Gift ideas for everyone on your list
• | 2008 Recreation |
| Powers may get berth on 2009 tour |
By Catherine E. Toth
Special to The Advertiser
| |||
Christmas is less than a week away.
And if you still haven't found that perfect gift for the sports-minded on your list, here's a list of gadgets and games — still in stock! — that might make your power-shopping outing this weekend a little less stressful.
FOR THE WALKER
Yes, it might look odd. But ski walking — using Nordic poles while walking — is all the rage. In fact, sales are brisk for these sets at Bikefactory Honolulu. And no wonder: research shows you can burn nearly 43 percent more calories using Nordic poles than traditional walking. A pair of poles, in various colors, cost between $89.95 and $99.95. The set comes with grips, cross-trainer straps and a low-profile trekking basket.
Bikefactory Honolulu, 740 Ala Moana 596-8844, www.bikefactoryhawaii.com.
FOR THE SURFER
You can't buy perfect waves. But you can get surf movies that take surfers to epic breaks all over the world. Aloha Boardshop in Puck's Alley boasts more than 150 titles, including "One Track Mind," a film that features historic surf adventures spanning several generations of surfers, and "Clay Marzo: Just Add Water," the unforgettable story of a Maui pro surfer who lives with Asperger's syndrome. All DVDs cost around $30.
Aloha Boardshop, Puck's Alley, 2600 S. King St. 955-6030, www.alohaboardshop.com.
FOR THE POKER PLAYER
Every serious poker player — even if he or she is only going all in online — should have a copy of the bible, "Doyle Brunson's Super System" by Brunson and Allan Goldberg (Simon & Schuster, $29.95). This book is considered, even by pros, to be the best book ever written on the game, with insider information on tactics, theories and strategies.
Barnes & Noble, Kahala Mall, 737-3323, www.barnesandnoble.com.
FOR THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL FAN
What's better than attending a college bowl game? Going to a bowl game at home — with your home team playing. For the fifth time in seven years, the University of Hawai'i Warriors will play in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Dec. 24 at Aloha Stadium. The Warriors will face Notre Dame in the ESPN-televised game. Surprise your college football fanatic with tickets. Cost ranges from $15 to $45 for adults.
Aloha Stadium Box Office, 483-7123; Stan Sheriff Center Box Office, 548-BOWL; www.etickethawaii.com.
FOR THE SOCCER PARENT
With games and potlucks every weekend, soccer parents will make good use of this Quik Shade Weekender 64 Canopy, on sale at Sports Authority for $69.99. It provides 64 square feet of shade for up to eight people. It's easy to set up and offers multiple height adjustments.
Sports Authority, Ward Gateway Center, 596-0166, www.sportsauthority.com.
FOR THE DIE-HARD UH FAN
In less than a month, Pictures Plus sold out of every Colt Brennan Redskins jersey it had, both signed and unsigned. Fans couldn't get enough. So the store, which is owned by UH football booster Kent Untermann, is offering package deals on books, T-shirts and photos of players that benefits the Na Koa Football Club. The best-selling package is the "Loyal," which features a copy of "Hawaii Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption" by J. David Miller, an "I Believe" T-shirt and 10 unsigned photos of various UH players for $49.95. (It's valued at $250.) "If we were lucky, we'd sell one (photo) a week," said store manager Kevin Barboza. "Now we're selling them every single day. It's a really good bargain."
Pictures Plus, Ward Gateway Center, 594-7077, www.picturesplus.com.
FOR THE PET OWNER
Ditch the reindeer antlers and get your sports-minded, pet-loving friend a football jersey for his pooch instead. Bark Avenue in Hawai'i Kai boasts a wide variety of sports-related apparel for dogs of every size, from NFL bandanas ($12 each) to UH fan wear ($24.95).
Bark Avenue, Koko Marina Center, 394-2343, www.barkavenuehawaii.com.
Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.