gorge games...

mystery curd · Since 14 Jun 2010 98 Posts Floating

Hey what happened to the gorge games? Anyone know if they are coming back, ever? Read something about sponsors drying up when the economy started crumbling.

Scriffler · Since 03 Jul 2005 581 Posts LYLE Addicted

The Gorge Games has always been about the organizers "appropriating" most of the sponsor dollars to their own bank accounts. This is not a proven fact but it seems to be the way it goes most years, in my opinion.

Aside from that, the Gorge Games are a one of a kind event that is usually well organized and treats the athletes with tons of respect and gives them a top quality event. It will be back, although under a different name. I think Peg Lalor owns the name and wants a pretty penny for it.

Pepi · Tue Sep 20, 11 10:46 pm

Just to clear Pegs name a little, as she is currently still recovering from an extremely bad accident when she was hit by a car last year riding her bike.
http://www.thekiteboarder.com/2011/06/hood-river-fundraiser-to-help-founder-of-the-gorge-games-peg-lalor-rocks/

Peg was the creator of the Gorge Games ( a locally organized multisport event) a little over a decade ago. As the games became more popular, it began to grow and require the structure and direction of a professional event marketing organization. At this time Octagon Marketing then became a partner of the Gorge Games and eventual owner, leading to the larger sponsorship opportunities that resulted in Subaru, Jeep and Timberland.
Eventually there came a year when Octagon was unable to locate a sponsor that was able to carry the level of sponsorship that Octagon expected to match their marketing and television requirements.
After a 2nd year of no sponsors able to meet Octagons requirements, Octagon gave up on the Gorge Games and it then landed back in Pegs hands who then tried to revive the games via local support and organization. Due to lack of support nothing ever really came of this.
After a couple of years, a Josh Ryan and a group of restaurant investors who had been dabbling in opportunity sports and food events, approached Peg with a plan to revive the Gorge Games via their investor and marketing network and with the inclusion of local organizers.
After shining on a decent number of key locals about how much money and promotional marketing they were bringing to Hood River Josh and his partners ended up running a heavily underfunded and undersupported Gorge Games. The afterward shortcomings were visible in the way the workers and winning athletes never saw their paychecks or winning purses from Josh and his partners.
Needless to say these last organizers of the Gorge Games truly burned to the ground whatever dignity was left for the Gorge Games.

Scriffler · Since 03 Jul 2005 581 Posts LYLE Addicted

What about the name though? I thought it was owned? Isn't that why they changed the name last time?

blancoh2o · Since 15 Mar 2005 1154 Posts Oregon Phishy

Pepi has more perspective on the history of water sports in the Gorge than most of us around here. When there are new ideas brought up Pepi is the man when it come to local knowledge and inner workings of beurocracy. Thank You Pepi for enlighening us about the Gorge Games.
Despite Josh Ryan's attempt to turn profits on what once was a grass roots event. The last Gorge Games did have some highlights. There was a huge crowd at the kiteboarding events and the skateboarding events.
The CGKA was real involved and provided a lot of volunteers to work the kiteboarding event. It should be acknowledged that there were a few folks that put in tireless amounts of time and work with no compensation.
Thank You to all the volunteers for a great event! (politics aside of course)

Pepi · Thu Sep 22, 11 9:02 pm