Sports & Leisure

Sports & Leisure

An Olympian holds court

She calls it “The Gigi Method,” and tennis players got an on-court tutorial in early August at the Nahant Tennis Club with former two-time Olympic gold medalist and 17-time major winner in doubles tennis Gigi Fernández. “It was an awesome day from start to finish,” said Andrea Gogolos, who is on the Board of Directors […]

Read More
Sports & Leisure

Swampscott native caught first glimpse of a star

Kim Hughes-Floutsakos remembers the first time she met NBA superstar Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo.  It was 2001 and the Swampscott native was teaching English in a suburban Athens private school called Athens College, and all of a sudden one of the male faculty members walked into her classroom with a tall, skinny 7-year-old. “Giannis […]

Read More
Life & Style Sports & Leisure

Ocean House Surf and Skate ride a wave of success

Amber O’Shea and Tim Oviatt have come a long way as owners of Ocean House Surf and Skate. The surf-and-skate shop had humble beginnings. The business started in Salem in 2011, with Oviatt selling gear out of his truck and garage. One year later, Oviatt moved his base of operations to Beverly Port Marina, and […]

Read More
Sports & Leisure

Field of vision: Town’s foresight helps make new Blocksidge a ‘point of pride’

By STEVE KRAUSE On Sept. 2, 1918, just over two months before World War I would end on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Cpl. John Enos Blocksidge of Swampscott, who had enlisted into the U.S. Army the previous April, was killed in action by enemy shell fire at the […]

Read More
People & Places Sports & Leisure

Born to run: Peter Hale considered ‘the best Williams College track distance runner ever’

By Brion O’Connor Peter Hale, one of the most decorated track and field athletes in Swampscott High School and Williams College history, was no overnight success. His first competitive foray into running was one he’d probably rather forget.

Read More
People & Places Sports & Leisure

The tragedy of Tony C.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro is carried off the field on a stretcher by teammates and the trainers of both the Red Sox and the California Angels after he was beaned by Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton in the fourth inning of their game at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., Aug. 18, 1967. (AP Photo/Bill […]

Read More
People & Places Sports & Leisure

Beth Adams, NFL deal with brain injuries head-on

By STEVE KRAUSE Looks can be deceiving. That’s true whether you’re sizing up a blind date or trying to figure out how healthy a person is. And it’s especially true with traumatic brain injuries — or, as they are commonly known, concussions.

Read More
Sports & Leisure

Swampscott sailing program celebrates half-century mark

By DAVID LISCIO Nautical historians will tell you Swampscott is best known as the New England town where the fishing dory and the lobster pot were invented. But over the past half century, while fish stocks dwindled, the town’s interest in recreational sailing continued to grow.

Read More
People & Places Sports & Leisure

Crossing the Channel

Swampscott men tackle the ‘Mount Everest of swimming’ By MEAGHAN CASEY There will likely be jellyfish, water temperatures dipping below 60 degrees, salt-water induced swelling of lips and tongues, skin chafing and stretches of hunger and fatigue, but that won’t stop Swampscott’s Andy Jones and Tommy Gainer from attempting to swim the English Channel this summer.

Read More
People & Places Sports & Leisure

Raising the barre

Town Barre owner Michelle Nigro opened a new Marblehead studio in late February.  The trendy workout finds a new home locally By MEAGHAN CASEY Women of all ages are flocking to a new bar in town — where fitness, not alcohol, is served. Swampscott resident Michelle Nigro opened her own studio, Town Barre, on Tioga […]

Read More