SAT 8/21
Astute golf fans know Tiger Woods’ lean and smooth frame is the result of killer genetics, a five-mile run every morning, and a daily dose of yoga. That’s right, weekend duffers, it’s true — the greatest of his generation rolls out the sticky mat and stretches like a pretzel minutes before he attacks the links. “Athletes are coming around to the benefits of yoga,” says Jordan Wyle, owner and head guru at Walnut Creek’s World Yoga. “For the golfer, this means stretching out the spine, lower back, and especially the hips. It means opening up the body and lengthening the muscles to new possibilities.” And if those “new possibilities” can translate into a 325-yard ripper out of the tee box, we’ll all sing a bar of “Hallelujah.”
Thus comes Wyle’s Yoga for Golfers Workshop, Saturday at 1 p.m. The introductory course promotes a slow-burn warm-up ritual that prepares golfers for the hours-long round that usually includes a hundred violent swings and a seven-mile hike, not to mention all the heartache in between. “Golfers traditionally raise the club above their head as if they’re in a stockade, and bounce around a few times,” Wyle laments. “And that’s all, in terms of warming up. This course will give them an idea how to warm the body properly.”
1530 S. Main St., Walnut Creek. Info:
World-Yoga.com or 925-274-9642. — Justin Berton
8/23-8/26
Get a Break
Go surfing for a week
You don’t have to be experienced to learn to surf at GAO’s Adult Surf Camps. But you must know how to swim. The co-ed camps meet from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday, August 23-26, at either Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica (up the coast from the notorious Maverick’s) or Cowell’s Beach in Santa Cruz (close to Steamers). Men and women surfers of all levels, from beginners to been-away-too-long, can take advantage of Girls Adventure Out’s seasoned instructors. Learn to identify different breaks, how to use all types of boards and fins, water safety, and that all-important surfer etiquette. All gear is included in the $330 fee: surfboard, wetsuit, booties, even snacks and drinks. Just bring sunscreen, lip balm, hat, towel, bathing suit, dry clothes, and drinking water. Sign up at
GirlsAdventureOut.com
—Kelly Vance
