And then festivities will end, of course, this Friday with the big 20th Anniversary Ride the evening of September 28th, 2012. (Not that you’d know it from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition website’s ”Chain of Events” section, where all info about CM* is now censored.)
“It started with a bike ride in San Francisco on Sept. 25, 1992. About 50 people cycled in a pack along Market Street, hoping to earn some respect from drivers who sometimes ignored them or edged them off the road. They called it the “Commute Clot.” Today it’s known as Critical Mass, a movement that’s spread worldwide. Supporters say it promotes cycling and the rights of bicyclists. But critics say it is illegal, clogs traffic and antagonizes drivers. We talk about Critical Mass’ 20th anniversary, and its effects on the city.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
Chris Carlsson, co-founder of Critical Mass who was part of the first ride on Sept. 25, 1992, and has since participated in Critical Mass rides in Milan, Vancouver and Porto Alegre, Brazil
Tune in at 10:00 on your radio or on your device, Listen Live.
*The SFBC raises money through fees but it also gets mucho dinero directly from SFGov. So that’s why it endorsed Ed Lee for Mayor even though SFBC’s members generally did not and still do not like Ed Lee. Similarly, Chrstina Olague, Mayor Ed Lee’s hand-picked recruit for District 5 Supervisor, gets endorsed over Julian Davis even though SFBC members actually favor JD. The SFBC is basically a quasi-government agency now, so it’s very afraid of seeming to say something negative about certain members of the City Family. It’s also afraid of hurting the chances of its officers someday getting jobs / health care directly with SFGov / SFMTA. Anyway, that’s why the SFBC is basically a SFGov kiss-ass these days. It will lobby San Francisco government, certainly, but that’s about as far as it wants to go. (Think about it – who would the SFMTA endorse for Mayor?)
But the new news is that you can watch this flick for free now via the NetFlix.
It’s just released. See?
“This movie is: Exciting”
(But, sorry streamer-only NetFlix people, right now you can only have them mail you the DVD or the Blu-Ray – you can’t just stream this to your device.)
And no, I don’t think Vietnam Tom Bruso, or anyone else on the bus that day…
"Icebreaker makes Outdoor, Running, Cycling, Travel, Kids, Underwear and Lifestyle apparel from handpicked merino wool born in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. It's non-itch, easy to wash, lightweight, versatile, easily packable and no-stink (because merino is naturally anti-mircrobrial, you can wear it for days ow weeks without a wash).
Sustainability has been part of Icebreaker's ethos since the start. It has strict animal welfare and farm standards, and has a traceability program (called "Baacode") that enables people to use a unique code sewn inside their garment to trace the fiber back to the sheep stations that grew it all the way through its supply chain."
And OMG, it's "Ramotaur" and "Nature Girl" on the streets of SF:
Click to expand
And one last thing:
"Ramotar will be appearing next weekend Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12/2-12/4, 12pm-3pm, fliers in key SF locales, Union Square, Embarcadero, Ferry Building, etc. Also Friday and Saturday, 12/9-12/10, 12pm-3pm in the same locales."
Who’ll win this one? She has the reach but his posture tells you he wants it more:
Click to expand
“Icebreaker Brings a Touch of New Zealand to the Heart of San Francisco - New Zealand merino wool apparel company’s first San Francisco store will launch November 21, priorto the grand opening of a full build-out in March 2012
Wellington, New Zealand (7 November 2011) – Icebreaker, the New Zealand company that pioneered the merino wool adventure apparel category, today announced it would “break the ice” in San Francisco with the opening of a retail store in San Francisco on November 21, 2011, just in time for the holidays. The Icebreaker store will be located at 170 Post Street, between Grant and Kearny Streets, just one block from Union Square.
San Franciscans will be in introduced to Icebreaker in two phases. The 1600 square foot location’s initial iteration will feature the complete Icebreaker line, showcasing its Outdoor, Running, Cycling, Travel, Kids, Underwear and City collections, all made from handpicked merino wool born in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.
In March 2012 the space will be fully built-out as a “TouchLab” store. A TouchLab store enables shoppers to touch Icebreaker raw merino fiber, as well as the various weights of apparel Icebreaker makes, and experience the pleasure of pure, soft, breathable merino, which offers instant warmth, coolness in the summer, is sun safe and antimicrobial and can be machine washed.
“People in San Francisco love the outdoors and have a great appreciation for nature and natural products, so this area is the perfect location for our newest TouchLab,” said Jeremy Moon, Icebreaker’s founder and CEO. “San Franciscans are our ideal customer: savvy shoppers who appreciate apparel that looks as fantastic as it performs.
