THE HOME TEAMS RECREATION TEXAS STATE Women’s Tennis & FITNESS Maroon-and-gold play day: Sat., Feb. 7, 10am. Vs. St. Edward’s: WAYA SPRING SPORTS REGISTRA- Thu., Feb. 12, 3pm. Bobcat Tennis TION The West Austin Youth Associ- Complex, San Marcos. Women’s a tion is now registering for: coed Basketball Vs. McNeese State: basketball, coed soccer, developmen- Sat., Feb. 7, 2pm. Strahan Coliseum, tal volleyball, lacrosse, softball, and San Marcos. Men’s Basketball Vs. more. Through Feb. 20. www.waya.org. Texas A&M Corpus Christi: Wed., BLACK-TIE BOXING FUNDRAISER BY MARK FAGAN Feb. 11, 7pm. Strahan Coliseum, San Hosted by the Real Estate Council of sports listings Marcos. www.txstatebobcats.com. Austin and featuring San Antonio’s SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY own S’Kati Katz (4-0) vs. Crystal Baseball Vs. Schreiner (doubleheader Davis (3-2). Table registration online, Saturday): Sat., Feb. 7, 2pm; Sun., black-tie attire. Thu., Feb. 5, 6:30pm. Feb. 8, 1pm. Vs. Howard Payne: Tue., Hilton Austin Hotel, 500 E. Fourth. If Feb. 10, 5pm. Tennis Vs. Texas- you have to ask, it’s too much. playing THE MAIN EVENT www.recaonline.com. SPECIAL OLYMPICS TEXAS Dallas: Fri., Feb. 6, 3pm. w HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS The WINTER GAMES Volunteer to sup- www.southwesternpirates.com. w through legendary Globetrotters are back to port Special Olympics Texas ath- ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY Men’s thrill kids and parents alike with their BY THOMAS HACKETT letes at the 2009 Winter Games in Basketball Vs. St. Mary’s: Sat., Feb. 7, athletic antics. Thu., Feb. 5, 7pm. Frank Austin. Check the schedule on the 4:30pm. Vs. Texas-Permian Basin: Thu., Erwin Center, 477-6060. $15-$115 website, pick a slot/event, and sign Feb. 12, 8pm. Women’s Basketball Vs. (magic circle). www.uterwincenter.com. up. All events are free and open to St. Mary’s: Sat., Feb. 7, 2pm. Vs. Texas- Mind you, I have the public. Fri.-Sun., Feb. 6-8. Various Permian Basin: Thu., Feb. 12, 5:30pm. BEACH VOLLEYBALL LEAGUES in locations in Austin including Highland Baseball Vs. Newman: Fri-Sat., Feb. East Austin, Manor, Elgin, and Bastrop. zero interest in per- Lanes, the Norris Convention Center, 6-7, noon (both doubleheaders). Austin Beach (and its seven lighted forming a lâché, a and Austin Sports Center, 835-9873. www.stedwards.edu/athletics. sand courts) is now pre-registering for Free. [email protected], www.sotx.org. UT HOCKEY The Longhorns hockey spring 2009 coed leagues. Austin Beach Volleyball Club, 20420 Lock wood, O’REILLY LONESTAR SHOOT- team is here to fill your local hockey passé muraille, or a w Manor, 512/484-4444. See website OUT ARENACROSS & EXTREME void now that the Ice Bats are gone for pricing. www.austinbeach.com. saut de chat. Yet I FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIPS Get and the Texas Stars won’t drop the your fill of arena-cross motorcycle puck till late 2009. Vs. Texas A&M: FIRST SATURDAY AT HARVEY PEN- gather that, in my own seden- racing, extreme freestyle, quad rac- Fri., Feb. 6, 8pm. Chaparral Ice, 14200 ICK GOLF COURSE “Try before you tary way, I am what is called ing, and more. Fri.