posted by Glenn Judah @ 7:19 PM
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Inside FSU's Flying High Circus
posted by Glenn Judah @ 11:54 AM
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[Editor’s note: Due to crashing into the police - almost literally - the names of riders have been changed to protect identities.]
“Be careful, there’s a lot of traffic out there” was the last warning issued before a pack of 96 complete freaking lunatics hijacked the sleepy streets of St. Augustine on a wild goose chase for glory.
In February, local bike fanatics and some from as far as Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Orlando, and Richmond, Va., gathered to compete in St. Augustine’s first Alley Cat bike race.
“It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” a rider from Sarasota said on a perfect Saturday for pushing the limits.
THIS ISN’T NECESSARILY LEGAL
The Alley Cat had little to no rules. Organizers drew inspiration from urban bicycle couriers who risk bodily harm as they peddle, cut and break in between traffic attempting to deliver packages. Alley Cat racers did the same as they smashed through the city’s streets on a mission to collect special items and maps.
“It’s American Gladiators meets Tour de France,” one of the organizers said. “This is a scavenger hunt on bikes with booze.”
Between the starting point and finish, there were 11 checkpoints, 19 miles and plenty of chaos. St. Augustine was the course, its unsuspecting citizens the obstacles. Think “Cannonball Run” on two wheels.
“This isn’t necessarily legal,” one of the contestants said. “You’re supposed to follow the rules of the road just like an automobile.”
Breaking the law is not encouraged … but it is an advantage.
“It helps to not obey traffic lights,” one rider said. “But each person knows what they’re doing. It is up to the rider on whether to break the law or not.”
BEER IS THE GATORADE OF ALLEY CAT RACING
Riders began their intense pre-race prep with Old Milwaukee, Pabst Blue Ribbon and a few cigarettes. Alley Cat organizers don’t have to worry about scandals with steroids and illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
“There are 20 or so who are serious about the race,” one of the organizers said. “The others are packing in beers. Beer is the Gatorade of Alley Cat racing.”
Once everyone paid their $8 entry fee, chugged their last beer and reviewed the map to the first checkpoint, it was on. The race began at the back fence of Eddie L. Vickers Recreational Facility. Riders stood up against the fence waiting for the signal to sprint 50 feet to a tangled mass of bikes lying on the ground.
SUDDENLY … THEY WERE OFF.
“What the hell was that?” asked a bystander who was playing football nearby as he watched the riders stampede toward their bikes, stumbling and fighting to get in an upright position and take to the streets.
DAVEY HIT A TRUCK
Two riders suffered mechanical problems within the first 500 feet, blowing tires as they sprinted toward the first checkpoint on the Vilano Beach access ramp. From there, the race rumbled toward the corner of S.R. 16 and U.S. 1.
At the second checkpoint, things got dangerous. Riders circled the intersection, roaming in and out of heavy traffic in search of the next clue. Drivers waiting at the light stared in amazement as the first 15 riders came within inches of crashing into their car bumpers.
Later, drivers had to jam their brakes when they saw a bicyclist careening the wrong way down the middle of the road.
Not all cars would be avoided. There were several minor collisions, and two riders went head-first over their handlebars when they slammed into vehicles.
“Davey from Jacksonville hit a truck and flew over the hood onto the other side and Jake of St. Augustine flew onto the hood of a station wagon,” one rider reported.
I THOUGHT ABOUT TRYING TO OUT-RUN THE COP
The race was not without a few run-ins with St. Augustine’s finest. Two riders were issued reckless driving tickets, costing each about $180 and points on their driver’s licenses for running red lights.
“I was going past the Bridge of Lions on San Marco when it happened,” one of the ticketed riders explained. “I thought about trying to out-run the cop for a split second, but then realized that wasn’t a good idea.”
AN ACCOMPLISHMENT
Despite his accident, Davey landed in 19th place. Jake also managed to finish, which was an accomplishment: only 39 of the 96 competitors finished with all the checkpoints. It took the last rider an hour and 10 minutes to hit them all.
The rest of the checkpoints in order were: McLaughlin St. off of West King; Sprockets Bike Shop; the alley at Treasury and Charlotte St.; a park at St. George St. and St. Francis St.; the Fort; a house on Riberia St.; the Lightner Museum; the Lighthouse and the final stop, Alcazar St.
A former pro cyclist from Tampa grabbed first place on the men’s side. Cassie from St. Augustine was tops in the women’s division.
CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY
If you were out on the roads that fateful day and witnessed this contest in action, consider yourself lucky. This underground cycling catastrophe is a ridiculous, inspiring event whose spirit can be summed up by Lisa, a rider from Orlando, who competed even with her broken right foot in a cast.
“Hell yeah, I’m going to ride,” Williams said.
posted by Glenn Judah @ 2:01 PM
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Photos by Glenn Judah
posted by Glenn Judah @ 5:35 AM
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Photos by Glenn Judah
posted by Glenn Judah @ 5:21 AM
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Shot and edited by Glenn Judah
posted by Glenn Judah @ 5:10 AM
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By Glenn Judah
Eight miles from where they’d like to be skateboarding, more than 70 kids surround the concrete playground at Treaty Park, watching, cheering and waiting to drop in.
It’s been three years since a new skate park on Anastasia Island was proposed, and this skate contest, a fund-raiser held Dec. 15, represents the final stretch of the process for Project Skate Inc.
After waiting for city government decisions, meeting with neighbors, and revising their ideas, all that is left to do is raise $70,000 and break ground inside the Lighthouse Park neighborhood on Anastasia Island.
“The objective of the contest is to get the awareness out,” said Damon Douglas, president of Project Skate Inc. “It’s the kickoff event.”
The $70,000 must be turned into the city by June 1 so the project can go out for bid. If this deadline set by the city is not met, the project could lose the $200,000 skate grant that the city gave it in 2005.
“We have pretty much tapped out our government contributions,” said Douglas. “We are now looking for local contributions to get us there.”
Project Skate Inc. is following the same model of sponsorship and donors that helped complete Treaty Park. Displayed at the back of Treaty Park is a memorial listing all of the individuals and businesses that contributed to the park’s completion. The new park, which will be located near the entrance of Anastasia State Park, will have a similar memorial to spotlight key donors to the project. The donation levels range from $500 to more than $50,000.
For now, the park bears the name of a man who gave much of his time to help children enjoy recreation: the late J. Edward “Red” Cox, who was superintendent of the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Recreation Department for 38 years, a member of the St. Augustine Saints professional baseball club in the mid 1940s, and an honorary Flagler College coach.
The goal behind the Red Cox Park has been to create a safe place for kids who live on Anastasia Island to learn to skate, said Brooks. After the city outlawed skating in the downtown historical district in 2003, kids who live on the island had little choice but to travel to Treaty Park, the closest skate park as of now. The drive can take about 20 minutes. For preteens, that means a ride in mom’s minivan.
“It is for kids who can’t drive over to Treaty Park,” Douglas said. “We want to gear it toward beginners and have it feed in to Treaty Park as they get older and more experienced.”
With this goal in mind, Red Cox Park will differ greatly from Treaty Park. Red Cox Park will be smaller, at about 20,000 square feet. All of the obstacles of the course will be designed for beginners and will fit a smaller space. Treaty Park is more than 40,000 square feet, with skate elements that attract experienced riders.
“The skate park will have a mellow surf feel to it so that kids can get the hang of riding first,” Douglas said.
Besides the skate elements, there will be picnic areas, a playground, fitness stations and recreation trails.
“It will be more of a typical park feel, where the whole family can get involved,” Douglas said.
The skate design will not be officially put out to bid until June 1, but the design is being developed. There will be a small bowl, a set of stairs and beginner to intermediate size ramps. Like Treaty Park, the entire skate surface and elements will be done in concrete.
Douglas, who was raised in the Lighthouse Park neighborhood, said he wants the park to reflect the positive nature of skating and change the minds of those who see the skateboard culture as a bad influence on children.
“It can be an education process to those who see skateboarding tied drugs and vandalism,” Douglas said. “That’s their exposure to skating. I’m hoping that we will change peoples’ minds on that. It won’t be revolutionary, but I hope we can change how people look at skating and keep it on the positive.”
If Project Skate Inc. meets its goal and raises the remaining money, they hope to start construction by the end of July.
“It shouldn’t be too bad to raise,” Brooks said. “I’m pretty positive we can get there.”
posted by Glenn Judah @ 4:47 AM
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Locals will forever be outnumbered in a town whose major export is being “old.” Tourism in St. Augustine means that the historic district will be swarmed with sightseers and the streets congested with out-of-town traffic. This is not a question for Ripley’s to believe or not, but a fact.
