Park District Meeting - 6/20/2012

[skysurfr]

Ian from Great Lakes Board Company and I met with the Chicago PArk District yesterday.

The main topic of discussion was adding 5 additional beaches to the list of beaches which allow SUP's and KAyaks.

Hollywood / Foster/ North / Olive PArk / 31st Street are the requested additions.

We had a nice discussion with the new Director of Beaches and Pools, Jennifer. She is new to Chicago and has moved here from Arizona. We also met Erik, the new Manager of Beaches and Pools. He has been in the PArk District for quite a while.

On the Kitesurfing front, we discussed signs and enforcement of the certification policy. Reminder: Display your streamer and present your card when asked for it. If you have neither, you will be asked to leave. If uncertified riders are a common occurrence, we will all be asked to leave.

I requested the "windsurfing" be removed from the Kitesurfing page on the Park District Website. It was listed as an error and you do not need a streamer to Windsurf at Montrose.

We are providing Google Maps of each beach with a requested launch spot and have an August 1st target date for a soft opening of the new beaches. Adrien and Ian are working on this project.

If you have any concerns about these beaches for SUPping and Kayaks, please let me know.

Mike

[skysurfr]

I'll also add that the CPD mentioned that they want to model other programs after ours. They provide the basic access and user groups provide the framework to make it happen. They don't have the time or money to run non-self funding programs. In other words... they provide the beach and we provide the Kitesurfing Program.

Kudos to everyone over the years for keeping it safe and keeping Montrose open!

[Goatskull]

"Hollywood / Foster/ North / Olive PArk / 31st Street are the requested additions."

When you say North do you mean North Ave Beach? If so I thought SUPing was already legal there. Isn't that where Great Lakes Board Co rents boards out?

[skysurfr]

Oddly, North Ave isn't on the Water Trail list of beaches. Yes they do rent there already. We hope to make some sense out of that. The CPD said..."that's just stupid" ... Ian and I agreed.

You should have seen me bangin my head on the table when hey asked.... "what's the difference between kitesurfing and windsurfing?".....

[Goatskull]

Oddly, North Ave isn't on the Water Trail list of beaches. Yes they do rent there already. We hope to make some sense out of that. The CPD said..."that's just stupid" ... Ian and I agreed.

You should have seen me bangin my head on the table when hey asked.... "what's the difference between kitesurfing and windsurfing?".....

So does that mean for the time being you can only SUP at North if renting from GL Boardsports Co? If so that IS nuts. I hope you win your argument. I'm asking because my wife and head out to Chicago a couple times of the year and would like to do some paddling.

[sailfish]

Thanks so much for wading through all of this, you are helping make this city a much nicer place to live for those of us whose souls shrivel up after too long in the concrete jungle!

[skysurfr]

I'd go ahead and launch your personal SUP from North if you wish.

Also visit the CPD's non-motorized watersports pages for more info. You can launch from Montrose and several other beaches already. The additional 5 requested beaches will fill in the gaps.

Mike

[skysurfr]

I have handed back a map of the requested beaches, with one change. Olive PArk is off the list. The water treatment plant is next to the beach and there are Homeland Security concerns at the beach. I substituted 57th Street (already a surf location) as a requested water trail sight.

When approved, all 5 beaches will allow SUP, KAYAK, and Windsurf access.

We have an August 01st target date. I'd like the system to run for a month with lifeguards before we move into the off-season.

Mike

[skysurfr]

August 01st target date... HAHAHHAHAHA!

It seems now that the Olympic bid has passed, so has the Park Districts enthusiasm to fast track this stuff.

However, I did hear today that the language is being finalized and we should have some more additions to the Lakefront trail. That should include SUP, Kayak, and Windsurf access.

I'll take some of the blame....I haven't been holding their feet to the fire and bugging them every 10 days likeI should.

Hopefully we will have a nice 3 beach route Montrose / Foster / Hollywood... for supping around.

Mike

[adseguy]

Killer. Let me know when you get that note and I'll add the route to the google maps page we setup