The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 31, 1979, Page Page 6, Image 6
Ramblin'
_ _ A
comes to <
By Karen Addy
Oamtcock Staff Wrh?r
What could be better than
floating down the river on a hot
September day surrounded by cold
beer, good friends and bluegrass
music? Saturday, Sept. 8 promises
to De mat kind of day, when the
Ramblin' Raft Race makes its
debut in Columbia.
The Congaree River will be the
setting for the event, heralded as
"The Greatest Adventure Since the
Ark." The race, which attracted
over half a million participants
and spectators in Atlanta this year,
is sponsored by the American
Rafting Association and WZLD, a
local FM radio station.
rnu? ??* 11 ~ *
x iic tatc suti u? ix a.m. iicai
Saturday, when almost every kind
of inflatable vessel imaginable will
enter the water and embark on a
three mile, timed journey down the
river. How quickly the contestants
reach their destination will be
determined by such navigational
skills as rnwinff nnlincr nnririlinff
?? " -?o? r" o? o
or other original methods of
moving ^the boat
^^^S*P^x5^95 ^-;T'^
m&IHk ^
1 Mil
I
!
Raft Race
Columbia
THE STARTING POINT will be
the Senate launch ramp, a block
from the Gervais St. bridge. Boats
will cross the finish line at the
Congaree Landing on Old State
Road in Cayce. Prizes will be
awarded to sailors with the best
overall time in their division.
Entertainment will be provided
by the "Carolina Rebels Bluegrass
Band at the finishing point. While
alcoholic beverages will not be
sold, spectators and participants
may bring their own drinks.
The Ramblin' Haft Race
originated 10 years ago on the
Chatahoochee River in Atlanta,
when a Georgia Southern
fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi,
Ichallenged other campus
'organizations and a local disc
jockey to a raft race. Larry
Patrick, president and executive
director of the American Rafting
Association was the fraternity
member who issued the challenge.
.The disc jockey, Mike Dineen is
now the operations manager at
WZLD.
"I came out ahead of the
}ck!9W .v^
* y- ' V .<
........ . ,.v.-.v * : . v.-.
. '? yv '. 4'*: ;>
II!.
!'5 NO,
PD
LLER
I
1567 NEXT
fraternity. Although it started out
as a very competitive thing, by the
end of the race everyone was
having so much fun that nobody
cared who won or lost," Dineen
said.
"The first year (of the raft race)
we had only 50 rafts and a few
hundred spectators. The second
year it grew to 250 entries and
several thousand who watched.
Tkn ti.: 1 ??
me vimu year, over /au rails
entered, and spectators numbered
150,000," according to Dineen.
THE RACE IS now one of the
year's highlights in Atlanta and
other major cities around the
country. It has received national
attpntinn thrnnoh pynnciitw nn Mnp
? w?-- ? V VII A^W/
News, CBS News, "Real People"
i television show and Time
magazine.
bill Hunt, also of WZLD, explained
that the raft race was a
very organized project, with many
local businesses and organizations
participating.
um,-? u..nm.. M ~
iiic niui&ijr r laiicimau, a
restaurant on the bank of the
Congaree River will have box
lunches available for sale.
Organizations represented inelude:
the Coast Guard, the
1 PAI
2 OZ. mm mt
cans V 8
12 oz. m AC
cans |
16 oz. 4WI2M
cans j4m
12 oz
DOO~ALuS;
WINE & LIQUOR
Richland County Medivac, Explorer
Scouts, the Fish and Wildlife
Commission and the Red Cross.
Measures will be taken to insure
the safety of participants. In all the
previous years, not one fatality has
occurred," Hunt said.
Hunt said the local town police
forces of Cayce, West Columbia
and Columbia, as well as Richland
and Lexington county police would
be present. "With large crowds
you have to have some kind of law
enforcement," he said.
"If the water level is not high
enough for a smooth ride, South
Carolina Electric and Gas Co. has
offered to open the Lake Murray
Dam temporarily to bring the level
up sufficiently.
Local politicians and dignitaries
have been invited including Gov.
Dick Riley, Sen. Strom Thurmond
J irnn n- -i a v
duu uov/ rrcstueni j nines
Holderman. Also invited was
President Carter, although he has
not indicated whether he will attend.
Medallions and trophies will be
awarded. People or organizations
interested in entering the race can
obtain entry rules and forms from
7-Eleven stores. The stores are
_ providing brochures for donations
RTTSI
'9
019 V
^ mm mm mm
$ iJvEI%n
SCHU
? BUSCJ
[ OLOJM
V AVE. 799
BhHMHHHBSB
of 25 cents which will go to
Muscular Dystrophy. An entry fee
of $1 or $10 is required, depending
on the type of raft used. This and
other information is outlined in the
pamphlet. The ARA is a non-profit
organization, and the entry fee
covers the cost of holding the
event.
Dineen has a personal interest in
the RiicrMS of thp pvpnt Kwaiisp of
his involvement m its beginnings.
"I GUESS YOU could say it's a
reunion of adversaries. I'd like to
see the Ramblin' Raft Race
become an annual event in
Columbia. It's basically a family
and good-friend affair more than a
competitive one, and so everyone
always has a great time. I'd like to
see it built into something
Columbians and students can look
forward to and participate in."
Because the first Carolina
football game is being played
away, many students will be on
campus the day of the Ramblin'
Raft Race. Dormitories, fraternities
and other campus
organizations and individuals are
invited to Darticioate in the race
After all, what could possibly be
finer than floating down the river
on a September afternoon?
\ r % i
QUARTERS |
359S j I
*7 |
TZ3795| I
Rf 33"! I
ift 37" | I
11135" I
.CHB4 m