By Sara Rae Lancaster, Howie Magner and Tim McCormick
Sports Association.
Ultimate Dodgeball
➼ Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller may have revived this game’s popularity with their 2004 movie, but Sky Zone Trampoline Park (skyzone.com) is responsible for taking the gym class staple to a whole ’notha level. Instead of playing dodgeball on a traditional gym court, participants dodge, duck and throw while bouncing on – and off of – wall-to-wall trampolines. Round up your own “average Joes” and form a team or stop by for a pickup game (when courts are available). Looking to play some classic dodgeball? The Midwestern Unconventional Sports Association (musasports.com/milwaukee) also offers co-ed leagues for the old-school, no-frills version. (SRL)
Poolball
➼ OK, so maybe you’ve never looked at a pool table and wished you could shrink to Ewok size to start kicking balls around the table. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be fun. Introducing “poolball,” which may not be able to shrink humans, but does enlarge everything else. It’s pool on a 20-by-12-foot “table” that’s covered with artificial turf and played with soccer balls. Red Lion Pub (1850 N. Water St.) just installed Milwaukee’s lone example of it on their rooftop patio. Ewok outfits optional. (HM)
Mini Golf
➼ He gawks at the bear in the first hole’s mineshaft. He can’t believe there’s another hole in a barn. Or yet another with a stream of water that whisks his ball toward the pin. He revels in pulling the flagsticks, and making the balls pop out in the process. And he can’t stop looking at that big waterwheel by the 18th. Yes, if the Stone Water course at Moorland Road Golf Center has my real-
life 6-year-old’s full approval, then your inner-6-year-old should like it just fine. (HM)
Go to Camp!
➼ What do you get when you combine a rustic location, a treehouse, a full menu of old-school style camp activities and your imagination? Summer camp for adults! Camp Wandawega (wandawega.com), just a short drive away in rural Elkhorn, sets the stage for you and your friends to create your own epic camp experience. Host an art camp, a team building retreat, or an opportunity to unplug and reconnect with your inner kid. S’mores encouraged. Camp songs optional. (SRL)
Bubble Soccer
➼ Don’t be surprised if this becomes a doting mother’s new favorite. Just as the name implies, bubble soccer players strap on a transparent plastic bubble (weighing around 30 pounds and covering your body from the thighs up). From there, the goal is still to put the ball in the back of the net. The only problem is your opponents are hell-bent on knocking you down. The results are often humorous as the sumo-like suits keep you bouncing ’round the pitch. Locally, the Milwaukee Bubblers (milwaukeebubblers.com) are – so far – the only game in town when it comes to this Norwegian import. (TM)
Kickball
➼ This classic playground game is all grown up. Relive – or avenge – your gym class days with Midwestern Unconventional Sports Association (musasports.com/milwaukee) co-ed recreational kickball leagues. Similar to the game you remember as a kid, games are played with an 8.5-inch rubber ball on softball-sized diamonds. Add as many friends as you want to your roster, but a maximum of 11 players can be on the field for Recess Division teams; standard divisions play with 10. Sound fun? Act fast. “Summer Skool” play for these co-ed adult leagues starts in mid-June, but the fall league won’t…ahem…kick off until mid-August. (SRL)
Make a Splash
➼ Wisconsin Dells may stake claim to being the waterpark capital, but don’t overlook Milwaukee when the temperature starts to rise. Perfect your cannonball, shoot down the waterslides or simply splash the day away at Cool Waters Family Aquatic Park (2028 S. 124th St., West Allis). Featuring all the makings of a perfect summer day – a zero-depth heated pool for the little ones, giant waterslides for big kids of all ages, interactive water toys, sand volleyball courts and more – this family-friendly location puts all the favorites of a large-scale water park practically in your backyard. (SRL)
Whiffle Ball
➼ Step up to the plate with the area’s only whiffle ball league. Milwaukee Wiffle (milwaukeewiffle@gmail.com) may not be the big leagues – after all, the “crack” of the bat is replaced with a barely audible “plunk” – but that’s not to say this co-ed league doesn’t have a competitive streak. There are no walks. You either smack the plastic ball or go down swinging. And if you do get a hit, you’d better be running, because if the ball is thrown to the pitcher before the batter crosses first base, it’s an out. It’s all the fun and revelry of a sandlot game – only now, you can drink beer between
innings. (SRL)
