Newsletter 5-20-99

WINDFEST THIS WEEKEND
WindFest Hood River '99, sponsored by WindSurfing Magazine, brings to the
Columbia River Gorge a
season kickoff to welcome early season visitors to the Gorge. (WELCOME,
CANADIANS!) To do this,
a "beach party" theme has been organized offering many free participation
options: free new equipment demos, free tech talks, free lessons, and high
energy entertainment designed to integrate outdoor water sport enthusiasts
and community businesses.

Action kicks off Friday night with a Block Party in Hood River.

During the day on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, the American Windsurfing
Industry Association
(AWIA) hosts a gathering of windsurfing and other recreational companies at
the Hood River Event Site. Manufacturers will be presenting products to view
and a variety of water sport equipment to test. Free water sport lessons,
racing, a chili cookout, and other free participation events will be offered.

On Saturday night the evening will come alive at the Pray for Wind Party '99
with the big band swing and comedy sounds that are now captivating
cross-generation audiences around the country. The Columbia Gorge
Windsurfing Association (CGWA) will host Pepe and the Bottle Blondes!

Pepe and the Bottle Blondes are a 12-piece Latin swing band that brings back
the copacabana style of the 1950's.

RRD AND EZZY DEMOS BY SWISS SWELL (The new board rental outfit next to Windance)
Check out the full line of boards at the Event Site on Saturday. They will
have some demos on Saturday to try out, or you can rent a board or sail from
them anytime, and apply the money spent towards a purchase at Windance!
(some restrictions apply).

WINDANCE SWAP MEET
The Victoria day Swap meet has always been the biggest one of the three that
we host. This year it falls on the same weekend as WindFest there will be a
lot of people in town.

Sellers should arrive at Windance from 7:00AM to 8:00AM, The fee to sell is
$10.00 per vehicle. If you are a buyer, or are just coming by to check it
out, admission is free. Please follow the directions on the signs that we
put up, so we can continue having these swap meets.

SWAP MEET BUYER PARKING TIP!!!
If you are a buyer (browser), one of the best and least used parking
locations for the swap meet is down by the Hood River (the river, not the
town), and then there is a short pathway up to the back of the Windance
parking lot.
To get there: At the bottom of Hwy 35 (below Windance), Turn onto Dock Rd.
Follow this road to the end: It will take you under the overpass, to the
Hood River, and then under the train bridge. Once there, you can park, and
walk up the trail to the Swap Meet.

GORGE GAMES CANCELED FOR 1999
(a letter from Peg Lalor)
"With much regret I must inform you that the 1999 Gorge Games have been
CANCELED due to a shortage in Corporate Sponsorship. We are presently
working to garner support for 2000 in an effort to keep the spirit in the
Games. Our web site will be updated in the next few days.

In the mean time we are very pleased to be a stop on the 10 city US Tour of
the X-Terra (off road Triathlon) Regional Championships on Aug 13-15th. All
information on this event including on line registration will be on the
Gorge Games web site (www.gorgegames.com) by May 1st. This promises to be a
great weekend of fun things to do, long & short course as well as team
categories.

Thanks again for your interest and past support and we look forward to
seeing you at the X-Terra and we hope that corporate America will discover
the Gorge Games before too late.

Best regards,
Peg Lalor"

THE "NO GAMES"
After word got out that the Gorge Games was CANCELED, many of the
competitors, and organizers of the different venues got together and are
going to put on a scaled back, fun event with many of the different sports
that the Gorge Games offered. This "NO GAMES" event was the brainchild of
Eric Sanford, who organized a similar event after the Gorge Pro-Am was
CANCELED in the 80's.

For information on the "NO GAMES", you can go to the GORGE GAMES website at
www.gorgegames.com

============================================


Newsletter 5-2-99

Hello Sailors,

Well, The Columbia River water temperature is now 52 degrees! Wednesday
afternoon was a great day of sailing, with about 30-40 people out at the
Hatchery.

WINDANCE VICTORIA DAY SWAP MEET SUNDAY, MAY 23:
This is the biggest of our swap meets, and should be a lot of fun. Please do
your best to follow the directions on the signs that we put out, so we can
continue to hold these swap meets. If you want to sell some gear, be sure
to arrive around 7:00 AM to ensure a parking spot to sell your gear. Buying
or browsing is from 8:00 to about noon, depending on the weather.
Also that weekend is WINDFEST, which is sponsored by Windsurfing
Magazine. There are events back to back starting at 6:00 PM on Friday, May
21st with the downtown Street Party at 1st and Oak (sponsored by Gorge Surf
House, Cascade Adventure Center, Sailworld and Big Winds). For more
information, you can look on the web at
http://www.windance.com/news/windfest.htm


JOSH ANGULO WINS THE DAKINE CONTEST ON MAUI ON A STOCK RRD!
For the first time ever, a major wave contest on Maui was won on a
production board (an RRD).
The Ezzy team boasted impressive results at the Dakine Hawaiian
Pro-Am at Hookipa in April. Josh Angulo dominated the windy conditions and
took 1st.
Sean Aiken took 4th. In the men's
amateurs, the action was intense, with new hotshot Jesse Brown clenching
4th in a close battle.
Roberto Ricci Designs were a popular board at the contest as well, with
Josh Angulo taking the prize on a stock 250cm RRD Wave. After the contest,
Roberto Ricci Designs signed Jesse Brown to the team.

