If you want to enjoy the unparalleled thrills of winter sports, but lack the balance and coordination necessary for snowboarding and skiing, get acquain
| Muskegon Winter Sports Complex 462 Scenic Dr., North Muskegon msports.org, (877) 879-5843 |
Luge involves zipping down a hill with a thin fiberglass platform and two steel blades between your back and an unforgiving ice trough. If that sounds dangerous, that's because it is, especially when its maximum speed (world record, 96 mph) can outpace freeway traffic.
Adopted as an Olympic sport in 1964, luge has attracted spectators through the drama created by a lightly padded athlete laying on an uncovered sled traveling at breakneck speeds.
Fortunately, luge enthusiasts in West Michigan can get their fix before the 2014 winter games.
| "Learn to Luge" Schedule
Friday: 6:30 - 9 p.m. Saturday: Sunday |
The Muskegon Winter Sports Complex, located inside Muskegon State Park, has been operating its 650-foot luge track since 1985, and with an average rider speed of 30 mph, it is considered to be one of the most publicly accessible courses in the country.
"The luge is awesome," said MWSC Lodge Manager Pam King. "It's a thrill that you can't even imagine. It gets less frightening each time because you feel more comfortable on the sled, and you relax more."
The MWSC's "Learn to Luge" clinics last two-and-a-half hours and cost $40. During the first 15 minutes of each clinic, instructors fit the lugers for pads and teach them how to steer the sleds. The rest of the clinic is spent sliding down the track and working on technique.
"Luge is one of those sports where it's going to take us about 15 minutes to teach you the basics of the sport, but then it takes you a lifetime to perfect the sport of luge," King said.
"Learn to Luge" clinics are offered once on Fridays, four times on Saturdays and three times on Sundays. To enroll in the clinic, a luger needs to show proof of health insurance.
The MWCS is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Saturday, weather permitting. Check out its website, msports.org, for current weather conditions and more information on the luge and other activities offered, including ice hockey, cross country skiing and a quarter-mile ice skating trail.
Coopersville's Outhouse 500: Skid Marks Guaranteed
Written by Tyler DeJong
When cabin fever brain-rot reaches critical mass in West Michigan, Coopersville residents find release in a special event reserved for the completely demented. Now in its eighth year, Outhouse 500 flushes away the winter funk with its tongue-in-cheek festival.
The event culminates in a bizarre exhibition of latrine locomotion - teams of eager poo-pushers from all squats of life face off in a series of drag races, running their handmade crapper-cabins-on-wheels down a stretch of Coopersville's Main Street to the finish line.
Each Outhouse 500 chamber cart is uniquely designed, balancing functional engineering, decorative flair and loads potty puns.
Outhouse 500 began with a search to shake the dead of winter and bring awareness to downtown Coopersville with a unique, innovative event that reflected the identity of the Coopersville community said LeeAnn Creager, Coopersville Farm Museum director.
| Outhouse 500 Downtown Coopersville Feb. 25, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free coopersville.com/events.htm |
"Outhouses are part of our rural history. Every farm had an outhouse, so the outhouse is truly is a rural icon. We wanted an event to be a wacky, fun, silly thing to do," Creager said.
Phil Cok, Coopersville Chamber of Commerce president suggests Coopersville's neighbor may have also impacted the decision to go with a bawdy poo-party like Outhouse 500. Ottawa County Farms Landfill and its hanging, tangy refuse stench lurk just beyond the horizon of I-96.
Prior to the race, contestants gas up on highly combustible energy at Fuel of the Outhouse 500, a homemade chili cook-off at the Coopersville Farm Museum. Other foul activities to fill out the day include a toilet seat decorating contest, 5K run, diaper drive, an outhouse grand floral parade and live music.
Cok recalls some of the best entries of previous years as a Harry Potter-themed Hogfarts Harry Potty, The Yooper Pooper Group and a holy crapper-chapel escorted by local church members dressed as nuns.
Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro is a baking superstar. Wunderkind gone celebrity icon, Valastro has an old world education in artisanal dessert making and is at the helm of a very modern cake empire. Hit television shows, cookbooks and a live stage show bring Valastro to you in just about every format. This month, you can catch him at the Miller Auditorium, serving up stories and baking secrets.
A darling of the food entertainment world, Valastro creates feats of sugar artistry, such as giant baseball cap-shaped cakes.
"It's truly a dream come true," Valastro said. "I never imagined that I could share my passion for baking and cooking with the world in this way. I'm so blessed to have so many opportunities to inspire the world to be passionate about creative desserts."
Valastro hails from a long line of master bakers and honed his now-famous technique while growing up around Carlo's City Hall Bake Shop. Never attending culinary school, Valastro's childhood was spent immersed in the craft which imbued him with top notch talent. Much of the allure of the Carlo's brand cakes lies in the realism captured in sugar and flour, which means his team of bakers must be highly skilled as well.
"Most of the decorators have had some sort of formal art or decorating training, but everything I have learned has been by trial and error," he said. "It's almost like a second nature to know how to design a cake."
| An Evening with Buddy Valastro: The Cake Boss The Bakin' with the Boss Tour Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m. $28.75-$48.75 millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2300 |
Valastro's passion has led him beyond the kitchen — sort of — and onto the stage, which sprang from a motivational speech given at a college.
"I had a lot of people come up to me afterward about how much they enjoyed my message. I ... decided to incorporate that element into an interactive show where I could bring people up on stage and teach them methods that my father taught me," Valastro said.
