Try one of Munich's more unusual sports
This summer may not have been the hottest on record —but it’s been a scorcher for sport. After the excitement of Euro 2004, the Euro Games and the Olympics (to name but a few major events), it’s now time to drag yourself from your spectator’s armchair and spring into action. And for anyone who lives in Munich, there’s no excuse. With its 17 swimming pools, 900 hectares of green space and 2,454 sports clubs, the Bavarian capital is most definitely a sports city. Here are three pursuits you may not yet have considered. München Rugby Football Club e.V was founded by a group of expats in 1977. The club quickly grew, both in terms of membership numbers and popularity, and was given official club status (e.V.) in 1982. However, it was not until 2002 that a women’s team was set up, with current players from a variety of countries, including Germany, France, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Italy and England. Although their trainer is German, he also speaks English. The team trains on Wednesdays and Fridays all year round (apart from late December and January) alongside the men’s teams at Görzerstr. 55. The rugby season runs from September through December and again from March through June. The team is happy to welcome new players of any age, as long as they are motivated. For more information, contact Marie at (0174) 974 33 93 or visit www.muenchen-rugby.de. Ever noticed people gliding across lakes and soaring high into the air attached to large kites, and wondered what on earth they are doing? Kitesurfing is the latest extreme sport to be giving adrenaline junkies their fix. The kitesurfer wears a body harness and straps a surfboard to his feet, then holds onto a kite and lets the wind drag him over the water at high speed. The best locations at which to try this sport are Achensee, just over the Austrian border, or Gardasee or Reschensee in Italy because of the wind conditions, but it is also possible to kitesurf on any of the big lakes around Munich such as Starnberger See, Chiemsee and Ammersee. Kitting yourself out is by no means cheap, so beginners are advised to sign up for a short course, which includes tuition and kit hire. You must also get a permit from the authorities at the chosen lake, but if you take part in a course, the organization will obtain your permit for you. Kitemania, a shop located at Humboldtstr. 17, offers a three-hour theory course, which teaches the handling of a kite and costs € 50. It also has an online shop, where you can buy used boards and kites. Visit www.kitemania.de for more information. Element Sports in Stephanskirchen (near Rosenheim, 45 minutes south of Munich), Wasserburgerstr. 9, rents kites and boards without instruction at € 40 per day. It also runs weekend training courses consisting of eight hours a day for two days at a cost of around € 200. Element Sports also organizes trips to the hottest kitesurfing spots in Europe, such as Tarifa, on Spain’s southern Atlantic coast. The shop’s Website has useful links to windchecks for all the large lakes. See www.element-sports.de. USC München (Munich University Sports Club) incorporates numerous sports clubs, including a wheelchair basketball club. The sport began in the US after World War II and is now well established around the world. The USC München teams, of which there are three, are unique in that they consist of both men and women and disabled and non-disabled players. The current teams include international players from Germany, Turkey, Italy and Albania. To ensure there is a fair balance between teams, a point system is used to grade players. Players are given points, depending on their disability, with non-disabled team members being rated as 4.5, and those with the greatest disability graded 1. All teams must have a total of 14 points, with no more than two non-disabled players on the court at the same time. In an attempt to integrate more female players, women have a slightly lower point system than men. The season runs from the end of September through the end of April, although players train twice weekly all year round (apart from August). The weekend home matches are played in Pasing and spectators are invited to witness the fast-paced action. At the end of each season, newcomers are welcome to have a go and try out for the team. Daniela Glatzl, who has been playing wheelchair basketball for 14 years, explains why she enjoys the sport: “It is active, fast, tactical and you play with your mind and body. But most of all, it is fun.” The rules are largely the same as for regular basketball, except that players can make two moves with their wheelchair before they dribble or make a pass. The team has been getting consistently better and stronger over the years and now boasts a place in the Bavarian league (Bayernliga). For more information visit www.usc-rollstuhlsport.de.