Monday, April 10, 2006
What a Rowing Regatta Looks Like from the Main Beach
These are the spectators after the women's race Sunday was completed. They were considerably more animated while it was taking place. It was won by a Chicago team.
(If you would like to read my main story on the regatta, click here.)
Below is what a typical rowing race looks like from the vantage point of Crystal Lake's Main Beach.
If you plan to watch the Gay Games race from the Main Beach I would strongly advise that you bring binoculars.
These photos were taken with a telephoto lens, although not the type that professional would use.
The end of the race is the fifth photo from the bottom.
(If you would like to read my main story on the regatta, click here.)
Below is what a typical rowing race looks like from the vantage point of Crystal Lake's Main Beach.
If you plan to watch the Gay Games race from the Main Beach I would strongly advise that you bring binoculars.
These photos were taken with a telephoto lens, although not the type that professional would use.
The end of the race is the fifth photo from the bottom.
Labels: Crystal Lake, Rowing Regatta
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Cal -
It was some sight to see the pickup trucks hauling the shells up and down Randall road to and from the race.
Tough issue. It will get Crystal Lake a lot of attention and publicity. Probably same kind the Kobi Bryant trial got the Colorado ski town...
And the ace will be smack dab in the middle of the summer season..not like this one, which had minimal intrusion on local residents use of the lake, etc..
Tough issue...
I always wondered why Gays needed thier own games? Are they telling me they could not have competed out there this weekend? Do they race differently?
And I won't even ask if the council would approve a Straight Persons Games if I tried to hold one....
It was some sight to see the pickup trucks hauling the shells up and down Randall road to and from the race.
Tough issue. It will get Crystal Lake a lot of attention and publicity. Probably same kind the Kobi Bryant trial got the Colorado ski town...
And the ace will be smack dab in the middle of the summer season..not like this one, which had minimal intrusion on local residents use of the lake, etc..
Tough issue...
I always wondered why Gays needed thier own games? Are they telling me they could not have competed out there this weekend? Do they race differently?
And I won't even ask if the council would approve a Straight Persons Games if I tried to hold one....
Nice comparison-- rape trial to a sporting event. I'm sure there are a number of parallels that can be drawn there. :\
You probably aren't aware of this, but some local-yokel drove by the GCJRC on Saturday and shouted obscenities at the kids. Apparently they thought that the Juniors were the Gay Games.
It brings into stark relief the prejudice and hatred that people harbor and how it blinds them.
Tell me, would it make a difference if it were any other group then the Gay community? With Chicago making a bid for the Olympics, Crystal Lake has already been approached as a possible spot. Will there be as much venom spewed over that? I would wager that given the number of people involved the Olympics that there likely are gay people involved in the Olympics. Should it be kept out of Crystal Lake because there *might* be gay people?
Where do you draw the line?
Of course, people like to forget that it's actually illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation in Illinois. They don't want to be bothered with facts or laws.
The truth here is that Crystal Lake would gain from having events like the Gay Games or the Olympics, but the few bad apples in the community are going to embarass the rest in the process and possible cost us the opportunity.
You probably aren't aware of this, but some local-yokel drove by the GCJRC on Saturday and shouted obscenities at the kids. Apparently they thought that the Juniors were the Gay Games.
It brings into stark relief the prejudice and hatred that people harbor and how it blinds them.
Tell me, would it make a difference if it were any other group then the Gay community? With Chicago making a bid for the Olympics, Crystal Lake has already been approached as a possible spot. Will there be as much venom spewed over that? I would wager that given the number of people involved the Olympics that there likely are gay people involved in the Olympics. Should it be kept out of Crystal Lake because there *might* be gay people?
Where do you draw the line?
Of course, people like to forget that it's actually illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation in Illinois. They don't want to be bothered with facts or laws.
The truth here is that Crystal Lake would gain from having events like the Gay Games or the Olympics, but the few bad apples in the community are going to embarass the rest in the process and possible cost us the opportunity.
If you are interested in my comments on the proposal to bring the Olympics to Crystal Lake, check this Jan. 29th story out:
http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2006/01/olympic-rowing-in-crystal-lake.html
The short of it is that Crystal Lake is too short. The rowing club spokesman suggested lengthening it.
