World City Guide

Sport

There are many San Diegans who will maintain that the major reason forone to live in Southern California is the accessibility to outdoor recreation. Just about every warm weather sport can be found here, from sailing to soccer, golf to rollerblading. In fact, San Diego’s well-paved beach walks and scenic parkways offer an irresistible opportunity for many cyclists and roller skaters.

San Diego’s name is well known in American football and the San Diego Chargers (tel: (858) 874 4500; website: www.chargers.com) play at the Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road (tel: (619) 641 3131). Nevertheless, the Chargers are not the best team in the NFL, trailing at the bottom end of the AFC West standings in both 2000 and 2001.

Depending on the seating and vendor, Chargers tickets can cost between US$30 and US$2,000. Other city teams are the baseball team, San Diego Padres (website: www.padres.com), the ice hockey team, San Diego Gulls (website: www.sandiegoarena.com/gulls/gulls.htm), and the women’s soccer team, San Diego Spirit (website: www.sandiegospirit.com).

Tickets for all major sporting events are available for purchase from Ticketmaster (tel: (619) 220 8497; website: www.ticketmaster.com).

Boating: San Diego is considered one of the best places for day sailing on America’s west coast, because of mild spring and summer winds and good currents. The proximity to Mexican destinations lures sailors southwards but visitors should refrain from this temptation until they have gained some familiarity with the area, currents and weather changes. Autumn and winter winds and rains can rise suddenly and have even been known to catch local boaters off guard. Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Shelter Island and Coronado Island are four of the better locations to find quality boat rentals. Seaforth Boat Rental, 1641 Quivera Road (tel: (619) 223 1681; website: www.seaforthboatrental.com), has over 150 boats for hire, from sailing vessels to speedboats.

Fitness centres: Frogs Club One (website: www.frogsclubone.com), known affectionately as ‘Frogs’, has centres at Mission Valley, 901 Hotel Circle South (tel: (619) 291 3500) and La Jolla, 7825 Fay Avenue, Suite 160 (tel: (858) 456 2595). This is a full-service fitness centre that is designed to pamper. Facilities include the standard workout amenities, including free weights and fixed gym equipment, as well as a beauty salon, massage service, a boutique and café. Best of all for visitors to San Diego, Frogs in Mission Valley is available either for free or for a nominal fee (generally US$10 per day) to many hotel guests in the Hotel Circle area. The facilities are open Monday-Thursday 0500-2230, Friday 0500-21000 and Saturday 0700-2000.

San Diego Fitness and Racquet Centre, 3666 Midway Drive (tel: (619) 223 5581; website: www.sandiegofitness.com), boasts a complete exercise facility, with carido programme, circuit training, a spa and massage service. Like Frogs, the centre also has special arrangements with local hotels and is either free of charge or available for US$10 per day to hotel guests. Opening hours are weekdays 0600-2000 and weekends 0800-1800.

Curves for Women has centres in the Hillcrest area, 1220 Cleveland Avenue (tel: (619) 295 1251) and Point Loma area, 3960 West Point Loma Boulevard (tel: (619) 222 8555), and is a fitness centre specially designed from women on the go. It advertises ‘30-minute fitness and weight loss centres’ using its ‘Quick Fit’ exercise programme of 30-second rotational exercise patterns. Curves for Women does not have a daily rate and enrolment fees are generally US$59 to sign up and a further US$29 per month. Once a member, gyms are available free of charge, countrywide. Opening hours are different for each centre – normally open weekdays 0700-1330 and 1630-1930).

Golf: Mission Bay Golf Resort, 2702 North Mission Bay Drive (tel: (858) 490 3370; fax: (858) 490 3377), which is less than a half an hour from Downtown, has an 18-hole, night-lit course with a driving range, bar and restaurant facilities. Golf lessons are also available. Green fees vary according to the number of holes played and time of the week, ranging from US$18 to US$22. Mt Woodson Golf Club, 16422 North Woodson Drive, Ramona (tel: (760) 788 3555; website: www.mtwoodson.com), with breathtaking mountain vistas, has been billed by Golf Digest as a must-play and is located about half an hour north of Downtown, via I-5 and I-8. Green fees range from US$30 on weekdays to US$56 on weekends. Riverwalk Golf Club, 1150 Fashion Valley Road (tel: (619) 296 4653; website: www.americangolf.com), on the edge of Hotel Circle and just minutes from Downtown, is a 27-hole championship course that hosts tournaments. Fees for this course run from US$80 on weekdays to US$100 on weekends and holidays. Vineyard Golf Course, 925 San Pasqual Road, Escondido (tel: (760) 735 9545), is an 18-hole golf course amid California’s wine country. Green fees are US$55 on weekdays and upwards of US$65 on weekends and holidays. All the above golf clubs and courses are open to the public.

Scuba diving: There are a number of diving shops and charters that cater to the diving aficionado, with daily or weekly diving trips to Mexico and surrounding diving spots. Dive Connections, 1500 Quivera Way (tel: (619) 523 9282 or (800) 420 3047; website: www.gottadive.com), offers diving and snorkel trips, equipment hire, private and daily group excursions. Blue Escape Dive & Charter, Inc, 1617 Quivera Road (tel: (619) 223 3483 or (888) 500 3483; website: www.blueescape.com), provides diving tours, lessons and hire of scuba, snorkelling and kayak equipment.

Surfing: San Diego may not have the biggest waves in the Western Hemisphere but its reputation as a surfing Mecca certainly precedes itself. Images of bronze surfers and bikini-clad sunbathers are a well-earned part of the Westcoast image. Locations such as Pacific Beach, Imperial Beach and Coronado Island are favourite locations for testing out the waves – as well as for taking in the rays. Some beach areas are posted with warning signs, because of undercurrents, and newcomers would be wise to respect the advisories. Not all beaches have lifeguards and drownings do occur in posted areas. To learn more about the current, weather and best places to surf, visitors should consult the online Surfline (website: www.surfline.com) and click on ‘SoCal’ for Southern California’s conditions.

Novice surfers can also find classes at local surf shops, such the San Diego Surfing Academy (tel: (800) 447 7873; website: www.surfsdsa.com). The company also hires out equipment and organises charter trips to Mexico.

Tennis: Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morely Field Drive (tel: (619) 295 4242; e-mail: tennis@balboatennis.com; website: www.balboatennis.com), a 25-court facility, is located at Balboa Park. Day passes are available for non-members.