-Sat., Feb. 6-7, N. I-35, 252-8500. $5 ($2, students; kids buy” new and used golf equipment. a traceur – a practitioner of 7:30pm. Travis Co. Expo Center, 7311 under 6 free). www.texasicehockey.com. Also putting and closest-to-the-pin Decker, 948-9922. Adults $19 ($20 contests, and free 30-minute lessons. parkour, i.e., the French art of UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS Softball day of show); kids $5 ($10 day of Vs. Florida State: Fri., Feb. 6, 5pm. Sat., Feb. 7, 8am. Penick Golf Campus, movement. For I do move. I show). Tickets on sale at O’Reilly Auto Vs. Stephen F. Austin: Fri., Feb. 6, 5501 Ed Bluestein Blvd., 926-1100. walk up stairs. I open doors. Parts stores. www.mapmotorsports.com. 7:30pm. Vs. Iowa: Sat., Feb. 7, I work the remote. All this, SPORTSWRITING PANEL Aspiring 1:30pm. Vs. Texas State: Wed., Feb. it turns out, is an art, which sportswriters learn from the pros. 11, 5pm. McCombs Field, 2001 RUNS, WALKS, Brian Davis (UT associate athletic Comal. Men’s Swimming Vs. Texas & RIDES makes me an artist. director), Tom Buckley (UT profes- A&M: Fri., Feb. 6, 6pm. Vs. SMU: Sat., Fortunately, according to sor of rhetoric and writing), Lesley Feb. 7, TBA. Texas Swimming Center, w LIL’ LONGHORN 5K FUN RUN Childhood obesity in Texas is a seri- parkour philosophy, I’ll never SANDYCARSON Suppes (Runners World Magazine), 1900 E. Campus Dr. Women’s Swim- ous problem. The Healthy Families be judged an inferior move- Kirk Bohls (Austin American- ming Vs. SMU: Sat., Feb. 7, 1pm. Statesman), and Alan Trubow Texas Swimming Center. Women’s Initiative at UT Elementary School is ment artist to David Belle, (Statesman) will be featured. Fri., Basketball Vs. Texas Tech: Sun., Feb. hosting this fun run to help educate the founder of the discipline Feb. 6, 6pm. UT campus, Moncrief- 8, 2pm. Vs. Kansas: Wed., Feb. 11, families on how to live a healthier and the star of that 2004 Neuhaus Athletics Center, Louis M. 7pm. Erwin Center, 1701 Red River. lifestyle. Bring the brood out for a Pearce Conference Room (MNC Men’s Basketball Vs. Oklahoma full day of activity, food, and fun. Sat., kickass French action film Feb. 7. Festival Beach Park, Lady Bird District B13. That’s because pure parkour 1.210), 921-3630. Free. State: Tue., Feb. 10, 7pm. Erwin I wasn’t buying it, so I challenged [email protected], www.uwc.utexas.edu. Center. www.texassports.com. Lake, 2101 Bergman, 495-9705. $20, disdains competition, rules, and value Setzler to race his friend. He’d some- $30 per couple, $40 for families. judgments. Its agenda is mystically sim- how get over this looming wall. Hartwell [email protected], www.active. com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1676070. ple: efficient movement for its own sake. would just race around it. SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Of course, in developing their abili- Now, a race is decidedly not in the ties, devoted traceurs and traceuses spirit of parkour, but Setzler obliged The Austin Chronicle is published every Send submissions to the attention of Got a sporting event (female parkour practitioners) look to me – scaling the wall in all of a second, Thursday. Info is due the Monday of the the appropriate writer (see roster below). you’d like to see listed move through more difficult obstacles week prior to the issue date. Deadline for Mail to the Chronicle, PO Box 49066, smoking Hartwell’s ass, and showing me the Feb. 20 issue is Monday, Feb. 9. Austin, 78765; fax, 458-6910; or e-mail: in The Austin Chronicle? than most people do. There’s not a a thing or two. Include name of event, date, time, loca- Mark Fagan (Sports): Submit your sporty happening at building they’re not figuring out how to “It’s all about forward movement, about tion, price, phone number(s), a descrip- [email protected]. scale, a wall they’re not looking to vault. not breaking that rhythm and flow,” he tion, and any available photos or artwork. Questions? Contact Wayne Alan Brenner, austinchronicle.com/commform. “We’re training in techniques that involve said. “You want to be silky smooth, your Include SASE for return of