Takin' the Blog for a Walk
Join Waukesha resident Brien Lee and his blog, Sir Fido, as they explore the city and report on the interesting things they find.
Email Brien at howlinblog@yahoo.com.
Frame, Fox and Fun, part III
I used to think I'd never want to be a Badgerland Water Skier; soaking wet in cold air and water. Hours spent in preparation and practice. The Fox River isn't exactly Lake Michigan. Oops, bad analogy. But on second thought . . . when considering that most of the 90+ member Badgerland team is young, strong and good-looking, I guess I really wouldn't mind being one that much.
Waukesha is fortunate to have a free, top-quality, weekly show on the Fox, and I was fortunate to have a behind the scenes view of it last night as they prepared for tonight's 7:00 p.m. show. It's easy to take the show for granted, the flow of the program is so smooth, but getting all the microphones and sound working properly is just one overlooked task. I have to give Paul Dross a lot of credit for his skill as Show Director. To keep with the theme, make it fun, and make the show work, he does a great job.
As I learned yesterday; throttle cables on ski boats break . . . often. Consider that each cable costs upward of $100.00 and each boat has two or three engines. (The boat I was riding in had just one useable engine.) Also, they can't ski on the river when it's too high as it was two weeks ago. Nationals were going to be held in Janesville this weekend, but the Rock River is too high. (Competition was moved to Wisconsin Rapids.)
The video starts with the important task of "duck patrol". When your triple pyramid is nearly as wide as the river itself it's important to shoo away the critters so they don't get hurt. Another behind the scenes task is log patrol. A lot of lumber ends up in the Fox, especially when it's running high, and if the wood isn't removed before the show someone's going to break a barefoot, a propeller, or worse.
Thanks to Mike for taking me along, and Badgerland Skiers for another great show!
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