Things to Do in Madison

Wisconsin Canoe came about as a means for a couple of college kids to continue avoiding the real world (stay in the real world?) just a little bit longer by offering canoe and kayak rentals on the Lower Wisconsin River, approximately 35 minutes west of Madison.

For the last eight years, the highly trained, experienced instructors Deborah and Eric Gillitzer have helped students of all skill levels turn woeful wiggles into sophisticated shimmies just in time for weddings, dance competitions, and Friday nights with the house to yourself. Offering classes for adults in a wide variety of popular styles, Dance on Air will help you realize schedule sports month-long group classes in nightclub dance, beginning cha cha, and more. Each four-week class meets once a week for 45–55 minutes, generally in the early evening or around lunchtime, adding savory spice to any unseasoned day planner.

The tough-as-nails ladies in the Mad Rollin' Dolls roller-derby league wow audiences with equal parts strength, speed, and glitter. Since their first season in 2005, skaters and MRD volunteers alike have donated their blood, sweat, and tears to the sport that promotes female athleticism and team spirit in a fun, competitive atmosphere. During the 30-minute bouts, fans cheer and sneer as the jammers attempt to lap the opposing team for points, and the blockers clear the way for their mates while putting the hurt on those who try to stop them. The season's schedule culminates in a championship match, in which the two mightiest teams battle for the title and a lifetime supply of solid-gold mouth guards.

Since the team is committed to supporting their community, a portion of the proceeds from each Mad Rollin' Dolls bout goes to various charities, which in the past have included Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, Alliance for Animals, and Badger Childhood Cancer Network.

The Madison Mallards take to the diamond each summer for three months of collegiate baseball, gathering players from across the country as they hone their skills for a shot at the pros. The Mallards took home a Northwoods League championship in 2004, cheered on by some of the most devout and rowdy fans in the league. In 2012 the team set a collegiate attendance record, drawing more than 217,000 fans.

All of Badgerland Bowling Centers' six locations have a lot in common. At each location, groups hurtle colorful balls down slick, glossy lanes, refueling at an onsite restaurant between matches. All of the alleys host birthday, work, and fundraising parties and tournaments such as the Badgerland Bowling 300 Club—which has doled out more than $35,000 in cash prizes since 2002—and the Badgerland Open, which welcomed 113 competitors in 2011, one of whom snagged a grand prize of $500 and 1,000 bragging rights.

But like sextuplets working undercover for the CIA, each center also maintains a unique identity. At Badger Bowl in Madison, live music floods the lanes on weekends, and dancers jump and jive on West Coast Swing nights on Wednesday. Nearby at Dream Lanes, laser and disco lights slice through fog amid thundering music during Ultra Bowling every Friday and Saturday evening.

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