Born today – Amelia Earhart

Born today in 1987:  Pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart.

Amelia Earhart was a Pretty Tough gal before it was in vogue. The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the United States, Earhart is known for her tremendous achievements as a pilot. She was a pioneer of women’s rights, believing that women could do anything they set their minds to.

Later this year, a movie version of her legendary life is coming out. Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world. will be played by two-time Best Actress Oscar winner Hilary Swank.

The trailer looks great. Can’t wait for the film to come out.

Abby Wambach scores 100th career goal in hometown as U.S. women defeat Canada 1-0

Abby Wambach scored her 100th career goal in her hometown to lead the U.S. Women’s National Team to a 1-0 victory against Canada in front of 8,443 wildly appreciative fans at Marina Auto Stadium.

Wambach, who was a high school All-American at Our Lady of Mercy in Rochester, becomes the ninth woman in soccer history to score 100 career international goals, and the fifth American, joining Mia Hamm (158), Kristine Lilly (129), Michelle Akers (105) and Tiffeny Milbrett (100). Wambach’s 100th goal comes in just her 129th career match, giving her the best goals-to-games ratio in U.S. history.

The milestone comes one year and three days after Wambach broke her left leg in the USA’s final tune up for the 2008 Olympics. It was Wambach’s first international goal since the injury and makes her the second U.S. players to score her 100th goal in Rochester after Hamm became the first in 1998.

Twenty-one-year-old forward Lauren Cheney, who replaced Wambach on the Olympic roster, came into the game in the 63rd minute and 15 minutes later set up the historic goal.

“I think it’s pretty fitting that Lauren Cheney, the girl that replaced me going to the Olympics after my leg breaking, played me an amazing ball,” said Wambach. “I took a great first touch, and just hit it far post. Thankfully, it didn’t go wide. I was peeling out, truckin’ to the sideline because I thought it was going in. I can’t really describe the emotion. I don’t think it’s really set in quite yet. It’s been a long year and to come home to score the 100th goal here in Rochester couldn’t be more of a picture perfect ending.”

The goal came following a Canadian goal kick as substitute Tobin Heath won the header, sending a short pass to Shannon Boxx in the middle of the field. She collected the ball and played forward to Cheney, who controlled and spun towards the goal, slipping a perfect pass behind Canadian defender Candace Chapman. Wambach ran onto the ball in the left side of the penalty area, took a touch and rolled her 15-yard shot past Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc and into the lower right corner just inside the post.

“I’m happy to be here right now, sitting on the bench to see that goal happen,” said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage, who scored 71 international goals herself for Sweden. “Cheney coming off the bench playing that great ball through and you just hear the sound of it and it’s fantastic. This is awesome.”

The U.S. team dominated possession in the match as Canada chose to pull back inside its own half, putting zero pressure on the U.S. backs. The Americans piled up a 21-3 shot advantage and had 10 corner kicks to Canada’s two.

The USA’s best early chance came in the eighth minute as midfielder Angela Hucles rocked the crossbar from 19 yards out, but her shot struck the underside of the bar and bounced away.

Wambach had several half chances to get her 100th before finally scoring, bringing the fans to their feet on each occasion. The first came in the seventh minute as she broke into the penalty area on the right side only to have Chapman block her shot away.

In the 49th minute, Megan Rapinoe bent a cross on the ground from the flank, but LeBlanc beat Wambach to bouncing ball. Amy Rodriguez spun in another low cross from the left wing in the 52nd minute, but Wambach just missed making contact on the slide as he was bundled over by a defender.

In the 61st, Hucles sent a little chip over top of the Canadian defense on a free kick from the left flank. Wambach stretched for the diving header, but just couldn’t get her head on the ball at the top of the six yard box.

In the 63rd, Wambach came the closest to scoring, getting free in the left side of the penalty area before sending a delicate chip to the far post, but the angle was just too steep and the ball flew wide.

Canada’s most dangerous chance may have come in the 68th minute as substitute Chelsea Stewart got behind the U.S. defense via a high ball over the middle as the U.S. back line was pushed over to the left of the field. The speedy Heather Mitts ran her down, blocked her shot and cleared the ball away.

