today's SF Chronicle article:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/05/WBGIQE1BM71.DTL
it's for real.....
Snow isn't so cool on Fillmore : Neighbors unhappy with ski jump plans
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, August 5, 2005
A plan to put 12,000 cubic feet of snow and a ski jump on Fillmore Street in late August is so far a wipeout with the Hindu monks at a nearby monastery.
Icer Air 2005, slated for Aug. 27 on Fillmore between Broadway and Green streets, will feature Olympic snowboarder Jonny Moseley and 20 other professional skiers and snowboarders soaring 60 feet off a ski jump, spinning in midair, landing somewhere near Vallejo Street and coasting into a stack of hay bales.
But while Moseley is flying off the ski jump to the cheers of thousands of onlookers, worshipers will be attempting to meditate inside the Vedanta Society Hindu temple at Vallejo and Fillmore.
"It's totally unsuitable," said Warner Hirsch, a monk at the temple. "We're afraid it will be precedent-setting. This is a quiet neighborhood. This kind of event is not appropriate."
The monks, who eschew alcohol, are also concerned about the presence of a "VIP tent" that will be pitched directly outside their monastery. The tent, which will provide refreshments for about 300 athletes, executives and celebrities, will be sponsored by a members-only bar on Maiden Lane called Otis.
The monks, along with other Pacific Heights residents, have talked with Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier's office, but there's not much that can be done to stop the event. The organizers obtained all the necessary permits and have paid numerous city fees.
The event will not be nearly as intrusive as people fear, said Glen Griffin, director of Icer Productions. Icer is not going to advertise or promote it, and organizers hope to keep the crowd to a few thousand. The primary purpose is to film Moseley -- who will be celebrating his 30th birthday -- and his friends for television and a video game.
"We really, really do not want to upset the neighborhood," Griffin said. "This thing is going to be done well and in a first-class way."
Griffin said he came up with the idea about two years ago when he and Moseley were relaxing one night at the Balboa Cafe.
Installing snow and a ski jump seemed like a good way to promote Nevada- based Icer and Moseley's apparel company, while also publicizing San Francisco's scenery for a TV audience.
"We want to show San Francisco as an exciting place to visit, as opposed to a place with a lot of homeless," he said.
They chose the Fillmore Hill because of its steep incline and spectacular views of the Bay.
Griffin said he has spent at least 18 months working with city agencies and corporate sponsors to ensure the event goes smoothly. He has met with neighborhood and merchant groups, received city permits, hired a security firm and arranged for a scaffolding engineer to build the ski jump. The snow -- actually shaved ice -- will be made on-site by a company that has created snow for the X Games.
Nonetheless, many neighbors are not thrilled about the idea, particularly because the annual San Francisco Grand Prix bicycle race, which attracts about 300,000 spectators, speeds down Fillmore Street the next weekend.
"People are incredibly disrespectful of private property at these events, " said Greg Scott, president of the Pacific Heights Residents Association. "It's a real intrusion. We view this in the same class as street fairs."
Ironically, Griffin originally wanted to hold the event at the Union Street Fair but couldn't work out the details.
Neighbors are afraid Icer Air 2005 spectators, like bike race enthusiasts, will trample flowers, litter and sit on front steps, rooftops, railings and porches to watch the festivities, Scott said.
"It's strange -- you buy into a quiet residential neighborhood thinking this won't happen," he said. "There are people who are less than happy about all this."
The athletes, who were invited by Icer to participate, will be judged on the height of their jumps, speed, tricks and landing. The winner will get $100, 000 in cash and prizes, including a new Jeep.
Organizers will build the ski jump on the afternoon of Aug. 26. The event begins at 10 a.m. Aug. 27, and will be cleaned up by 8 p.m., Griffin said.
"People like to complain about things, but we've gotten an unbelievable amount of support," he said. "Even the neighbors who are kind of skeptical, they want to see it."
E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@schronicle.com
