Hello again. It is a great honor to have been chosen to assist Rick Hartner in relaying his message from the hinterlands of Arizona. Rick is having computer trouble, which is why this communication is appearing under someone else’s banner.
And now... the Founder of Boulder Kinetics, Mr. Rick Hartner!:
Dear Boulder Kinetics:
As the one responsible for its inception, I have been asked to weigh in on the debate over the future of the Boulder Kinetics, so here is my two cents worth.
It appears that the time line of most events like the Kinetics goes something like this: Someone comes up with an idea, discusses it with friends who say "Yes, let's do it!" and things begin to happen. Initially, things start out small and as others hear about it enthusiasm grows, and so does the event. Next, enter the bureaucracy. Law enforcement and other public agencies feel the need to be present wherever large groups of people congregate. After all, that's their job. As the event grows, so does the presence of the bureaucracy. With time, increased presence of public officials creates increased costs which are then passed on to the organizers of the event who are forced to raise more dollars to feed the bureaucracy. At some juncture the break even point is passed and the event can no longer support itself.
Sponsorship of events usually takes the path of initially being embraced by the creative department of the sponsor; but as personnel change, new people feel the need to justify their position by coming up with new ideas, and so in with the new and out with the old. Additionally, there are few events that can sustain continued yearly interest on behalf of the public which is necessary for continued yearly support by a sponsor. Looking back to and since 1980, however, the Boulder Kinetics has faired quite well with sustaining public interest.
The Boulder Kinetics differs from other kinetic races in that almost half of the population of the State of Colorado lives within an hour driving distance of Boulder. When I attended the seventh annual Arcata to Ferndale Kinetics, I returned to the Boulder organizing committee and reported that even though we had yet to stage our first event, we were already light years ahead in our organizational structure. We had to be. Eureka is 250 miles away from the nearest major population center and the emphasis of organization is for the racers, and spectators are only a sideline to be dealt with. In Boulder, we had 25,000 people show up the first year, and 40,000 the second. I was embarrassed to see lines in front of the portapotties even though we thought we had created an infrastructure to handle the anticipated crowd. If spectators are encouraged to attend, their needs have to be met.
So what happens next in Boulder? Understand that the following comments might not be completely germane to the Boulder event since I have not resided in Boulder County since 1985, and the last Boulder event I attended was the tenth annual. My recent involvement in Kinetics has been limited to the Prescott Valley, Arizona event which is hampered by the lack of water and a good location for their course. Regardless, I offer the following:
1. You need a good Event Director. You have to find someone who has the time, energy and drive to make it happen. Ideally this person would be someone who either doesn't need to worry about the day to day concerns of making a living or has lots of time available during the day beyond the workplace. The advantage I had while working for a fire department was that I had 20 days a month off. I also had the advantage of having been the past President of the Boulder County Firefighters Association which gave me a familiarity with the system within I had to work to make things happen. While this was a plus for me, it probably wouldn't be necessary now since everyone already knows what the Kinetics is about. Regardless, someone has to be the central focus point for the event.
Whomever this person might be, they don't have to feel as this is an overwhelming project. My experience was that once momentum began, people came out of the woodwork to help. The momentum already exists. All that person needs is available time and a good sense of how to organize.
2. You need to decide what type of an event do you want to have. To do the full blown event that has happened in the past, you need the support of some media source of which there are many available within earshot of Boulder besides KBCO. Regarding sponsorship money, if I were to do it again today, the first place I would probably go is to Celestial Seasonings. They already have a history of picking up sponsorship where others have left off. Some organization is out there who would be willing to get involved.
However, consider the possibility of a downsized event that is created for the participants and don't go to the effort of inviting half of Colorado to attend. The internet was not available to the public in 1980, but now can be utilized as an organizational tool to make a smaller event happen.
3. Don't consider anything that has happened in the past as sacred. The first weekend in May? The only reason that was initially picked was that it was the first date when the weather was potentially good enough to hold the event and allowed enough time to get organized (I began the organizational process in July of 1979). Additionally, it was also a time available prior to the reservoir opening to the public for the season. If an alternative body of water is used, this would no longer be an issue.
This is the type of event that can be held anywhere there is available space to do it, and there are lots of bodies of water within a reasonable distance from Boulder. I have not been a part to the discussion of whether the event should be moved from Boulder or not, but if it is not sacred enough to garner continued support by City and County officials, why fight it? There is plenty of space elsewhere in the State where the event could be held. Somewhere in the Denver area would probably be a logistics nightmare. But, to keep it more local, there are plenty good sized lakes available near or east of Longmont. Weld County might offer the opportunity to have the event happen there for a few years before the bureaucracy began to weigh heavily. A different location might create opportunities for new sponsorship.
4. Determine ahead of time what the priorities of the event will be. Will the emphasis be for the participants or the viewing public? The latter requires an exponential increase in logistics. Obviously, even if it were to be held just for participants, people are going to want to show up. Consider requiring that everyone who show up be required to participate in some manner, as does the Burning Man event. Everyone must be in costume and has to support a team and sculpture. Just an Idea.
Consider a smaller event where donations to attend and cover costs are strongly suggested. I did not anticipate charging admission to the event when it first began and intended it to be a party for anyone who came out to see it happen.
5. Be clear about whether the event should continue and why. When I began organizing it in 1979, I had no idea that it would last as long as it has. Everything has a beginning and an ending, and is it time for the Boulder Kinetics to become a memory? Should it be replaced by something else and what might that be?
If it ends now, we can all say that we had a great time and a lot of really amazing things have happened as a result. However, the most memorable moment in my life was at the tenth annual awards ceremony at the Boulder Theater when I asked the crowd, "How many of you didn't know the people you are sitting across from before you got involved in the Kinetics?" and over half of the hands in the audience went up. This is an event that brings people together. In today's increased polarized society it may be important to keep events like the Kinetics alive.
It's up to all of you there. For the Glory!
Rick Hartner
Sitting Duck Studio