BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | Pentathletes will be competing in Hudson River Park on Sat., June 13. But they won’t be doing the long jump or throwing the discus and javelin (admittedly, a tad dangerous in the crowded waterfront park). Rather, they will be clashing in dodgeball, beach volleyball, kayaking, flag football and a “take no prisoners” obstacle course. Also, the park pentathletes will be competing, not as individuals, but in 10-person teams.
A bit like the Olympics, where there are multiple venues, the action at the first annual Hudson River Park Games will be based mainly in Tribeca at Piers 26 and 25, but Pier 40 will also see some action.
Presented by Friends of Hudson River Park, the park’s main private fundraising group, the games will go on, rain or shine, from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Participants will range from elite athletes to weekend warriors. In a showdown between the 1 percent and the 99 percent, teams from Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, among others, will go up against ones from community groups, like Manhattan Youth, in reportedly “competitive but friendly” contests. No word yet on whether Occupy Wall Street will field a squad.
There will also be a 5K “Fun Run/Walk” for adults and kids, sports clinics, sunrise yoga and — as as if normal yoga wasn’t difficult enough — stand-up paddleboard yoga.
At the delivery.com Games Village on Pier 26, there will be food booths, live entertainment, beer (no, not a competitive event) and an expo showcasing of the latest outdoor gear. Pier 26 will also be the venue for the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies.
The 5-mile-long waterfront park receives no public funding for its operations, and the games are intended, in addition to good fun, to be a major fundraising event.
Registration will be open right up to the day of the Games for business teams, community groups and individuals to sign up for the events, including the pentathlon.
Gregory Boroff, executive director of Friends of Hudson River Park, said participants are “super-excited” for the Games to begin.
“We wanted to create a fundraising event that, like the park itself, had something for everyone and was both incredibly engaging and lots of fun,” Boroff said. “The Games do just that, and what’s been especially great about this inaugural year, is that we’re hearing from both the teams registering for the pentathlon and people signing up for the individual events, that they’re super-excited to have a chance to help support this neighborhood oasis that brings such direct benefit to their lives, businesses and homes.”
Andrew Olinick, who lives Greenwich Village, is getting psyched to dive in the sand for spikes in beach volleyball and to kayak up a storm in the pentathlon.
“My wife and I love living in the Village,” he said. “It’s where we’ve always wanted to be. We love being able to raise our family here, so close to Hudson River Park and all that this area has to offer. We’re so excited the park is offering an event our whole family can enjoy, as well as a simple way for people to support this indispensable resource that’s right in our backyard.”
For information on registration and fees for the Hudson River Park Games and for details, visit www.hudsonriverpark.org/thegames .
