The Bangor Daily News from Bangor, Maine • 31

CTTV MW1 Midweek Bangor Daily News Wednesday July 31 1985 Windsurfing begins on dry land California-born water sport winning Down East enthusiasts Bangor Drive-ln plays last show to end an era You know how tragedies are smm fSf Talk Of The Town 1 I 1 They hit you right between the eyes when you're not expecting them I don't know about you but I am only now getting to the point where I can talk albeit uncomfortably about the passing of the Bangor Drive-In Like the old Bangor City Hall and the munic By A Jay Higgins ipal auditorium another city By Margaret Warner Of the NEWS Staff A group of children playing at the Second Street playground Saturday afternoon gathered around us curious about the five adults who threatened to take over their turf As we spread four triangular white sheets on the grass one boy asked us if we were "going to camp here or something" Within an hour we had "rigged" the white sheets which in reality were small sails We had pushed the masts up through the sleeves of the sails tied the sails to the masts with the down-hauler attached the booms with the outhaulers We were ready to go boardsailing More precisely we were ready to learn how to go boardsailing or windsurfing as it's more often called On dry land? That first day of lessons our instructor Doug Oliver of the Bangor Ski Rack had us practicing on a simulator a blue plastic platform on wheels One of the rigged sails was inserted into a hole on the simulator and we were ready to be put through our paces on land before flailing through them on open water The sport itself is relatively young it was conceived less than 20 years ago by two California men Only within the last few years however has the sport which was introduced at the Olympics a year ago as an exhibition sport become popular but it has attained a popularity of magnificent proportions In the Bangor area the sport took hold last July when Debra Dunning began offering lessons at Jenkins Beach on Green Lake in Dedham under the name of Wind Rose She was the first and for a while the only person in the area to offer lessons This year at least two outdoor-sports stores in the area the Ski Rack and Hanson's Wilderness Mountain Ski and Sports have begun offering lessons Oliver had no figures of his own to compare the popularity of the sport from one year to the next but Dunning said her clientele had increased "100 percent" Last year between July and October she had 30 students so far this year she has had about 75 The mere appearance of two more instruction centers is testimony to the growth spurt the sport is experiencing Lessons vary in length and skill level Hanson's offers a two-hour lesson the Ski Rack's package is a six-hour course spread out over a weekend and includes both land and water training Dunning who is certified through the Windsurfers International Sailing School offers eight hours of instruction in two-hour lessons leading to certification Going through our paces mounting the board tacking and getting under way was deceptively easy on land where the sails didn't catch enough wind even to turn the simulator without the instructor's help Once on the water however it's easier than it looks as we found out the next day at Violette's Landing on Green Lake This was no three-or-four-tries-and-you-get-the-hang-of-it sport although some of my experience with snow skiing and waterskiing may have transferred to boardsailing Sailing experience also may be helpful if only to help the learner understand the terms But there are differences as outlined in the July issue of Consumer Reports in the manner of steering and in the way the masts are attached For at least an hour I fought my rig One minute I was up and going along smoothly I thought The next I was aiming too far upwind "caught in the irons" and unable to catch wind I lost my balance and fell in That happened several times Several other times I stalled out too close to shore and frustrated in repeated attempts to sail the board toward the middle of the lake jumped in and bodily dragged the rig out far enough so that I wouldn't crash into rocks beach or parked boats before I caught a good wind Since I was concentrating on getting my own board moving I was unable to watch the progress of the others in their attempts But they appeared to have encountered problems similar to mine I must admit that for all the mishap we enjoyed ourselves and I'll probably try it again at least once Oliver and a friend of his who showed up to watch the end of our lesson swore it got easier after only three or four trips Easy for them to say ti 'W "tlH JU landmark has all but disappeared from the face of the earth I can't say that my life will be irrevocably changed because the Bangor Drive-In closed a week ago After all I've spent more than one or two evenings jousting for a prime spot in the sought-after seventh row No my concern is not for myself I fear for the untold generations of little Bangorians to come They will never know that their city once had a drive-in Instead they will