Everyone in Wilmington knows that the best place to go for fun and food is Dig & Dive. Dig & Dive is known for its exciting volleyball action, corn hole, great food and drinks, and friendly staff. Dig & Dive is also known for it’s strong connection to the local community and it’s charitable contributions.
Andria Leonard photo retrieved from www.diganddive.com by Jeffrey Boulden
On April 9th, Dig & Dive is hosting a four-man coed volleyball tournament to benefit Andria Leonard. Andria is a local 24 year old girl that has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. All proceeds from the event will go towards helping Andria with her medical and personal bills. There will also be corn hole and raffles as well. Donations will be accepted for those who are not playing in the tournament but still wish to help.
Map of Dig and Dive Infographic created by Jeffrey Boulden using Google Maps
Andria will be in attendance the day of the tournament and everyone in the community is encouraged to come out and support her in this battle. Dig & Dive is located at 3525 Lancelot Lane in Wilmington, NC. Please call 910-202-9350 for more information about the event or how to donate.
*Super Bowl 50 fans at Dig & Dive in Wilmington, NC 2-7-16*Super Bowl 50 print at Dig & Dive in Wilmington, NC 2-7-16
As reported in a previous article, Panther Nation, the Carolina Panthers Roaring Riot fan club has a new chapter in Wilmington, NC. As the Panthers wins kept piling up, the fan club’s memberships have been as well. With the Panthers now in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos, the Roaring Riot is at a fever pitch and making preparations for a huge tailgate event to watch the game at Dig & Dive sports bar. The tailgate event is going to feature prizes, give-a-ways, a corn hole tournament, and a drawing for a fifty-five inch flat screen T.V. Dig & Dive is the headquarters for the new Wilmington chapter of the club.
“We want all of Panther Nation to come out in full force to support the team,” says Marcus Carpenter, member of the Roaring Riot.
*T.V. raffle prize at Dig & Dive in Wilmington, NC 2-7-16
The game looks to be a very competitive match-up. Carolina is led by NFL MVP Cam Newton while Denver is led by future hall of famer Peyton Manning. This game will pit the best offensive team in the league in Carolina versus the best defensive team in the league in Denver. Here is how a comparison of the teams looks.
*Infographic created by Jeffrey Boulden using Microsoft Numbers
Dig & Dive in Wilmington, NC 2-7-16
The Roaring Riot has gained several new members locally this year and hopes to continue to expand into other cities nation wide to bring Panthers fans together and change the culture of the fan base. Membership fees come with discounts on Panther’s gear, game ticket discounts, and group activities. This is a historic year for the club as the Panthers have had their best season ever and new members are signing up daily. The perfect finish to the year would be a Super Bowl victory.
When asked about the Panther’s chances Marcus said, “We got this. This is our year, Cam won’t let us down.”
*Roaring Riot fan club at Dig & Dive in Wilmington, NC 2-7-16
This weekend a massive winter storm attacked the eastern part of the country. Record snowfall amounts and blizzard conditions crippled much of the east coast. The storm’s effects were even felt as far south as here in Wilmington, NC. Saturday’s high temps were around freezing with wind gusts up to thirty miles per hour. On a day like that most people would stay inside and curl up with a book. For others it seemed like a great opportunity to get out and do some paddle boarding.
The 8th annual Cold Stroke Classic paddle board race was held this Saturday morning at the Blockade Runner Hotel and Resort in Wrightsville Beach. The event was sponsored by The Coastal Urge outfitting company, with a portion of the proceeds going to Saint Baldrick’s foundation for cancer research. Paddle boarders from all over the state met to compete for cash, prizes, and bragging rights. The race consisted of a men’s and women’s division with each having a recreational category and an elite category. The recreational racers would complete a three and a half mile course while the elite racers would go seven miles.
Infographic retrieved from www.coldstrokeclassic.com
All races started and ended at the Blockade runner, paddling counter-clockwise around South Harbor Island. The Coast Guard was on hand to pick up any competitors that got too cold to finish. There were a few racers that had to be picked up to get their core temps back to the normal range, but no one was seriously injured.
Ben Roth won the men’s elite division with a time of one hour and twenty-five minutes.“It was probably the best time I have ever done in a seven mile race,” said Ben while warming up after the event.
The top three racers from the elite divisions took home cash prizes, but everyone who raced got a prize donated by sponsors. The awards after party featured draft beer, a live DJ, and warm chili. The Cold Stroke Classic is meant to be difficult, but this year’s conditions were the biggest challenge yet.
