DN PR Challenge is ON for the wet season !!!

[juliejsail]

Not sure how wide an audience I'll get here this beautiful May Day but here goes! Ever thinking of ways to grow the entire sport of ice boating..I always go back to a conference from 5 years ago about the fact that AWARENESS is the first baby-step then "butts in boats".  Always surprised by comments from first time riders that they only lived a few miles from our lake and had never heard about or sat in an iceboat...and how unforgettable and awesome this first ride was...I was a prime example..started racing prams at 7 in the summer and had never seen or ridden in an iceboat until I was 18 !  Here's my challenge to our DN family:  pick ONE wet season event that draws a crowd...especially ones with attendees who are already sailors (youth regattas..ANY regattas..sailing school end of season event..yacht club event) Wooden and Classic Boat Shows, parades...you get my drift.. Set up your DN (an Opti if you can get one or any iceboat classes you can encourage your friends to bring, also) and spend one day committed to promoting awareness of ice boating. It would be great if you'd sign in here to let us know what you can cover so no one chooses that event..but regardless..do what you can.  It would be great to come up with a universal PR pamphlet we could tap in to, print off and pass out to truly interested folks..let's discuss that. Be ready with a "Call Sheet"-  visitors WILL sign up to get a first ride with you or someone in their area you can connect them with..then try to follow thru the next winter.  At one Door County display I did a few summers ago I easily handed out 30 I'd made spur of the moment with photos and contact info. I have donated a "A Day of Ice Boating" to local benefits as a raffle prize, and though it can be a big selling item, can be a bit trickier...contact me for suggestions.   I will start things off by offering to cover Green Lake's Regatta Weekend of June 26-28 (A Scow Nationals and our 3rd Annual C.R.A.W invitational), the 25th Door County Classic and Wooden Boat Festival Aug. 7-8, and a GLYC and Sailing School event. Good luck and HAVE FUN! JJ