23rd Annual Midwest Freestyle Regionals at Taste of Chicago

enlightener · Post by **enlightener** » 07 Jun 2007 05:57

This event takes place at TASTE OF CHICAGO! The largest free-entry food festival in the world! Millions of people come to this event on the final weekend, and footbag will be right in the middle of it all... Officially!!!

The good news is that footbag has an official presence at Taste of Chicago. The bad news is that this event conflicts with Portlands US Open. Sorry about the conflict, but when presented with this opportunity from the City of Chicago, it is not something we can pass up. We'll have a blast here, come join us if you can, but the really important event is in Portland.

To those who don't know Chicago, the "Taste of Chicago" event has taken place every year for the past 25 years... our footbag group does almost-daily shreds wherever we can find space, as an unofficial event. This is the first year we have an official presence at the Taste. We will even be listed on the Taste of Chicago website, under the Taste Sports! stage schedule.

Saturday, July 7th
Preliminary rounds., see http://www.footbag.org for site and schedule.

Sunday, July 8th.
Finals for Open players at TASTE OF CHICAGO - SPORTS PAVILLION
This is the main focus of our marketing. Most people won't want to spectate during our prelim's, that is really for the players. But when we put on a show, it is something to see. Day 2 is for our top players who will showing off for the audience and making our sport look good to the public. Instant results too.

-Huge number of spectators will be there! Huge!

-11AM start on Sunday, but earlier is better.

-1:00 Footbag Demonstration and Finals for Intermediate, Advanced and Open players
-We have the stage from 1:00 to 2:30 and we will fill it with a great show of footbag freestyle.
-2:30 pm -Awards/Prizes

-3:00 - 5:00 - Shred / Jam
-Encourage spectators to play footbag and have fun with kicking
-Just "stage right" of the stage.

The Sunday Finals event will take place at the south side of Buckingham Fountain at the Taste Sports Pavillion stage.

This is the first time we are running this event as an official element of Taste of Chicago. Public transit is recommended because parking rates in Chicago are among the highest in the country, and there is no way around parking in a garage... all street level spots have been removed. If you need to drive, contact Scott directly for downtown parking tips. We have a group dinner planned for both Saturday and Sunday nights, close to the event sites, we hope you all can make it.

Entry fees: Novice = Free. Intermediate = $10. Open = $30.

Novice entrants are eligible for prizes. Intermediate entrants get a t-shirt and are eligible for prizes. Open players get a t-shirt, a 1-year membership with IFPA and are eligible for prize money.

There are very few rooms available in hotels during Taste of Chicago, but if you are looking for lodging, contact Scott directly to coordinate staying at a footbag guest-home, or for info about downtown Chicago hotels.

We are applying for IFPA sanctioning for this event, and we hope to have online registration available soon.

Please use this thread for further discussion.

See ya!
Scott

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 08 Jun 2007 18:53

This event sounds kickass

Is there anyway you can make a design for a flyer so we can pass it out in the upcoming weeks when we shred?

enlightener · Post by **enlightener** » 09 Jun 2007 04:49

Yes this Taste of Chicago opportunity is huge for us.

And Yes, I will have a flier that includes all the summer events in the Chicago area, as it will be busy this year. It will be 4-up and easy to print lots of them on any printer. If you need any events included in the listing, please send me a direct email so I can get you in the list.

Thanks.

ObArA'BaRs · Post by **ObArA'BaRs** » 10 Jun 2007 13:16

Thanks Scott

I think I might do an open routine if I can think of one fast enough.
We need Benny!
His routine last year was freaking amazing!!!
He would definetly be a crowd pleaser

Reid · Post by **Reid** » 15 Jun 2007 23:33

IÃ±m in the process of taking off work for this event.

Zjeezy · Post by **Zjeezy** » 16 Jun 2007 07:51

Wasnt last years the 23rd?

HG · Post by HG » 16 Jun 2007 09:43

but the year before that was the 21st

enlightener · Post by **enlightener** » 16 Jun 2007 16:36

The first year was 1985, I may have miscounted one year, but this is the 23rd year it is running, no matter how I calculate it.

See ya!
Scott

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 17 Jun 2007 19:42

You guys see how well you can count after doing a dropless routine

ObArA'BaRs · Post by **ObArA'BaRs** » 24 Jun 2007 19:59

Im confused
http://davidclavens.com/about

If you look at the competitions part it says he won midwest regionals and it hasnt began yet. I dont know. Confusion

Does this mean hes going to do a suprise visit

HG · Post by HG » 25 Jun 2007 06:58

pretty sure he's referring to NYJ

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 07 Jul 2007 21:09

Today will be a huge display of footbag, thousands of people watching only us on stage for an hour and a half, even though we have a limited number of people to shred. Remember, 95 percent of the audience cant tell between a legover and a eggbeater. Its all in the presentation and your facial expression

And its great that the temp will be 96 plus Farenheit, zero clouds, and 90% humidity. It will get us ready for worlds

Except that theres a 20-30 mph wind today also. Freddy must take video!!

enlightener · Post by **enlightener** » 08 Jul 2007 07:16

Thanks for all your support in presenting footbag at the Taste of Chicago. We basically have 1.5 hours to fill, and here is how we are doing it.

12:30 is when we take the stage and set our things up.
Setup banners and all players start kicking. Resist the temptation to shred, stick to basic kicks. We will have music running in the background for the warm up.

1:00 -1:30 - Footbag Demonstration
(Valeria on PA system to get started)
-Players will be doing consecutive kicks for 10 minutes of demo
-Do the kick that is being presented, or insides otherwise
-History of Footbag
-Kicking in Circles
(all players stop kicking and break during Basic Kicks section)
-Basic Kicks
-inside, outside, toes, knees\
-Bring Alex up to show how to learn the basic kicks
-Sport of Footbag
-Consecutives
-Net (Scott on PA system)
-Cory Current and crew take over for 10-15 minutes on footbag net.
-Freestyle
-Basic Freestyle (Bring Reid up on stage)
-Toe Delays, insides, basic dex's
-All presenters on the stage doing the basic kicks on basketball court.
-Freestyle competition
Shred :30 (all players back to back)
Rippin Run (Pair the players on the fly)
Routines (Scott will show off if noone else will)
Team Freestyle

Back to repeat the beginning of the demo and evolve into interactive zone.

Thanks for all your help!

I've got a cooler full of water with me. Stay hydrated!

See ya!
Scott

ObArA'BaRs · Post by **ObArA'BaRs** » 08 Jul 2007 18:48

how was it guys?

Reid · Post by **Reid** » 09 Jul 2007 16:19

fun.. we taught everyone "the drill" yolu missed out.

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 09 Jul 2007 18:52

No drunks or crackheads joined our circle all day. Too hot for them i guess.

HG · Post by HG » 09 Jul 2007 18:54

oh man i passed up a golden opportunity for a joke right there jon.

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 12 Jul 2007 19:10

Most freestylers who have known me for years have seen me drunk less than 5 times. I guess you were there those 5 times.

HG · Post by HG » 12 Jul 2007 19:14

sadly, the joke wasn't about you

crazylegs32 · Post by **crazylegs32** » 18 Jul 2007 19:55

Ill smoke some crack and get drunk at worlds now.