Issues at Oak Street Beach for upcoming Chicago AVP stop
Aug 23, 2019 19:08:49 GMT -5
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Post by larry on Aug 23, 2019 19:08:49 GMT -5
I talked with a supervising roadie overseeing the construction of the venue at Oak Street Beach for the upcoming AVP tournament. He told me on Friday afternoon that given the logistical challenges facing the road crew, "Frankly, I'm surprised the AVP didn't cancel the tournament."
Even a casual observer could have told the AVP that Oak Street Beach is smaller than it was a year ago, when the stadium was a tight fit between the wider running path and the waterline. Unlike past years, the material needed to construct the Center Court stadium has been offloaded directly onto the beach, with semis driving down and parking on the running/bike path. The roadie correctly noted that the bottleneck caused by the parked trucks, with the path still open to runners and bikers, "was a dangerous situation."
The narrowness of the beach is not the only logistical issue. The road crew is unable to use the concrete "promenade" north of the beach as a staging area. "The ramp we used to use is gone," the roadie noted. The sand that used to fill the space at the south end of the promenade has been replaced by at least three feet of water, not to mention that on this day of relatively benign 12 mph wind from off the lake, the promenade was more than halfway covered with water.
The roadie said that at least two "outer" courts would have to be located at North Avenue Beach, and looked at me in amazement when I told him that quite likely, given the waves, that much of North Avenue Beach today likely would be a lagoon.
It will be interesting to see how the road crew will fit the stadium, the sponsors' row, the beer garden, the players' tent and what I am told will be only two "outer" courts on our rapidly shrinking strip of sand. And how the food and drink needed to keep the beer garden and VIP section up and running will be stored and transported.
My spies tell me that the lack of courts already has affected the opportunities of local teams to participate in the qualifying tournament. The "Q" draws have been limited to 24 teams per gender and determined by qualifying points. The main draw of the Chicago AVP tour stop will be contested on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.
Even a casual observer could have told the AVP that Oak Street Beach is smaller than it was a year ago, when the stadium was a tight fit between the wider running path and the waterline. Unlike past years, the material needed to construct the Center Court stadium has been offloaded directly onto the beach, with semis driving down and parking on the running/bike path. The roadie correctly noted that the bottleneck caused by the parked trucks, with the path still open to runners and bikers, "was a dangerous situation."
The narrowness of the beach is not the only logistical issue. The road crew is unable to use the concrete "promenade" north of the beach as a staging area. "The ramp we used to use is gone," the roadie noted. The sand that used to fill the space at the south end of the promenade has been replaced by at least three feet of water, not to mention that on this day of relatively benign 12 mph wind from off the lake, the promenade was more than halfway covered with water.
The roadie said that at least two "outer" courts would have to be located at North Avenue Beach, and looked at me in amazement when I told him that quite likely, given the waves, that much of North Avenue Beach today likely would be a lagoon.
It will be interesting to see how the road crew will fit the stadium, the sponsors' row, the beer garden, the players' tent and what I am told will be only two "outer" courts on our rapidly shrinking strip of sand. And how the food and drink needed to keep the beer garden and VIP section up and running will be stored and transported.
My spies tell me that the lack of courts already has affected the opportunities of local teams to participate in the qualifying tournament. The "Q" draws have been limited to 24 teams per gender and determined by qualifying points. The main draw of the Chicago AVP tour stop will be contested on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.