By Michael Burke
Journal Times | Posted: Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:00 am
Sports and games are definitely the theme of today's business column. So, let's play …
The Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau has done a great job in recent years of using special events to draw visitors to the Racine area, and especially to the lakefront.
This past winter the bureau bashed through an Upper 90 goal, as a soccer fan might say - by landing the Kick-It Regional Three-on-Three Soccer Tournament. The Aug. 8-9 event will be held at the Soccer Complex of Racine, 9509 Dunkelow Road in Caledonia.
The bureau's executive director, Dave Blank, said the players are mostly ages 8-12, but some can be younger or older. They compete in a shortened match of about 20 minutes on a miniature 20-by-40 yard field, without goalies.
Despite being abbreviated, the games tend to be fairly high-scoring, Blank said. (That should hook some of us non-die-hard soccer fans who think a 1-0 match needs a lot more scoring.)
This will be considered the Chicago regional tournament, involving teams that have advanced from the first level in six Midwestern states. You know they'll take it seriously, because they'll be playing for a spot in the national championships at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
It sounds like fun!
More than that, each team of six players tends to arrive with a total contingent of about 20 people, so 5,000 to 7,000 visitors are expected, Blank said. Many or most will come for two nights.
For local soccer players, it's not too late to round up a team to enter the opening round in Milwaukee. For more details about the Kick It Tour and to register, call (888) 997-7529 or visit http://www.kickit3v3.com
If you can't skate, shoot
The rumble and clatter of skateboards will soon give way to the pops and splats of paintball. Capt. Ron's Skateboard Park is rolling to a stop.
Owner Ron Christensen - who had an earlier incarnation of his business on Racine's north side - said today will likely be his last day. He's closing the skateboard park he opened last January at 8505 Durand Ave. in Sturtevant.
Seasonality killed the young business, Christensen said. "It was very good in the winter, but in the summer the kids can skate outside and skate for free," he said.
He was hoping his winter earnings would carry him through the warm months, but he couldn't quite do it.
But the 10,000-square-foot building has already found a taker - another sport-based business. Combat Cave Paintball should open by May 1, said owner Mike Weiss.
There have been paintball playgrounds in the Racine area before, but Racine County has none at the moment, Weiss said. The next closest is in downtown Milwaukee, he said.
Weiss and his wife, Virginia, have signed on Paul Vance to help manage Combat Cave during the week. Vance managed the former Future World Paintball at State and Spring streets in Racine for about nine years.
Weiss, a Mount Pleasant Police officer, was asked if paintball can survive during the warm months - and avoid the malady that killed the skateboard park. He hopes to counter that by bringing in private affairs such as bachelor parties, corporate team-building exercises and law enforcement training.
Law enforcement officers do training with "simunition," or mini-paintballs fired by realistic-looking weapons, Weiss said.
"They have a hard time finding places to use it," he said.
There are also competitive paintball teams looking for places to play year-round, and Weiss said he's already been contacted by some of them.
Watch for more about this in The Journal Times as it gets closer.
Same toys, new owner
Speaking of games and recreation … every day is a chance to play for Kim Wachowiak, new owner of JoJo's Toys in Downtown Racine. Wachowiak had managed the store for founder-owners Paul Fiegel and his wife, Therese Fellner. But as of Monday, it's all Wachowiak's.
She and her husband, Kevin, also own the building that houses JoJo's, at 306 Main St. They bought it in 2006 and moved into Downtown from 7 Mile Road to be part of a "community," Kim said.
Because she now walks "everywhere," Wachowiak, 42, has also decided to walk downstairs to her job.
She plans to make no significant changes to the business except to occasionally bring in new items.
As for the recession, Wachowiak isn't overly worried. She said, "I really think in a recession, people are more cautious with their money. So they're looking for more
(high-)quality products anyway."
Business reporter Michael Burke can be reached at (262) 631-1716 or by e-mail at mburke@journaltimes.com
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