Thus, The Bakin' with the Boss Tour was born. The show is filled with anecdotes, instructions on baking techniques and even hands on contests.
"With a few simple tools, anyone can use some creativity to make a beautiful cake," said Valastro. "I tried to recreate my work bench ... A lot of my cake decorating is done on a simple wooden table, so that's what we do on stage."
Keeping the show fresh, the contests and challenges often vary from city to city.
"We have a lot of audience participation, so you see some crazy stuff," Valastro said. "I have one segment where we teach the husbands and boyfriends how to make a rose out of modeling chocolate, and then I have them present it to their lady. It's funny to see some of the smooth moves guys across America have."
In addition to the event at Miller Auditorium, a book signing will be held at a local bookstore (location to be announced) where you can pick up Valastro's popular book, Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia along with the new title, Baking with the Cake Boss, which will be released Nov. 1.
Other Eclectic Events
Inside Jokes: The Tradition of Satire in Art
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Through Jan. 15
artmuseumgr.org (616) 831-1000
In tandem with the Warrington Colescott: Cabaret, Comedy & Satire printmaking exhibit, the GRAM presents another exhibit based on its permanent collection that focuses on visual and historical satire. Take in caricatures by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, experience the moral critiques of William Hogarth and others through the graphic arts of printmaking. In a time of worldwide dissidence, enjoy a romp through dissenters of yore.
Native American Culture Day
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Nov. 5
grmuseum.org (616) 456-3977
During Thanksgiving season forget about the pilgrims and celebrate the cultural heritage of those who came before. Listen to traditional Native American stories, participate in craft making for all ages and play historical games. Explore exquisite, customary regalia and learn about classic dances and songs during this immersive event.
Fractals: Mathematics & Science as Art
Kalamazoo Museum
Through Jan. 22
kalamazoomuseum.org
Most people view art and science as polar opposites. At the Kalamazoo Museum, explore the possibilities of design through mathematics and the beauty of fractals, an ancient concept brought to life through computer generation. The snowflake-like spirals are rendered in vivid color schemes that are wondrous and mesmerizing.
Once upon a time, two stylish sisters from East Grand Rapids navigated a boisterous social scene, cloaked in fashionable garb. From parties to proms, Doris and Janice Cole wore garments that have since become iconic of mid-twentieth century styles.
"It really is a microcosm of early and middle 1950s dresses," said Veronica Kandl, curatorial research manager at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
Impeccably preserved, Doris and her mother, Helen, are the ones responsible for keeping and storing the dresses. But, it was Doris who donated 18 party dresses along with mementoes like invitations to soirees, yearbooks and even photos of the sisters clad in the very outfits on display. Of the 18 garments donated, 13 are on exhibit.
"They bought the majority of them here in Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids at some of the local department stores that were popular then, like Steketee's and Jacobson's," Kandl said.
Beyond the fashion element, part of the allure of the exhibit lies in the personal details presented. While some tidbits have been lost to time, Doris recalls a number of specifics. Like a lovely green and white number on display was a party dress she wore at the very first dance she attended. Or the modest outfit she wore to a graduation party in her teens.
| Grand Rapids Public Museum Through February Free with General Admission grmuseum.org , (616) 456-3977 |
The exhibit also speaks to certain cultural shifts of the time.
"During the 1950s, it was after the war and the whole rise in teenagers started," Kandl said. "And proms were on the rise. By the ‘50s they became this established thing."
Although many events were public functions, private dances were prevalent, with parents hosting gatherings at social clubs or even hotels and country clubs.
While teenagers were becoming a dominant social force, the end of wartimes signified the end of fabric rations, which in turn affected the fashion of the times. Many of the dresses feature a lot of fabric and fancy touches like tulle and synthetics. And, the very ‘50s shape was "designed by the garments you would wear underneath," Kandl said. "You still get the emphasis on the bust and a really small waist ...
Girdles were worn at the time. I suppose people can kind of relate [with the advent of] Spanx."
As Kandle described, the style of the era was very "feminine and frothy." Many of the pieces are dreamy and evoke images of soda shops and young couples sharing malts. It was a "return to femininity," with the strapless styles "geared more towards younger girls" and seen as demure.
Although the exhibit is running for many months, with school back in session, it is a fun time to peer into a former era and compare the gowns and casual skirts with what you find on a dance floor these days.
Interestingly, some of the shapes have been recycled and renamed over the years. One of the dresses features a harem skirt. That popular trend resurfaced in the 1980s and is now known as a bubble skirt. And, guess what? You can find this same style in stores today.
Other Eclectic Events
Pulaski Days 2011
Grand Rapids
Oct. 7-9
pulaskidays.org
Pulaski days are for everyone ... even if you are Dutch or vegetarian. For one beer-and-kielbasa-soaked weekend each year, the Northwest side and Northeast side of Grand Rapids celebrate polish heritage with events going on at 15 halls and clubs. A free shuttle bus safely ushers revelers all over town and you can even purchase red Pulaski thongs (and t-shirts, too) at certain stops. As the stated objective asserts, the event seeks "to bring together people of all nationalities." Let's drink to that.
Tiny Treasures
Muskegon Museum of Art
Through Feb. 19
muskegonartmuseum.org
Tiny Treasures is an exhibit featuring a variety of artistic disciplines but all on a small scale. Experience Miniature boxes and cases by the Mabel Nano Keating Collection, petite engravings by Albrecht Durer and Rembrandt along with tiny paintings created by John Singer Sargant and others. This showcase encourages an intimate experience with art as viewers get up close to diminutive yet meticulously created works.
