Is it a sponge? Is it a plant? Just exactly what is a luffa and what are the benefits of using one? A visit to The Luffa Farm in Nipomo for a tour is just the thing you need to do to learn all about it.
“They’re sponges, right?” That’s the question most people ask when they come to the farm. And the answer is no, they are not sponges like the ones that live in the ocean. A luffa is a plant. Proprietor Deanne Coon and her family have been growing luffas for more than 20 years.
Tyson Hayward has always dreamt of sailing. Raised in land-locked Calgary, Canada by a father who had competed in the Olympic trials as a Star-Class yacht racer, the call of a watery horizon always beckoned him. So, at his first chance, in his early twenties, he set off for the Virgin Islands. Working as a waiter, he earned his fins as a scuba dive master and spent a year exploring the underwater paradise of the islands.
You are dangling 25 feet in the air. Far below you is nothing but the hard warehouse floor. Holding you up is nothing but a sleek, slippery fabric which increasingly threatens to slide right out of grip with each passing moment.
In the beginning of July, we celebrated our country’s independence. Usually a fun time, one spent outdoors with friends and family, playing games and enjoying good food. But now that the celebration is over, here’s something else to think about... Instead of just celebrating America’s independence, why not create and celebrate your own, personal “declaration of independence?”
We’re living through the Big Bang in the ultra-running world; as more runners conquer the marathon, they’re trading up to ultras. Ultra-marathon finishes have increased a whopping 400% over the past five years.
There’s something inherently romantic about archery. Perhaps it’s the simplicity, the fact that a stick and some string can send an arrow flying clear across a field. Or maybe it’s the bridge archery creates between modern men and women and our ancient ancestors, people whose lives depended on their ability to shoot accurately. For Riley Royce Smith, a local marksman and archery instructor, the most enjoyable aspect is the Zen-like peace he gets from the repetitive act of mastering a craft.
When Alex Ho, a personal trainer based in San Francisco, won the Paso Robles Harvest Marathon last year with a time of 3:01:06, it couldn’t have been too big of a shocker. He had trained for two or three months, and had just come off of training for an Ironman 70.3 triathlon. He has also taken first place in the Sierra Recon Mud Run, and recently came in ninth place in a 100-mile race.