In the 77th minute, Cheney had a chance for a goal of her own as she got behind the Canadian defense on a perfect slip pass from Wambach, but Emily Zurrer ran her down from behind and tackled the ball away.

U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage started Cat Whitehill at right back, giving the veteran defender her first cap since she tore her ACL in June of 2008. Whitehilll played very well in her 45 minutes before giving way to Mitts at halftime.

The 21-year-old Heath came on in the 75th minute for Heather O’Reilly and saw her first action since the quarterfinal match of the 2008 Olympics against Canada. Heath’s first touch of the game was an audacious nutmeg of a Canadian midfielder and a few minutes later she pulled off a double nutmeg down the left flank, hitting the ball to Shannon Boxx whose cross was controlled by Cheney inside the six, but she couldn’t turn to fire on goal. The ball was eventually bundled out by the Canadian defense for the USA’s 10th corner kick of the game.

The U.S. played without team captain Christie Rampone who had emergency abdominal surgery yesterday, but Amy LePeilbet and Rachel Buehler played excellent games in the central defense, helping limit Canada to just one shot on goal. U.S. goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart picked up the shutout, but was forced to make just one save.

The U.S. team now travels to Charleston, S.C., to face Canada again, this one at Blackbaud Stadium on Wednesday, July 22 at 8 p.m. ET. The match will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol.

15 year-old is youngest African American girl to fly cross-country

Fifteen year-old Kimberly Anyadike of Los Angeles flew across the country in 13 days (making about a dozen stops) with 87 year-old Tuskegee Airman Levi Thornhill.

Anyadike learned to fly a plane and helicopter when she was 12 with the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which offers aviation lessons to at-risk youth and economically disadvantaged students through an after-school program.

“I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,” Amuadole said. She also wanted to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S. Army Air Corps’ all-black combat unit that served during World War II.

“They left such a great legacy. I had big shoes to fill,” she said. “All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were stupid, that they didn’t have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just did what they wanted to do.”

A pretty awesome accomplishment and our pick for Pretty Tough girl of the week.

E-Bikes: Green with a boost

Bike-to-Work Day just passed, and it’s possible you never actually got on your bike. No doubt you wanted to. You probably thought about it but maybe you were worried about traffic or you live in a city with hills. Or maybe you just wanted to be able to arrive at work or school without looking like a sweaty mess.

We get it. Maybe a regular bike isn’t for you. But… how about an electric bike? E-bikes, electric bicycles, or plain old mopeds, electric-powered two-wheelers seem to be the next big thing.

Electric bikes are regular bicycles but with a motor attached for when you need an extra boost. They’ve been popular in Europe forever. Now they’re slowly making in-roads in car-happy America. They’re a great way to go green. You get the versatility of knowing you can pump on your own when it makes sense to do so and turn on the power when you need a little something extra.

E-bikes are growing in popularity as many amateur cyclists attempt to venture ever further on their two-wheelers.Bicycle Retailer notes, “Best Buy will be piloting electric-powered personal transportation products at some of our stores on the West Coast later this spring,” said Paula Baldwin, senior manager for Best Buy public relations. Currie Technologies will be stocking Best Buy with six different Izip models, ranging in price from $499-$2,000. The Southern California-based company will also provide Best Buy with two electric scooters at $299 and $599, according to Currie president Larry Pizzi. “There could be a larger rollout as we approach this holiday season,” Pizzi said.

They may not be cheap,  but with the current state of the economy, it’s surprising there isn’t more excitement surrounding the new crop of E-Bikes on the market. The A2B, for example, costs 16 cents per mile according to Ultra Motor, versus nearly a dollar per mile for a typical car. The power lasts for up to 20 miles at a cruising speed of 20 mph, and it’ll drive up hills without you breaking a sweat.

