Summer of Gold

Summer of Gold

Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

CELEBRATING Our Olympic Legacy Two decades ago when The Atlanta Olympic Committee brought the world to the shores of Lake Lanier, our Milton Martin Honda family stepped up and volunteered their time to roll out the red carpet and welcome the world to Gainesville/ Hall County. Many of the volunteers from our team are still part of the Milton Martin Honda team today. Like the lasting legacy of Lake Lanier Olympic Park, Milton Martin Honda continues its legacy of community involvement and award winning customer service.

We salute GainesvilleHall ‘96 for preserving our Olympic legacy and creating a world class competitive paddling venue that provides our community with a scenic event site and public park for all to enjoy.

Senator Butch Miller Capitol Office: 109 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: 404-656-7454 | Email: butch.miller@senate.ga.gov Pictured above, long-time Milton Martin Honda employees David and Kristi Copous’ 1996 Centennial Olympic Games scrapbook featuring fellow long-time Milton Martin Honda coworkers Wendy Truelove, Darlene Satterfield and Robert Thomas.

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

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Celebrating a Summer of Gold It was 20 years ago when the world came to North Georgia for the centennial Olympic Games in and around Atlanta.

Two decades later, the Lake Lanier course at Clarks Bridge Park, home of the Games’ rowing and sprint canoe-kayak competition, remains one of the few sites still being used for the same sport it entertained in 1996. And that facility has gotten a fresh lease on life to mark its 20th year as one of the world’s premier courses.

The venue, rechristened Lake Lanier Olympic Park, has undergone more than $1 million in renovations through planning from the revitalized Gainesville Hall ’96 committee.

The first phase of the renovation was completed this past spring in time for the U.S. Canoe/Kayak Team sprint team trials in April; the Canadian Olympic team trials in May, then the Pan American Championships, which served as a qualifying event for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In these pages, we celebrate Lanier’s Olympic legacy and its ongoing dedication to the spirit of the games.

Inside ■■Atlanta chief Billy Payne reflects on Lake Lanier’s origins and role. Page 6 ■■Lanier’s Olympic legacy lives on today. Page 8 ■■How the games landed on Lanier’s shores. Page 10 ■■Volunteers reflect on their days in the sun. Page 14 ■■An Olympic timeline seen through Times headlines.

Pages 16-17 ■■Clubs keep Olympic spirit alive at venue. Page 20

A publication of The Times

Publisher Charlotte Atkins Editor Keith Albertson Cover and page design Steven Welch Contributing writers, photographers Jennifer Linn, Kristen Oliver, Jeff Gill, Hailey Van Parys, Scott Rogers, Erin O. Smith On the cover

A current view of Lake Lanier Olympic Park, by Scott Rogers; a view from the grandstands during the 1996 rowing competition (Times file); a 1996 Olympic gold medal (Times file)

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

A site with staying power ERIN O. SMITH | The Times

Recent upgrades to the Lake Lanier Olympic Park venue include a message board on the judges’ timing tower, plus handicap access, restrooms and cosmetic improvements.

Venue gets upgrade after 20 years

BY KRISTEN OLIVER

koliver@gainesvilletimes.com Twenty years ago, more than 10,000 of the world’s greatest athletes convened upon Georgia’s highest-quality sports venues, one of which was right here in Gainesville.

Today, Lake Lanier Olympic Park on Clarks Bridge Road, the host of the 1996 Olympic Games canoe/kayak events, is recognizable as the venue from 20 years ago only by the judges’ tower and the five interlocking rings that stand against the sparkling waters behind.

Improvements have been made over the years, including a recently completed $1.1 million renovation.

The park offers one of the best courses in the world for practice, and the facilities are better than ever before.

THE PAST Prior to the ’96 Olympics, the venue and its various structures did not yet exist, according to Mimi Collins, CEO of The Longstreet Clinic and chair of Gainesville-Hall ’96.

“My understanding of the history is, back in 1993-1994, the Atlanta Olympic organizing body

was awarded the Olympic bid, and places across the state put into the organizing body to be different venues,” Collins said. “So a group of people in Gainesville wanted to submit for the canoe, kayak, rowing games, and the vision really started then to use Clarks Bridge Park and Lake Lanier as that venue.”

Many of those same people today make up the nonprofit group Gainesville-Hall ’96.

The bid was won in 1993, and the judges tower, boathouse and original service building were then constructed, according to Collins.

For the games, floating temporary grandstands were installed across the lake from the judges’ tower, as the stone stadium seating now at the park did not yet exist.

Following the games, the temporary stands were removed, and the park was used for additional canoe and kayak events.

Since then, there have been two major renovations.

“Of course there’s been maintenance and smaller efforts over the years,” Collins said. “But one major renovation was back in 2001-2002, in anticipation of the 2003 CanoeKayak World Championships. That renovation was what built the stone stadium seating by the tower. That

was not there until the 2003 World Championships.”

Collins said there was a movement in the early 2000s for the world championships to make the improvements to the park, and funds were raised in the city and the county for the stadium seats carved out of the hill today.

THE PRESENT Over the next decade, the Olympic venue went relatively untouched before its second major renovation, which was just completed last month.

“Gainesville-Hall ’96 just completed the $1.1 million project that included renovation of the tower that was built for the ’96 games, improving ADA-accessibility and renovation of what was the service building and is now the Lake Lanier Olympic Park at the top of the plaza,” Collins said.

The renovations added a ramp providing access from the upper plaza to the platform below.

The service building, where venue manager Morgan House’s office is located, had new windows cut out, a conference area for private events, a second office for meetings and a private bathroom.

The building will better accommodate the events housed at the

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Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Q&A Steve Gilliam Gainesville attorney Steve Gilliam served as vice chairman of Gainesville/Hall ’96.

How did you get involved in the Olympic effort?

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

Newly installed landscaping, top, and grandstands, below, are among recent improvements at Lake Lanier Olympic Park.

park, from races to festivals and weddings.

“Before, if a bride wanted to get married out here, it was very tough for me to sell it to her,” House said. “She would say, ‘Where do I get dressed?’ And I would say, ‘Well, you can use my office and the public restrooms.’

That didn’t work too well.”

Adjacent to the service building is the new two-part butterfly garden, just inside the gates of the park, with stone paths, benches and a fountain.

A walkway also now stretches from the upper park plaza to the second story of the judges’ tower, giving wheelchair-bound judges and guests easy access to the tower for the first time.

The interior of the tower is massively restored, adding a restroom for the first time ever, plus a meeting room on the ground floor and improvements throughout.

THE FUTURE Collins said she believes parks are “an important part of our quality of life,” and the Lake Lanier Olympic Park is an important source of economic

development, hosting everything from international events to local weddings that bring revenue into the whole community.

