Shore-side activities suit some just fine

Lolita Harper

Summer heat with a cool ocean breeze not only provides the perfect

atmosphere for a relaxing afternoon in the sun, but for a heart-thumping

one also.

From a bike ride on the boardwalk to a pickup game of basketball,

Newport Beach offers countless activities for those who want to break a

sweat.

Boardwalk Sports offers a wide variety of rentals, such as bicycles,

fishing poles, surfboards, wetsuits, chairs, umbrellas and Boogie boards.

Casey Blair, who works at Boardwalk Sports, said bicycle rentals are by

far the most popular.

“Bikes are so popular because they are the easiest to ride and they

let you get around town without missing out on any of the scenery,” Blair

said.

Business at the store triples in the summer as a result of the many

tourists and nearby residents who choose to get outside and take the

pedal-driven tour of the coast. Boardwalk Sports offers beach cruisers,

tandem bikes and children’s bicycles, he said. While tandem bikes pack a

double punch, most people opt for the traditional package of one bike per

person.

Lots of families rent bicycles for tours around the beach, but many

twentysomething customers also choose bicycles as a safe method to get

from bar to bar, Blair said.

“We also offer bike locks for sale,” he said.

In-line skates are still popular, experts say, but their heyday was

definitely gone before the new millennium. People are much more likely to

choose a skateboard, beach cruiser or scooter as the preferred method of

transportation.

The ever popular game of street basketball is alive and well in

Newport Beach on weekends. The park on Balboa Avenue is a great place for

basketball lovers.

“You better come to ball,” warns court regular Brent Fellmeth. The

competition level gets pretty fierce, especially between 8 a.m. and 2

p.m. Saturdays, he said.

“If you got game, you can come out here,” the Costa Mesa resident

said. “If you don’t have game, you could play but you won’t be playing

long.”

For those who have yet to score a triple-double, the court still

offers a high level of entertainment during peak times. During off times,

usually before 2 p.m. on weekdays, the courts are deserted and those who

have no game are free to shoot all the misguided free throws and bricks

they would like.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .