikes can be expensive. Even lower end ‘Walmart’ bikes can cost upwards of $200. If you’re a full time student like myself and fall into the category that I like to eloquently call, “financially restricted,” dropping hundreds of dollars on a brand new ride seems rather unreasonable. Fortunately, Ottawa has no shortage of second hand bike shops that can knock a fair portion off this prohibitive price tag off. My two personal favourite shops are Re-Cycles and The Bike Dump. Both places have their pros and cons. Personally I prefer Re-Cycles for their hands-on volunteering program, cheap DIY prices and super friendly staff. The only downfall is that their selection of overhauled ‘ready to go’ bikes is sometimes pretty small due to their growing popularity. On the flip side, there’s the Bike Dump. With a plethora of bikes from cheap $75 ‘as is’ bikes to higher end overhauls, you’ll likely find the bike you’re looking for there. My main contention is that few times I’ve stopped in the staff aren’t always as ‘receptive’ to the uninitiated cyclist as a first time bike buyer would like.

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