IronOnline Bash 05

Your Official Invitation

Place:
Santa Cruz, California

The Weekend of July 9, 2005
Seminar featuring Bill Pearl and Dave Draper
and Bar-B-Que following

Update:
Here's a printable, live-link Bash Itinerary pdf,
including times, locations, maps and tourist ideas

The main event is Saturday; you're welcome to join us for any and all gatherings, which includes a gym workout (including the IronOnline forum's long-awaited chin-up challenge) and the showing of Dave and pals in Don't Make Waves on Friday night—along with some snack food, a free seminar and BBQ picnic on Saturday, and a brunch on Sunday morning for those still in town. People who stay over on Sunday are invited to an afternoon sail on the Chardonnay.

Click here to read an excerpt about Bill Pearl from West Coast Bodybuilding Scene—and here's another from Bill's autobiography, Beyond the Universe.

This is our 5th and final annual Bash. We're sure to do other events, probably in conjunction with large competition events, however as a guaranteed annual Bash, this will be the last.

Host Hotel: UCSC University Inn

Our discounted group rate is $115 (single/double, add $10 additional people) per night, and includes a breakfast bar (nice one, not just boxed cereal and weak coffee), an outdoor pool and jacuzzi and a mini-fitness center. They plan to put the entire group on the 5th floor (top level), and if that works, all the rooms have a mini fridge and microwave, as do many of the non-5th-floor rooms.

To make your reservation, phone toll-free 866-827-2466 and ask for the Iron Online rate.
The group rate and reserved room block ends on June 17th.
Do not place your reservation online as the hotel is unable to adjust the rate after the online reservation is place at the higher public rate.

There are many other motels around that will have rates somewhat lower, although not a lot lower during July in this resort town. There are only a few that have enough rooms to spare the 50 we wanted to block, and all the others were *much* higher priced, $200-300/night, as ridiculous as that sounds.

If you want to shop lodging, click here for a list of lodging links.

Click this link to visit the local visitor's bureau.
At the right you'll see a set of links entitled "Planning a Trip" -- click on the link to the visitor's guide and they'll send you a 75-page Santa Cruz County 2005 Official Traveler's Guide.

On Friday, we'll do a late afternoon workout at the World Gym Santa Cruz, the IOL chin-up challenge around 5:00 pm and make a trek back to the host hotel to grab some grub and watch Dave, Tony Curtis, Sharon Tate and Claudia Cardinale in the '60's classic beach film, Don't Make Waves.

Saturday's the main event: Bill and Dave will do a Q&A-style seminar at 11am at the World Gym, followed at around 2pm by a BBQ in the park across from the gym. We'll eat and hang until we're done.

Sunday, for those still around, we'll get together at the hotel to hang out a bit by the pool and enjoy the free hotel brunch on Sunday morning. A few people will come to town early and/or stay long, and we're sure to get together for workouts or food or just hanging out on the front deck at the gym, sipping Bomber Blend shakes.

Here's the World Gym Santa Cruz website and map.
If you get stuck somewhere, the gym's phone number is
(831) 423-5617.

In case you're new to IronOnline or don't know if you're really "invited," you are. This is for *everyone* who wants to make the trip, and in my experience, everyone feels welcome once they get over their initial shyness... which happens fast around here!

I can say for certain, however, those who participate in the group forum have a larger experience, since they know something about each other before arriving.

Click here to visit the forum—introduce yourself!

The closest airport is San Jose, California, about 30 miles away—or about an hour in drive time. You will want a rental car because even though you can get to Santa Cruz via a shuttle service, it's difficult to get around here without wheels.

The headquarters gym, where the seminar will be and where those who want to train during the weekend will meet up and the rest will hang out on the deck and drink smoothies, is the World Gym Santa Cruz. Larry Corum, the new owner, offered us a discounted workout and weekly rate of $5 per workout or $20 for the week. The link above has a map, address and phone number.

Update:
Here's a printable, live-link Bash Itinerary pdf,
including times, locations, maps and tourist ideas .

Click here to get a look at how the first Bash went, also here in Santa Cruz

Click here to read the review comments of Bash 04

Click here to read Dave's report of Bash 04 in Manhattan

Click here to read an excerpt about Bill Pearl from West Coast Bodybuilding Scene—and here's another from Bill's autobiography, Beyond the Universe.

Click here for Bill Pearl's bio page on his website