“It’s phenomenal,” she said.

House said he believes the Lake Lanier Olympic Park offers athletes one of the best venues to practice and compete in the world.

“I’ve seen almost every course in the world myself,” House said.

“I personally have competed on them. And we have the best. We really do.”

Collins said she has “lots of feelings about” the changes to the venue as the state marks the 20th anniversary of the ’96 Olympic Games.

“Clarks Bridge Road and now Lake Lanier Olympic Park is one of my favorite places to be,” she said. “It’s just beautiful, and it’s so close and accessible to so many people in our region. It’s not just to see the revitalization of just the venue, the bricks and mortar that were built for the sport, but to see us as a community leveraging those investments to improve a public park and making it more accessible for all our citizens.

That is so important.”

Jim Mathis was asked by the city of Gainesville leaders to form a committee to seek out possible Olympic Games opportunities.

Jim and I had worked on civic and charitable ventures before, and he asked me if I would join him in the this quest. I agreed and we formed Gainesville/Hall County ’96 Roundtable Inc. as a nonprofit legal entity to seek out those opportunities. Jim was the chair and I was vice chair and general counsel.

When it became apparent that the rowing and canoe kayak venue first planned for Rockdale County (which didn’t have water) and Stone Mountain (an island in the middle of the lake was in the way), Jack Pyburn, a local architect and rower, suggested Clarks Bridge Road area as being a great place for the venue. Jim and I started lobbying the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games for the venue. We also started lobbying the U.S. and international rowing federations and U.S. and international canoe-kayak federations to support the venue. We also lobbied the city of Gainesville and Hall County leaders because they owned the property on both sides of Lake Lanier, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

All of the governmental entities got behind us, and we were able to convince ACOG we had a venue with a lot of support and water.

After we were awarded the venue, we enlarged Gainesville/Hall ’96 and added new members to committees for merchandise, security, housing of athletes and families, to name a few.

With the help of Jack on the rowing side and other rowers, we created Lake Lanier Rowing Club, and on the kayaking side with the help of Gary Gaines, we created the Lake Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club, both of which still exist today.

We had hundreds of volunteers to welcome the international community of athletes and their families, as well as visitors to watch the Games. We had a live feed for the opening ceremonies at the Geor-

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

gia Mountains Center. We had a committee to meet with ACOG venue managers, architects and contractors so the venue would be designed to be a permanent facility after the Olympics. We had a committee to meet with the local neighbors and businesses to keep them updated on the construction progress. We also were involved in and helped stage several test events prior to the Olympics. We had monthly luncheon meetings of volunteers and the public to keep the community informed as to the progress of the venue. We had a donated office with meeting rooms, and Mary Hart Wilheit was our volunteer, full-time unpaid executive director.

What is your fondest memory?

There are so many, but two stand out. I was invited to Belgium for a week by the International Canoe Federation to attend the European Canoe Kayak Championship. Susan and I were treated so warmly by our hosts and not only saw the races but traveled all over Belgium. Not only did we have wonderful food and hospitality, we made many new international friends! When they came to Gainesville, I wanted to make sure they were treated as well, if not better.

I was honored to be asked by the ACOG venue managers to welcome the hundreds of volunteers at the Mountains Center just before the Olympics. This included ACOG officials and officials of the sports all the way down to the wonderful parking lot attendants at Gainesville Junior College (now University of North Georgia). I taught them how to yell “Go Dawgs” and say “y’all,” and the plural of y’all, which is “all y’all.”

How has your involvement in the Olympics affected your life since?

I always have been involved in the community, but this acted as a springboard to become involved in other activities, both locally and statewide.

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Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Payne recalls Gainesville’s ‘desire’

By Keith Albertson

kalbertson@gainesvilletimes.com

When Billy Payne, Atlanta’s Olympic architect, looks back on his crowning achievement from 20 years ago, one of the bright spots is Gainesville’s participation in the Centennial Games.

“Without exception, the back and forth with the organizers in Gainesville and us at ACOG was the best of all relationships we had,” Payne, who was head of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, said in a recent phone interview. “They were 100 percent committed. We saw all the signs of their desire to be part of the Olympics.

“It was clear to us the community in Gainesville and Hall County wanted to be part of the greatest movement in sports.”

Payne recalled how the rowing and sprint canoe-kayak events came to Lake Lanier for what he called “truly a Georgia Olympics.” and the impact the Games have had since.

Lake Lanier emerged as an option for the events after options in Stone Mountain and Rockdale County were deemed unworkable.

The decision was made in late 1990 to bring the events to Lanier.

Lake Lanier was a familiar site to Payne, an Athens native, but its competitive course on the northern arm of the lake at the Chattahoochee River wasn’t something he first envisioned. Yet when he saw the venue taking shape, he knew it

Times file photo

Atlanta Olympic director Billy Payne receives a T-shirt from Steve Gilliam of Gainesville Hall ’96 at the dedication and groundbreaking of the Lake Lanier venue in February 1995.

would become a first-class facility.

“Growing up, I spent time going to Lake Lanier, but I always saw the lake from center of the lake south. I didn’t know that such a perfect straightaway existed,” he said. “I was thrilled when I first saw it, though we knew it would take a lot of work to get it done. But the people who were proponents in the community made it clear they would get it done, and they did.”

Payne said he made two visits to the Lake Lanier venue during competition, recalling how Australian fans “made a lot of noise,” and viewing the venue by air from a helicopter. More than 180,000 fans

Q&A | Jim Mathis Jr. Gainesville banker Jim Mathis Jr. was one of the key players in bringing the Olympics to Lake Lanier as chairman of the Gainesville-Hall County Roundtable.

How did you first become involved in the Olympic effort?

In 1992, I was asked by the city of Gainesville to help compile a book of possible sites and services that might be used in support of the Olympic efforts in Atlanta. From this emerged the need for team training facilities, family and team housing and the realization that this should be a communitywide effort. The Gainesville-Hall ’96 Roundtable was established as an inclusive organiza-

attended the rowing and flatwater paddling events over two weeks.

“It was crazy fun,” he said. “To this day, I believe we sold more tickets in Atlanta than any other Olympics.”

And though the venue is nearly an hour’s drive from Atlanta where the games were centered, Payne noted how local residents stepped in by serving as host families to many competitors and visitors.

“That’s the long-range result in how it changed communities,” he said. “You see the Olympics up close, and it makes it more fun for everyone. It introduced the sport in a different way, and that’s one of

tion and began its efforts to organize the community.

Local rower Jack Pyburn came up with the idea of actually hosting rowing and canoe-kayak events on Lake Lanier. Soon we hosted the Southeastern Youth Regatta with 512 rowers. Later that year, the German National Team used Lake Lanier to train for the World Rowing Championships to be held in Indiana that summer. This was the beginning of our quest to host the 1996 Olympic rowing and flatwater canoe-kayak competition.

