I’ve never known much about lawn bowling, but there’s something appealing about those ultra-flat grass plains and shiny balls that glide smoothly across them.

There are a few lawn bowling venues in San Francisco, including North Beach and in the Sunset alongside 19th Avenue. But the one in Golden Gate Park near the Children’s Playground is one of the nicest places to play.

The Examiner recently profiled Al and Cheryl Minvielle who took up the sport post-retirement. They both have the Richmond District in their blood; they met as high school sweethearts in George Washington High School’s class of 1965.

Since taking up lawn bowling, the couple is hooked. It gives them something they can enjoy together and, well, they’re good at it. Cheryl has earned a couple of trophies in various tournaments. “I’m becoming more competitive here than I’ve ever been in my life,” Cheryl said.

Cheryl also volunteers her time to keep the lawn bowling club looking nice, pitching in on landscaping projects.

“Being a part of this is more than just a game,” said Al, who grew up in the Richmond district and settled with his family in the Inner Sunset. “It’s our neighborhood, our park, our clubhouse and our sporting community.”

Read the full article at sfexaminer.com

The San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club welcomes new members anytime. For about $100 a year, members get a key to the clubhouse and open access to the three bowling greens. Visit their website or call 487-8787 for more information.

Sarah B.

If you saw a woman yelling with arms outstretched as she plowed through a downhill intersection, with no hope of stopping – that was me. I appreciate you for not running me over with your car. Needless to say, my skates are gathering dust in the garage…

Thankfully, some real pros will be in the park this weekend for the 4th Annual BattleUS, the premier freestyle skating event in the country. Both men and women will battle it out in a variety of competitions, including:

- Men’s Freestyle Slalom Battle
- Women’s Freestyle Slalom Battle
- Speed Slalom
- Slalom Trick Ladder
- Slides & Jumps
- RollerSoccer Mini-Tournament

The skate-fest runs from 10:30am to 5:30pm on Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday at Golden Gate Park’s famous ‘Skatin’ Place’ at 6th Avenue and John F Kennedy Drive (full event schedule).

Check out some of the finalists from last year’s battle in the video below. Elvis had nothing on these swiveling hipsters!

Sarah B.

[via FunCheapSF]

If a guide book was a riot, then this is it. The Glorious World Cup is a smash and grab read with propellant laughs and wicked satire. Expect some crunching tackles on the establishment with profiles on hooligans, World Cup villains and serious national grudges. Stuffed with country and player profiles, bags of footie history, and all you need to know about South Africa.

On hand at the event will be editors Allen Black and David Sterry. Stop by Green Apple (506 Clement Street) at 7pm to meet them and pick up a signed copy of the “balls-out guide” to the 2010 World Cup.

Sarah B.

Sure, running from one end of the city to another is a chore. But how about swimming it?

That’s what members of the city’s South End Rowing Club did this morning, when they swam from the Bay Bridge to Kelly’s Cove at Ocean Beach as part of their 2010 Long Swim Schedule.

The 10 mile swim took them about 2.5 hours. According to their website, they “swim year round in all conditions with only a swimsuit and a thermal cap.” Brrrr!

If swimming in your skivvies doesn’t appeal, this hardy group, that’s been around since 1873,also offers handball, rowing and running.

Congrats to the South End swimmers and thanks to ob-kc.com for the great photo. See more pics at stokereport (thanks Hugh!).

Sarah B.

Photo by AGrinberg

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the craziest running race of the year, The Bay to Breakers, hits the Richmond District on Sunday. The last half of the race will wind its way through Golden Gate Park’s JFK Drive to the finish line on the Great Highway at Ocean Beach (see course map).

If you’re planning to cross the park via car on Sunday, keep in mind that the only thoroughfare that will be open all day is 19th Avenue / Park Presidio.

Routes in the park that will be closed:

John F. Kennedy Dr. | Closed between Stanyan & Transverse: 5am – 6pm
John F. Kennedy Dr. | Closed between Transverse & Great Highway: 5am – 3pm
Great Highway | Closed between Fulton & Sloat: 12am – 3pm
Lincoln Way | Closed between Great Highway & 32nd Avenue: 5am – 3pm
Martin Luther King Dr. | Closed between Great Highway & Transverse: 5am – 3pm
see course map

If you’re a fan of the wild floats that enter the race, note that official entries will be starting at Civic Center this year and ending near the Conservatory of Flowers. So if you want to watch them, be sure to position yourself accordingly.