have to go to Brewer Let's take a look at the Bangor Drive-In from a historical perspective On June 7 1950 the headlines in the Bangor Daily News carried stories of President Harry Truman promising more economic "good times" for Americans Sen Joseph McCarthy charged that there were communist spies employed by the State Department and graduating Bangor Theological Seminary students were told that their new congregations would be "basically ignorant of what Christianity means" Things certainly can change over 35 years but as we all know they don't necessarily have to In that same edition of the paper a little story detailed the opening of the Bangor Drive-In Strangely enough the words 'Bangor Drive-In' never appeared in the article Apparently stigmatized by the words "drive-in" (either too tacky or easily misunderstood) the place was referred to as "Maine's newest open air theater" The story said that the drive-in was built at an estimated cost of $100000 and that the 65-by-70-foot concrete screen would withstand a hurricane gale of 100 miles per hour The screen never lived up to the claim however having caved in during the late 1970s to a gust of considerably smaller proportions The accident brought the drive-in into modern times however It was rebuilt as a twin drive-in featuring one screen with AM radio sound Personally I preferred the RCA individual car speakers that you had to pick up from the pole There was always a sense of subdued adventure It was like shopping for a head of lettuce sometimes you got a good one sometimes you didn't Before high school when the Bangor Drive-In would achieve near-religious significance among the crowd I ran with I can recall playing on the swings in front of the drive-in screen I would swing and swing having a great time I would completely ignore my parents as they signaled and hollered for me to come back to the car as the movie began They never understood that the best See BANGOR on Page MW3 Doug Oliver MIDWEEK MENU BOARD i JhW' From the first cup of eye-opening coffee in the morning to the final satisfying meal of the day GREATER BANGOR'S smallest RESTAURANTS OFFER THE BEST IN AFFORDABLE MENU! Oranqe OUT Mclaughlin What's Cookin' at the CLINTON ST CAFE THE FANTASTIC RESTAURANT Main RdMilford (Just across the bridge) TRUE FAMILY DINING in a FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE SEAFOOD! Uuliuc NOW UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP! 8 Minutes South of Paul Bunyan On Main Rd in Hampden Every SAT NITE Baked Beans Hot Dogs Slaw Hot Biscuit ALL FOR $200 Every WED NITE FISH FRY All You Can Eat $425 Stop in and say (7 Clinton St Bangor) Well as always it's only the FINEST in HOME-COOKED MEALS at the most Reasonable HELLO to the It'll make you BOIL if you RED this and didn't stop by for our Haddock FF si DAILY SPECIALS EVERY DAY EXAMPLES: BAKED SALMON LOAF HOMEMADE CHICKEN PIE SEAFOOD CHOWDER CULLED HAUBUT STEAK Prices! LOBSTER ROLL and Fries DAIL BREAKFAST SPECIALS McKay Family enjoy our JULIUS DRINKS MANY UNIQUE HOT DOGS JULIUS BURGERS NACHOS and PRETZELS ONION RINGS and Lots Morel COME SEE US $450 And WHO'S Cooking'? Here's our 24 hr Starting Lineup Special! WARNING The Surqeon OUR MENU BOASTS EVERYTHING FROM GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH TO BLT TO SURF 'N TURF OR COMPLETE SHORE DINNER WELCOME General hos determined that 9 PM -5 AMOIe Buddy TIM CLARKE (Seasoned Veteran of our BULL-pen I) 5 AM-1 PM Brother KEVIN CLARKE (Team Manager and CHff EGGSTRA ORDINA IRE 1 PM-9 PM JEFF CASS (Rookie with Greet POACHINO ARM In long Relief) STOP IN AND MEET OUR TIAMI eating at is more than likely hazardous to SOON I AIRPORT MALL your health" EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK BANGOR FISH STEAMERS LOBSTER 728 MAIN ST BANGOR It's Worth The Ride To WATSON'S i anTlaaV ussswssrem mm it iES4fAcUIANsf (yuvheoq Gocltl Dianer SEAFOOD TAKE-OUT Taste-Tempting Selections! oo- SCALLOPS I CHECK OUR POPULAR 5 Breakfast 5A-11A 2 EGGS HAM COFFEE HOME FRIES HOME TOAST All Only $247 FRIED CLAMS LOBSTER ROLLS SHRIMP CRABMEAT ROLLS BURGERS 'N DOGS I I FREE DELIVERY TO MOST OF THE GREATER BANGOR BREWER AREAI ALTO'S PIZZA 1 329 MAIN ST BANGOR Next to Dunkin Donuts 942-7700 Mon-Thurs 1 1 am to 1 1 pm 11 am to 12 am Sunday 12 pm to 10 pm Plxxa Is our only business and we do It best! I ATTENTION MrMrs SMALL RESTAURANT owner: This can be YOUR SPACE For as little as $3075 weekly you can advertise Your business in AAIDWEEK'S NE Restaurant Section Contact MIDWEEK SALES Bangor Daily News 942-4881 ext 336 with this ad EXPIRES SAT 8385 Try our Grrreot lI OO For Lunch Try Our HAM STEAK wPlNE APPLE POTATO VEGETABLE aii just $350 or me for a FREE cup of coffel ONION RINGSI All our hnkoli Ml FFcol slaw Or BAKED BEANS SLAW 2 HOT DOGS just $265 life RON'S PLACE LOCATED JUST 1 ml btwond "Thru This door pass the Unmet People: Our Customers Our Moods" Broadway Shopping Center BANGOR Bailor Buy Bam on the Pushaw off I'woy Bangor 39 MAIN BREWER (Across From Dior Beauty School) You'll Love Our Everyday Affordable Prices Ask Your Friends!.