Boxing
Boxing for fitness is offered through
private and open workouts at the 49th Street
Boxing Club and the Fourth Street boxing gym
in St. Petersburg.
Auto Racing
Street Racing is Legal! The
Honda
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg returns
April 4-6, 2008, with the famed IndyCar
Series auto racing, IndyPro Series, Acura
Sports Car Challenge (American LeMans
Series), stunt plane airshows, concerts,
celebrities and more! The event is broadcast
live on ESPN, ESPN2 and Speed Channel. It is
the 4th running of the event and the only
street-circuit race in the IndyCar Series.
The 2007 race attracted more than 150,000
attendees with a large, live television
audience broadcasted to more than 140
countries.
Drivers
race at speeds in excess of 170 mph along a
14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary circuit that
runs through the streets of St. Petersburg
and through the Albert Whitted Airport,
overlooking the picturesque St. Petersburg
waterfront. This is a one-of-a-kind event
for the Tampa Bay area and the entire
southeast United States. Tickets and
Hospitality packages will be available in
December 2007
, by calling
727-824-7223 or at Ticketmaster online and
Ticketmaster outlets. You don't want to miss
this!
Baseball and Softball
Major
League Baseball came here to stay when the
Tampa Bay Baseball Partnership was awarded
an expansion franchise. The Tampa Bay Devil
Rays began play in 1998 in St. Petersburg.
The Rays play their regular season games at
Tropicana Field, a 45,360 seat,
climate-controlled domed ballpark.
Other teams here for the Grapefruit League
are the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater,
the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin and the New
York Yankees in Tampa. Nearby there are the
Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota and the
Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton.
The Florida State League has two baseball
teams in Pinellas County, and the New York
Yankees' minor-league headquarters is in
Tampa. Once a year, the Major League
Baseball Players Alumni Association hosts
the biggest stand-alone old-timers game in
the county -- the Legends of Baseball -- in
St. Petersburg.And of course there is the
world-famous Three Quarter Century Softball
Club, Inc. "Kids & Kubs" and the slightly
younger half-century men's softball league.
Each continue to attract national attention
and local crowds for their entertaining
brand of softball.
Meanwhile, Little League's 11 and
12-year-old all-stars from around the
country play the Majors Baseball Southern
Regional at Arnold S. White Stadium in
Gulfport before advancing to the Little
League World Series each August.
Basketball
Florida basketball fans follow their own
college favorites -- Florida State
University, University of Miami, University
of South Florida, University of Central
Florida and the two-time reigning National
Champion, University of Florida.
Biking
For pure enjoyment and a unique view of the
area try a ride on the Fred E Marquis
Pinellas Trail, a Rails-to-Trails
bicycle-pedestrian path that runs for 45
miles from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg,
maintained by the Pinellas County Parks
Department.
While the trail is used year-round,
Florida's cycling "season" runs from
September through April or May, because of
cooler temperatures. During those months
there is some sort of event nearly every
weekend for recreational cyclists. The Tour
of Pinellas is an example, sponsored by the
Suncoast Cycling Club each April. The St.
Petersburg Bike Club also has regular
organized rides.
BMX racing is popular with young riders of
various ages and skill levels who compete at
St. Petersburg's Walter Fuller Park.
Equestrian and Polo
The Winter Equestrian Festival takes place
each March at Florida Expo Park at the State
Fairgrounds in Tampa. And the widely
acclaimed American Invitational jumping
competition is an April event now being held
at the new Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
Also, polo matches are held every Sunday,
from January through April, at the Walden
Lake Polo Fields in nearby Plant City,
Florida.
Fishing
The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are
abundant with salt water species including
kingfish, king mackerel, tarpon, marlin,
grouper, snook, tuna and sailfish. Numerous
boat ramps give access to the Gulf and
inland waters and if you don't have your own
boat, private charters and party boats are
available. Tarpon season runs from mid May
through July with tournaments for serious
anglers.
Bass and other fresh-water fish are found in
Pinellas County's two major lakes -- Lake
Tarpon and Lake Seminole.
Football
The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers of
the NFL play in the 65,000-seat, open-air
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. In the north
end zone a 103-foot "pirate ship," complete
with cannons, shoots soft footballs and
confetti when the Bucs score a touchdown.
The
Tampa Bay Storm, of the
Arena Football League, play their home games
at the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown
Tampa. They have won five of the six
ArenaBowls in which they've played.
Tampa Bay got its own Division I college
football team in 1997 when the
University of South Florida Bulls
took the field for the first time. In 2007
the Bulls began the season unranked and
climbed into the top 6 in the nation after
its first four games.
In addition to our teams, Tampa Bay is home
to the Outback Bowl, which is played on New
Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium as one
of the Bowl Championship Series games.
Golf
Pinellas County has more than 40 golf
courses, both public and private, that offer
year-round play. The very popular
Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am is played
here at the TPC of Tampa Bay and is one of
the favorite stops on the PGA's Champions
Tour.
Hockey
The
NHL's
Tampa Bay Lightning
skate at the St. Pete Times Forum in
downtown Tampa where, in 2004, they were
crowned Stanley Cup Champions for the first
time in club history.
Lawn Bowling
Alongside the Shuffleboard Club on St.
Petersburg's Mirror Lake Drive is a
venerable institution that still enjoys a
healthy seasonal membership. The St.
Petersburg Lawn Bowling Club, established in
1926, is on the National Register of
Historic Places and plays host to lawn
bowlers from around the world.