Another big change this year is the location of the post-race celebration (“Footstock”). Normally it’s held at the Polo Fields but organizers have moved it to MLK Drive where racers usually engage in the post-race, cooldown walk. The two booze booths, Anheuser-Busch Beer Garden and Barefoot Wine Bar, will only be serving from 9:30am – 1pm.

Good luck to all the runners! I look forward to the crazy photos and stories.

Sarah B.

What can I say, I’m a sucker for surfing videos. Especially when they’re of waves in my own backyard.

This video has 8mm footage of surfers at Fort Point and Ocean Beach in 1975. Included is a 1972 surfer arrest by the Presidio Military Police. More from the videographer, DrAbalone:

At 3:20 film on me and Jeff Chamberlain being arrested by MPs in 1972 when it was illegal to surf there (but uncrowded). We were cited with “trespassing on military property for purposes unlawful.”

Thanks to Hugh over at ob-kc.com for sharing this.

Sarah B.

Games are 5 on 5, including a designated goalkeeper for each side, and consist of 3, 11 minute periods. Thankfully they offer 2 minute breaks between periods because if you’ve ever tried to do anything in the sand, you know it’s three times as exhausting.

It’s too late to register for the tournament, but come out and watch the teams each day from 9am to 4pm as they battle for sand soccer supremacy. Divisions include U9-U18 girls and boys, men’s open, adult co-ed, and women’s open.

Click here for the complete schedule for each division.

Sarah B.

[via FunCheapSF]

The website, Sign Up For Camp, offers an easy to use search feature to find camps within your zip code. You can also search by timeframe, the age of your child, as well as more specific criteria like activities provided and the type of camp.

The site has listings for dozens of summer camps that range from acrobatics to adventure to sports to the arts. There’s even a chess camp in there. So no matter what your kid is into, you’re likely to find a camp close by that they’ll enjoy. I did a quick search for 94118 for 1st graders and up and found 58 camps.

Not included on the site are day camps run by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Departments, but you can visit their website for more information on the many programs they offer at local parks, playgrounds and recreation centers in the summer.

The de Young Museum also offers “Art in the Summer” where children ages 4 to 12 are taught by professional artist-teachers, explore works in the museum’s galleries and engage in hands on visual art activities. Click here for more info (PDF).

So there was this one time at band camp…

Sarah B.

The Rec & Parks Commission had unanimously approved the renovations just two weeks ago, despite dozens of opponents to the project testifying and requesting that the Commission demand an EIR before moving forward.

The City Fields Foundation, in partnership with the Rec & Park Department, are proposing that the current fields be replaced with new, artificial turf. In addition, their plan calls for renovating the restrooms, adding tower lighting to allow for play up until 10pm, resurfacing and repainting the parking lots, adding a small children’s play area, a spectator area, and the planting of over 100 trees and other landscaping.

After the Rec & Park Commission’s approval to move forward with the renovations, opponents vowed to appeal the decision to the Board of Supervisors.

Though the EIR will delay the start of renovations for a year or more, Rec & Parks General Manager Phil Ginsburg is undeterred, telling the Chronicle, “Our playfields initiative has added 30,000 of hours of play each year on our poorly conditioned fields and has improved the quality of life for San Francisco’s families. If additional review of the Beach Chalet project will help us build on that success then we’ll do it.”

Project organizers estimate that new, artificial turf fields will triple the amount of playing time at Beach Chalet since the current fields are closed on Mondays and often more frequently due to rain and drainage issues. In addition, Beach Chalet is completely closed for four months out of the year during the rainiest season. With the new turf in place, games can be played year-round and into the evening hours.

The City Fields Foundation, in conjunction with the city, has renovated and installed artificial turf at several playing fields including Crocker Amazon, Sunset Playground, Garfield Square Park, and Silver Terrace Playground. Renovations are currently underway at Kimbell Playground in the Western Addition.

For more information on the proposed Beach Chalet renovation, visit the project website.

Sarah B.

The City Fields Foundation, in partnership with the Rec & Park Department, are proposing that the current fields be replaced with new, artificial turf. In addition, their plan calls for renovating the restrooms, adding lighting to allow for play up until 10pm, resurfacing and repainting the parking lots, adding a small children’s play area, a spectator area, and the planting of over 100 trees and other landscaping.

Project organizers estimate that the new fields will triple the amount of playing time at Beach Chalet since the current fields are closed on Mondays and often more frequently due to rain and drainage issues. In addition, Beach Chalet is completely closed for four months out of the year during the rainiest season. With the new turf in place, games can be played year-round and into the evening hours.

