Premier Sports Writing and Photography
Your Subtitle text
First Light Sports is Proud to Present This Collection of
Original Content Feature Articles and Photography
Last Round BluesThe leaves have all vanished, the grass has stopped growing, and the temperature has dropped to the freezing level. Rain, snow, clouds, and wind have long replaced the sunny and balmy 70 degree days. Welcome to November in Wisconsin.
Data Mining for the NFL Picks Beats the Casino
Picking NFL football games should be easy, right? If only there was a computer program that could take in the thousands of bits of variable information and spit out the correct side of the wager? A product called FBMiner created by Seagull Data Mining has it figured out.
Biking Adventures in Germany and AustriaThe bike trail along the Danube winds peacefully adjacent to the river and veers off into picturesque towns lined with bright earthen-toned stone houses draped with flowering vines and stunning fuchsia and blue hydrangeas. I meandered over one of the many bridges, gazed at the swiftly moving river and admired the stately Baroque church silhouetted on a hillside while standing with one foot in Austria and one foot in Germany.
Door County Golf at The OrchardsIn Wisconsin, when you’re in Door County you’re on vacation. If you imagine the state in the shape of a mitten, Door County is the “thumb” – the large peninsula on the east side of the state that runs north into Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It seems that every year I get away from the city for at least one long weekend trek to the area. While “up north” this year I made a point to bring the sticks and play a round of golf at The Orchards at Egg Harbor.
Bike Touring in the Czech RepublicThe air was alive with clanging bells from atop copper clad baroque church towers. Throughout the day their bronze voices sang resilient songs of victory and freedom. Now deep behind what had been the Soviet iron curtain until 1989 stirs the Czech Republic, formerly Czechoslovakia. Restless from decades of colorless oppression and anxious to appear hospitable, the Czechs have so much to offer visitors.
The Natural Beauty of "The Bog" Golf CourseBack in 1995 Arnold Palmer, yes that Arnold, brought his golf magic and legendary reputation to Wisconsin by creating a new, beautiful, and enchanting golf course. He put his transformational touches on a parcel of land adjacent to the Cedarburg Bog, located near the town of Saukville, and The Bog was born.
Wisconsin’s Sleeping Giant - Grand Geneva’s Brute CourseJust a few miles outside the popular resort town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin lies a sleeping giant. And while this particular giant slumbers quiet and serene, it draws its strength from the roots of the Earth. The Brute course at the Grand Geneva Resort has a storied history going back to 1968 when it was built as one of the longest golf courses in the country. The course has been refined and enhanced over the years, but what still draws golfers from around the world to this idyllic setting is the challenge of its enormous scale.
Wonderland in Winter ParkThe message board at the top of Super Gauge Express read: “Couldn’t get much better than this!” What an understatement! At the top of Mary Jane we decided to check out the fantastic fresh snow on a black diamond mogul run called “Trestle”. New snow and shoulder high moguls surrounded on both sides by gorgeous pines were dusted in white. The brilliant Colorado sun warmed our faces and gave us grins the entire (really long thigh burner) way down.
Springilicious SteamboatThe weather in the mountains can be a bit unpredictable in spring. On this day we had hoped for sun and blue skies we were, instead, greeted by gray ski and blustery winds.The winds were so gusty that the gondola and Storm Peak Express lifts were closed. Neither the weather nor the lift issues dampened our spirits.
Snowy day on Machine-Gun RidgeTucked away quietly high in the Colorado Rockies is Camp Hale, the historic site of the WW II home training base for the famed 10th Army division. On the afternoon I arrived, a wispy gray vapor of inversion hung over the dish shaped basin. Long retired from military service, Camp Hale now functions as the base of operations for Nova Guides.
Scuba Dive with Manta Rays in HawaiiAn hour after sunset, I stood at the edge of the dive-boat and peered a bit apprehensively downward into the inky black water of the Pacific. Wet suits, lead weights, air tanks, and regulators were all strapped to us seemingly like chains and concrete on a Mafioso informant. But this was no execution; this was high adventure and we were excited to begin.
How About a Round of 27? Let's Play IronwoodLocated in Sussex, Wisconsin, Ironwood Golf Course is a venue that contains 27 holes of beauty, enjoyment, challenge, and frustration. The course has three different sets of 9 hole courses that are assembled in several clever combinations to help make each golfing adventure unique. While Ironwood has 27 separate holes, it is not a course where you feel like you are playing repetitive or cookie-cutter holes; no two holes are alike.
Vail's Snowy VistasThe sky was a mottle of steely gray and watery turquoise by the time we reached Belle’s Camp at the top of Blue Sky Basin. The Skyline Express lift had brought us here, as the last leg of a wandering trek which began on Vail’s famous Eagle Bahn gondola in Lionshead village. I had prepared all year for this trip to Vail and was anxious to set my skis on the white firmament of this snowy paradise.
The Games within the Game of Golf Golf for the sake of golf is great. Keeping your own score to see how well you shoot is the best reason to take the sticks out and walk the course. However when you are playing with your normal foursome it can be fun to add a little pressure to the situation. While taking a few dollars from your friends during a round of golf is fun, razzing them in the clubhouse as they are handing the cash to you is even better.
Park City’s 15 ski lifts proved to be fast and efficient at moving skiers up the mountain so I was able to spend less time sitting on my bottom and more time shushing down the slopes. The views of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains is a majestic reminder of the seven peaks and nine bowls with 108 trails starting at a base elevation of 6900 feet (2014 meters) and rising to the summit at 10,000 feet (3049 meters).
Ski Training 101
Downhill skiing and snowboarding is a very strenuous activity. It is important to prepare for any extended ski trip by getting physically fit. A day on the slopes will be much longer, safer, and fun if you are prepared. These six exercises will help you build your strength and endurance. Whether you want to ride the deep powder, carve perfect S's on groomed corduroy, or bang moguls you'll need to be in top condition.
Steamboat - Powder and Trees
Traveling to the mountains is always a blessing for me. I live in the beautiful rolling hills of Wisconsin, but both winter and summer my heart tugs me toward the soaring peaks of the Colorado Rockies...
Amazing Keystone Colorado
Standing atop Keystone's pristine mountain peaks at over 12,000 feet elevation, I stared in awe at the surrounding scenery....
Euphoria at Beaver Creek
Without a doubt fear plays a role in my personal happiness when taking to the slopes. Perhaps it is the approach-avoidance reflex that tells me that hanging high in the air from a mile-long, 2-inch cable along with hundreds of others just doesn't seem like it can work...
Sunshine on Vail
The ancient Norsemen believed that if they lived an honorable and heroic life they would be rewarded with eternal live in Valhalla after they died. Since I'm only a Nordic wannabe, and certainly not dead yet, I chose another form of Nordic heaven. This piece of the sky is the ski paradise called Vail, Colorado. Oh, sure some day I'll pass on beyond the physical bonds of this life, but when I do, I hope that my Valhalla looks (and skis) like Vail...
Summer at Breckenridge
Ski Training 101 Downhill skiing and snowboarding is a very strenuous activity. It is important to prepare for any extended ski trip by getting physically fit. A day on the slopes will be much longer, safer, and fun if you are prepared. These six exercises will help you build your strength and endurance. Whether you want to ride the deep powder, carve perfect S's on groomed corduroy, or bang moguls you'll need to be in top condition.
Steamboat - Powder and Trees Traveling to the mountains is always a blessing for me. I live in the beautiful rolling hills of Wisconsin, but both winter and summer my heart tugs me toward the soaring peaks of the Colorado Rockies...
Amazing Keystone Colorado Standing atop Keystone's pristine mountain peaks at over 12,000 feet elevation, I stared in awe at the surrounding scenery....
Euphoria at Beaver CreekWithout a doubt fear plays a role in my personal happiness when taking to the slopes. Perhaps it is the approach-avoidance reflex that tells me that hanging high in the air from a mile-long, 2-inch cable along with hundreds of others just doesn't seem like it can work...
Sunshine on VailThe ancient Norsemen believed that if they lived an honorable and heroic life they would be rewarded with eternal live in Valhalla after they died. Since I'm only a Nordic wannabe, and certainly not dead yet, I chose another form of Nordic heaven. This piece of the sky is the ski paradise called Vail, Colorado. Oh, sure some day I'll pass on beyond the physical bonds of this life, but when I do, I hope that my Valhalla looks (and skis) like Vail...
Summer at BreckenridgeWhile my skis are gathering dust and rust in the basement I’m going half-crazy with downhill withdrawal. It seems that I can’t do much about my beautiful ski edges slowly crusting over, but getting downhill? Well that's a different story...
Mardi Gras at Beaver CreekMardi Gras otherwise known as Fat Tuesday is the high water mark of the calendar for partying, fun, and gaudy beads. While many may think New Orleans is the optimal place and holy ground to celebrate this pseudo-pagan holiday, I chose a higher ground, literally...
Vail Valley WinterThe clear cobalt blue sky and the incredibly white powdery snow seemed to form an unrealistic theater set. But this was no theater, and I was surely not playing the lead in any Gilbert & Sullivan musical. I was perched atop a Volkswagen sized mogul on a black-diamond run called Wow high in the Rockies. Goggles askew, skis scattered, dusted head to toe with powder, and with one horseshoe shaped ski pole I slowly realized that this was a moment for contemplation...