What is your fondest memory?

Two great memories: First was the day the headline in The Times read “It’s Lanier” announcing our selection to host the Olympic competition.

Second: the thousands of new and

the principle reasons Gainesville has, better than anyone else, perpetuated the Olympic ideal.”

Payne also recognized that while nearly all Olympic venues in metro Atlanta have been repurposed or abandoned, the Lake Lanier venue remains in use, including recent upgrades that have brought in new competitive events.

“It proves how Gainesville can continue to hold world-class competition,” he said. “I’ve followed the new improvements. It’s not surprising to see how it has been kept alive.”

The legacy of the Olympics in Atlanta and Gainesville remains a point of pride 20 years later for Payne, who now serves as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters.

“Everyone seemed to justify (the games) from an economic advantage point, and it did do that. There were some $3 billion in developments around Centennial Park, as we hoped,” he said. “But the value is what was experienced in Gainesville and other places. That’s the idea of taking something that was thought to be impossible and making it happen, and know that we pulled it off. It’s something everyone can feel proud of, to be a part of the Olympic movement.

“It proves that it’s OK to dream large dreams that seem impossible to attain but can happen when a community unites behind an idea, no matter how impossible it may seem.”

old friends who helped make our experience rich for everyone. This resulted in NBC sports commentator Charlie Jones proclaiming Gainesville-Hall the “Hospitality capital of the world.” Friends from all over the world remember their Olympic experience.

How has your involvement affected you since?

To see a true Olympic Legacy take hold at the Lake Lanier venue is gratifying. For 20 years, the two clubs have hosted hundreds of events both large and small, national and international.

Today, the Olympic venue thrives under the leadership of GH ’96 and venue manager Morgan House. The venue is one of the few remaining sports venues from the 96 Games.

Times file photo

Jim Mathis Jr. carries the Olympic flame in the July 15, 1996, torch relay through Gainesville.

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Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

The games’ legacy lives on Olympic venue one of few 1996 sites still in use

By Jennifer Linn

jlinn@gainesviletimes.com Twenty years ago the Olympic Games came to Atlanta, with rowing and paddling events held in Gainesville on Lake Lanier. While the Olympic flame has been passed on, the Olympic spirit has not been lost in Gainesville.

The venue where the rowing and paddling events were held, now called Lake Lanier Olympic Park, recently completed $1.1 million in renovations. It’s still being used today — and is the only facility built for the ‘96 Olympics that is still used the way it was originally purposed.

In May, the Pan American Championships were held at the park, a few weeks after the U.S. Canoe/Kayak National Team Trials. The venue will host the Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 10, which is expected to draw 7,000 people, and the 2018 Dragon Boat World Championship will be held at the venue in two years.

Also on the calendar is the Rio on the Water 20th anniversary event Aug. 5 planned to commemorate the ’96 Olympics. It will feature Brazilian food, dancing and music. There will be a parade of volunteers who helped out with the Olympics.

“We’re really celebrating the fact that we’re the only venue from 1996 that’s still in use 20 years later,” said Morgan House, Olympic Park venue manager.

Those who were involved in bringing the Olympics to Gainesville planned a venue in the early 1990s that would withstand the years and continue to be used for its original purpose.

The story of how Lake Lanier Olympic Park came to be dates back more than 20 years. After Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Olympics on Sept. 18, 1990, planning began.

The rowing and paddling events were initially planned for Rockdale County or Stone Mountain.

But according to Gainesville attorney Steve Gilliam, who served as

The Times file photos

Above: Rowers pass before the grandstands on Lake Lanier during Olympic competition in 1996. More than 180,000 fans packed the stands over two weeks. Below: A Norwegian fan snaps photos from the grandstands.

vice chairman of Gainesville Hall ’96 committee, when Rockdale County didn’t have water for the manmade lake it had planned, Olympic organizers began to look elsewhere. And an island in the middle of Stone Mountain lake made a course there impossible.

That’s when Gainesville/Hall ’96 came into play. The group was formed from the ’96 Community Roundtable, which worked to get Gainesville and Hall County involvement in the Olympics. The mission statement of the ’96 Round-

table, which was founded June 14, 1993, states: “The Mission of the ’96 Community Roundtable is to serve as a catalyst and to unify community efforts relative to participation in the 1996 Olympic Games and other events which will have a significant impact on our community before, during and after the 1996 Olympic Games.”

Jim Mathis Jr., the chairman of Gainesville/Hall ‘96 in the mid90’s said he’s delighted the venue is still being used today. In the planning stages before the Olympics,

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Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Lanier’s Olympics By the numbers

When: July 20-Aug. 4, 1996.

Lanier events began July 21, with rowing the first week, followed by canoekayak the second week through Aug. 4.

Cost of venue: $12 million Who came: A total of 180,000 spectators filled the 16,000-seat grandstands over two weeks of competition.

Volunteers: Some 2,000 helped operate the venue and serve athletes during the Games Athletes: A total of 1,100 rowers and paddlers qualified to compete, one of the largest athlete contingents in the Games.

The course: 3,000 meters on the northern arm of the Chattahoochee River The prices: Tickets to the medal rounds on Lanier were $32. Concession prices ranged from $3 for a hot dog, $22 for an Olympic T-shirt and $58 for a polo shirt. Pins were $5-$50.

The shuttle: Fans parked at Gainesville College, now the University of North Georgia, in Oakwood and rode 105 school buses for the 15-mile trip to the Clarks Bridge Park site.

The medal count: Led by the U.S., 101 total and 44 gold, though none of the latter earned at Lake Lanier.

the international people were very encouraging about building a legacy for paddle sports in Gainesville.

The two clubs — Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club and Lanier Rowing Club — were formed early on.

“They were very important in convincing the international people a legacy would be formed after the Olympics,” Mathis said.

Gilliam, part of Gainesville/ Hall ’96, said they wanted to make sure that when the venue was built, it would last.

“We wanted to maintain a long-time presence in the two sports ... and also to champion Gainesville and Hall County on an international stage, we wanted to shine to the world,” Gilliam said.

And shine Gainesville did. During the Games, NBC commentator Charlie Jones christened Gainesville the

“hospitality capital of the world” as the community warmly welcomed the athletes and spectators to the lake.

“What I try to do is during each event that we have, make that recognition come true at every event,” House said.

He said he’s heard from many people around the globe over the years who have said how much they loved Gainesville.

House is a former athlete and has previously competed in more than 20 different countries over the world kayaking.

He said the Lanier venue is one of the most fair in the world — and that’s one of the reasons people like to come back.