RRD BOARDS ARE IN!
The wait is over! Hood River was buzzing on Wednesday morning when the
first container of RRD Boards arrived, The boards look great! We are
excited to get our first customers out on the water and to hear them rave.
Some comments we have received so far on the boards include:
"It's the first time in two years that I have sailed the Gorge and I didn't
notice the board-I just sailed!". "Jibes like a dream". "Expect to get huge
air". "They have awesome upwind performance". "Wow! Fast!". The full line
up is on show at Windance and the boards are available for demo. The wind is
starting to blow-watch out for the reviews in Windsurfing magazine.

CGWA WORK PARTY:
For those of you who have worked on a CGWA work party, you know how
satisfying it is. It also makes a huge difference on the sailing access
points in the Gorge.

The next work parties are as follows:

May 1st Hood River Event Site
Saturday, 9:00 am.
Working under the direction of Rob Arnold, Port of Hood River, CGWA will
trim around trees planted by CGWA; clean up trash and other debris; weed
west end along Luhr Jensen property line; construct large sand box.
Site Liaisons: Glen Haack and Tom Brubaker

May 8th Spring Creek Fish Hatchery
Saturday, 9am.
Bring: gardening tools, gloves. Working under the direction of Ed LaMotte,
Spring Creek Fish Hatchery. Trash and debris cleanup;
Knappweed removal -- again.
Site Liaison: Patrick Quigley

WINDANCE/EZZY SPONSORS YOUTH WINDSURFING AROUND THE U.S.:
One of Windance/Ezzy's goals is to get more kids into positive things like
windsurfing. Last year, we worked with the CGWA and donated the use of 22
brand new Ezzy sails. With these sails, they taught about 300 youth who
wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to learn to windsurf.
This year, we decided to expand this program into other areas of the
country. One of the criteria we have is that the programs that we support
charge very little or nothing for kids to become involved.

Here are some of groups to whom we are donating new Ezzy sails:


Cal Sailing Club - Berkeley, CA
The Cal Sailing Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational, entirely
volunteer-based organization, which offers sailing and lessons in the Bay
area. Their goal is "to reach the broadest range of community members as
possible, and to make available to them the special enjoyment of water
sports, which are normally considered reserved for the wealthy." Two
beginner lessons are taught every Saturday morning during the entire year.
Their volunteer base allows them to offer memberships at a fraction of the
cost of most other sailing schools in the area. Week long clinics are also
run during peak season.

Muncie Police Athletic League (P.A.L.) - Muncie, IN
This group is dedicated to keeping kids off the streets and on the water.
Much of the equipment and cost has been paid for by the Muncie Police
Department in the past, but recently budget restraints have led to no more
funding for the program. Scotty Snoddy , the originator of the group, has
decided to take the program under his wing and find ways to fund it himself.
He even drives kids to events to give them the thrill of competition and
sailing in a different location. Windance/Ezzy is proud to be able to help
out such a dedicated program. Go Get'em Scotty!

Rocky Mountain Windsurfing Association - Denver, CO
The RMWA has 250 plus members and they sponsor 14 events within the year.
They are sending five of their members this year to Corpus Christi to get
their USWA Instructors Certification. They hold a course in the Spring
called Windsurfing 101 and this year they are introducing Windsurfing For
Kids 101. They are committed to encouraging new people into the sport with
a special emphasis on women and families.

The Nantucket Windsurfing Association - Nantucket Island, MA
The NWA is a non-profit association that specializes in instruction of
windsurfing and sailing. They have certified instructors that teach all
levels of sailing to their members. Their antiquated collection of
windsurfing equipment will soon be upgraded to a fleet of Ezzy's.

Boeing Windsurfing Club - Seattle, WA
This club is an employee/retiree recreational club and is a registered
non-profit corporation. It boasts a membership of 150 sailors and continues
to grow as they get new people interested in the sport. They host weekly
instructional sailing for beginners at Lake Washington park during the
summer. They have about 20 students per week and 6 instructors. Some
members even give up their time weekly to give free "on the water" instruction.