It’s almost impossible to avoid 1,783,500 visitors in a county of just 123,135 residents. According to St. Johns County Tourism Facts, a study done in 2003, that number represents only tourists who stopped by for the day. The number of tourists increases to 4,088,600 when they decide to spend the night. All of these extra guests can be a blessing for the economy, but an annoyance in everyday life.
Some of the biggest headaches caused by tourism are traffic jams. Maneuvering the narrow one-way brick streets of downtown is tough enough without having to ride your brake behind trolley trains and horse-drawn carriages.
The roughest “Ancient City traffic jams” ensue on King Street, where tourists cruising to the lighthouse and locals rushing home from work do battle with the vehicles of tourism. Cordova Street, Sevilla Street and A1A form the Bermuda Triangle of traffic as they intersect King Street.
The jam begins with trolley train and horse drawn-carriage drivers bragging to tourists about the Ponce de Leon Hotel and ends with traffic parked all the way back on U.S. 1. This creates an unpublicized attraction that only St. Augustine residents know about: the awkward parade of locals piling up in their cars as they idle behind the clip-clop noises of a horse and buggy. Their red car brakes in the dark become the unofficial night of lights.
Extra traffic in the streets equals extra traffic on the sidewalks. The areas surrounding the downtown plaza and St. George Street receive masses of tourist foot travel. The crowded streets leave little buffer room and personal space. Back streets and side streets off the generic path can be used to get around the slowdowns caused by tourist congestion. Hypolita Street and Charlotte Street should be avoided, but go just a street over on Cuna Street or Spanish Street, and you can find routes hardly treaded on by theses vacationers.
Another hold-up to your daily life is providing directions to tourists. One second you are walking down the street thinking about your day; the next second you are being interrupted by a Dutch tourist on a personal quest for the oldest (insert-important-monument-here). This doesn’t help you because everything in St. Augustine is supposedly old. After wasting 10 minutes of your life by failing miserably to point out the direction of the Oldest Schoolhouse, you decide to flee before becoming the unofficial U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands in the form of a tour guide.
Luckily, St. Augustine does a good job of tagging most of its tourists. The catch and release program employed by the city allows locals to recognize tourists from 100 yards away. Try to keep a safe distance away from anyone wearing a bright orange or red train-shaped sticker when walking downtown. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to wear one yourself. That way you blend in, and if anyone asks you for directions, you don’t know, you are just as clueless as them.
Other routes should be avoided for their stop-you-in-your-tracks smells. Sevilla Street on a hot day gives off an aroma unique to the St. Augustine tourism industry. Many horse-drawn carriages make the corner of Valencia Street and Sevilla Street a spot of rest (but more importantly, a restroom).
When living in a town advertised as “The Nation’s Oldest City,” it’s hard to escape the sightseeing backlash. The tourist industry is not necessarily bad, but if you have lived here for more than a year, the ancient aspect loses its luster.
posted by Glenn Judah @ 4:41 AM
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By Glenn Judah
There are ways to combat these financial situations and live well on the cheap. Read on:
Tip 1: Don’t be too cool for coupons
Coupons are not only for the guy wandering St. George Street rocking orange crocs and white socks, jean shorts, a fanny pack and a T-shirt that says “I heart Florida.”
The “Big Fat Coupon Book” might be targeted toward tourists, but that doesn’t mean local residents can’t exploit its savings.
Swallow your pride and grab a copy at the St. Augustine’s Visitor Information Center. Inside one can find $1 off a tour of the wax museum. Wait, skip that page, keep flipping, keep flipping, stop! Look, a coupon for 10 percent off at Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille.
Local Mike St. Germain proudly uses coupons every day in St. Augustine.
“My wife and I use them at bars and pubs especially,” St. Germain said. “Five dollars off is five dollars saved.”
This booklet features 10 percent off coupons for a dozen restaurants. For some, such as Harry’s, O.C. White’s Seafood and Spirits, The White Lion and Kingfish Grill, the savings is for the entire check, including bar tab. Others include food only.
With coupons, it pays to read the fine print.
Cheap meals are not the only steals to be found. This book also offers 10 percent coupons for the San Sebastian Winery and the Tini Martini Bar. There are even coupons for IHOP, which can take care of the morning hangover caused by that discounted bottle of wine.
Check out bigfatcouponbookonline.com for discounts on activities, attractions, ghost tours, golf, lodging, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. Click on a listing to get printable coupons.