“Oftentimes you get a wind shadow where one lane will be affected by wind, whereas the others won’t be, it creates an unfair advantage,” he said. Yet at the Lanier course, if there’s wind, everyone will experience the same advantage or disadvantage.

While the course is a draw to athletes for fast and fair races, its 20-year-lifespan has been made possible by the people around Gainesville, House said.

“Without volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to operate,” he said.

“The biggest thing that happened was the volunteers. We had close to 2,000 volunteers from all over the United States, mostly from here,” Mathis said.

“Anywhere I went I would see my friends doing any kind of job there was,” he said. Volunteers were used anywhere from Gainesville College to help park cars, to the actual venue to the grandstands.

The past 18 years, two clubs, the Lake Lanier Rowing Club and the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club have shared the venue, with assistance from the city and county for maintenance.

“The kayak and rowing clubs are 100 percent volunteerbased,” House said. “Without their support and their help, this really wouldn’t function.”

Twenty years ago, those volunteers made the Olympic Games possible.

“The amazing thing about the whole thing when we started looking for volunteers they were coming out of the woodwork, we never lacked for volunteers,” said Mary Hart

Olympic memories One tie finds another

The Times file photo

Mollie McNair of Atlanta watches the canoe-kayak semifinals Aug. 2, 1996.

Wilheit, who was the executive director of Gainesville/Hall ’96 leading up to the Games.

Wilheit and Gilliam also said watching all of the local groups come together for the Olympics was gratifying.

The Department of Natural Resources, the city of Gainesville, Hall County, the Army Corps of Engineers and local law enforcement officials were among the groups that needed to agree to contracts to make the Olympics possible in Hall County.

“We had to get all those folks involved, and they all got on the bandwagon. I mean, it was really neat,” Gilliam said.

Economically, the impact has also been a boon locally.

House said in 2015, the venue brought in just under $7 million to the local economy.

This year, with the new events added, that number is expected to be around $10 million.

Gainesville also has become a winter training alternative for college rowing teams based out of the Northeast looking for a place to practice during the cooler months.

“It’s a major generator of economic activity for the community,” he said.

Phase two of renovations to the park will include improvements to the park side.

Looking back, Gilliam said he’s still very proud of the venue, which has given the people in Gainesville and Hall County a unique opportunity to see world-class athletic events over the years.

“Again, I think we have a unique story to tell in the fact that we’re still the only operating venue that was designed to be for the sports, and we got two sports, and both of them are continuing,” Gilliam said.

Longtime Poultry Federation president and Gainesville resident Abit Massey recalled how Atlanta Olympics chief Billy Payne helped launch the Georgia Games, the state amateur competition for which Massey served as its first chairman. That association led to ties with another Olympian.

“We had our (Georgia Games) opening ceremony at Grant Field, and Nick (Gailey, Games director) came up with the idea to find all the Olympic winners in Georgia and invite them to lead the march on the field.”

On that list of former Olympians was Bill Fields, a Gainesville resident who had won a gold medal in rowing in the 1952 Games in Helsinki, Finland. Massey recalled how Fields helped lead the march to bring the events to Gainesville before his untimely death in 1992 before the games arrived.

“He hadn’t made any waves about his medal, but we were glad we found him,” Massey said. “He was very helpful in the early days of the games and the Olympic bid.”

Massey also recalled visiting Payne in his Atlanta office, where he shared another idea before the Olympics.

“He said, ‘Come look out the window,’ and he showed me his vision for (Centennial) Olympic Park, which was nothing then,” Massey said. “The park is one of the legacies to Billy Payne and the Atlanta team.”

the cultural Games The Olympics are about more than just athletic events, with cultural activities scheduled during the games. Gainesville’s effort in that area fell under the auspices of The Arts Council, recalled director Gladys Wyant.

Those events included Celebrate Mexico and Celebrate Africa festivals.

“These festivals along with the festivals and activities throughout the Olympics involved more local volunteers than for any other program in our history,” she wrote in an email. “We included The Arts Council, Quinlan (Visual Arts Center), Brenau (University) and Gainesville College as well as local performing groups to ensure they were part of the Olympic Celebration. “ The week of cultural events included festivals featuring visual artists, exhibits on loan from Coca-Cola, wearable art fashion show and boutique and a three-day children’s festival at the Gainesville Civic Center.

The Russian National Orchestra performed at the then-Georgia Mountains Center at the close of the Games.

Wyant noted how the families of many athletes stayed with local residents during the games.

“The Cultural Olympiad programs provided many events to entertain these families, our local community and visitors from around the world,” she wrote. “We burned out hundreds of local volunteers, but what a rewarding experience. Many international friends were made during this period.”

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Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

How Olympics landed on Lanier’s shores From staff reports

Atlanta’s Olympic organizers had a bit of a problem as they identified venues for the 1996 Olympic Games they were awarded in 1990.

While the metro Atlanta facilities and venues were well underway, planners faced a dilemma on where to hold the rowing and flatwater canoe-kayak events.

The first option was the lake at Stone Mountain, but an island obstacle in the middle of the lake’s clearest straightaway would prove logistically impossible to overcome.

Then it was decided to build a venue from a planned reservoir in Rockdale County on a site that had no water. But that idea ran afoul of some of the sports’ leaders unsure of the quality of such a course for world-class competitors.

Enter Lake Lanier. Already, Atlanta officials had designated the Clarks Bridge Park site as the backup if Rockdale’s plan went dry. After FISA, rowing’s international governing body, weighed in, the decision was made.

And on Dec. 22, 1993, Jim Mathis Jr., head of the Gainesville Hall ‘96 Roundtable group making the pitch, got the call at his office: The Olympics were coming to Gainesville. The Times’ headline the next day screamed, “IT’S LANIER!” How it came together was a combination of good fortune and dogged determination by many who worked tirelessly to see it through.

Billy Payne, head of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, recalled how Lake Lanier first became an option for Games organizers.

“We looked around for possible venues that had the right arithmetic, in terms of meters, and there were relatively few,” Payne said in a recent phone interview.

Payne said he was first approached by two Gainesville leaders he knew well: Judge Sidney O. Smith and Poultry Federation President Abit Massey.

“We heard about the possibility, so I called Billy and encouraged Gainesville as the site. We told him we had water,” Massey said. “Jim Mathis had called and asked if I could help, and I was glad to do it, of course.”

“We identified and talked to people (in Gainesville) and began to see some interest,” Payne said.

Q&A | MARY HART WILHEIT

Mary Hart Wilheit served as executive director of Gainesville/Hall ’96. She shares her memories of her participation in the Games.

How did you first become involved in the Olympic effort?

Jim Mathis asked me to help with efforts to bring Olympic rowing and canoekayak events to Lake Lanier.

