Posted January 04, 2023in Collections & Hobbies
Larry Carroll collects Sid Dickens Memory Blocks. Some people collect coins or stamps. Not Larry Carroll. Over the course of two decades, he has accumulated nearly 500 art tiles, each with its own distinct design. Created by Canadian artist Sid Dickens and known as Memory Blocks, the three-dimensional plaster tiles
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Posted November 30, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
Full-contact sport on wheels When Katie Akin moved to Des Moines in 2019, she didn’t know a single soul in town. Then, in a Starbucks bathroom, she saw a poster advertising a local roller derby. It could be fun, she thought, so why not? Her first practice came with a
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Posted November 02, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
Des Moines Curling Club promotes Olympic sport. Older than baseball, football and basketball, nicknamed the “Roaring Game” and “Chess on Ice,” it’s America’s favorite sport — it’s… curling? OK, it may not be on the forefront of every American’s mind, but if you’ve ever watched the Winter Olympics, you’ve probably come
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Posted October 05, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
You’ve probably heard of horseback riding, but hidden in the heart of Des Moines is an equestrian sport of a different kind. A newly formed drill team called Escaramuza Quetzalli is both breaking barriers and upholding cultural tradition. Charrería is recognized as the national sport of Mexico, evolving from herding
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Posted August 31, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
A large envelope stuffed with varying sizes of faded paper contains more than 50 years of music memories for Terry Bentall. Inside the envelope are dozens of half-torn concert ticket stubs, full-size tickets and — her latest — printouts of tickets for concerts she’s attended. One of the first concerts
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Posted August 03, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
Jackson Twait is a four-time veteran on “American Ninja Warrior” (ANW), a sports reality show that pushes elite athletes to their limit on obstacle courses of insane difficulties. The 24-year-old first caught the Ninja itch back in eighth grade, but it wasn’t his first television aspiration. “I just saw it
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Posted July 06, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
At age 18, Justin Phongsavanh was shot in the parking lot of an Ankeny McDonald’s and paralyzed from the waist down. Today, the 25-year-old javelin thrower is a medaled Paralympian. Following his paralysis in October 2015, Phongsavanh gave himself an ultimatum. “I can sit here, wallow in self-pity, and that
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Posted June 01, 2022in Collections & Hobbies
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… the “Star Wars” saga was born, and a cult following developed soon after. Not quite as long ago — in 2018 — Ryan Toney began building his first Star Wars costume. Toney, who resides in Ankeny, is part of the
Read More →Kourtney Perry started making candles during the slow days of the pandemic. Laid off from her job, Perry had an abundance of time on her hands. She did some research, ordered a small kit online, tried it out and gave a candle each to her mom and sister. They were
Read More →Los Gallos Bravos Boxing Club is literally an “underground” boxing club in Windsor Heights. Not only is it the only boxing club in Windsor Heights, it is one of the few nonprofit boxing clubs in the state. Tucked underneath a tattoo shop, the hidden gym is occupied by about 20
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