“This was probably our coldest, windiest year,” said race coordinator Katie Peters. “Considering everything that could have gone wrong, I think we had a very successful event.”
Paddle boarding is growing in popularity nation wide. It’s a great work out and a good opportunity to get out and explore nature. As the Cold Stroke Classic has proved, it can even be enjoyed year round.
Wilmington is a port city situated at the mouth of the Cape Fear River where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The history of Wilmington is linked to the Cape Fear and all the industries that depend on it for survival. The Cape Fear River provides recreational fishing and boating opportunities as well as the water we drink and the seafood we eat. Since 1993 the Cape Fear River Watch has been dedicated to preserving the health and cleanliness of the river. Cape Fear River Watch is a grassroots, non-profit organization that is dedicated to improving and preserving the health, beauty and cleanliness of the Cape Fear River. They depend heavily on donations to reach their goals. Their biggest fund raising event of the year is the StriperFest Banquet and Auction.
StriperFest’s goal is to raise money to help improve migratory fish populations. The Striped Bass is a highly sought after fish for recreational anglers. It’s numbers are slowly rising due to the efforts of the Cape Fear River Watch to help the fish get past damns and locks to reach it’s spawning grounds.
This year’s event was held Friday night at the Coastline Convention Center in downtown Wilmington. The event featured live music, a catered buffet, beer and wine, raffle drawings, and a live auction. There was also a fishing tournament Saturday where local anglers competed for trophies and prizes. The event was a huge success raising well over 16,000 dollars. Towards the end of the night Cape Fear River Watch’s executive director, Frank Yelverton, addressed the crowd, “This is the biggest StriperFest we have ever had. With your help we will bring back the migratory fish populations.”
Ogden beer and wine store, Fermental, hosted a fundraiser Saturday night to raise money for the construction of an outdoor skateboard park planned for the northern section of Wilmington. Oskar Blues Brewery, who was on site to provide beer tasting and samples, hosted the event.
Local residents have long tried to get the project started but lack of funds has been a constant roadblock. Many in the area view a skate park as a great addition for the youth of the community. The park will give local teens a place to hang out after school and stay out of trouble. It will also provide a healthy outdoor activity to keep kids active. There have been many academic studies that have shown the positive physical and mental health effects of skate parks for a community and the low rate of injuries.
The event started slowly with a few guests trickling in, but really started to pick up once the rain slowed down.
“We had a good turn out and I think we raised a lot of money. As soon as the rain stopped more people came out,” said Fermental manager Steve Gibbs.
The music duo of Chasing Opal provided the night’s musical entertainment, while the Funky Fresh Food Truck was on hand to provide food for hungry attendees. Fermental provided the perfect setting for the event with its cozy atmosphere and eclectic selection of wine and craft beers. The event proved to be a success, and the skate park is one step closer to reality.
The Rally Monkeys and All Sets are Off faced each other Wednesday night to determine who would move on to the finals of the intermediate, B skill level tournament at Dig & Dive in Wilmington, North Carolina.
“Four-man tournament play begins between “Rally Monkeys” and “All Sets are Off” Wednesday, Dec.2, 2015, in Wilmington, NC at Dig & Dive. (Photo by: Jeffrey Boulden)”
Play was hampered most of the evening by a steady drizzle of rain that made things a bit more difficult for the players to get good control. Once the rain tapered off, play improved with some great shots.
“Rally Monkeys” prepares to serve to “All Sets are Off,” Wednesday, Dec.2, 2015, in Wilmington, NC at Dig & Dive. (Photo by: Jeffrey Boulden)”
The Rally Monkeys made great use of their serve the entire night scoring numerous points with hard overhand shots.
“Rally Monkeys” concentrates on returning the serve. Wednesday, Dec.2, 2015, in Wilmington, NC at Dig & Dive. (Photo by: Jeffrey Boulden)”
The Rally Monkeys also did a great job returning serve the entire match. The back line players continually were able to dig the serve so teammates could get under the ball for accurate sets.
“All Sets are Off” goes for the kill shot, Wednesday, Dec.2, 2015, in Wilmington, NC at Dig & Dive. (Photo by: Jeffrey Boulden)”
The kill shots were a big part of the Rally Monkeys success. Most went unblocked and if a defender did attempt the block, the front line players easily poked the ball out of their reach.
“Rally Monkeys” defeat “All Sets are Off” 21-15 21-13 to advance to the tournament finals, Wednesday, Dec.2, 2015, in Wilmington, NC at Dig & Dive. (Photo by: Jeffrey Boulden)”
All Sets are Off kept the score close but in the end fell in defeat 21-15 and 21-13. Their problems returning serve and setting the ball limited their ability to move on to the next round. The tournament will resume next week starting at 6:30 p.m. at Dig & Dive.
