News from Wenatchee Valley Sports Council

Issue: # 041

October 26, 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

Riding to Work with Wendy

5 Rumors - Are They True?

Academic State Champs

Ski Show Followup

Mural Project Complete

3rd Quarter - Down Again

National Publication Highlights Wenatchee Valley

Sports Events Calendar

QUICK LINKS

Wenatchee Valley Sports Council News

Greetings!

In the midst of a very hectic fall, filled with budgets, bandstanding and balancing acts, I took time out for myself. I spent the last week hunting deer with my Dad in the Methow. The weather was sublime. The changing leaves were breathtaking. The hunting was phenomenal with deer all around us every day. And the time spent with my Dad was priceless.

I fully realize that these moments are dwindling. My Dad is 67 and he is my best friend. We've been hunting partners since I was 5, riding on his shoulders out to a duck blind with our black lab, Cinder. While he has never sat me down to tell me the facts of life, I've learned everything I need in life through shared experiences hunting and fishing and just watching and learning from him. I LOVED last week, not for the hunt, not for the campfire, but for the time spent with my old man.

In this issue, I sit down and talk with Wendy LeSesne, with whom I work, about her choice to ride a bike to work. I also have news for you on some academic champions; national recognition for the Town Toyota Center; an update on the Colstor Mural Project; 3rd quarter numbers; and reactions from the recent ski show in Seattle.

I hope you enjoy the reading, maybe learn something new and share this with friends.

Happy Trails
Eric Granstrom - Wenatchee Valley Sports Council

Why I Ride? To Get There!

Wendy LeSesne rides to work every day

If you saw a flash of neon green and blond hair go whooshing by you on a bicycle recently, it was probably Wendy LeSesne. Wendy works for the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau as Director of Marketing. She's also married and has two boys who keep her hopping. But despite the pulls of her career and private life, Wendy makes time to ride to work and home ever day on her bicycle.

"It's pretty much seasonal for me, but I've found riding to work is about fitness and personal wellness," says LeSesne. Wendy works Tuesday-Friday, 7am-2:30pm, which allows her time to be home for 9-year old Colton and 6-year old Trevor at the end of the school day. "Roger (Clute) has been incredibly supportive and allowed me to design my own schedule," LeSesne says. She adds as long as the work gets done, her employer is happy with whatever hours she works. Wendy says, "You know, there are days when I HAVE to drive the LandCruiser because I'll have appointments and what not, but I average 3-days riding each week."

Wendy leaves her home in the Sunnyslope area at about 6:35 each morning. She says it takes about 20-minutes to ride the nearly 5-miles to the office in downtown Wenatchee. Husband Craig is responsible to get the boys up and ready for school each morning. She says, "that's the deal...he does the job in the morning and I have the boys in the afternoon when they get home from school. It works really well for us."

Each March, Wendy brings out her KONA bicycle to begin her daily trek. This year, she says she's lost about 15-pounds, saved $20 a week on fuel, saved on a gym membership and has become a better mom. "Riding helps me decompress after work," says LeSesne. "I know when I get home I'm full-on-mom, so getting that 20-minute ride really helps me wipe away work and mentally refresh before getting home. I guess it allows me to shift gears, mentally." Wendy says there's also a ripple-effect of riding. "I know I feel so much better benefiting from the physical fitness. It helps me be more health-conscience and have more patience with my kids."

What about being "fresh" at work in the morning with the sweat from the ride and having clean clothes? "Really," Wendy says, "the ride in the morning is cool, so I don't work up a sweat. And I carefully roll my clothes up in my backpack to keep them from wrinkling and do a quick-change when I get to the office. Then, when the day is done, I hop back into my riding clothes for the trek home."

While LeSesne has an appreciation for the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail, she's not happy that she can't use it for her commute to work. "They really started cracking down on speed on the Trail this summer with police actually writing warning tickets," says LeSesne. "The rule of the Trail is to ride under 10-mph and I ride 15-to-20-mph. I'm sorry, but I can't go 10 miles per hour and get home to my kids in time!" As a result, Wendy rides on city streets, which adds stress to her commute. "On the Loop I feel great. But on the streets I have to ride defensively...be on guard. I don't feel safe on the road, especially when there's no shoulder or bike lane," says LeSesne. "I'm surprised that Walla Walla Avenue and the new Riverside Drive don't have bike lanes. Here they spent all that money to add or improve those streets and there's no room for bicycles," added LeSesne. Wendy says if she could change anything about bike riding in Wenatchee, she'd add more bike lanes and make the turn signals see cyclists. "If we're supposed to follow the rules of the road while riding a bike, why can't they make the turning lane signals actually SEE us," LeSesne says with a smile. "Believe me, I have my pet peeves with people who ride (bikes) side by side and don't obey the rules of the road. It irritates me as a driver and think it gives bicycling a bad name."

Despite her affinity to riding to and from work nearly every day, LeSesne does not belong to any local riding groups and does not participate in organized, weekend rides. "The 20-minutes I grab each day is all the free time I can eek out with everything else going on," she says.