My main job at that time was hospitality. We had many visitors looking at the site, and when they were there, I would have refreshments, decorations and smiling volunteers.

What is your fondest memory?

Times file photo

The boathouse is seen under construction at Clarks Bridge Park in advance of the 1996 Olympics.

“It’s easy to get community leaders to say they’re interested, but then you need governmental blessings as well, and we got that.”

The final selling point, however, came from rowing federation leaders. Jack Pyburn, an architect and avid rower, joined Gainesville’s effort by selling FISA officials on the viability of the Lanier course.

“From my research and having spent some time around serious rowers, I had learned two things: Competitive rowers do not like uncertain water conditions for regattas, and the Rockdale site, in the best of circumstances, could not be built and filled in time for the kind of advanced testing of water and wind conditions and the course FISA demanded,” Pyburn recalled.

“I was aware from my recreational rowing experience and my understanding of the FISA course design manual that the Clarks Bridge site had the geometric configuration necessary to accommodate a course. I knew the water there was wonderfully flat from my early morning rows. I was also aware of the U.S. Corp of Engineers property at Clarks Bridge Park that could accommodate at least some of the venue infrastructure such as the boathouse and business side of the venue.”

Pyburn said he and local organizers then pitched the group’s

plan to USRowing officials during their championship meet in Indianapolis, traveling on a state plane offered by then-Gov. Zell Miller.

“We, ACOG, made the decision on all venues, and knew that’s one we wanted,” Payne said. “The plan was blessed by rowing experts, and the corps. It was gratifying because you often run into problems with bureaucracy, but the corps was willing and strong partners.”

Once rowing officials were on board, the next step was to unite Gainesville, Hall County and Army Corps of Engineers leaders in the effort.

“All of the governmental entities got behind us and we were able to convince ACOG we had a venue with a lot of support and water,” said Steve Gilliam, a Gainesville attorney who joined with Mathis to lobby for the site.

Mathis recalls how important keeping acceptable lake levels were during the Olympics.

After the grandstands were built and a trial event was held, it was discovered that waves from the competitors were hitting the grandstands and bouncing back into the lake, impacting the team in the lane closest to that side. Mathis said he called the Corps and requested the lake be lowered by 3 inches, which it did that afternoon. “(The waves) stopped and we solved the problem,” he said.

My most vivid memory is the first day of competition looking out from my station in the VIP tent and seeing the stands across from the site we use now full of people.

The atmosphere was electric, all seats filled on both sides, the tower was full of officials and the boats were moving to the finish line.

Made all the work worth it!

How has your involvement affected your life since?

The Olympics Hall County showed me what can happen if everyone has the same goal. I was honored to be a part of it all.

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

Wilheit displays a souvenir torch from the relay held prior to the 1996 Olympics.

Making DREAMS Come True TM

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WELCOMING THE WORLD FOR ALMOST 200 YEARS

Hall County was established in 1818, followed shortly thereafter by the establishment of Gainesville, its county seat, in 1821. What began as the crossing of two Indian trails known as “Mule Camp Springs,” quickly developed into a regional transportation and trade center that has served this region for nearly two centuries. Now home to 47 Fortune 500 firms and 43 international companies representing 19 foreign countries, Gainesville-Hall County has welcomed the world for almost 200 years.

At this time in history we recognize and honor the 20th anniversary of the 1996 Olympics that forever changed the face of our community and once again brought the world to our doorstep. We salute the coaches, the athletes and their families, the volunteers and the local leaders who kept the dream alive for two decades. We look forward to a prosperous future for Lake Lanier Olympic Park.

There’s no denying that Gainesville-Hall County really does have it all.

HALL COUNTY

P.O. Drawer 1435 Gainesville, GA 30503

770-535-8288

www.hallcounty.org CITY OF GAINESVILLE P. O. Box 2496 Gainesville, GA 30503

770-535-6865

www.gainesville.org

14 |

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Fond memories remain

Volunteers look back on their efforts

BY JEFF GILL

jgill@gainesvilletimes.com From their farm in Oakwood, raising chickens and otherwise enjoying the country life, the idea of the world arriving at their backdoor seemed remote.

But when it did in the summer of 1996, Becky and Bill Goss jumped at the chance to experience the Olympics.

“You don’t ever forget it,” Bill Goss said. “That memory stays with you, and you know it’ll never happen again.”

During an interview last week at their house, the couple dug out memorabilia, including a diary that Becky kept, and recalled in detail their volunteer work during the rowing and canoe-kayak competition at Clarks Bridge Park off Lake Lanier.

“We both had the same attitude — it just made us proud,” Becky said.

In all, some 1,500 volunteers helped keep the Lanier event running like a well-oiled machine during 17 steamy days in late July and early August, from parking cars at the shuttle site at Gainesville College, now University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus, to providing security at the venue.

“It took every volunteer (to pull it off),” said Dave Sargent, who coordinated other volunteers to help with security. “We had fences up, but we started noticing little breaches here and there, and (security) ended up being more internal ... than it was people trying to get in.”

The Gosses remembered putting out bunches and bunches of bananas on a table at the venue, as ath-

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

Above: Following his volunteering experience as a paramedic at the 1996 Olympics at Lake Lanier, Chris Lewallen painted a picture of the event which the original hangs inside the North Hall Community Center. He still has his Izzy mascot keychain.

ERIN O. SMITH | The Times

At right: Becky Goss talks shows off the journal she kept during the weeks she volunteered to work in the 1996 Olympics at Lake Lanier in Gainesville.

letes grabbed them five at a time.

And in her diary, Becky Goss recalls incredible access.

“Was able to go into the locker room of every country represented and past their medical facilities downstairs in the boat-

house, where they prepare for events,” she wrote.

“What a thrill.”

Sargent recalled spending hours going through prescreened applications and assigning volunteers the times and dates they’d work.

“I probably worked two

or three months before it ever got organized,” Sargent said. “Bottom line is we got all the slots filled, and I had extra people on each shift.”

Security started a week before the games and ended a week afterward.

“There was some boring, hot days the week after,”

Sargent recalled.

Chris Lewallen, who worked for the Hall County Fire Services at the time, served as a paramedic on the side of the venue where athletes and their families were.

“We gave out a lot of water, it was so hot,” he said. “Sometimes, people

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later would get scratches and such, but the best I can remember, we didn’t really have anyone getting hurt. The heat was the main thing.

“There were people from all over the world who hadn’t experienced the Georgia heat and humidity.”

Another big part of the volunteer effort was housing athletes and coaches.

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” said Evanda Moore, who directed the housing effort.

“I didn’t know it was going to be a three-year commitment, but it needed to be, because it took that long to put in place.”