The funding for the project will come via a $5 million gift from the City Fields Foundation, plus $7.5 million from the city and bond measure funds.

An estimated 200 people showed up to the Commission meeting on Thursday afternoon. So many that City Hall had to set up an overflow room on the ground floor for spectators to watch a televised simulcast of the meeting. Originally the issue had been further down the agenda, but due to the large turnout, it was bumped to the first item after some regular Commission business.

Some of the overflow crowd watching the Rec & Park Commission meeting on a TV.

Those against the project cited concerns about the effect of the artificial turf on the natural environment of Golden Gate Park, and the effect that the 60 foot lighting towers would have on the wildlife and the neighboring residents. One woman testified that she had moved to Sutro Heights specifically for the quiet and to “see the nighttime moon and stars.”

Other opponents argued that the installation of artifical turf went against the spirit of Golden Gate Park and the founders’ original intentions to keep the western end more rural. Some speakers also lamented the lack of public notification about the project, with one neighbor saying that the “process is a little shady so far.”

The primary request from opponents to the project was for an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) which last week, the Planning Department had deemed unnecessary. Similar renovations with artifical turf have been installed at a few fields in San Francisco including Crocker Amazon and the Sunset.

However, one woman, echoing the concerns of most that spoke against the project, told the Commission that “to push forward without an EIR would be to shirk your responsibility.” Several opponents chastized the Commission for rushing to approve the project before the state is due to release their report on artificial turf in a few months.

Another woman questioned the potential impact that the runoff from the turf would have on the groundwater, since there are plans in the works for the city to combine water from ungerground wells on the West side with the Hetch Hetchy drinking water.

Questions were also raised about the long term cost to the Rec & Park Department for maintaining artificial turf fields. While they save millions of gallons of water and offer reduced maintenance costs, artificial turf fields typically only last 8 to 10 years and then need replacing.

While the turf material can be recycled once it’s removed, there is a potential cost of several million dollars to replace the fields. Neither the project sponsors nor the Commission made any effort to address this concern at the meeting.

There was no shortage of support for the project at the meeting. Soccer enthusiasts, parents, players and league organizers showed up in large numbers to urge the commission to support the project.

Those in favor spoke about the safety issues posed by the current fields, which are known for their random potholes and burgeoning gopher population. Both parents and players spoke about broken or twisted ankles after playing at Beach Chalet.

One man, who said he had coached at every field in the city, called the current state of the city’s soccer fields “an embarassment” and said when he saw the renovated fields at Crocker Amazon for the first time, he cried.

Others that testified said that the improvements at Crocker Amazon are benefitting not only soccer players, but the community at large, claiming that crime has dropped around the park and more residents are using it than ever before. One man told the Commission, “Crocker Amazon is one of the most beautiful things in the city right now.”

Braden Edwards is a lacrosse coach at University High School in Pacific Heights. He spoke about having to shuttle his team to Hunter’s Point for late afternoon practices because the Beach Chalet fields were so often closed.

Young players approached the podium to speak on their own, many with their fellow teammates. One group of six middle school girls told the Commission that they need more good fields to play on in the city, closing with a heart-tugging reminder to the panel, “We are just kids but we have big dreams.” After they left the podium, one Commissioner joked to the next speaker, “Follow that!”

Teammates testify in front of the Commission

Adult soccer players also showed up to support the project, pointing out that the adult leagues usually look outside the city for better, safer playing fields where artificial turf is more common. They also were in favor of the lights which would give them more evening hours to play.

After public testimony, the Commissioners spoke briefly about their position on the project. Commissioner Meagan Levitan, who is also a Richmond District resident, said she felt the issue was more about “the resistance to change” and that ultimately, their job as Commissioners is to “increase access to our facilities”.

Other Commissioners spoke about responding to the changing needs of the community, one in which soccer and lacrosse are fast growing sports. Only Commission Gloria Bonilla expressed any real regret about voting in favor, saying that her naturalist family and friends had strongly urged her to vote against the project.

Before the final vote, Commission President Mark Buell spoke about the difficult choice they were making between environmental concerns and the pressing needs of the recreation community. But he pointed out that ultimately, they are the Recreation & Parks Commission and not an environmental organization. To that end, the Commission took the recommendation of the Planning Department to not require an EIR.

The project sponsors expect to begin the renovations in November or December of this year, with work being completed in September, 2011. For more information on the Beach Chalet soccer fields renovation project, visit the City Fields Foundation website.

Sarah B.