See you on the water.
-Brian Carlstrom
============================================


Newsletter 3-24-99

Hello Sailors,

NEWS FROM THE GORGE:

RRD SNEAK PREVIEW PARTY AT WINDANCE:

***on Saturday, March 27th, Windance will be unveiling the new Roberto Ricci
Design Sailboards into the U.S. market. These boards are very unique
designs that are the craze in Europe and along the North Shore of Maui.
Come by Windance from 4pm to 7pm for refreshments, and have a look. We will
also be showing the new "CHARGE" video.

MARINA BUILDING PUT ON HOLD:

At the last Port of Hood River meeting, the commissioners discussed
the Marina concession building issue at length.

Scotty Freeman (Gorge Surf House), Brian Robb, Diane Barkheimer
(CGWA), and myself attended the meeting and spoke against the concession
building in that location. Your letters and a letter from the CGWA also
probably had an effect in changing the attitude of the commission (and
delaying the building construction).

After listening to the above speakers, all the port commissioners
seemed to agree that they should wait on construction. They instructed port
staff to try to get a 6 month extention on the $50,000 grant, which
currently expires the end of June, from the Regional Strategies Board
(Mt.Hood Economic Alliance). That grant was to be used along with $75,00 -
85,000 to begin construction of the concession building.

One Port Commissioner said something about delaying construction
until the fall. Another observed that the building probably couldn't be
built by Memorial Day, the target date. Greg Baker (Port Director) suggested
simply putting the Memorial Day deadline in the bid documents. There was
also some form of promise that the CGWA and the public would be consulted to
consider changes.

Unfortunately, there was no vote to clear up what the commissioners
were thinking, but they did state that there was a "consensus amongst the
commissioners". My interpretation of what this consensus was was to put the
project on hold, and not to spend any more money on it until they hear more
comments.

It appears the building will be delayed.

CGWA WORK PARTY:

First work party of 1999----Stevenson East Point
Saturday----March 27th----9am
Spring Cleanup---Reseed area
Bring gloves and appropriate tools
Contact: Jonny Davies at 509-427-8113 or CGWA
Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association
Phone: 541-386-9225 Fax: 541-386-2783
E-mail: cgwa@gorge.net
Web Site: http://www.gorge.net/windsurf/cgwa


See you on the water.
-Brian Carlstrom


Newsletter 3-19-99

Hello sailors,                                                                  March 19, 1999

Spring is almost here, and there have even been a few sightings of sailors
at the Hatchery. We have had a couple 4.2 Westerly days and I am psyched to
get out there on the water. I have even dusted off my gear, and (almost)
loaded it onto my truck.

HERE IS A BIT OF NEWS FROM HOOD RIVER

ELECTION UPDATE:

Hood River has voted in new port commissioners! Yahoo! They will take office
on July 1st, 1999.
For position #3, we elected Bill Lyons (incumbent) over Chris Kelly.
For position #4, we elected Peggy Lalor over Bill Baker (incumbent).
For position #5, we elected Bob Nichols over Don Clark (incumbent), and Paul
Zastrow.

I am looking forward to some positive changes at the port.

PORT OF HOOD RIVER NEWS:

The Port of Hood River is planning on constructing a large building on the
grassy rigging area of the Hood River Marina Sailpark. This major building
project has just come to my attention without any public meetings, or public
input. They hope to have it built before Memorial Day! Here are some of the
statistics that I got from the Port:

The footprint of the building will be 55' by 55', two levels, and the height
will be 25'.

The location of the structure is to be on the North side of the rigging area
at the Marina Sailpark.

The concessionaires who will occupy this building are all recreation related.

The building will cost between $125,000 to $135,000 dollars, of which
$50,000 is "grant" money.

I have a few problems with this proposal:

1. Whatever happened to the moratorium on buildings at the Marina?
2. Why is the Port spending public money on moving existing businesses that
are already thriving at the marina in less obtrusive buildings?
3.Aren't rest rooms at the Event Site (or at the Hook) more of a priority?

I don't think this is in the best interest of Hood River as this will
eliminate a very valuable rigging area, and will make the Marina Sailpark
much more of a commercial area. If you want to share your opinions with the
powers that be, here are a few email addresses:

Port Commissioners that made the decision to build this building (in office
until July 1, 1999):

Bill Lyons <lyons@gorge.net>
Don Hosford <adeline@linkport.com>
Bill Baker <downmanor@gorge.net>
Nancy Moller <nancy_moller@class.orednet.org>
Don Clark (no email)

New Port Commissioners (they start on July 1, 1999)

Bill Lyons <lyons@gorge.net>
Don Hosford <adeline@linkport.com>
Peggy Lalor <Pegola@gorgegames.com>
Nancy Moller <nancy_moller@class.orednet.org>
Bob Nichols <unknown email>

If you send an Email to the Hood River City, Please address it to the
council members.
City of Hood River <cohr@gorge.net>

To send a letter to the Hood River News, you can send it to
<HRNews@eaglenewspapers.com>. A letter to the News needs to be individually
addressed (not cc'ed).

