hawkeye Sports and Entertainment

Endurance and Entertainment Collide

Some of our passions are fairly transparent here at hse. Luckily two of these passions are our core business and reside right there in our name; sports and entertainment. Monday saw Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals roll through Dallas for a show at the Majestic Theater. One of these so-called Innocent Criminals is guitarist Michael Ward. When you hear him play, it's blatantly clear that he's passionate about his music. This is where entertainment and endurance meet. Michael is unique in that he doesn't leave his bike behind when it comes time to hit the road on tour. A dedicated cyclist, he explores each of the many cities he visits by getting out on his bike and putting in the miles.

My phone rang around 11:00 am. Michael tempted me to head out for a quick ride, it just wasn't gonna happen with the current workload. I gave him some rough directions to get up to White Rock Lake safely. Understand that between the Majestic and the lake there are a few stretches that many wouldn't want to ride a $5,000 bike through while wearing a colorful lycra outfit.

Undeterred, Michael set off.

The day went just as most Mondays do. Then...

5:00 pm -- Ring...Ring. It's Michael verifying the number of tickets needed for the show. Jokingly I ask if he made it back from his ride unharmed.

"Ha...I'm actually just leaving the ER right now."

Here goes. Bracing myself, I'm expecting to hear that infamy is before me for aiding in the untimely ending of Ben Harper's tour.

"No man. I was at the Lake, riding no-hands for just a second. I reached into my jersey pocket to find the map. Next thing I know, I'm going over the bars."

The diagnosis: Road rash and a softball-sized knot smack dab on the front of his head. After the requisite x-rays, CAT scans and who knows what, he took the stage, though for the first time on this tour with a hat.

The show...Unbelievably Powerful are the only words I have to describe what we witnessed. If it's a measure of anything at all, the contents of the office's Recently Played Playlists are top to bottom, Ben Harper.

Where does such power come from? Perhaps it's the collision of endurance and entertainment...I'd like to think so.

-Simon Essl

The North Face Speaker Series

At 10:54 a.m. on October 18, two-time World Champion Freeskier Kit DesLauriers reached the summit of Mount Everest. Moments later, she stepped into her skis and pushed off, becoming the first person to ski from the Seven Summits, the highest point on each of the seven continents. Kit’s account of her global quest is a tale of seven pinnacles and many ups and downs in between. “Dare to fail,” beckons Kit, “and don’t let your dreams be dreams.”

As one of our represented athletes, Kit DesLauriers will be in Boulder, CO. Wednesday, May 16, 2007.

Click here for more information about the event.

Sports-themed Movies in Production

Gracie, Picturehouse, June 1
A teenager faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer

HotRod, Paramount, June 1
An accident-prone daredevil plans to jump the Snake River on a moped in order to win over his stepfather.

The Comebacks, 20th Century Fox, August 24
A college football coach with the worst record in the history of the sport vows to turn things around with his new team of ragtag recruits. Featuring WWE’s Stacy Keibler, Dennis Rodman and John Salley.

Leatherheads, Universal, 2008
A romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s football. Directed by George Clooney.

Semi-Pro, New Line Cinema, 2008
Will Ferrell plays the owner-coach-player of the American Basketball Association’s Flint (Mich.) Tropics and rallies his teammates to make their NBA dreams come true. Also starring Will Arnett and Woody Harrelson.

The North Face Speaker Series

The North Face Speaker Series was held at the Angelika Film Center on April 26.  Featured athelete, Dean Karnazes, presented his insightful perspective of The North Face Endurance 50.   See more pictures from the event here. 

Vote For Dean

A staunch advocate for healthy and active living, Karnazes last year completed 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, ending with the New York City marathon, which he completed in three hours thirty seconds. His book, Ultramarathon Man, was the #7 bestselling sports book worldwide in 2005. Dean Karnazes is currently featured as a candidate for TIME magazine Top 100.  Head on over and rate Dean’s influence here.