WHEN SASHA DIGIULIAN went to Sportrock in Alexandria to mark her brother's birthday back in 1999, she's the one who ended up with the gift. The 7-year-old decided she liked this rock climbing thing. "It clicked with me," she says.
No kidding. Now, the 17-year-old high school junior is at the top of the field — literally. Last month, while looking down on the crowd after an astounding ascent, she captured the women's national sport climbing title in Salt Lake City. And this weekend, she's competing at the nationals for bouldering, which is being held for the first time on her home turf at Sportrock (see below).
The two techniques are quite different. Sport climbing is vertical with ropes used for safety, while bouldering is done on lower, sharply tilted walls without ropes. Or, as DiGiulian explains it, "Sport climbing is endurance fused with power and technique. Bouldering is more powerful and dynamic. You need to train [in] both to excel in either."
Which she does, five days a week for three hours at a time. That doesn't count the additional cardio she fits in, plus conditioning (push-ups, pull-ups, abs work). It's a killer schedule — especially when you add in school and homework — but what makes it more amazing is that she's usually on her own.
Continue Reading "A Higher Power: Sasha DiGiulian, Bouldering National Finals at Sportrock" »
"SUPERSTARS WILL BE converging here. The Michael Jordans of climbing," promises Sportrock president Lillian Chao-Quinlan of this weekend’s American Bouldering Series National Championships. Tickets ($7.50 for qualifiers and $20 for finals) will be sold at the door. Or, if you want to really get a grip, you can sign up for the Citizens' Competition, which is open to the masses. For more info, see Sportrock.com and Absnationals.org.
» Sportrock, 5308 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria; 45935 Maries Road, Sterling; Fri. to Sun., Feb. 12 to 14, Various start times, $7.50 to $30; 202-399-6763.
SUNDAY: Don't have any Valentine's plans, yet? Score tickets for the Burlesque-A-Pades at the Birchmere. The show will include live music, dance, acrobatics, comedy and performances the World Famous Pontani Sisters and other burlesque stars. Miss Exotic World will preside.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Sun., Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., $29.50; 703-549-7500.
Written by Express' Sarah Mimms
Photo by Orlando Marra
IF YOUR VALENTINE is a foodie (and most likely a locavore, too), home-grown might really be where the heart is. Wooing your sweetie with gourmet delights created in the area — D.C.-roasted coffee, Virginia-born bonbons — wipes out the need for long-distance culinary romance. Besides, many of these treats taste better and seem more heartfelt than yet another box of Godiva chocolate-covered whatevers. Perhaps most surprising, "Sparkling wine made in Virginia stands up to pricier French champagne," says David Gwathmey of Grape + Bean (118 S. Royal St., Alexandria; 703-664-0214), which stocks bubbly by Charlottesville's Thibaut-Janisson. And who knows? Maybe such super-fresh goodies will help you get fresh with your latest crush.
» Thibaut-Janisson's Virginia Blanc de Chardonnay smells flowery, and tastes bubbly and crisp. Made in Charlottesville, this standout sparkler was poured at President Obama's first state dinner, so it's probably fancy enough for your private Valentine's Day gala. ($30, Grape + Bean, 118 S. Royal St., Alexandria; 703-664-0214)
» Exotic combos — dark chocolate with pink peppercorn; white chocolate with coconut and lime — belie the fact that Fleurir Chocolates bonbons are made in Reston, Va. Proceeds from sales of the Heart’s Delight box, shown, sold via the chocolatier’s site ($18), benefit the American Heart Association. You can also score the sweets by the pound at Biagio Fine Chocolates. (1904 18th St. NW; 202-328-1506)
Continue Reading "Love, Locally: Valentine's Treats from the Area" »
JOSH SHORT MANS the ovens at Buzz Bakery (901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria; 703-600-2899), but even a cupcake connoisseur such as he can handle only so much sweet stuff. "Pastry chefs sometimes tire of eating sugar all day," he admits. So, one day when he was at home watching a cooking show about healthier baked treats, he was inspired to toy around with online recipes. After some tweaking, he was chomping on his very own energy bar ($1.95, pictured above).