DOUG'S BEACH

In other news, Doug's Beach, which was slated for closure last year because
of Washington State budget problems, will remain open.

Unrelated to the State Park issue above, there were some concerns regarding
Burlington Northern putting in an additional railroad track at Doug's. I
spoke to the project manager Jack Gossett at the Army Corp. of Engineers,
and he says the double track won't be right at Doug's as originally planned.
It will be more to the West. Work on this project probably won't start this
Summer, but it might. We will see an increase in train traffic with the
extra siding to the West, so be sure to use the official crossing, and obey
the signals. We need to maintain a positive relationship with Burlington
Northern.

WINDANCE IS YOUR BOARD CENTER!

Windance has lined up a full line of boards for this coming year. We will
be stocking more boards than ever, with RRD, BIC, HIFLY, and of course,
WINDANCE boards.
RRD is our high end board with 16 models ranging from $1195 to $1550,
BIC is our mid range board with 10 models (that we stock) ranging from $899.
to $1099.
HIFLY is our price point board ranging from $599. to $799.
WINDANCE glass boards are also available for $895.

You can check all these out at:
http://www.windance.com/windstore/newboards.htm

Here is the SWAP MEET schedule for the Spring:
April 18th, 1999
May 23rd, 1999
June 20th, 1999

See you there, or on the water.
Brian Carlstrom



Newsletter 2-18-99

Hi everyone,

Well, Spring is almost here, and Windance is gearing up for a great "La
Nina" season. I am told that 1984 was a "La Nina" year and that was the
year that made the Gorge famous. Let's hope for another great year!

Here at Windance we have been very busy. We totally revamped our website to
facilitate navigation. We also added a complete guide to the Gorge with
pictures of virtually all of the sailing sites.

Our on-line "Virtual Swap Meet" has become one of our most popular areas of
our website. Anyone can place free ads there to find a place to live, sell
a board, or look for a lost and found item. It is a way for our customers
to communicate with each other.

RRD BOARDS
One of the most popular boards on Maui; with team riders like Anders
Bringdal, Josh Angulo, and Robby Seeger; will be available soon from
Windance. We are now the US distributor for RRD boards, and will be
receiving our first container in mid April. To get a sneak preview, you can
check them out on-line at http://www.rrd.it
Also, if you want to get on the waiting list for one of these great boards,
let us know here at Windance. We are offering a special $100. off on orders
placed before March 15th.


NEWS FROM HOOD RIVER

PORT COMMISSIONERS UP FOR ELECTION
Once again we have an oppurtunity to make some changes in the political
scene in Hood River. There are three port commission positions up for grabs
(out of five). This mail-in election hopefully will turn the Port of Hood
River in a more positive direction.

Position #3 has two candidates: Bill Lyons (the incumbent) against CHRIS
KELLY (manager of Sail World). My vote will be for Chris, as I believe he
will make some long overdue changes in the Port of Hood River.

Position #4 also has two candidates: Bill Baker (the current commission
president) and PEGGY LALOR. Peggy started the Gorge Games, and is my
choice
for Position #4. Having known Peggy for over 15 years, I believe if she
wins this election, it could have a massively positive impact on Hood River.

Position #5 has three candidates: Don Clark (the incumbent), Bob Nichols
(presently trying to sell Nichol's Boat Works located on the waterfront),
and Paul Zastrow. My choice is PAUL ZASTROW, as he seems to have a similar
vision for the future of Hood River as I do. He wants to see the
commissioners directing the staff more as opposed to the other way around.
He favors open space and river access on the waterfront.

I believe that if we elect Chris Kelly, Peggy Lalor, and Paul Zastrow to the
port commission, we will see some of the biggest positive changes that Hood
River has seen in years.

CASINO IN HOOD RIVER?
The county finished conducting their survey of residents, and found an
overwhelming majority did NOT want a casino in the county of Hood River.
Cascade Locks also conducted a survey regarding a casino within their city
limits. The majority of these respondents supported the idea of a casino.
Governor Kitzhaber stated that he does not support a casino on non-tribal
lands in Cascade Locks. We haven't heard from the people who want to build
the casino lately, so the issue remains in limbo. There is still the
possibility of the Warm Springs tribe building a casino on land that they
already own located on the linear park to the east of Hood River.

Take Care, and see you on the water!
Brian