Here are a couple other popular models to consider:

Ecobike Elegance
The 61-pound Elegance gets a range of 25 miles in pedal-assist mode. An on-off switch turns on the motor when you need a little extra help. For more juice, crank on the throttle. The bike goes up to 20 mph and, like the HG1000 has a removable battery. $1680.

Twist Freedom DX
Wired calls this 63-pounder from Giant the “most modern, integrated and attractive pedal-assist electric bike on the market.” Unlike many others, though, it has no throttle. To get power, you have to pedal. The motor has three settings — Economy, Normal, and Sport — so you can adjust how much help you want. Unlike many electric bikes which stash the battery in the middle of the bike where a water bottle might usually go, the Twist Freedom puts its batteries in rear-mounted saddle-bags. $2,250.

Electric bicycles and scooters can ease congestion,  are pleasant to ride,  plus they are classified as zero-emission vehicles. Good for the environment and great if you tend to be lazy (or don’t want to work on fitness 24/7).  Might be time to check these babies out.

(h/t to goodcleantech.com)

On the Right Track: Bike to Work Day

It’s not a revolution, not yet anyway, but clearly more people are commuting by bicycle. Friday is national Bike-to-Work Day, drawing even more attention to the trend.

There are more bicycles on the road than there were a year ago, more than even a couple of months ago. Soaring gasoline prices have convinced some people that it is time to minimize the number of miles driving a car and maximize travel on foot or on a bicycle.

Before you hop on the seat, review the rules and hazards of the road for cyclists.

Some Mistakes Bikers Make:
• Riding against the flow of traffic
• Failing to use signals when changing lanes or turning
• Riding too close to parked cars (stay at least 3 feet away)
• Not wearing a helmet
• Failing to obey stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings.

Some Mistakes Motorists Make:
• Following bicyclists too closely.
• Failing to reduce speed when encountering cyclists
• Tooting the horn when approaching cyclists
• Passing too close to cyclists
• Failing to look for cyclists when opening a car door.

Advice For Cyclists from the Experts:
• Ride in a straight line; don’t swerve in the road or between parked cars.
• Wear brightly colored clothing. Be visible.
• The average /bike/ commuter travels at 10 mph; the more you ride, the faster you get. • Try out your bike-to-work route on a weekend, when traffic is light, to pin down the best route and get a feel for what the commute will be like.
• Worried about being sweaty when you arrive at work? Ride at an easy pace to stay cool and dry.
• Ride home at a faster pace if you want a workout.
• Panniers, which look like saddlebags, are a good choice for carrying things to and from work.

More commuter tips

USSA picks Athletes of the Year – Good news if your name is Lindsey

With the 2009  season coming to a close, a number of athletes will be honored for their excellence as recipients of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s Athlete of the Year Awards at the annual awards presentation Friday in Park City.

Drumroll, please.

A trio of Lindseys top the podium this year. World Championship gold medalist skier Lindsey Vonn and ski-jumper Lindsey Van will be joined by World Cup snowboardcross champion Lindsey Jacobellis in receiving awards for their athletic success for the 2009 season.

Vonn Does It Again
Lindsey Vonn, who rewrote U.S. women’s alpine skiing history in 2009, is being honored for the second year in a row with the 2009 Alpine Athlete of the Year Award.

Vonn exceeded all expectations this year when she not only repeated her wins of the World Cup overall and downhill titles, but also took the title in super G and swept the speed events as she won the gold in downhill and super G at World Championships.

In late February, Vonn raised the bar further for U.S. women when she broke Tamara McKinney’s record of 18 World Cup wins, which was established in the 1980s. Vonn finished the season with a total of 22 career World Cup wins.

A nine-year member of the women’s U.S. Ski Team, Vonn is a native of Minnesota who got her start at tiny Buck Hill outside of Minneapolis. From Buck Hill to the U.S. Ski Team, Vonn has made it to the World Cup podium a staggering 47 times.

Van Makes History, Named Jumping Athlete of the Year
Lindsey Van, who put her name in the history books of women’s ski jumping in the 2009 season, was named the Ski Jumping Athlete of the Year.

