Latest news with #DixieCup
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Relying on teamwork, Naval Academy plebes conquer a 75-year tradition
May 14 (UPI) -- A lard-covered obelisk is more than a slippery slope for U.S. Naval Academy plebes, who view it as a rite of passage that changes them into midshipmen. Dozens of freshmen who are called "plebes" were tasked with climbing the 21-foot-tall Herndon Monument on Wednesday, with the mission being to replace a cap placed on top to mark the end of their first year at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. They accomplished the feat in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 31 seconds by using the kind of teamwork that is required to effectively operate vessels on the high seas like the U.S. Navy has done for almost 250 years, and as it today carries out missions on land and in the air, as well. The annual climb is a 75-year tradition that started in 1950 and scales the monument to Commander William Lewis Herndon, who went down with his ship when a hurricane sank it in 1857. The climb requires Naval Academy plebes to scale the obelisk after it has been covered with 200 pounds of lard, remove a "Dixie cup" placed on top and replace it with the hat of an upperclassman. The Dixie cup is not a reference to the paper cup that often is used at water dispensers. Instead, it is a reference to the "low-rolled brim, high-domed item constructed of canvas" cap that was created in 1886 and has represented the U.S. Navy throughout the 20th century and beyond. The Dixie cup cap is featured in the iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in New York City's Times Square on Victory over Japan Day in 1945. It also was featured in many classic films and was worn by the S.S. Minnow's first mate Gilligan on television's "Gilligan's Island." Members of the Naval Academy's class of 2028 successfully undertook the task of replacing the Dixie Cup with the upperclassman's hat. The 2028 class has about 1,187 plebes, who now are referred to as "midshipmen" upon their completion of the annual rite of passage.
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Golf Influencer Grace Charis Launches Dialed Golf
courtesy photo courtesy photo If you're dialed in both to professional golf and what's happening on social media, you may be familiar with Grace Charis. Ever since she fell in love with golf five years ago, she's been on a trajectory as one of the fastest-rising stars in golf's social media landscape. The southern California native, who refers to herself on social media simply as 'your favorite golf girl,' picked up golf during the COVID-19 pandemic and began posting her exploits on all of her social media accounts. But what began as fun on social media quickly grew an enormous following, to the tune of 3.7 million followers on Instagram, as well as 3 million on TikTok and 1.5 million on YouTube. Eventually, as interest in golf-related content soared, especially on TikTok, her following became big enough that she was able to use it to raise money for college. But Charis says that while she's become more than a scratch golfer, she wrestles with the same self-competition and drive toward improvement as any avid golfer. 'I struggled really hard with the driver early on but worked really hard to make that a key skill. But I think I'm best at golf off the tee,' Charis said during our Zoom chat in late March. Currently, Charis said she plays five rounds of golf a week and just attended the PGA Tour's Player's Cup, both to get a feel for the course and to cover the event on her socials. Covering world-class competitive golf up close, she said, makes a golfer like her want to accelerate her skillset. 'I feel like more recently it's been on the greens," Charis said that has given her the most trouble. 'Putting is on and off. But (both) are part of your routine.' As with most who frequent the course, Charis looks to some of the top players for influence on her form. One of her favorite pros is Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland, currently the world's No. 9 ranked player in the men's game. But in our conversation we got to talking about longtime standout Lexi Thompson. 'Lexi just recently retired, which is kind of a bummer. I actually played an event in Florida recently, the Dixie Cup, at Eagle Trace, near where she's from,' Charis noted. 'She's super athletic, and that (along with) seeing where she grew up and the conditions, it's no wonder why she's so good.' Charis, like Thompson and the best of the field, also has her own fitness routine built around golf, although she said she's not a "gym rat.' 'I do like a couple of workouts, but I don't feel I have to be a certain size or anything. I just try to stay in shape. I think a lot of it is technique, and just overall fitness and stamina have been a big thing. Especially when you are walking 18 holes and (doing) tournaments or two days of 36.' While stamina isn't perhaps as hard for a 24-year-old accustomed to playing golf nearly every day, Charis admits that there are some physical aspects every golfer can work on in order to raise their level of play. 'Glutes are very important in the golf swing, just being able to fire them (up). I surf as well, which I think keeps you engaged, as you always have to be looking at the next wave and, like golf, be engaged with your surroundings.' In accordance with her love of the game, Charis decided to expand her activities beyond playing often and sharing her journey on social media. Just this week Charis launched her new golf-inspired apparel line, called Dialed Golf. Charis said that she thinks of golf not just as a game but as something of a universal language that she thinks unites people from different worlds and different backgrounds. As such, she said that Dialed Golf was launched as an innovative apparel brand designed for golfers who seek adventure, connection, and personal growth on and off the course. Dialed Golf's line offers a different take on popular golf items, such as golf shirts, hoodies, hats, and on-the-course accessories like ball markers and tees. But the line also reflects Charis's easygoing nature and sense of humor, shown in the line's fun 'Walk It Off' t-shirt. 'Golf is more than a sport; it's a way to see the world, meet new people, and push yourself to new limits." She added, 'With Dialed Golf, we're creating apparel that represents that mindset—gear that's functional, stylish, and made for those who want to experience everything golf has to offer.'
