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Sport & Activities
Outdoor pursuits: The vast expanses of wilderness, mountains, forest, canyons and coastlines of the USA lend themselves to a wide range of outdoor pursuits. From trekking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, canoeing down the Mississippi River, fishing on the Great Lakes, sailing in Florida, diving in Hawaii to skiing in the Rocky Mountains, every activity can easily be arranged. The USA’s national parks are administered by the National Park Service (NPS). Hiking trails are generally well kept and well marked. The National Park System includes National Monuments, which are smaller than parks and focus on maybe just one archaeological site or geological phenomenon (such as Devil’s Tower in Wyoming), National Forests and 170 or so lesser known Parks, which are located away from the cities and highways. State Parks and State Monuments are administered by individual States. Most of the USA’s parks and outdoor recreational areas have visitor centres where advice on trails, activities and other practical information (such as weather reports or fishing regulations) can be obtained. Most parks and monuments charge admission fees ranging from US$4-20. A number of passes are available from the NPS: the National Parks Pass (US$50) gives one driver and all accompanying passengers a year’s unlimited access to nearly all national parks and monuments (users should note that this pass does not reduce fees for facilities such as camping, swimming, parking and boat launching). Only the larger parks have hotel-style accommodation, while almost all parks and monuments have facilities for camping. For further details on camping, see the Accommodation section. Fishing permits are compulsory and vary from State to State. Rock climbing and mountaineering are particularly popular in the Sierra Nevada and in the Rocky Mountains. For further information about reservations, permits, regulations and services, visitors should contact the parks in advance or the National Park Service, Office of Public Inquiries, 1849 C Street NW, Room 1013, Washington, DC 20240 (tel: (202) 208 6843; website: www.nps.gov).
Spectator sports: Often called ‘the nation’s pastime’, baseball is an important part of the US psyche. The ‘boys of summer’ play Major League Baseball (website: www.mlb.com) from April to September, culminating in the post-season World Series championships, first contested in 1903. Tickets for regular season games can be relatively cheap, starting at around US$9 per seat. American football tickets during the September to January National Football League (NFL) (website: www.nfl.com) season are not only very expensive, but also extremely hard to come by. Many people opt for the popular college games instead. College basketball is also surprisingly high profile, although not as big a draw as professional games in the National Basketball Association (NBA) (website: www.nba.com), whose season runs from November to April. The popularity of ice hockey has expanded from Canadian and far northern cities to the rest of the USA. Professional teams compete in the National Hockey League (website: www.nhl.com) from October to March.
The most popular tennis competition in the USA is the US Open at Flushing Meadow in New York, held from late August to early September. Individual tickets go on sale during June. For ticket information, write to Customer Service, US Open Ticket Dept, Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, Flushing, NY 11368 (website: www.usopen.org). For general information on tennis, contact the United States Tennis Association (website: www.usta.com). The heart of horseracing in the USA is the ‘bluegrass country’, focused around the State of Kentucky. The most important races of the year, the Bluegrass Stakes and the Kentucky Derby (in May), are run at the Churchill Downs racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky. There are also major tracks in New England. Rodeos, a legacy of the historical development that resulted from the spread of cattle ranching, are frequently held in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and throughout the western States. The USA also hosts the world’s largest motor racing event, the Indianapolis 500, held annually in May.
Wintersports: The USA offers some of the world’s best skiing runs, particularly in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. The Rocky Mountain States (and Colorado in particular) are particularly good for downhill skiing, the best-known resorts including Aspen, Vail, Jackson Hole and Big Sky. In the Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the major ski destination. Cross-country skiing is also well catered for, with backcountry ski lodges scattered around mountainous areas along the coast and in the Rockies. New England, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming are also good destinations for cross-country skiing. Information on cross-country skiing can be obtained from the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (website: www.xcski.org). In the past few years, snowboarding has become increasingly popular, and plenty of ski resorts now offer half pipes and board rental.
Golf: The American passion for golf is exemplified by the extremely high number of courses found throughout the country as well as the massive crowds flocking to the United States Golf Association’s national championships games. In 2002, the 102nd US Open was held on a public course for the first time, at Bethage State Park (Black Course) on Long Island. For further details on courses, fees and competitions, contact the United States Golf Association (USGA), PO Box 708, Far Hills, NJ 07931 (tel: (908) 234 2300; fax: (908) 234 9687; website: www.usga.org).
Watersports: One of the activities that epitomises US sport is surfing and Hawaii, with its legendary winter swells at Oahu (surfing’s spiritual home), Waimea, Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline, remains one of the USA’s (and the world’s) most famous surfing destinations. California also has some good breaks in Malibu, Rincon, Trestles and Mavericks. Diving and snorkelling are particularly good in Hawaii, California, Florida and along the East Coast. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world’s largest recreational diving membership organisation, has its headquarters in California at 30151 Tomas Street, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 (tel: (949) 858 7234; fax: (949) 858 7264; e-mail: webmaster@padi.com; website: www.padi.com). Other popular watersports include sailing, windsurfing, sea kayaking and jetskiing.
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