Grand Rapids Club

[ww29]

what about the pond the fast electic guys use.i think it is in canton.not sure been a while since i been there.

 

[Ron Olson]

Canton is on the other side of the state. The Ford Model Boat Club and the Mid-Michigan Electrics Unlimited both have used the front pond at Camp Dearborn in Milford. I don't know of a site in Canton. The MMEU also had the Michigan Cup race in Lansing but it was a small pond, just big enough for their smaller course.

There are a lot of clubs active on the east side of the state, we'd like to get one up and going over here again. Grand Rapids, Battle Creek and here in Kalamzoo all had clubs at one time.

I'm sure if we could find out who the person is with the campground that we'll have the members to help put on a race and no problem in drawing in racers. Grand Rapids had people coming in from all over when they had races from the other side of the state, Illinois and Indiana.

 

[Tony Jacuzzi]

You guys have enough interest to start a club now, Dont wait!! Call a meeting at a restraraunt or somebodys house, see who shows up, and start talking about possible sites to explore etc. Everybody go home and take a look around for ponds etc., then all meet again. Check out industrial parks, freeway overpass digs, conservation areas etc. then talk to the people/owners/officials. A small rental fee for the season might be required or some cleanup but there is water out there. 5 or 6 people looking for a site will greatly enhance your chances .

For example SOMBC is in a conservation area, Celina is in a city park, London is on private property, Oakland Wolverine and Ft Wayne are in gravel pits, Evanvsville is in a hotel complex, Transom Twisters are on the GM Tech center headquarters, Ford MBC is in a Township park. There out there to get just start doing an organized search .. Tony J

 

[snowdog-2112]

Be it that I've salivated over reports and videos of the past fun-runs I will consider coming up. Elkhart is not that far away. Do you guys still allow tunnels?

If you're referring to me as the "mystery person" I can't see how. I've hung out around here quite a bit and have dipped in and out occassionally in recent times. h34r:

 

[waltr]

Be it that I've salivated over reports and videos of the past fun-runs I will consider coming up. Elkhart is not that far away. Do you guys still allow tunnels?

If you're referring to me as the "mystery person" I can't see how. I've hung out around here quite a bit and have dipped in and out occassionally in recent times. h34r:

Hello Snowdog,

Sure, just about everything is allowed in the fun run.It's very informal and it's really a run what ya brung atmosphere.

Last year was my 1st time and I wouldn't miss it next year for anything.That's if Ron's planning another Fun Run(I hope)

Elkhart isn't far away at all.12 over to 131N and maybe an hour or a little more.

So,come on up!

And no,I'm not refering to you as the mystery person.Back a while in old posts,there was someone up in Grand Rapids that had a site and wanted to have some races,but no one seems to know who it is. :unsure:

So,that's the mystery person.

 

[Ron Olson]

Do we allow tunnels? About half the boats that show up are tunnels!

No, the man of mystery that we're typing about is the person running the campground around GR.

 

[K Bultman]

To bad some need to hide behind screen names

Ken

 

[ScottVanSlooten]

As per tomy satd if any one is interested in meetup some day I will be there if I can get there. I don't run any more but still have the wantto And I have some nulage of boating and still will help any one that ask . I was a machinist for years and have a shop here at home . Scott

 

[Tony Jacuzzi]

As per tomy satd if any one is interested in meetup some day I will be there if I can get there. I don't run any more but still have the wantto And I have some nulage of boating and still will help any one that ask . I was a machinist for years and have a shop here at home . Scott

Scott thats exactly the way to do it, the guy that contacted me on the day I returned from the Internats couldnt have been very serious since he never contacted me again. With the 6-10 people that seem interested in a club from Iwaters, I am sure that you can get that thing started.. Tony J

 

[Ron Olson]

It's too bad right now Tony that right now attempts to locate this person hasn't turned out too well yet. It sounded like an ideal spot, a place where peole could come into town a day or two early and set up camp onsite, a win-win for him.

We did have a meeting up in GR a while back, Eric and I went up there and had breakfast with a bunch of people from this site before going to the old Dry Land Marina to look at that site.

Getting everyone from this side of the state to get a club going certainly isn't out of the question but finding a suitable site is trickier. I've got the Dept. of Parks and Recreation here in town trying to help us out but I know that some of the sites that they suggested wouldn't work out. Spring Valley Park would have been great with the exception of the weed problem right where we would run at. Grand Rapids is getting anal-retentive about everything in their city lately, they're even kicking out the nudie bars now!

 

[Ron Olson]

I drug this thread up from the past in hopes that some of the members are subscribed to this one.

I've been in contact with the person who runs what is now Battlefront, a.k.a. the old Dry Land Marina site at Sanford Lake.

John DeMees is very interested in getting something rolling very soon at the site and we're going to need all of the help that we can get from boaters in the area.

You can contact him at [email protected] or let me know if you're interested.

 

[waltr]

Hey Ron,

You know I'm in

My friend Randy is also in.

I'll shoot John an E-Mail in a bit to touch base.

Is John Jasons dad, the one running the facility?

 

[Ron Olson]

I would guess Walt. A part-time employee of a LHS gave me his name as the person to contact.

What got me is that he and the previous owner of the place both had the same thing in mind so I assumed that we were dealing with the same person at first.

When we first went there I'm thinking that it was known by Great Lakes Racers or something like that.

It would be nice to get something going ASAP as far as another meeting with them goes as John would like to get something in place before the pond thaws.

There is no way of course that we could run a formal race there this year as it isn't sanctioned plus the schedule is already packed. It might be tough to find an open spot in next years schedule also.

 

[waltr]

Ron,

We were going to take a ride up there yesterday but I ended up digging out from the snow, so I will take a ride up there next week. They race indoors on saturdays till about 3-4:00 I think. Last time I was up there I gave Jason an insurance form to give to his dad to look over with club info and my phone # but I've heard nothing. Time to go again next Saturday.

It's going to take a ton of work just to get it user friendly and even more before a race can even be considered. The first step and just having a pond to run in with Buoys would be awesome! Never mind big enough for SAW and twins

I'm really lookin forward to it.

 

[nitronewbie]

Walt and Ron I'm in on getting something rolling up here in Grand Rapids. let me know what I can do.

Just wished it would melt, I'm tired of it.

 

[waltr]

Walt and Ron I'm in on getting something rolling up here in Grand Rapids. let me know what I can do.Just wished it would melt, I'm tired of it.

Hi John,

The more the better!

We'll know more within the next week.