Unlike the Associated Press, which said that Crystal Lake was a man-made lake in its nationally distributed story the day before the Crystal Lake City Council voted 6-1 to allow the Gay Games, Crystal Lake is a glacial lake.
If you think the fight over bringing the Gay Games to Crystal Lake was intense, imagine the uproar over ruining the natural resource after which the city is named.
http://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2006/01/olympic-rowing-in-crystal-lake.html
The short of it is that Crystal Lake is too short. The rowing club spokesman suggested lengthening it.
Unlike the Associated Press, which said that Crystal Lake was a man-made lake in its nationally distributed story the day before the Crystal Lake City Council voted 6-1 to allow the Gay Games, Crystal Lake is a glacial lake.
If you think the fight over bringing the Gay Games to Crystal Lake was intense, imagine the uproar over ruining the natural resource after which the city is named.
You are correct that the lake is too short. About 200 or so meters. However, that is not out of scope for the Olympics. Although, this is off-track of my point about arbitrary discrimination, the Olympics have built entire 2000 meter courses in past. Extending the shore, is a possibility, albeit perhaps not a popular one. I would maintain, however, the pushback would be far less than the hated that we've seen from our fair city over the Gay Games.
The flap that has ensued has done nothing but reaffirm the rest of the Chicagoland areas misconceptions that Crystal Lake is a backward town in the middle of nowhere. This all despite the fact that that is not the case. It's very disappointing.
The flap that has ensued has done nothing but reaffirm the rest of the Chicagoland areas misconceptions that Crystal Lake is a backward town in the middle of nowhere. This all despite the fact that that is not the case. It's very disappointing.
Forunately, it's not my decision. It's the decision of either a) the residents on the one side or b) the Park District on the other.
So of those two, who do you think is likely to allow expansion if enough money is waved?
Keep in mind, my initial comment was toward monelson's. I suspect that his may have been a fire-and-forget, so I don't expect a response.
To the thread you are taking on this, I'm not saying it's great idea, but from your wording one could glean that you do not consider expansion of a shore line accepatable. That's a fair position. I think the idea should be entertained if it does happen that Chicago nabs the Olympic bid. It's not as though the shore line hasn't already been cemented across a fair percentage of Lakewoode (likely due to the over usage by powerboats. More wake == more erosion.) So, I think that "preservation" arguement would need to do better if it were to be used to block pushing the Main Beach shorelie back, for example.
With anything like this, however, due diligence needs to be done to understand the environmental impact of that kind of change.
So of those two, who do you think is likely to allow expansion if enough money is waved?
Keep in mind, my initial comment was toward monelson's. I suspect that his may have been a fire-and-forget, so I don't expect a response.
To the thread you are taking on this, I'm not saying it's great idea, but from your wording one could glean that you do not consider expansion of a shore line accepatable. That's a fair position. I think the idea should be entertained if it does happen that Chicago nabs the Olympic bid. It's not as though the shore line hasn't already been cemented across a fair percentage of Lakewoode (likely due to the over usage by powerboats. More wake == more erosion.) So, I think that "preservation" arguement would need to do better if it were to be used to block pushing the Main Beach shorelie back, for example.
With anything like this, however, due diligence needs to be done to understand the environmental impact of that kind of change.
esgwerg
You miss my point and I appologize for my tardiness in replying.
First.. the Olympics is never coming to Crystall Lake. Quit throwing that one out there. yes, the lake can accomodate a 2000 metre course, the amount of space available for an Olympic venue otherwise is not available. An area four to six times the current parking area would be required to accomodate the teams, craft and officials (not house them, just provide space for team and officials operations). The media would require a grandstand of significant proportion adjacent to the start and finish lines as well as support areas to broadcast from. Spectator grandstands to accomodate at least 5,000 people would need to be sited. One last thought, the space is inadequate to accomodate training that ocurrs during the weeks leading up to the games. Eah of these accomodations would mean removing existing housing on and near the lake.
Expand the lake, build a parking lot for the team trailers, officials trailers, press trailers, Olympic food venues for feeding the atheletes, widen streets and roads to accomodate busses (for spectators and atheletes) and emergency vehile egress, build grand stands...how many houses you going to have to knock down? And remeber, it all has to be ready a year prior so they can have test events. Anybody want to sell that idea door to door around the lake?