Clarks Bridge Park was chosen in December 1993 as a venue by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.

“Gainesville didn’t have sufficient hotels, so we decided we needed to develop host families that would open their homes,” Moore said.

Brenau University and Riverside Military Academy also

“hosted a lot of the athletes and provided training in their facilities,” she said.

All in all, housing work was a major undertaking.

“Oh, but what an experience it was to meet these athletes and coaches who were so appreciative,” Moore said. “They were so overwhelmed with Southern hospitality.

“So, the payoff was good.”

But there was an especially dark time, as well, during the games.

On July 27, a bomb went off in Centennial Olympic Park, killing one woman and injuring more than 100 others. Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to several bombings, including the Olympic attack.

At the time, Becky Goss put her thoughts down on paper.

“On the day of the bomb mishap, we entered the grounds with a feeling of dedication and laid our fears aside and proud to be volunteers, Georgians and Americans,” she wrote in her diary.

,

e s

e

JEFF GILL | The Times

David Sargent shows off memorabilia from when he served as a volunteer coordinator for security at Lake Lanier Olympic Park during the 1996 Olympics.

| 15

Pinning down an Olympic tradition

By Jennifer Linn

jlinn@gainesville.com Olympic pins have been a tradition for years, bringing people together to swap and trade as a natural icebreaker across languages and nationalities. And the 1996 games in Atlanta were no exception Kit Dunlap, president and CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, recalls the “chicken pins” she helped make a reality.

With Gainesville being the poultry capital of the world, it made sense to Dunlap and Sammy Smith to get pins made to honor the area.

Two pins were created for the 1996 Olympics: a rowing chicken pin and a kayak hen (say it fast, think “kayaking”). Dunlap and Smith came up with the idea of pins, with Smith drawing up the concept and sending it to a pin maker in New York.

Looking back on her memorabilia from the 1996 Olympics, several hats covered in pins stuck out.

Pins featuring Coke bottles, the Olympic flame, rowers, and other athletic events and countries adorn the hats. In 1996, they were conversation starters, bringing people from all over the world together as they swapped and sold pins.

Dunlap recalled talking with people from other parts of the country and world during the Olympics, as well as the pin tents set up to sell them.

“It’s just part of the Olympics and part of the spirit was just meeting people and trading these pins,” Dunlap said. “It’s fun to go back and kind of remember it.”

According to the official website

Photos by SCott rogers | The Times

Kit Dunlap, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce CEO and president, looks through a collection of 1996 Olympic pins she has collected.

for the 2016 Rio Games, 63 million pins were sold and 30 million were swapped in Atlanta in 1996.

Olympic pins remain a tradition.

NBC, which provides broadcast coverage of the games, is selling various versions of its pins online.

Official Olympic shops in Rio have been selling pins for months.

Another piece of memorabilia that tied Gainesville’s identity as the poultry capital to the Olympic rowing event was a print sold at the Games featuring several chickens rowing on Lake Lanier. The print was originally done by Kourtney Braff Harper, who Dunlap says now lives in London and is the Creative Director at the Guy Fox History Project.

Two chickenthemed pins made for the 1996 Olympics canoe, kayak and rowing events on Lake Lanier.

16 |

H

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

A timeline of headlines Bring on the world!

Dec. 22, 1993 Three days before Christmas, the word came that Gainesville and Lake Lanier had secured the rowing and sprint canoe-kayak competition for the ’96 games.

Times story: “The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games officially paddled out of Rockdale County and into Lake Lanier Wednesday, announcing that rowing and flatwater canoeing events will be held July 20 to Aug. 5, 1996, on a course just north and east of Clark’s Bridge Road.”

April 18, 1996 The U.S. Olympic trials introduce America’s top rowers to the Lake Lanier venue, and Gainesville to world-class competition in a dry run of sorts for the games three months later.

Times story: “For five days, world-class rowers have been making waves, and history, at Clarks Bridge Park. Consider them among the best: Olympic hopefuls, collegiate standouts and the sport’s most faithful followers. ... And in that time, they picked 44 top athletes to represent the United States during the rowing competition at the Summer Olympics, at the very same park on Lake Lanier. ... They drew some 4,000 fans to the shores of Lake Lanier.

They left some $1 million in their wake at area restaurants, hotels, shops and more.”

July 20, 1996 Heavyweight and Olympic champion Muhammad Ali lights the torch in Atlanta as the Opening Ceremonies launch the Centennial Games. Meanwhile, a local ceremony was held at the then-Georgia Mountains Center for local residents and athletes staying in Gainesville.

Times story: “Dutch rower Diederik Simon couldn’t get to Atlanta to cheer on a teammate who carried their country’s flag during the Olympic opening ceremonies. So he found the next best seats Friday night — at the Georgia Mountains Center.”

Dec. 22

1993 ALL FIRED UP July 15, 1996 The Olympic torch arrives in Gainesville, en route to Atlanta, with dozens of local residents taking part in the relay and thousands more cheering them on.

Times story: “You’ve read about it as it’s traveled coast to coast. But today, you finally get your chance to experience it. They call it the Olympic Torch Relay, but for the 10,000 or more expected to take part in various events along the way, it might as well be a patriotic excuse to party.”

A sizzling start July 22, 1996 The grandstands at Lake Lanier were full with nearly 15,000 fans on a hot, sunny day as the Olympics came to town with the first day of rowing events.

Times story: “Oppressive heat overshadowed impressive rowing during the first competition at the Clarks’ Bridge Park Olympic venue Sunday. But practice makes perfect.”

| 17

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Crews control

Aug. 5, 1996 The final day of Olympic competition on Lake Lanier saw the final medals awarded as North Georgia basked in the glow of its two-week moment in the world spotlight.

Times story: “The Summer Games hit us with the speed and fury of a Mack truck. … for 14 days of competition with an estimated 180,000 spectators, we were the focal point of the world. The people of the world met the fans of Gainesville. ... But the lake itself proved to be the real star. British rowing team manager David Tanner called Lake Lanier ‘The greatest rowing venue ever.’

“We now move on to our other dreams — and Lake Lanier’s legacy.”

July 24, 1996: American rowing crews stayed in medal contention with comeback performances. Rowers, meanwhile, told how being cheered by crowds of 14,000 plus was a special incentive in a sport usually attended by few.

Times story: “Down to their last chance for glory at these Olympic Games, eight Americans turned Lake Lanier into their personal showcase Tuesday. ... That means heading into today’s race, all 14 American crews are still in the medal hunt.”

Dream teams!

July 25, 1996 The top American rowing crews advance, led by the women’s eight. And while the press in Atlanta is focused on the Games’ transportation problems and other mishaps, the positive vibe continues at Lanier.