So what's Wendy's perfect ride? "I LOVE riding mornings in September! Just as the sun comes up and the hills are pink and the clouds are pink and the sky is so blue...it's an amazing experience. It makes me really appreciate the gorgeous place where we live." Of course, there are the earth-benefits to riding too. Wendy admits it's not her priority, but she's happy to "reduce my carbon footprint."

As snow falls in the Cascades and is visible from downtown Wenatchee on Mission Ridge, Wendy's days of riding to work may be dwindling. But you can bet that the flash of neon green and blond hair in North Wenatchee will be back next spring. Will you be joining her?

Grist for the Rumor Mill

OK, given the fact that rumors are just that, rumors, take what we've heard with a grain of salt. But, the rumors we're hearing in the world of sports in the Wenatchee Valley are pretty interesting.

Rumor No. 1 - "New Kids Event in the Apple Bowl"
Word has it that Michael Hansen is organizing a triathlon-type event for youth including fun obstacle course objects all within the Apple Bowl for sometime next spring. Of course, we all know Michael's involvement in organizing the layout for Jr. Ridge to River. Might this effect Jr. R2R?

Rumor No. 2 - "Thunder Dash"
Word has it that RSVP is looking at creating a race-run at the Thunder Swamp course in East Wenatchee modeled after "Warrior Dash." The later is a 3+ mile course including obstacles such as a fire pit, a stack of cars and mud crawl all for those 21 and over. Apparently, organizers think the Thunder Swamp sprint boat course would be a perfect place to include such an event, that could add to the one day of boat racing to a weekend.

Rumor No. 3 - "Ted Finegold Award"
Not so much a rumor, but an eventuality here. The Sports Council has met with Ted's widow, Linda and Finegold's partners to create a memorial award to be handed out to someone who promotes physical fitness and outdoor recreation each year. Word has it the award will be handed out prior to Ted's premier event, the Wenatchee Marathon.

Rumor No. 4 - "Fishing License Fees Going Up"
Word has it that tough budget times are forcing the Fish and Wildlife Commission to possibly DOUBLE fishing license fees in 2011. Apparently, the cost to enforce the hunting side of the ledger is covered by hunting licenses, permits and fees but fishing comes nowhere close. We also hear non-resident fees for both hunting and fishing could go up substantially to fall in-line with non-resident fees in neighboring states. Of course, the rumor continues of a push in Olympia to combine WDF&W and DNR.

Rumor No. 5 - "Stan Opp and Joe Harris to Enter Hall of Fame"
Again, no rumor here...it's true! Longtime varsity wrestling coach at Wenatchee High School Stan Opp will be inducted into the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Convention Center this weekend. Also, Joe Harris will be inducted into the Washington State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in July at a ceremony in Wenatchee...details to come. Congratulations to both Stan and Joe and thanks for all you've done.

Four NCW Academic State Champs

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, Dairy Farmers of Washington, and Les Schwab Tires are proud to announce the Academic State Champions for the fall sports season.

The Scholastic Awards Program recognizes the team with the highest grade point average among all Washington high schools in their enrollment classification.

Omak's boys cross country team is the 1A state academic champions with an average grade point average of 3.790. Cashmere's girls cross country team is the 1A state academic champions with a 3.930 GPA. The Liberty Bell girls soccer team won the academic title for 2B with an average GPA of 3.814. And Wenatchee's volleyball team tied with Walla Walla for the 4A state academic title with a 3.790 grade point average. Congratulations to the student athletes.

Skiers Flock to Ski Show Anticipating La Nina

Ski Fever attendees check out the Wenatchee Valley & Mission Ridge

The Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau, Wenatchee Valley Sports Council, Wenatchee Lodging Association and Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort teamed up to talk skiing and staying in the valley at the Ski Fever Show in Seattle October 15-17.

A total of 660 attendees entered to win one of three $200 gas cards or one of six ski and stay packages in the Wenatchee Valley. That number was up significantly over last year's show. The winners were:

$200 gas card - Barry Boatman of Seattle

$200 gas card - Kelly Deforest of Olympia

$200 gas card - Scott Lisser of Bellingham

Ski package 1 - Emma Hughes of Seattle

Ski package 2 - Mike Trail of Bainbridge Island

Ski package 3 - Ole Bedduvar of Sequim

Ski package 4 - Ryan Schmierer of Seattle

Ski package 5 - Lilly Ledell of Bothell

Ski package 6 - Vicki Bergstrom of Olympia

Mission Ridge Marketing Director Jerri Barkley says they're excited about the upcoming season, "we can start making snow November 1st." Although, with the early snow falling heavily on the Ridge the last few days, we'll see how much snow they'll have to make. The scheduled opening is the day after Thanksgiving.