Dig & Dive sports bar and volleyball facility will hold a charity volleyball tournament on Saturday October 17, at 9 a.m. The purpose of the tournament is to raise money for Tess. Tess has been diagnosed with leukemia. All proceeds from the tournament will go toward Tess’ medical costs and her family well being.
Cost per team is eighty dollars for a four-man team and fifty dollars for King of The Beach play. Three skill levels will be represented (4C, 4B, and 4BB). Register in person the day of the tournament at 9 a.m. or call Dig & Dive at 910-202-9350.
A cornhole tournament will also be held in conjunction with the volleyball and requires a twenty-dollar buy in. In addition to the volleyball action, there will also be a silent auction, raffle, and live music. Dig & Dive also confirms there will be special food and drink deals for the event.
The Wilmington volleyball scene is a close-knit group and cares deeply about the community. Come out, have fun, and support a good cause for a special little girl. Dig & Dive is located at 3525 Lancelot Lane in Wilmington, North Carolina. For more information, contact Kelly at Kellydiganddive@gmail.com.
The King of The Beach contest continued Friday night at Dig n Dive with four more thrilling matches. This marked week four of the eight-week contest that decides the overall best male volleyball player at Dig n Dive. The players compete in doubles matches and are paired with a different teammate each week. Wins and Losses are earned for each participant and the results are tallied at the end of eight weeks to crown a champion.
The 6:30 matches were Jason V. and Phil W. versus Xavier T. and Kevin B on court number one. Court two pitted John M. and Josh I. versus Chris H. and Nate G. The action continued at 7:30 with Josh I. and Kevin B. versus Chris H. and Phil W on court number one. On court two Xavier T. and Nate G. faced Jason V. and Jon M (Last names of players are not permitted). Jason V., Jon M., Josh I., and Chris H. all got wins tonight and separated themselves from the rest of the competition. This puts them in a four-way tie with four wins apiece. These top players all seem to have a very strong serve that sets them apart from the field. In doubles play a strong serve is even more valuable with the extra space on the court.
Exterior of Dig & Dive in Wilmington, NC.
I got the chance to speak with Kevin B. after his match to get his perspective on the evening. When asked what he most liked about the King of The Beach contest Kevin said, “I enjoy the competition here because you get to play with the best players around.” Kevin B. is one of the older contestants at forty-eight years old. “I’m just glad I can still walk after the night is over. It’s tough trying to keep up with these young guys,” said Kevin. When asked what he thought was the key to doing well in the King of The Beach format Kevin said, “You have to be adaptable to play with different styles of players on your team. You need to be comfortable with the right side or the left side and communicate with your teammate.”
Dig & Dive Sign welcomes players in Wilmington, NC.
The King of The Beach contest always brings out a big crowd every Friday night. This night was no exception. Dig n Dive’s facilities manager is Nakia T. She has been with the company for two years and was excited to see great turn out for the event. “Tonight we had about three hundred and seventy five people show up. We always get really busy for the King of The Beach. Everyone just loves to see the best players compete,” said Nakia. Dig n Dive on a Friday night for King of The Beach is a party atmosphere. Everyone was cheering and shouting words of encouragement to the players. The crowd was a mix of friends and families of the players as well as spectators just looking to have a beer and see some great volleyball action.
The Dig & Dive sand courts lit up for night time play.
Next week is shaping up to be a turning point in the contest. With four players all tied for first place the competition is sure to be fierce. Cash prizes as well as a trophy are on the line as we start the second half of the contest next week. As always, the action will start next Friday at Dig n Dive at 6:30.
*All photos and videos taken by Jeffrey M. Boulden
The Dig & Dive fall tournament series continues this Saturday September 12th, with a triples tournament. Tournament play begins at 2p.m., registration starts at 1p.m. Dig & Dive sports bar and volleyball facility is located at 3525 Lancelot Lane in Wilmington, North Carolina. Besides the exciting volleyball action, the event will also feature prize drawings, giveaways, and live music. Dig & Dive offers a full menu and bar.
The tournament offers competition regardless of your skill level (A, B, and C will be represented). Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes. There will be a sixty-dollar entry fee per team. Tiffany Gainey, head referee at Dig n Dive, advises that, “All games will be played on a doubles court.”
Registration for the tournament will fill up fast so be sure to arrive early. Gainey sums it up by saying, “Come out, have fun, win prizes, and drink beer!” For more information about Dig n Dive or the triples tournament please call 910-202-9350.