Times story: “Wednesday began with four American rowing crews facing do-or-die Olympic racing. By mid-afternoon, three were still alive, and headed into the semifinals today and Friday, 42 Americans remain in the medal hunt in 12 events.”

July 28, 1996 Amid uncertainty whether the games would go on after the bombing, the Olympic rowing events continue and the first medals are awarded amid tightened security.

Associated Press story: “It symbolized everything about these Summer Games — the pride of a city, the commercial overload, the spirit of nations getting together and kids romping in a fountain formed of five embracing rings. Centennial Olympic Park was the heart of Atlanta’s Olympics, and now it’s broken.”

Online Read more headlines and view a slideshow of Times front pages at www.gainesvilletimes.com/ olympics20

July 27, 1996 The Times’ original headline “Gold Rush” and story previewing two days of rowing finals didn’t make it to readers. The overnight bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta killed one person (another died at the scene of a heart attack), injured more than 100, and cast a pall over the Games. In 2000, Eric Robert Rudolph was indicted for the bombing; in 2005, he was sentenced to serve four life sentences plus 120 years in prison.

Associated Press story: “A massive explosion rocked Centennial Olympic Park shortly after a bomb scare early Saturday, killing at least one person and injuring scores of revelers in the social center of the Olympic Games.”

Aug. 5

1996

Hero or suspect?

July 31, 1996 While attention turned to the potential suspect in the Olympic Park bombing, a security guard who turned out to be not involved, canoe-kayak competition began after a morning delay due to storm warnings.

Times story: “The first day of Olympic flatwater canoeing and kayaking at Clarks Bridge Road belonged to the Europeans. In all, 37 of 42 crews that qualified in morning heats for the semifinals were from European nations. The racers seemed to love the course many had not seen until recently.”

Starting over July 30, 1996 The course is converted for the canoe-kayak events as the aftermath of the Centennial Park bombing still hangs over the games.

Times story: “The oarsmen and women have rowed off into the sunset. Now prepare for a paddling.”

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770.535.8372

The 20th anniversary of the Atlanta Olympics and Gainesville’s role as a host venue was a shining example of our community’s can-do spirit. When things need to happen here, people step up and get things done, whether it’s playing host to the Olympics or rallying behind a local cause.

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20 |

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Clubs move Olympic spirit forward

By Hailey Van Parys

hvparys@gainesvilletimes.com

Starting and maintaining a club isn’t as easy as it sounds.

At least it wasn’t for the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club or the Lake Lanier Rowing Club. But both have maintained their memberships and grown their success since their creation in conjunction with the 1996 Olympics 20 years ago.

Connie Hagler, one of the founders of the LCKC, knows firsthand how hard it was to get the ball rolling and keep it going.

“It’s been a struggle,” she said.

Hagler credits the club’s longevity to a focus on the structure when it was formed. She and her husband, Richard, joined to “get back on the water” after leaving Georgia Tech’s Outdoor Recreation club, where they would often go whitewater canoeing.

“We thought flatwater (racing) was as exciting as watching grass grow,” said Hagler, who served as president of the club and the executive director before retiring in 2007.

When the Olympics came to town, things got a bit more exciting.

Hagler recalled sleepless nights, driving athletes to and from the airport at all hours of the day and getting ready for the big events.

“There was just so much to do,” she said.

About 10 to 15 volunteers worked for about a year and a half making everything come together. “It was a really neat time,” she said.

When the torch and everything that came with it left, it became apparent the venue needed some work. The grandstands, once held up with poles, were gone. All that was left was some bark, mulch and a fire hydrant. There weren’t even bathrooms.

The club itself also suffered after the excitement of the Olympics died down.

“It just deflated,” Hagler said.

She said the club also went through money problems. When the LCKC first formed, the focus was on the kids. Since most of the members were parents, there wasn’t a lot of money to be passed around.

“I think people knew how important the club was,” she said. So the club’s leaders set out to revamp the venue and make it a place fit for world-class champions. They

SCOTT ROGERS | The Times

USA’s Ian Ross, right, and Gavin Ross finish fourth in the Senior Men C2 200-meter in May at Lake Lanier Olympic Park during day three of the Pan American Championships.

hired a top-tier coach and called in athletes from across the world to come and mentor young paddlers.

The club would need an additional $1.4 million for what they needed to make the venue what it needed to be to host a world championship.

“I’ve been all over the world, but the best place in the world is here,” she said.

‘IT GAVE THEM CONFIDENCE’ It was important to her, and the club’s mission, to create a living legacy.

“With a treasure like (the venue), you have a great responsibility to steward it,” Hagler said.

“It’s a tool that we should utilize, and a huge opportunity. People all over the world want to come train (in Gainesville). It is invaluable.”

Since canoeing and kayaking are not popular sports in the United States, many top athletes would go overseas to compete in countries like Canada, Japan, Russia and Croatia, where they wouldn’t just represent a state but their country, Hagler said. Both her son and daughter were involved in the sport as youngsters.

“It’s an unbelievably neat oppor-

tunity for our kids,” she said. “(Program graduates) are all contributing at a very high level.”

When it was time for those kids in the program to grow up and apply to colleges, having “world champion kayaker-canoeist” on their applications didn’t hurt. “(The club) has done so many things for those kids,” she said. “It gave them confidence.”

Since its founding, the club has seen its members shine in competitive meets on a national and international level. The LCKC’s first Olympian was paddler Tim Hornsby, who competed in the 2012 Olympics in London.

This past spring, Hornsby and several other paddlers took part in the U.S. Olympic team trials and Pan American Championships, both held at Lake Lanier. In the Pan Am Championships, Ian Ross won a silver medal in senior men’s 500-meter canoe. He and club teammate and brother Gavin Ross finished fourth in the senior twoman canoe 1,000-meter final.

LCKC’s Farran Smith also earned silver in the senior women’s two-person kayak at 1,000 meters. Stanton Collins and Aaron Mullican of Gainesville were members of the bronze-medal-winning

senior men four-man kayak team.

Other Lanier paddlers competing in the senior events were Ben Hefner, Chris Miller and Alex McLain. Junior competitors included Owen Farley-Klacik, Owen Ozaki, Dillon Kimsey, Smith, Kota Teasley, Lisa Swenson, Dustin Grattan, Riley Brunner, Michael Olson, Kaley Martin and Nik Miller in Paracanoe.

The club holds several events per year, as well as recreational opportunities for people who may not be interested in serious competing. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent from the boathouse, and the club holds moonlight paddles once or twice a month. For more information, visit lckc.org.

ROWING GETS A FOOTHOLD The Lake Lanier Rowing Club’s focus has been on instruction and getting people onto the water for fun and leisure. Jack Pyburn, one of the founders of the club, knows rowing can seem daunting.