Columbia Colstor's Warehouse Painting Project is Complete

(Wenatchee, WA)...It took some last-minute shuffling and a few extra sponsors to step up, but the Columbia Colstor Warehouse Painting Project is complete. As you can see in the photos below, the Ridge to River themed murals have been repainted with new sponsors added. In addition, the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council and Wenatchee Wild logos have been added to the middle section where "Ridge to River Relay" was since the murals were first added to the side of the warehouse in 1983.

The above photo taken in late July, the below taken today

A huge thanks is due to those local businesses who stepped up with a $1,000 commitment, each, to the project:

BioSports Physical Therapy
Sangster Motors
Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort
Coca-Cola Bottling, Wenatchee
Wenatchee Wild Hockey
Columbia Paint & Coating
Columbia River Media Group (La Nueva, ESPN, Country 104.7)
Asplund's Sports

Asplund's was a unique, last-minute addition. Bill Asplund called us here at the Sports Council and asked how he could get his logo up on the building again. "Again?" we asked. Asplund said his sporting goods store's logo was on the side of the building when they originally painted the murals in 1983 and, "even though we're out of business, I'd like to give back to the community because it has given so much to me and my family." Of course, Bill served for years as the official starter atop Mission Ridge by blowing his alpenhorn to being each Ridge to River relay race.

You can see the murals driving along Riverside Drive on the Wenatchee waterfront, or by walking or cycling the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail.

Third Quarter Numbers Are In - And Down Again

The Wenatchee Valley was down 8-events in the summer of 2010, and it definitely had a negative impact. Softball fields sat empty, bike riders sat tapping their toes and area hotels and businesses went wanting as well. While the overall economic impact of a down summer won't be realized until year's end, it was definitely felt locally. The good news is that there are several local groups who tried to put on first-ever events and others who are looking at creating new events in 2011.

After adjusting the numbers and receiving additional information regarding the 2^nd quarter of 2010, the great news to report is that we were up 15-percent in the second three months of the year. However, the latest numbers show the third quarter down by 7-percent from 2009.

According to research gathered and prepared by the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council, the estimated economic impact of sports tourism in the 2^nd quarter of 2010 was $3.3-million. That compares with $2.9-million for the same period in 2009. Third quarter numbers show an estimated impact of $1.2-million for the third quarter of this year, down from $1.3-million a year ago. For the year, sports tourism trails 2009 figures by eight percent.

Work needs to continue on finding and developing new sports events for the Wenatchee Valley. Work needs to continue on behalf of local event and tournament organizers to maintain what we have. These two messages really came home during the third quarter of 2010. We saw a distinct drop in sports tourism because of the loss of several softball tournaments and bike rides. We saw an uptick because of new events with the Thunder Swamp sprint boat race and Run Wenatchee's River Run during Harvest Festival. It is the Sports Council's obligation to keep working toward this end as the year dwindles and the lights flicker on a new one. That is our message and THE message we carry forward. Hopefully there are eager eyes and ears out there to consume the message, digest it, understand it, and be willing to assist in our efforts as we move forward.

National Recognition for Town Toyota Center

(Gulf Shores, AL)...Sometimes, relationship building through commerce is the only way to grease the wheels of progress. This seems to be the case with a recent article in Sports Events Magazine, a national trade publication of sports event planners and owners. Editors of the publication included a special section in its August issue on "Site Selection in the Northwest."

The article begins with a 235-word message about choosing the Wenatchee Valley for sports events and highlights the addition of the $52-million Town Toyota Center. Eric Granstrom, Director of Marketing for the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council, says "this is a great way to promote our area and didn't cost us a dime." "We've advertised in past issues with Sports Events and I believe its that type of relationship building which creates an avenue for further communication about what else is going on in our neighborhood," added Granstrom.

The challenge for the Sports Council as it moves ahead into 2011 is a, tell me if you've heard this one before, reduction in budget. In fact, the marketing budget for 2010 was reduced by 23-percent and it looks like another cut is pending for 2011. "I know its a hackneyed expression, but we're trying to do more with less," said Granstrom. He added, "it's great that we've worked on these relationships over the past few years so we have an in with travel writers and sports tourism editors, but I'm worried if too many more cuts are made, we're going to lose the traction we've gained."

Granstrom says it's also a delicate balance of pinpointing marketing dollars correctly as print media wanes in popularity and the fervor over electronic media increases. "We're on Facebook, My Space and You Tube, and we've changed the Sports Council's website in the past year to be more interactive and provide me more control over changing content," said Granstrom. "But I believe a well-rounded message about what you're trying to promote has to cover all gambits."

Granstrom admits, "what would have been nice would have been to target an ad placement in Sports Events right next to the article, advertising the Wenatchee Valley. But unfortunately, I just didn't have the money. And, as we move forward, that's the same kind of message I'm having to deliver to advertising executives with various publications both in print and on-line we've done business with in the past."

November Sports Events Calendar

Thank you for being part of the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council on-line community. If you'd like more information about the Sports Council, go to our website!

Sincerely,

Eric Granstrom
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council