2013 Best of Des Moines- SPORTS & REC
2/27/2013As the old adage goes, any job worth doing is worth doing right. Whether you’re flipping burgers at a local bar and grill, parading a catwalk dressed in drag, balancing the budget of a multi-million dollar corporation or running the state government, we believe you should take pride in your work. When you do, it shows, and it is rewarded in community trust, an increase in business and eventually, more money in the old bank account.
Cityview’s Best Of Des Moines contest is an example of such rewards in motion. It’s the people — the client, the customer, the consumer — who appreciate a local person, product or service enough to get out and vote for it as their favorite, as Des Moines’ best above all others. Earning the appreciation, respect and recognition of the public is its own reward, one that is priceless.
In the spirit of true merit and appreciation, we bring you another edition of our Best Of Des Moines — our readers’ choices for all things dining, drinking, shopping and more. “Congratulations” doesn’t quite say enough, but “thank you” is a start.
Waveland Golf Course was voted the Best Place to Play Golf (Public). Photo by Amber Williams
Best Place to Play Golf (Public)
Waveland Golf Course
The oldest golf course west of the Mississippi, it is no surprise Waveland Golf Course continues to be Cityview readers’ most beloved public course. With its pristine greens and traditional layout, Waveland is no doubt one of the nicest municipal courses in all of Iowa. Built on wooded hillsides, the rolling slopes provide a nice challenge for veteran golfers, while novice players can advance their skill on this unique course.
4908 University Ave., 248-6302.
Runners-up: Legacy Golf Course; Copper Creek Golf Course
Best Place to Play Golf (Private)
Des Moines Golf and Country Club
There’s nothing quite like a Pete Dye golf course. The most difficult question a Des Moines Golf and Country Club member faces is which of the two (or both) Dye courses to play in an afternoon. Whether it’s the North or South 18, Cityview readers have again unanimously selected DMGCC as the best private course to play. Located on 475 acres in West Des Moines, the course is nestled on a beautiful hillside overlooking a valley of rolling fairways.
1600 Jordan Creek Parkway,
West Des Moines, 440-7500.
Runners-up: Glen Oaks Country Club; Wakonda Country Club
Best Yoga Instructor
Mat Koder
Knocking off Ben Easter for the top spot this year is Mat Koder for Des Moines’ best yoga teacher. Koder is a certified GSP instructor with more than 3,000 hours of training under his belt. He’s even been trained by esteemed yogi James Miller in Adamantine Yoga, in which only 18 instructors in the U.S. are certified. He has people flocking to his weekly group lessons and special advanced classes at the Altoona Campus.
1500 Eighth St. S.W., Altoona, 967-0788
Runners-up: Abra Pulley; Ben Easter
Best Massage Therapist
Robert Crane (Salon Tech)
Heads up, Des Moines, the readers have voted, and if you’ve got stress, pain or a heavy spiritual weight building in your shoulders and back, Robert Crane is the best man to see. As a licensed massage therapist for roughly three years, Crane specializes in relaxation and stress relief. For expecting mothers, he also offers a prenatal massage. His personal motto is “enjoy life to its fullest,” and apparently Cityview readers do.
1234 Grand Ave., West Des Moines, 222-0200
Runners-up: Silla Blades (Blades Massage and Wellness); Cassie Sampson (East Village Spa)
Best Local Coach
Mark Muse (MidIowa Rollers)
As if the Des Moines Derby Dames and the Mid Iowa Rollers didn’t already have enough of a rivalry, now the coaches are going tit-for-tat for readers’ affections. Mark Muse has done a great job leading the Mid Iowa Rollers to victory in the past, and now he’s edged out last year’s winner, Coach Ozone, of the Derby Dames to keep the “best coach” trophy in roller derby hands. And the battle rages on.
Runners-up: Paul Rhoads (Iowa State University Football); Jerry Pezzetti (Ankeny High School Football)
Best Local Athlete
Dante Muse (Your Mom Men’s Roller Derby)
Move over, Olympians. Step aside, baseball stars. The season is over, football studs. It’s flat track time. The speed and tenacity of Dante Muse from Your Mom Men’s Roller Derby makes him Cityview readers’ favorite local athlete. After international success in speed skating, Muse is now focused on aggressive skating. Once you see him in action, it’s clear he’s spent nearly all his life on wheels.
Runners-up: Shawn Johnson; Lolo Jones
Best Local Sports Team
Iowa Cubs
Baseball season is just around the corner, and that means folks will be gearing up for a day out with Des Moines’ favorite, the Iowa Cubs. The boys in red, white and blue reclaimed the top spot thanks to Cityview readers. As the top minor league team for the Chicago Cubs for the past 30 years, the Iowa Cubs feature some of the most talented regional athletes who step out on to the diamond.
Runners-up: Mid Iowa Rollers, Iowa Barnstormers
The High Trestle Trail, stretching 25 miles from Woodward to Ankeny, won Best Bike Trail. Photo by Amber Williams
Best Bike Trail
High Trestle Bridge Trail
Twenty-five miles of majestic Iowa scenery flow along the old Union Pacific Railroad freight line between Woodward and Ankeny. A favorite of Cityview readers and numerous others, the High Trestle Trail is estimated to have more than 3,000 people visit it each week. The High Trestle Trail gets its name from the bridge that connects Madrid and Woodward and crosses the Des Moines River. Celebrating the area’s coal mining history, the unique, metal framing around the nearly half-mile bridge gives the illusion of peering down a mineshaft.
Runners-up: Great Western Trail; Clive Greenbelt Trail
Best Place for a Run
Gray’s Lake
Stretch out those hammies and grab your jogging shoes. Any time of year is a good time to get out and explore Gray’s Lake. The two-mile trail encircling the lake is Des Moines Best Of voters’ choice for a prime place to run. The well-lit trail equipped with emergency phones gives runners the option for day or night running. On the trail or off the beaten path, Gray’s Lake’s 167 acres have runners and terrains of all kinds.