“I think it’s misconceived as an esoteric sport,” said Pyburn, an architect who now lives in midtown Atlanta. “It’s a misfortunate misconception.”

He was involved in creating plans for what we now know as the

22 | Lake Lanier Olympic Park starting in 1984 when he bought a rowing shell as a way to exercise. Prior to the Olympics, he had been rowing for years up and down the long stretches of Lanier.

He studied the world rowing federation’s handbook and taught himself the things he needed to know in order to create a rowing venue fit for Olympians.

Before the games were set for Gainesville, Atlanta’s Olympic organizers considered options for rowing and paddling events in Stone Mountain and in Rockdale County. With the knowledge he had, Pyburn conceptualized a possible layout for a Lake Lanier option to present to the committee.

Besides the competitive side of the sport, there is also the educational side. The club’s focus is still on instructing people how to row.

The sport isn’t popular in the Southeast, though it’s well-established in New England and the Northwest.

“Rowing is such a unique sport,” said Tracey Tallman, a junior rowing coach. “It’s not very prevalent.”

The course remains a popular site for collegiate teams to compete and train, and the park’s improvements have enhanced its allure.

Over Memorial Day weekend, the rowing club played host to the American Collegiate Rowing Association’s ninth annual Championship Regatta, drawing top rowers from colleges and universities across the nation. More than 1,600 athletes from 64 colleges took part.

“The course, because it’s sheltered by the trees on either side, provides fair competition for all lanes,” rowing club president Duane Schlereth said recently.

“That’s one of the things that makes this one of the best courses in the world, and then having the improvements to the tower, the bathrooms, the new concession stands and the added disability access … that was a wonderful improvement.”

Learn-to-Row, a course designed to teach everything about rowing from the ground up, is taught every summer. More information can be found at lakelanierrowing.org.

Once the class is over, you can get a discounted membership to the club for the year. “(People who take the class) get to see the venue,” Tallman said.

She is going on her second year as the coach for the junior team and recently took her rowers to the summer USRowing Club nationals in Ohio.

The club also holds a Taste of Gainesville fundraiser in September to promote the club.

Summer of Gold Celebrating Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

Q&A JACK PYBURN Jack Pyburn, an architect and rowing enthusiast, helped organizers create the plan for the Lake Lanier venue and helped found the Lake Lanier Rowing Club.

How did you first get involved in the Olympic effort here?

My involvement with the Olympic effort started in 1984 when I purchased a recreational rowing shell as an alternative to running for exercise as my football-weary joints were giving out. When the Olympics were announced, I had been rowing for several years on Lake Lanier in various coves and narrower wind-protected stretches of Lake Lanier, including above Clarks Bridge. I had decided that if, as a Gainesville architect, I was going to pursue involvement in the ’96 Games I wanted to pursue the rowing venue. I purchased a copy of the world rowing federation’s (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron) course design manual and studied the requirements for a course and related infrastructure.

The rowing venue site in Atlanta’s Olympic bid was on the lake at Stone Mountain. However, after Atlanta was selected and when considered more carefully, the cost to blast out the Stone Mountain granite to get the full 2,000-meter course on the Stone Mountain lake made that site unfeasible. The Atlanta Olympic Committee then selected and announced a new site, a yet-to-be built water resource reservoir in Rockdale County that was projected to be completed and filled, if normal rain patterns prevailed, within six months of the start of the Games.

From my research and having spent some time around serious rowers, I had learned two things: Competitive rowers do not like uncertain water conditions for regattas, and the Rockdale site, in the best of circumstances, could not be built and filled in time for the kind of advanced testing of water and wind conditions and the course FISA demanded.

At that point I saw a potential opening for Lake Lanier and my active involvement in the ’96 rowing event.

I was aware from my recre-

ational rowing experience and my understanding of the FISA course design manual that the Clarks Bridge site had the geometric configuration necessary to accommodate a course. I knew the water there was wonderfully flat from my early-morning rows. I was also aware of the U.S. (Army) Corps of Engineers property at Clarks Bridge Park that could accommodate at least some of the venue infrastructure such as the boathouse and business side of the venue. Based on that knowledge, I developed a conceptual layout for a venue at Clarks Bridge and approached Jim Mathis about the idea of contacting the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games to inform them of a Lake Lanier site option.

Despite numerous calls to ACOG, they would not give us the time of day. So in consultation with Jim Mathis, I called USRowing, the rowing arm of the U.S. Olympic Committee in Indianapolis, and informed them we had an alternative site with water, good water. The executive director of USRowing indicated in the call that FISA representatives from Switzerland would be in Indianapolis in two days for a meeting on the ’96 Games and the World Championships scheduled for Indianapolis that year. I was told if we could get to Indianapolis a meeting would be arranged with the FISA representatives to present the site as a possible alternative, effectively bypassing ACOG. Jim Mathis’ cousin is Zell Miller. Jim, or his dad, called then Gov. Miller’s office, which provided a state plane the next day after the call for us to fly to Indianapolis. We loaded my concept plan in the plane and with the Gainesville city manager

and a Hall County commissioner flew up for the meeting. At the meeting was the ACOG manager responsible for development of the rowing venue who would not return our calls. As you can imagine he was less than pleasantly surprised to learn of our presence.

We made our presentation.

The FISA representatives asked questions. The ACOG representative said nothing. Little was offered in the way of encouraging words. We left and flew home.

The rest is history.

While this was an exciting experience, it was only the foot in the door. In the end, the rowing venue would not have come to Lake Lanier without the broader support and effort of many Gainesvillians who volunteered and lead an exceptional communitywide effort that resulted in a successful event.

What’s your fondest memory?

There were many memories that bring a smile to my face.

Some were directly related to the event itself, and others relate to the preceding couple of years that involved pre-Olympic events at Clarks Bridge to assure the water, wind conditions and course had been thoroughly tested.

My most memorable Olympic experience was that my family volunteered at the venue. I managed the boathouse, my wife participated in providing medical coverage for the athletes and Olympic family, and two of my daughters had assignments as starters, runners, chase boat aids, etc. The involvement of families across the community in the event made it quite a special time. Experiencing the workings of the boathouse during an Olympic regatta and seeing Sir Steven Redgrave, with Sir Matthew Pinsent, win gold medals in his (fourth) straight Olympics is also a special memory.

How has being involved in the Olympics affected your life since?

I certainly watch the Olympics with a perspective different than before 1996. The understanding of the preparation and workings of the venue and the dedication and focus of the athletes puts a special light on the Games for me. The experience has certainly given me a special bond with folks like Jim Mathis and others.

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SUMMER OF GOLD

Remembering Lake Lanier’s Olympic legacy 20 years later

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