News and Notes from · Sapsis Rigging Inc. · February 19, 2010
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Uncle Bill Goes to Finland
When I think of winter destination spots Helsinki isn't usually on my list, but that's where I found myself the first week of February. Finland is known as the land of long cold winter nights and lots of snow, but in one of the more ironic moments of my life I discovered that Philly had more snow than Helsinki. Go figure.
 I was in Finland at the invitation of the Theatre Academy of Finland to conduct a 4-day seminar on rigging and flying. My good friend Dave Hearn (Flying by Foy and the flying tech for Lion King, worldwide) came with me to do the performer flying part. This was the fourth time we've done this class and it went very well.
We had students and professionals from all around Finland and, in what was a bit of a surprise for me, they actively participated in the proceedings. The Finns are not usually known for their outgoing nature, especially in a formal setting like a classroom, but participate they did and it made all the difference.
My classes were pretty straight ahead, gravity works the same in Finland as it does everywhere else. However, the discussion on the inability to measure forces in an indeterminate structure got their attention. But the real excitement came when Dave did his flying thing on Friday. He had had a few rigs sent over from the UK office and set them up in the theatre. Then, after a Friday morning discussion session, the class were off and flying for the rest of the day. It's a small room with not a lot of height, but we did get everyone into the air so they could get a feel for what a performer goes through. We all had good fun.
Two guest lecturers rounded out the week. Timo Tuovila is the Production Manager at the Helsinki Opera and an old friend. Timo Risku is a consultant in Finland and Europe and now a new friend. Both classes were in Finnish so I didn't understand a word, but I'm told they discussed the standards and laws concerning entertainment rigging.
What I really enjoy on these trips, in addition to the teaching part, is meeting new people and learning more about different cultures. The Finns may be reserved in classroom but they are open and gregarious in a social setting.  Dinner one night with our host Kimmo Karjunen, Dave and the two Timo's was one of the most pleasurable evenings I've had in a very long time. The food was delicious and we talked about work, our kids and how much snow we might get in the morning.. We even managed to figure out which wine to have with the main course, which was horse. It was the Australian Shiraz.
A trip to Finland in the middle of winter may not be your cup of Terva Snapsi, but if you do get a chance to visit up there, I recommend you take it. My thanks to everyone who helped make this a very enjoyable trip.
Take care
Bill
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Did you know that annual installations are required by most stage equipment manufacturers and by OSHA 1926.550(a)(6)? The Sapsis Rigging Safety Inspection Program is designed to help protect all those who need to be in your venue - performers, technicians and patrons - and to prolong the life of your equipment.Our inspectors have at least 15 years of experience and are all ETCP Certified.
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The  Long Reach Long Riders announce their seventh annual charity motorcycle ride. The ride, which benefits the ESTA Foundation's Behind The Scenes program and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, begins in San Francisco on July 24, 2010.
The ride, which began as one time event back in 2004 has raised more than $200,000.00 over the past six years. "We were just a bunch of technicians looking for a fun way to attend a conference", commented Bill Sapsis, one of the original ride organizers. "Who knew it would turn out like this." Greg Wiliams, another founding member added, "The group was so much fun to ride with we just had to do it again. We've seen a lot of really beautiful country in the past six years and this years ride should offer a lot more along with some of the best riding roads in the west."
This year the riders will assemble at the Presidio in San Francisco on the morning of July 24th and then head north into the Napa Valley. Over the next seven days the group will head through Eureka and then west to Truckee and lake Tahoe. They'll ride through Yosemite and down to Hollister, CA, the birthplace of the biker legend in the US. Then it's over to the coast and back up to San Francisco via the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, arriving on July 31st.
As in previous years, anyone who rides is welcome to join the ride, either as a 'day tripper' or for the entire ride. For more information on the route, joining the ride or making a donation, please visit www.LRLR.org .
For more information please contact:
Loren Schreiber lschreib@mail.sdsu.edu
Greg Williams gwilliams@appstate.edu
Bill Sapsis bill@sapsis-rigging.com
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