News stories tagged with "sport"

(06/03/11) Our Adirondack reporter Brian Mann is a huge fan of sword fighting films, everything from The Seven Samurai to the Three Musketeers to the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

But fencing isn't all about Hollywood. It's also a venerated sport, with clubs and college teams scattered across the North Country and Vermont.

Last weekend, fencers gathered at for the fifteenth annual epee (eh-PAY) tournament at Fort Ticonderoga. Brian went to check out the real thing and sends this postcard. more

(03/14/11) A coalition of leaders from the North Country's snowmobile tourism industry is complaining that law enforcement officials are harassing sledders.

They say sticker inspections and multiple trail stops are discouraging visitors from visiting the area.

But as Brian Mann reports, these concerns come as law enforcement agencies are grappling with a growing number of snowmobile injuries and deaths. more

(03/03/11) This year one of the biggest names in college basketball is from the North Country.

"BYU is led by that guy, Jimmer Fredette," ESPN declared earlier this year. "The senior from Glens Falls is making it rain!"

Jimmer Fredette is a guard for third-ranked Brigham Young University and he's been wrecking defenses, averaging more than 30 points a game.

Fredette has become a hometown hero in Glens Falls. But tangled up in Jimmer's break-out year is the story of his brother TJ.

TJ Fredette is a rapper whose music tells the story of the Fredette family's life, on and off the basketball court. Brian Mann has our profile. more

(01/18/11) It's been a spotty winter for backcountry skiing in much of the North Country. But the last week or so has been picture perfect, with good snow and blue sunny skies. Brian Mann headed out over the weekend and sent back this morning's audio postcard.

(05/07/10) The spring turkey hunt is underway across the North Country. For many outdoorsmen, it's one of the most challenging and satisfying hunts of the year. The weather is generally good, there are few bugs, and the Adirondack Mountains in May are stunningly beautiful. Brian Mann headed out this week with two veteran sportsmen from Moriah, in the Champlain Valley. He sent this audio postcard.

(02/17/10) It was a tough day yesterday for North Country biathlon skiers competing in Vancouver. Lake Placid's Lowell Bailey finished 36th in the 12.5 kilometer "pursuit" competition. Tim Burke from Paul Smiths finished in 47th place. Both men will have at least two more chances to reach the podium in the sport, which combines rifle shooting with endurance cross-country skiing.

Tomorrow during The Eight O'Clock Hour, we'll have a special Winter Olympics edition of StoryCorps. Bailey and Burke will talk with Kris Seymour, one of their early coaches, about what it was like to grow up competing in the Adirondacks.

(02/12/10) Sixteen year-old Peter Frenette of Saranac Lake had to jump well in the qualifying round at the Vancouver Games Friday. Photographer Nancie Battaglia was there as Frenette, the youngest competitor at the Games, made his successful jump.

(02/03/10) Four years ago, the US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, then based in Lake Placid, fell into turmoil just before the Winter Olympics in Turin. The team dismissed head-coach Tim Nardiello following allegations of sexual harassment. Top athletes were knocked out of competition by freak accidents and a controversy involving performance-enhancing drugs. Team leaders say they've rebuilt the organization and developed a powerful new stable of athletes - including Lake Placid's John Napier - who could return to the podium in Vancouver. But as Brian Mann reports, the Americans will have to compete without one of its best bobsledders.

(02/02/10) This week we're previewing the Winter Games in Vancouver, where more than a dozen North Country athletes will compete.

The Olympics have evolved into a mammoth industry. The spectacle in Vancouver is likely to cost more than $1.5 billion, as athletes from more than 80 countries gather to compete. But there was a time when the Olympics were much simpler. On this thirtieth anniversary of the Lake Placid Winter Games, the small-town version of the Winter Olympics still hold an important place in sports mythology. NPR's host of All Things Considered, Melissa Block, has our story.

(01/26/10) The skis and snowboards are back on the rack for a few days, while we suffer through a January thaw. But it's been a pretty great season in the North Country so far, with good snow conditions on the slopes. While there's no shortage of eager skiers and snow-boarders this winter, a debate continues about the safety gear they wear. Helmets used to be rare, used mostly by downhill racers. But head protection is growing more popular. And some advocates say helmets should be mandatory at least for children. Brian Mann has our story.