Aaron Smith blog: Welcome to that West Texas town
March 21, 2010
Now that I have a week underneath my belt here in El Paso, it's time for an update. Let's start at the beginning (a revolutionary idea).
I arrived in Sun City mid-afternoon last Saturday. The drive only took me about 18 hours from Reno. I'm scared that I associated the words "only" and "18 hours" in the same sentence. That's my fourth longest trip in the last year! I remember driving non-stop to Cleveland from northwest Indiana with my folks about 12 years ago thinking it was going to take us four days to make it. How things have changed.
Upon arriving, the first thing I wanted to see was the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center, home of the 2010 USBC Women's Championships. After a quick call to tournament manager Eric Pierson, I was walking down Center Aisle within the hour.
Wow.
This place looks absolutely amazing. Ladies, be sure to bring your cameras this year, because just telling your friends and family about this venue won't do the trick. Chris Chartier, Mindy Corr and their staff have done a phenomenal job transforming the once-empty convention center into the grandest stage in the history of women's bowling.
The color scheme captures El Paso's rich culture and makes you feel like you're right at home in the Southwest. The vendor area, known as "The Mall," creates a unique shopping experience never before seen at the Women's Championships. And let's not forget the world's largest mobile scoreboard. I feel confident in saying that we have used a majority of the 4.4 trillion colors available, and I have yet to find an individual who hasn't been impressed. I expect that to last throughout the tournament.
I could probably talk about the venue and transformation all day, but I wouldn't want to ruin the experience for anyone.
How about the community of El Paso? What have I seen in my week here?
I've seen a city that not only embraces the USBC, but a city that is eager to welcome our female bowlers. They've been preparing for these next few months since 2006, and the excitement throughout El Paso clearly shows.
For a majority of this past week, I've been traveling around the city with Pifas Silvas, who is the communications manager for the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau. Pifas not only has introduced me to some excellent Mexican cuisine (quite a bit different from back home in Indiana, although I still have love for Chela's), but also has introduced me to a lot of great people in the area. Everyone we have met with is excited at the prospect of how the Women's Championships will benefit their wonderful city.
With that being said, our traveling staff is currently training and getting accustomed to the new venue. They're an energetic group who can't wait for March 27. To be fair, neither can I.
But we'll all have to be patient for one more week and just have to enjoy the magnificent weather. Until we reach next Saturday, however, it's time to get back to work. Welcome to El Paso.
I arrived in Sun City mid-afternoon last Saturday. The drive only took me about 18 hours from Reno. I'm scared that I associated the words "only" and "18 hours" in the same sentence. That's my fourth longest trip in the last year! I remember driving non-stop to Cleveland from northwest Indiana with my folks about 12 years ago thinking it was going to take us four days to make it. How things have changed.
Upon arriving, the first thing I wanted to see was the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center, home of the 2010 USBC Women's Championships. After a quick call to tournament manager Eric Pierson, I was walking down Center Aisle within the hour.
Wow.
This place looks absolutely amazing. Ladies, be sure to bring your cameras this year, because just telling your friends and family about this venue won't do the trick. Chris Chartier, Mindy Corr and their staff have done a phenomenal job transforming the once-empty convention center into the grandest stage in the history of women's bowling.
The color scheme captures El Paso's rich culture and makes you feel like you're right at home in the Southwest. The vendor area, known as "The Mall," creates a unique shopping experience never before seen at the Women's Championships. And let's not forget the world's largest mobile scoreboard. I feel confident in saying that we have used a majority of the 4.4 trillion colors available, and I have yet to find an individual who hasn't been impressed. I expect that to last throughout the tournament.
I could probably talk about the venue and transformation all day, but I wouldn't want to ruin the experience for anyone.
How about the community of El Paso? What have I seen in my week here?
I've seen a city that not only embraces the USBC, but a city that is eager to welcome our female bowlers. They've been preparing for these next few months since 2006, and the excitement throughout El Paso clearly shows.
For a majority of this past week, I've been traveling around the city with Pifas Silvas, who is the communications manager for the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau. Pifas not only has introduced me to some excellent Mexican cuisine (quite a bit different from back home in Indiana, although I still have love for Chela's), but also has introduced me to a lot of great people in the area. Everyone we have met with is excited at the prospect of how the Women's Championships will benefit their wonderful city.
With that being said, our traveling staff is currently training and getting accustomed to the new venue. They're an energetic group who can't wait for March 27. To be fair, neither can I.
But we'll all have to be patient for one more week and just have to enjoy the magnificent weather. Until we reach next Saturday, however, it's time to get back to work. Welcome to El Paso.