Pari-Mutuels
Pari-mutuel wagering has a long history in
the Bay area with the St. Petersburg Kennel
Club -- Derby Lane. Races are run live from
January through June, with simulcast races
the rest of the year. Across the Bay, Tampa
Greyhound continues the season with dog
races scheduled from July through December.
The city of Oldsmar is the home of Tampa Bay
Downs, which offers thoroughbred racing from
December to March.
Power Boating
Offshore racing events are another favorite
sport in the area. Two of the biggest are
the Gold cup Challenge Offshore Power Boat
Races at St. Pete Beach and the Hurricane
Offshore Classic in the waters of Tampa Bay,
off the Pier in downtown St. Petersburg.
Rugby
The Tampa Bay Pelicans Rugby Football Club
plays its matches with amateur teams from
Orlando, Sarasota, Miami and Jacksonville.
In a game with no time-outs, the play is
fast and free, the players are comrades and
the fans bring their own lawn chairs to the
Old Busch Complex in St. Petersburg to watch
what has been termed "eloquent violence."
Running and Jogging
In sunlight and twilight, Pinellas parks and
sidewalks are populated with serious and
not-so-serious runners, joggers and walkers.
The Suncoast Runners Club, among others,
sponsors weekly events for the novice to the
professional, as the sport is as popular for
recreation and fitness here as it is for
competition.
For competitors, the Gasparilla Distance
Classic in February attracts more than
12,000 runners for 15k and 5k events in
Tampa.
Sailing
St.
Petersburg's downtown waterfront is the site
for the Olympic Regatta Training programs
where competitors from all over the world
practice their skills for Olympic sailing
events. The city also hosts mid-winter
regattas for several sailing classes
including the Lightning, Thistle, Sonar,
International 14, and Flying Dutchman.
The Budweiser Cup, one of the largest
sailing events in Florida, is organized each
year by the Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht
Club and the county's oldest and largest
sailing school, the Annapolis Sailing
School, is located near the Sunshine Skyway
Bridge in St. Petersburg.
Shuffleboard
The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club is the
world's oldest and largest shuffleboard
club. During the season as many as 200
shufflers attend the daily activities and
the club hosts two statewide events and
numerous district tournaments. It is the
site of the National Shuffleboard Hall of
Fame.
Skating
Ice skating, roller skating and in-line
skating are all to be found in Pinellas
County. There are two Olympic-sized
facilities for ice skating in the area --
the Tampa Bay Skating Academy in Oldsmar and
Sunblades at the Rubin Icot Center,
mid-county on Ulmerton Road (SR 688). The
recreational ice rink at Countryside Mall in
Clearwater also provides the opportunity for
aspiring champions to skate.
A few roller rinks still exist, but Florida
in-line skaters like to take to the outdoors
finding their own scenic way along streets
and paved trails.
Skateboarding
Ramps,
half pipes and quarter pipes accommodate
youthful skateboard acrobats at two
locations in Pinellas County. There's a
skate park arena at Coquina Key Park in St.
Petersburg and at Central Skate Park at 6140
Ulmerton Road in Clearwater.
Soccer
The Tampa Bay Extreme, an amateur women's
team, participates in the W-League of the
Tampa-based United Systems of Independent
Soccer Leagues and plays its games at
Countryside High School in Clearwater. In
addition, youth leagues can be found
throughout Pinellas County.
Swimming
St. Petersburg's Olympic-size North Shore
Pool operates two nationally-recognized
programs, including swim team training and
one of the largest Masters Swim Clubs in the
nation. Members, ranging in age from 22 to
91, hold national records for the most wins.
The club hosts many competitive events and
an average of nine northern college swim
teams arrive at the pool each winter for
"training in the tropics."
The Long Center in Clearwater is world
renowned for hosting a variety of athletic
training and competitions. The Center opened
in 1990 as a world class facility designed
for community recreation and athletic
competition. It includes a 50 meter indoor
Olympic sized heated pool, a 25 yard
instructional pool, in which both pools are
handicap accessible, a 15,000 square foot
three-court gymnasium, adult fitness center,
and three acres of outdoor playing field.
Tennis
Tennis is a year-round favorite sport in
Pinellas County with numerous public and
private courts available and a choice of
playing surfaces. Pinellas teams have won
national titles and our courts have been
graced with many professional players and
tournaments including the Davis Cup Finals.
St. Petersburg is home to the
Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
world-wide headquarters. The WTA hosts
tournaments, clinics and visits year round
from the world's top-ranked professional
women tennis players at their playing site
-- the Renaissance Vinoy Resort tennis
complex.
Triathlon
The
St. Anthony's Triathlon
draws more than 3,000 athletes, amateurs and
professionals, to St. Petersburg's downtown
waterfront each April to compete in the
Olympic-distance swim, bike and run event.
It is one of the top ten triathlons in the
nation in terms of prize money, an Ironman
qualifier, and an official stop on the
Triathlon Pro Tour.
Youth Sports
Pinellas County encourages sports
participation for its youth with literally
hundreds of teams offering development in
soccer, baseball, football, swimming,
volleyball, hockey, basketball, tennis,
golf, martial arts, sailing, gymnastics and
more.
Many high school and area college teams, as
well as individual athletes, have claimed
state and national championships. Several
local standouts have gone on to professional
sports careers -- even winning Olympic Gold
Medals!