Today, the popularity of the women’s game is booming. But the sport is far from new. And 40 years ago, UNC Asheville boasted a championship team and a record-setting player of its own.
A state title for Cherokee Lady Braves basketball team is a win for whole region
The championship game was a larger-than-life community affair. The team represents the only high school on the Qualla Boundary, the home of the federally recognized tribe of the Eastern Band of Cherokee.
Batboy shares his experiences inside the Asheville Tourists dugout
As part of Xpress’ Kids Issue, we speak with 10th grader Houston Mashburn about his role as a batboy for the Asheville Tourists.
Locals look back on the Asheville Smoke’s four-year run
People involved with the team at different levels reflect on the Smoke’s brief but memorable run and whether Asheville might support pro hockey any time soon.
Asheville High School senior heads to Nevada for Onewheel competition
When you spend as much time on a Onewheel as Finn Holcomb does, you crash a lot. “I crashed last night,” says Holcomb, an Asheville High School senior and a nationally ranked competitor in the burgeoning sport of off-road Onewheel racing. “I’ve got a bandage on my left hand, and my right hand’s bleeding. You […]
PBS North Carolina docuseries recounts teens’ coast-to-coast bike trip
Although “Shadow of Wheel” is partly autobiographical, filmmaker Paul Bonesteel sought to make the story larger than his own. He tracked down as many riders as he could and interviewed nearly all of those still living.
Play ball! Asheville Tourists GM Larry Hawkins reflects on 25 years
Larry Hawkins says there is no place in baseball like the Asheville Tourists’ McCormick Field.
Why I volunteer: Show up for the community
Steven Reinhold is a volunteer with Outdoor Gear Builders. The organization works to foster a prosperous outdoor business community by cultivating, connecting and supporting WNC’s outdoor industry.
Why I volunteer: Energy and enthusiasm
Robin Lenner has volunteered with Girls on the Run for 10 years. The organization inspires girls of all abilities to strengthen confidence and other important life skills through physical activity.
Council to hear update on TDA takeover of Sports Commission
A study commissioned for the TDA by the Huddle Up Group, a Phoenix-based sports consulting firm, recommends consolidating the sports commission into the tourism body. The TDA already funds the bulk of the commission’s work, at roughly $230,000 per year. (The city of Asheville and Buncombe County each pitch in about $45,000 annually, while UNC Asheville offers its facilities as in-kind contributions.)
Council approves up to $20M for McCormick Field
Attendees at baseball games may pick up part of the tab for the McCormick Field improvements through a new 50-cent “facility fee” to be added to each ticket.
Asheville Council to consider up to $20M for McCormick Field improvements
McCormick Field has been home to a minor league baseball team for each of the past 64 years. The current Tourists franchise brings in roughly $9.8 million in local spending annually for Buncombe County.
WNC’s summer sports adapt in winter months
Tennis, soccer, baseball and softball players face different challenges in the colder parts of the year.
Area fitness centers emerge from COVID-related downturns
For many local gyms and workout facilities, which saw membership plummet in 2020 and 2021, things took a positive turn in 2022. Most say they are at or near pre-COVID numbers. But virtual offerings, outdoor exercise and smaller exercise classes introduced during the pandemic are likely to stick around.
Health checkup: Offering spiritual guidance to student athletes
Kelsey Davis, director of Blue Ridge Service Corps and Campus Missioner at Western Carolina University and the University of North Carolina – Asheville, discusses her role of providing collegiate athletes spiritual guidance and the challenges athletes face.
From Asheville Watchdog: What are the odds of a casino in Asheville?
North Carolina can support as many as nine Las Vegas-style casinos with gambling throughout the state, including one in the Asheville area, according to a report commissioned by the General Assembly.
Green in brief: Conserving Carolina to expand Bracken Mountain Preserve
On Dec. 30, the nonprofit completed the purchase of 34 acres in Brevard to expand the preserve. The new land will bolster the existing 395-acre park, owned by the city of Brevard, which connects to the Pisgah National Forest.
(HUMOR) How I learned to stop worrying and … tolerate pickleball
Xpress reporter Edwin Arnaudin takes on Asheville Watchdog’s Answer Man John Boyle and friends as he tries to learn just what the pickleball craze is all about.
Green in brief: Asheville protects land at Mills River water plant
Backed by a $400,000 grant from the N.C. Land and Water Fund, the nonprofit Mills River Partnership is restoring roughly 14 acres of riverside near the plant. Maria Wise, the nonprofit’s executive director, says her organization will stabilize the riverbanks and replace invasive plants with native varieties.
Green in brief: WNC Nature Center opens new exhibit
In partnership with the WNC Farmers Market, the Asheville zoo launches its Educational Farmers Market Garden starting Wednesday, Nov. 16. The new exhibit focuses on sustainable relationships between agriculture and nature.
Q&A: Ax thrower discusses the sport and local scene
Xpress recently sat down with Scott Brindle to discuss misconceptions about the sport, the ways in which ax throwing has helped him get through difficult times and advice he has for those interested in tossing a blade.