The “St. Augustine Sightseeing Map and Guide” is also a good source for money-saving coupons. Get 10 percent off at Paradise Burger, Mill Top Tavern, Hurricane Patty’s, Great Cup of Coffee and Son of a Fish. You may find this publication at most of the trolley stops and information huts that line St. George Street. Also, don’t forget to ask for a locals’ discount when you shop.
Tip 2: Know your happy hour
The term “happy hour” could be interchangeable with “spending little money to have fun time.” But that’s not very catchy. No one says, “Let’s go to this bar because they have a great ‘spending little money to have fun time.’” They say, “Hurry up, we’re missing happy hour.”
Eric Hopkins, a 21-year-old who has lived in St. Augustine for the past four years, knows this well.
“I’ve easily saved money by making use of happy hours,” Hopkins said. “You can develop a trend or ritual throughout the week by which ones you go to.”
One of his happiest hours is 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays at the Conch House, which includes free wings.
Besides happy hours, bars and restaurants have regular specials throughout the week offering cheap appetizers and drink specials. The food is not going to be five-star caliber, but who on a budget can turn down a 25-cent wing or beer?
Here is a sample week in the life of a partier on a budget
Tip 3: Sharing is caring (and saving)
Eating out with friends can be fun and cheap, especially if you hit the restaurants where the appetizers and entrees are large enough to feed your whole apartment.
Kelly Holleran, who works at Sangrias Wine and Piano Bar, loves to share the chips and beans appetizer with friends at Pesky’s Baja Grill.
“Pesky’s is the best deal on the beach,” Holleran said. “The chips and beans is a meal in itself.”
Her other favorite meal to share or save to cut down on cost are the sandwiches at Flavors Eatery.
“Flavors has huge sandwiches,” She said. “It’s like three meals in one. It’s so massive and good.”
Michael O’Donnell and his friends like to take advantage of the menu at Acapulcos because of its food portion to price ratio.
“We split and cut things up in half,” O’Donnell said. “The appetizers and all the portions are very big. This saves money.”
Tip 4: Do free things
This one sounds simple but is sometimes hard to do. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is making it a bit easier with its Night Owl Cinema Series, which provides two free movies a month.
The feature attractions for November are “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on the 9th and “Elf” on the 21st. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., and the shows start at 8 p.m.
Other often-ignored opportunities are the local parks, free events at Flagler College and going to the beach.
Try to find free ways to do the things you usually pay for, such as by getting a book at the library instead of at the book store.
Tip 5: Splurges are necessary
Saving money is no fun if you don’t blow it occasionally. This ability to treat ourselves makes the world a better place.
Mary Carmen, owner of Gutie Art Boutique just off St. George Street, treats herself to Claude’s Fudge Shop.
“Claude’s has the best chocolate in town,” Carmen said. “If you have $10 extra, it’s worth it.”
Sangria’s employee Holleran loves to splurge on coffee.
“The Snicker-doodle frozen coffee drink from City Perks is out of this world,” Holleran said. “It’s three to four bucks, but it’s so delicious.”
Hopkins spends big any time he goes to the Casa Monica bar, where the martinis run at $11.
“I can spend triple digits easily at that bar,” Hopkins said.
So, to review: Clip some coupons, find your happy hour, share some food, take advantage of the free, but don’t forget to splurge. These tips can make life on the cheap seem welcomed.
ST. AUGUSTINE’S BEST DEALS
The Betty Griffin House Thrift Shoppe: Bag days. Once a month, this thrift store offers the best deal in town, $5 for all the clothes, purses, shoes, belt and ties you can fit in a bag. Deal. Located in the plaza at the corner of SR 312 and A1A. Call 471-4716 for dates.
Fort Matanzas: Good, clean, free fun. Take the ferry out to Rattlesnake Island to explore the fort, fish from the beach or walk the nature trails. For more info call 471-0116 or go to nps.gov/foma.
Chick-Fil-A Mondays: All-You-Can-Eat Chicken nuggets. $7. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 1752 US 1. 810-2201. Get it while the nuggets are hot; management said the deal won’t be continued for too long.
Look around: There are these things your tax dollars pay for, called public facilities, that are there for you to use. There are racquetball courts, baseball fields, volleyball courts, dog parks, and skate parks just waiting for you to come and play, free of charge. Get more info by going to the county website at co.st-johns.fl.us, and clicking on Parks & Recreation under the Departments drop-down menu.
posted by Glenn Judah @ 4:34 AM
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