materials. List ings editor: [email protected]. ultimate efficiency, proficiency, and con- body in harmony with your environment.” sistency,” explained Randal Setzler, an As a life metaphor, parkour has Austin traceur. “It’s not about obvious appeal – the whole idea of BY NICK BARBARO soccer watch acrobatics. It’s about going overcoming obstacles, of never stop- Austin Aztex final tryouts are this weekend, Feb. 7-8, at St. Edward’s University: Saturday, 9:30am from point A to point B in Please write ping, of always moving forward with the swiftest, most efficient maximum grace. But I had thought & 1:30pm; Sunday, 9:30am. The public is welcome; come on out to see if you can spot some talent Mr. Hackett at that might make one of the 2009 rosters (United Soccer Leagues-1 pro or Premier Development League way possible.” playingthrough@ that parkour was a devil-may-care, amateur). The Chantico’s Army supporters group will hold an organizational meeting after the Saturday I met up with Setzler austinchronicle.com. spur-of-the-moment swashbuckling practice: 4:30pm at Opal Divine’s Penn Field, 3601 S. Congress. Another group, Lone Star and his friend Chris pursuit. With all their fancy terminol- Delinquents, is getting together at the Flying Saucer, in the Triangle, tonight (Thursday) around Hartwell on the University ogy, training regimens, and touchy 5:30pm. The Aztex have signed four more players for its USL-1 squad: winger Jarius Holmes from the of Texas campus – an excellent park- scruples about competition, I wonder if PDL St. Louis Lions, English midfielder Alex Tapp from third division Milton Keynes Dons, and two our playground. To illustrate his point, Setzler and other traceurs aren’t taking local products, both veterans of last year’s PDL Aztex: striker A.J. Godbolt and (special congrats) Setzler pointed to the bell tower, blocked this rather too seriously. “It’s not just defender Wes Allen, an Anderson High grad and the first player profiled last year in Thomas Hackett’s from view by a 12-foot wall. Let’s say aimless monkeyshine shenanigans,” “Playing Through” (April 4, 2008). somebody is chasing you, Setzler said, Setzler insisted. But it is. Of course it is. and you have to get to the tower for That’s the whole point. The traceur’s lofty The final round of World Cup qualifying starts this week, as the U.S. hosts archrival Mexico, safety. (Teaching and taking classes fantasies of escaping hot pursuit through 6pm on Wednesday, Feb. 11, in Columbus, Ohio (live on ESPN2). Also in the group: Costa Rica, Trinidad at UT, I can attest this happens often.) postapocalyptic settings are just that – and Tobago, El Salvador, and Honduras; the top three qualify for South Africa 2010. “The fastest way to get there is going fantasies. Why pretend otherwise? The L.A. Galaxy and MLS appear to have suffered a one-two punch, as both Landon Donovan and over the wall.” As much as I admire the grace and David Beckham – on off-season loan to European clubs – seem set to make their moves permanent. “Seriously? Why not just run around it?” derring-do of parkour traceurs, I’m think- Donovan is settling in well at Bayern Munich; time will tell. But it’s Beckham, so ordinary in his two “Because going over it is faster, ing the first obstacle they need to get years with the Galaxy, who is a revelation at AC Milan, with two goals and three assists in his first five more efficient.” over is themselves. games, to lead the team into second place in Serie A. Unlikely we’ll see him again in the MLS. a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m FEBRUARY 6, 2009 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E 65