"I was trying to find something that's low in sugar and fat, and good for you," he says. "I wanted something to sustain you." The result is a rectangular slab of all-natural peanut butter, rolled oats, agave nectar, dark raisins, fiber-rich pepitas and dark chocolate (he uses Belcolade). If you're attempting to make similar treats at home — which Short says is simply a matter of binding the ingredients with the peanut butter, spreading in a pan and slicing — be careful the bars don't get too dry. His solution: extra chocolate. (Just think of it as more antioxidants.) The January resolution crowd couldn't get enough of the bars, and neither can Short, who grabs one for a daily snack. "It's nice to have something here to munch on that fills you up," he says. "When I eat one, I feel full and I'm not craving anything."
Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh
1) Pink Palm Qualms?
Heading to the tropics (or planning your spring wardrobe) doesn't always require sundresses and capri pants strewn with neon flowers or Boca-bright beach umbrellas. Roberta Freymann's surf-to-sunset-cocktails botanic-print tunics ($77), beaded clutches (shown, $198) and sarongs just washed into Hysteria (125 S. Fairfax St., Alexandria; 703-548-1615). Girl's dresses patterned with blue monkeys or pink pigs boast a similar punchy, not-too-preppy island mood.
2) Hoppy Returns
When locally brewed Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale disappeared from local bars and grocery stores two years ago, every hophead (fan of floury, heavily hopped beer) in town cried into his or her mug. The powerful, balanced brew — discontinued by Chantilly's Old Dominion Brewing Co.— froths over again, thanks to Hampton, Va.'s St. George Brewery, which just released new bottles ($10 per four-pack, Whole Foods). The medium-dark potion tastes swell with gumbo or chili.
SATURDAY: First openly gay comedian to appear on TV — that must have been, like, 50 years ago, right? Sadly, it was as recently as 1991, when Suzanne Westenhoefer appeared on "Sally Jesse Raphael" in an episode with a title so backward and boneheaded we're going to skip telling you. But things have changed, and Westenhoefer helped bring about that change. She performs stand-up on gay subjects for large, loving (and often straight) audiences, and will be at the Birchmere on Saturday.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Sat., Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m., $45; 703-549-7500.
TALKING ABOUT MUSIC with David Sanborn is like chatting up the owner of your venerable local record store, if such a thing still existed. Hours can be spent discussing the history of American music, animated by humorous anecdotes and professorial historical and sociopolitical insight.
Never does all this encyclopedic musical knowledge come off as condescending from the legendary saxophonist. There's a joyous, easy magnetism to his speaking voice, and the same can be said about his music. That's evident on his newest disc, "Only Everything," a charming follow-up to his last disc, "Here & Gone."
On both discs, Sanborn pays tribute to Ray Charles, specifically to two of Charles' greatest saxophonists. On "Here & Gone," it was alto saxophonist Hank Crawford who was the main focal point. This time around, it's David "Fathead" Newman.
With his piercing alto sound and bluesy phrasing, Sanborn is indeed an heir to Crawford and Fathead. He even had a chance to hang with two of his most significant heroes, but not nearly as much as he wanted to.
Continue Reading "Nodding Toward the Old School: David Sanborn" »
WEDNESDAY: We're suckers for surf music, especially in the dead of winter, and (shy of the Beach Boys, of course) nobody does it better than the Ventures. Their adventurous instrumentals — they don't sing, they just play — made them famous in the early '60s, but they're still touring. In fact, they aren't exactly a "surf band" — you'll hear a lot of modern sounds in their work, probably because they influenced a ridiculous number of musicians.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Wed., Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m., $35; 703-549-7500.
Photo courtesy Theventures.com
TUESDAY: Judy Collins is a songwriter, but she's most known for her covers of other people's stuff. She sings '60s classic and folk revival music — the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan.
Her voice is still glorious, and she does not appear to be clinically insane, unlike some people, BOB DYLAN.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Tue., Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m., $50; 703-549-7500.
Photo by Nathan Bilow
Addison Road