“Icebreaker is perfect for the Bay Area climate. Merino wool performs beautifully anywhere, be it on the slopes of Tahoe, during a bike ride through Wine Country or on a summer evening in the city.” Natural, sustainably produced Icebreaker merino regulates body temperature in all climates, is highly breathable to prevent the clamminess associated with synthetics, and protects wearers from the sun’s harmful rays. It’s also no stink, resisting odour and wearable for days – sometimes weeks – without washing.
Icebreaker opened its flagship TouchLab store in New York City in December 2010 and also has TouchLab stores on the West Coast in Portland, Oregon (home of its US headquarters) and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It also has a TouchLab in Montréal, Canada. The Icebreaker San Francisco pop-up store will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 8p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., (415) 399-9615.
“New Zealand’s merinos produce a wool that has a very fine diameter, which makes it soft and breathable yet with high insulation value for warmth.” – TIME magazine
“The thin construction leverages wool’s breathability and natural wicking properties, so you don’t suffocate when a run heats up.” – Runner’s World
“It wicks like a champ and is as comfortable as cotton.” – Backpacker magazine
Icebreaker Clothing Launched in 1994, Icebreaker was the first company in the world to develop a merino fibre layering system for the outdoors. It was also the first outdoor apparel company in the world to source merino directly from growers, a system it began in 1997. The Icebreaker apparel system includes underwear, mid layer garments, outerwear, socks and accessories. There are outdoor, technical and lifestyle categories, each with its own specific fabrics and design details. Icebreaker is sold in more than 3000 stores in 43 countries.Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Icebreaker uses only pure merino handpicked from 140 high country stations in the country’s Southern Alps to create adventure clothing for women, men and kids that combines nature’s work with human technology and design. The company is committed to sustainability, ethical manufacturing and animal welfare. In 2008 the company launched “Icebreaker Baacode,” a pioneering supply chain transparency and traceability program. Each Icebreaker includes a unique Baacode, which enables customers to trace the garment online from rearing the sheep through to each stage of the supply chain process.”
Now, last year, back in 2010, the rides were free, so people were lining up at 3:00 AM. But this year, the cost will be $29, so that will certainly cut down on the riff-raff, and therefore surely shorten the queue.
(And oh, our friends from up in the Great White North just told me that they will be highly disappointed if Edwin Lee, San Francisco’s once (and future?) Mayor chickens out, if he blows off his obligation. Other Mayors have done it and it all worked out fine. See below for one example…)
Hours: Open daily (7 days a week!) from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.*
Price: $29 (all ages)
Age: 6 years+
Weight: 65lbs – 275lbs
First come, first serve
All guests are required to sign an Assumption of Risks and Release of Liability Agreement (coming soon) before zipping. Under 19 requires signature by a parent or guardian.
The ziplines are gravity fed, so guests do not have to worry about controlling their own speed. Guides are stationed at each tower to connect (launch platform) and disconnect (landing platform) each and every guest. Age restrictions apply and guests must weigh more than 65 pounds and no more than a maximum of 275 pounds.
When: Summer 2011 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. *
Where: Justin Herman Plaza at Embarcadero Square, San Francisco, California
* times may vary on certain days”
Will you have the guts to climb a temporary tower (80 feet tall!) just like this one from 2010 to earn the right to tell your friends you rode the Justin Herman Plaza Zip Line?
But first, you’ll need to wait in line next to the abysmal Vaillancourt Fountain, sign a waiver, and get harnessed up.
Le mise-en-scene.
You’ll ascend the 80 foot tower and encounter a friendly Canadian guide at the top. If you need a pep talk, you’ll get one:
You’ll soon be steadying your nerves by glancing at your jump buddy…
…and then you’ll be off, into the wild bleu.
Sisters doing it for themselves:
Can you see the nervous giggles? There’s your team bonding right there.
And this is what it felt like last year. Everything zooms by with a quickness, and there’s a loud buzzing above your noggin. Some people go upside-down even.
And they’ll totally let you bring a camera to make your own YouTube:
You owe it to yourself to try.
Don’t dissappoint lovely Ashleigh. She brought her Olympic Gold all the way down here last year just so you’d consider Vancouver as the starting point for your next vacation:
Well this is what the first visit of the Disney Wondercruise ship looked like last week when she sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time…
Click to expand – Jimmy DeFlippo / Disney
… and this is what she looked like when berthed at Pier 35:
And yet, almost 1000 souls enjoy its charms every day. Mmmm. It wasn’t impossible for allthose people to ride, right?
(In other news of the day, here are NBCBayArea’s random photos of Playboy bunnies and Hooters Restaurant employees. That’s got to be pure gold, trafficwise, in’nt.)
Are we saying to get there way early in the day? I think that’s what we’re saying.
Irregardless, NBC’s accounts of when people got into line and when they were able to ride that day (if ever) are enlightening. And, agreed, it’s probably not a good use of time to drive all the way up from San Hoser just to try to go for a 20-second zip.