Van, who has amassed 38 Continental Cup podiums during her athletic career, made history in the international women’s ski jumping world as she won gold during the first World Championship ski jumping event in which women competed.

In addition, the 24-year-old jumper won the 13th U.S. title of her ski jumping career. She is currently part of a lawsuit challenging the Olympic organizing committee to include women’s ski-jumping in the next Winter Games.

Jacobellis Dominates Snowboarding Again
Following her 2008 win of the award, Lindsey Jacobellis was once again named the USSA Snowboarding Athlete of the Year. Jacobellis had her best season to date as she won the World Cup snowboardcross title for the second time in her career World Cup snowboardcross title with five wins across a six-month schedule.

Jacobellis also repeated her X Games SBX gold, bringing her grand total to five wins throughout her career. Jacobellis then marked another U.S. title before finishing out the season with enough success on the World Cup to make her the most winningest athlete, male or female, in snowboardcross World Cup history.

Other award winners include Tod Lodwick as Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year and cross country trailblazer Kikkan Randall, who has been named USSA’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

In addition, Jeff Archibald was named 2009 Snowboarding International Coach of the Year. Archibald has been a key leader for the success of the men’s and women’s snowboarscross team this season, Athletes who worked with Archibald, including Jacobellis, excelled as no other snowboardcross team has in U.S. history. Three athletes Archibald coached finished the season at the top of SBX World Cup standings.

The 2009 Snowboarding Club of the Year was Stratton Mountain School which opened its doors in 1972 and has since produced over 29 Olympians and many national team athletes. SMS is renowned for the success of athletes that leave its snowboarding program, including World Cup SBX champion Lindsey Jacobellis, Ellery Hollingsworth and Louie Vito.

The USSA awards winners will receive their honors the evening of May 15 at USSA Congress 2008 in Park City with the top athlete being selected for the organizaton’s highest athlete honor, the Beck Award. Congrats to all.

Stuttgart: Girls, Set, Match

This year’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was a special edition – it was the world’s first indoor tournament on clay – and spectators were served world class tennis.

There were many tight and excellent matches. For example, there was the game between Sabine Lisicki and Jelena Jankovic: a three set match with fantastic rallies. Or there were Flavia Pennetta’s matches against Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina.

In the end, Russians Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova – the number one seed against the number nine – contested the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.  Safina actually had more break points than her compatriot, five to four, but the world’s No. 1 player couldn’t covert on any of her chances and in an upset, Kuznetsova took the Stuttgart Crown.

In addition to the great on-court action, it looks like the players had a lot of fun off-court too. Title sponsor Porsche arranged for a number of Player Parties and photo shoots including this one featuring Nadia Petrova. What’s more difficult? Playing elite level tennis or wearing a pair of high heels?

Wheel Action: May is National Bike Month

Despite what recent chilly temperatures (at least in LA) may be telling us, spring really is on its way! Today is the start of  National Bike Month so we thought we’d bring you some new bikes and cycling accessories to get you and your family ready for two-wheel transportation:

Puma Glow Rider: Part of Puma’s Urban Mobility line, the Glow Rider (aka Stealth Visibility Bike) is pretty much the coolest city bike there is. In addition to coming equipped with urban-minded features, such as twin disk brakes (for all those red lights, crazy drivers, and zoned out pedestrians), a wire lock system (part of the frame, so a broken lock means a broken bike), and a semi-folding mechanism (for rainy day subway rides and 5th floor walk-ups), the bike frame also glows in the dark-making it easy for drivers and pedestrians to spot you, and ogle you, as you pedal by.

More cool bike accessories and Pretty Tough picks.

National Bike Month Notes:

• May 11 – 15 is officially “Bike to Work Week” and Friday, the 15th is “Bike to Work Day.”
• Sadly, there is also an official “Ride of Silence” to honor fallen cyclists–which is also a nationwide observance on May 20.
• The League of American Bicyclists is promoting awareness by offering “50 ways to celebrate bike month.”