The idea of an Olympic in Crystal lake is not feasible. As they learned in Athens, it is easier to build a new site. Dig a big ditch 3000 metres long by some 500 meters wide. Site it to avoid winds that effect world records. Establish it were it has low impact. The idea of expanding the lake at Stone Mountian Park for the Atlanta Olympics was tossed around.. and abandonded. The environmental impact study (not to mention the cost) was expected to take three years and be litigated for another five).
As for the rape trial analogy, it is a good one. Do you think a great deal of people wanted some outside influence coming in and making a large controversy and attention to thier community that may not be all positive? Like it or not, the GLRF exists to "to support rowers facing homophobia". The fact that they have to exist, suggests the issue is controversial. Niether the citizens of that Colorado town, nor I suspect the citizens of Crystal lake want the attention from a controversial subject. The analogy is fair.
As for any other group, I suggest Cal and his nieghbors would be as upset. I do not think they would want the Olympics to invade thier lake for the same reason they don't want this. Giving up the few days we get in the summer to enjoy the lake, much less weekend time in July is not something to be sought.
You miss my point and I appologize for my tardiness in replying.
First.. the Olympics is never coming to Crystall Lake. Quit throwing that one out there. yes, the lake can accomodate a 2000 metre course, the amount of space available for an Olympic venue otherwise is not available. An area four to six times the current parking area would be required to accomodate the teams, craft and officials (not house them, just provide space for team and officials operations). The media would require a grandstand of significant proportion adjacent to the start and finish lines as well as support areas to broadcast from. Spectator grandstands to accomodate at least 5,000 people would need to be sited. One last thought, the space is inadequate to accomodate training that ocurrs during the weeks leading up to the games. Eah of these accomodations would mean removing existing housing on and near the lake.
Expand the lake, build a parking lot for the team trailers, officials trailers, press trailers, Olympic food venues for feeding the atheletes, widen streets and roads to accomodate busses (for spectators and atheletes) and emergency vehile egress, build grand stands...how many houses you going to have to knock down? And remeber, it all has to be ready a year prior so they can have test events. Anybody want to sell that idea door to door around the lake?
The idea of an Olympic in Crystal lake is not feasible. As they learned in Athens, it is easier to build a new site. Dig a big ditch 3000 metres long by some 500 meters wide. Site it to avoid winds that effect world records. Establish it were it has low impact. The idea of expanding the lake at Stone Mountian Park for the Atlanta Olympics was tossed around.. and abandonded. The environmental impact study (not to mention the cost) was expected to take three years and be litigated for another five).
As for the rape trial analogy, it is a good one. Do you think a great deal of people wanted some outside influence coming in and making a large controversy and attention to thier community that may not be all positive? Like it or not, the GLRF exists to "to support rowers facing homophobia". The fact that they have to exist, suggests the issue is controversial. Niether the citizens of that Colorado town, nor I suspect the citizens of Crystal lake want the attention from a controversial subject. The analogy is fair.
As for any other group, I suggest Cal and his nieghbors would be as upset. I do not think they would want the Olympics to invade thier lake for the same reason they don't want this. Giving up the few days we get in the summer to enjoy the lake, much less weekend time in July is not something to be sought.
Esswerg mentions "hate" being spewn. The only "hate" and outright nastiness/vulgar language I've seen/heard has come directly from the GG proponents. Opponents of the games have NOT resorted to vulgar language and name calling and have only stated their opinion. Yes, it was wrong for anyone to yell a derogatory comment to the Jr. Rowers. Totally not acceptable. It is also wrong that my high school daughter has been subjected to "bigot" comments because of her father's vote. She was even pushed to the ground the other day, fortunately atleast, in front of a teacher. So don't play the "poor us" routine esswerg. It is obvious from your rowing knowledge that you are likely a part of the CLRC.
You must be totally off your rocker if you think that this town is going to support lengthening the lake to accomodate the Olympics. Our lake is NOT here to be a tourist attraction. It is in a residential area, not a commercial zone.
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You must be totally off your rocker if you think that this town is going to support lengthening the lake to accomodate the Olympics. Our lake is NOT here to be a tourist attraction. It is in a residential area, not a commercial zone.
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