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Article published August 11, 2010
Regatta offers outdoor fun Thousands flock to annual event
MUDDY CREEK TWP — Ray Roman of Emsworth navigated his 14-pound boat "Wee Zee" through treacherous 6-inch wakes Saturday afternoon at the Regatta at Lake Arthur. Normally used in still waters, Roman and other remote-controlled boaters had to make do with the bustling waters near the Pleasant Valley Beach area at Moraine State Park, where Regatta guests enjoyed boating, swimming and a slew of onshore activities Saturday and Sunday. The tiny wakes don't look like much, but they can easily flip the small gasoline-powered boats, flooding engines and sometimes damaging delicate radio equipment, Roman said. "We just stay away from them," Roman said of the wakes from passenger boats. "It's a good way to stuff your boat in the water." Bob Bonahoom, 62, of Seven Fields had a few competition-grade remote-controlled boats at his disposal Saturday, one of which — called an outrigger — can do nearly 110 mph on open water, he said. Bonahoom is the director of advanced technology at Mine Safety Appliances in Cranberry Township. His engineering background is well-suited to remote-controlled boating, where innovative fixes are often necessary to keep boats running in top form. The Regatta had families from around the region and elsewhere milling about vendors, enjoying the beach and exploring environmentally friendly fun. A small stage overlooked the swim area, where local bands including the Sweaty Betty Blues Band and Eugene and the Nightcrawlers played throughout the weekend. A portable rock wall by Western Pennsylvania company Keystone Sojourns was the tallest structure on site and offered a number of different ascents on each of its four faces.Marc Ornstein of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., displayed a few of his handcrafted wooden canoes and did a number of freestyle canoeing demonstrations, which included a choreographed paddling routine to music he compared to a figure skating performance. Ornstein holds the men's gold in national freestyle canoeing, and his colleague Elaine Mravetz owns the women's gold. Mravetz was paddling near the shore Saturday afternoon, practicing a leaning turn Ornstein called an axel. Park intern Alex Black, 22, of Bradford worked an educational booth with pelts from various wildlife native to Pennsylvania. Coyote, bobcat, mink, muskrat and red fox hides were on display for guests to examine. "A lot of people like to touch the fur because you can't touch the wildlife," Black said. Children made crafts at a large activity tent set up on the lawn near the beach Saturday, while a bubble-blowing machine fired bubbles nearby. Martial artists representing Master Connell's ATA Taekwondo Center in Butler demonstrated sword fighting, board-breaking and other moves. Fourth-degree black belt Leeann Cramer, 29, of Butler and black belt Trevor Hogue, 14, of West Sunbury paced themselves for the demonstrations, which can be physically taxing. "I try not to have the guys slam their hands and feet off of hard objects all the time," Cramer said. Many guests at the Regatta were simply enjoying time with family. Stacy and Eric McGonigal of Munhall, Allegheny County, took their 2-year-old daughter, Ellie, to play in the sand and enjoy the water. It was the family's first time visiting the event. "It's open; there's a lot to do," Eric McGonigal said. "She seems to be enjoying it," he added, referring to Ellie. Event spokeswoman Becky Sheeler expected 40,000 to 60,000 guests for the free weekend event.