With all the attention on healthy lifestyles and the importance of exercise–bike month might be just what we all need to get in shape and save gas money at the same time.  Ride on.

adidas Track Classic and Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix looking for LA’s fastest 5-year-old

Winner will be Crowned “L.A.’s Fastest Five-Year Old” during Premier Track and Field Event at The Home Depot Center

Carson, CA (April 28, 2009) – The adidas Track Classic, one of the premier track and field meets in the country, and Olympic gold medalist and Southern California native Allyson Felix today announced a Southland search for “L.A.’s Fastest Five-Year Old.”

Kids five years and younger can sign up at www.adidastrackclassic.com. Space is limited so parents are encouraged to register early.

Registered participants will compete in preliminary heats Wednesday, May 13 at 2 p.m. PDT. Finalists will vie for the crown during the adidas Track Classic May 16 at The Home Depot Center with only one boy or girl earning the distinction as “L.A.’s Fastest 5-year old.”

Felix, who attended Los Angeles Baptist High School and is a University of Southern California graduate is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and the reigning world champion over 200m. She also won her first Olympic gold medal last year in Beijing as a member of the United States’ women’s 4×400m relay team.

Featuring some of the best athletes from across the globe, the adidas Track Classic has showcased track and field superstars from more than two-dozen nations including World Champions Tyson Gay, Jeremy Wariner, Allyson Felix and Meseret Defar.

Among the biggest changes to this year’s event will be a move to an evening program that will allow for world class times in the middle and long distance races, while still taking advantage of Southern California’s warmth and the Home Depot Center’s fast track for the sprints. The meet will begin at 4 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. PDT.

Produced by Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., the adidas Track Classic is the third stop on USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series. Tickets, from $40 (finish line) down to $10, are now available by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232 or visiting www.Ticketmaster.com. For group sales, call 1-877-AEG-TICKETS. Visit the event website at www.adidasTrackClassic.com for updates and more information.

UConn women’s basketball champions visit White House

The benefits of being the best. Win a national championship and you, too, could go to the White House.

A championship ceremony at the White House is standard for many national sports teams. But shooting hoops with the president, now that’s something else entirely.

Moments after today’s event in front of the White House’s South Portico, President Barack Obama hustled the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team over to the outdoor half-court.

The president, a former high school player and avid fan who still plays pickup games, prevailed in a brief, impromptu game of P-I-G with a few of the players.

“He was pretty good from 17 feet,” said coach Geno Auriemma. “His shot’s a little unorthodox, but it goes in … He’s got a little bit of that swagger.”

Renee Montgomery, a senior guard, said Obama only missed one shot and that he sank a final fade-away shot from off the court.

After about 10 minutes, Obama walked back to the White House with his sleeves rolled up and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder.

Connecticut dominated women’s college basketball this season, going 39-0 and beating opponents by an average of better than 30 points. They capped the season earlier this month in St. Louis with a 76-54 victory over Louisville. It was Connecticut’s sixth national college championship and third perfect season.

The team gave Obama a basketball signed by the players and a Connecticut jersey emblazoned with “1″ and his name on the back.

“Number One — that’s what I’m talking about,” Obama joked. “I will wear it when I’m playing.”

The Commander in Chief also commended the young women for their off court excellence as well.  Maya Moore was chosen an academic All-American — an outgrowth of perhaps the program’s most impressive statistic, the NCAA recognized the top academic performance of the team which has enjoyed a 100% graduation rate in Auriemma’s 24 seasons.

Obama said that as the father of two young daughters, he especially appreciates the success of female athletes like the Connecticut team.

“My girls look at the TV when I’m watching ‘SportsCenter’ and they see women staring back,” Obama said of the ESPN program, a personal favorite. “That shows them that they can be champions, too.”

Gobama!

Coach Auriemma has a good chance of returning to the White House, along with some of the players from his teams. He has been named coach of Team USA and will be coaching the U.S. team in the 2012 Olympics.

So what about UConn?  Will the women’s team be back in Washington next year? Well, there’s a very good chance. The team lost just one key player, Renee Montgomery, and they have a top recruit coming in so beating them next year will be pretty tough!

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