Runners-up: Waterworks Park; Raccoon River Park
Best Place to Work Out
Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping
A lot of weight-loss programs talk about results, but for our readers, Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping delivers with authority. The program is designed to combat obesity and offers an alternative to the self-motivated workout routine. Combining cardiovascular exercises to burn fat, strength training to build muscle, a nutritional plan to ensure healthy eating and instructors and coaches to lend their support, our readers have agreed Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping has crafted a proven regiment for success.
Multiple locations, www.extremebodyshaping.com
Runners-up: Aspen Athletic Club; YMCA
Best Place to Kickbox
Farrells eXtreme Bodyshaping
When Cityview readers feel like kicking some tail, this is where they say is the best place to go. It’s easy to get sucked into a boring workout routine, but why not have a little fun in your fitness training? Farrell’s Fitness Kickboxing class is the reader favorite for alternative exercise. Dynamic kicking and punching gives a full body cardiovascular workout to achieve overall physical conditioning and toning. Fans can’t get enough of Farrell’s kickboxing classes, and many say, along with a great workout, it gives them a sense of confidence and empowerment after each workout.
Multiple locations, www.extremebodyshaping.com
Runners-up: Kees Camp Fitness Studio; Kosama
The YMCA was voted Des Moines’ Best Place to Go Swimming. Photo by Dave Mable
Best Place to Go Swimming
YMCA
Here’s a little ditty for all you ’70s disco lovers about Des Moines’ favorite place to swim (to the tune of “Y.M.C.A.” by The Village People): Hey folks, there’s no need to stay dry / I said, hey folks, there’s a place that’s nearby / I said, hey folks, not after you’ve had pie / It’s time to dive on in the pool / You know our readers love Y.M.C.A. / Yes, they really love, Y.M.C.A. Even more than our local lakes and aquatic centers, voters chose the YMCA as Des Moines’ best place to take a dip.
Multiple locations, www.dmymca.org
Runners-up: Ashworth Pool; Raccoon River Park
Best Personal Trainer
Jennifer Kees (Kees Camp Fitness Studio)
Experienced in hundreds of workout styles, it’s no shocker that Jen Kees is Cityview readers’ go-to gal for personal training. With more than two decades of group training experience and dozens of fitness certifications, Kees has helped thousands of Iowa women achieve their weight loss and fitness goals. Add in her nearly two decades of dance and choreography history, and fitness buffs can bet they’ll leave her studio looking and feeling sexier after each visit.
2700 University Ave., Suite 202, 779-5337
Runners-up: Patrick Smith (Altoona Campus); Amber Cahill (TGR Fitness in Ankeny)
Best Place to Bowl
Plaza Lanes Family Fun Center
Put down your Wii, and get out for some real bowling at Plaza Lanes. With state-of-the-art facilities, Plaza Lanes is the choice premier bowling center for folks in Des Moines once again. It doesn’t matter if you’re a young novice, an amateur professional or league champion, Plaza Lanes is “Your Lane, Your Way” to enjoy one of the most popular sports in the world.
2701 Douglas Ave., 255-1111
Runners-up: Air Lanes Bowling Center; Val Lanes
Best Place to Miniature Golf
West Grand Golf
When it comes to mini-golf, no one does it like West Grand Golf, according to our readers. The beautifully arranged, 18-hole course boasts six ponds connected by three creeks, flowing waterfalls, a practice green and night lighting for extended evening putt-putt. Challenging and fun for children and adults alike, West Grand Golf is the choice mini-golf spot for Cityview readers looking for camaraderie and competition.
6450 Raccoon River Drive, West Des Moines, 255-7076
Runners-up: A.H. Blank Mini Golf Course; Toad Valley Golf Course
Best Indoor Sporting Event
Des Moines Derby Dames
Cityview readers have voted, and it’s not mainstream sports they want to watch inside, it’s the sexy but aggressive Derby Dames barreling around a flat track. The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) officially recognized the Des Moines Derby Dames in 2011, and since then its popularity has continued to grow. The high intensity matches leave audiences gasping while trying to follow the streaks of green and black.
Runners-up: Mid Iowa Rollers; Iowa Barnstormers
Best Outdoor Sporting Event
Iowa Cubs
Whether it’s one of Iowa’s sweltering afternoons or breezy evenings, our readers will still make it out to the ball park to support their beloved Cubbies. Baseball has been a staple in Des Moines since Grover Cleveland was president (the first time) in 1887. Folks have been showing up in droves ever since, always lending a cheer to the team that calls Des Moines home.
Runners-up: Hy-Vee Triathlon; Drake Relays
Best Place to Watch a Sporting Event
Principal Park
Was there ever a doubt in your mind? Cityview readers’ can’t get enough of Principal Park, home of our Iowa Cubs. Located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and Raccoon River, Principal Park hosts many talented minor league players. Whether it’s watching the sun set over the third-base bleachers or a foul ball heading toward the river, Principal Park is the place where memories are formed that last a lifetime.
Runners-up: Wells Fargo Arena; Buccaneer Arena
Best Running Event
Dam to Dam
Cityview readers agree year after year that there is no other race that better captures the spirit of Iowa than Dam to Dam. Dam to Dam wins again, and when you look at its 30-plus year history, it’s not difficult to see why. Beginning on the Saylorville Dam, winding through the beautiful Greater Des Moines neighborhoods and finishing downtown with live music littered about to help runners keep pace, competitors get to see the city in a new perspective.
Runners-up: Color Run; Des Moines Marathon
