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Hurricane Harbor hosts 'H20'lympics
About 100 take part in event for at-risk youth

By GRETCHEN MACCHIARELLA
For The Signal
Wednesday, July 1, 1998

One hundred at-risk kids slid, paddled and floated their way to
victory early Tuesday morning.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor hosted the "H2O"lympics, sponsored by
Athletes and Entertainers for Kids, where 10 teams from all over
California were joined by a celebrity coach. Spokesman Andy Gallardo
said organizers targeted the involvement of volunteer mentorship
programs.

"(The kids) have all been identified as at-risk youth — someone who
could use a mentor," said Gallardo. "This is a reward for their hard
work all year."

The day started early with teams getting ready to compete in three
events on different attractions throughout the park, all before the
park opened at 10 a.m. Teams played inner tube basketball in the
Forgotten Sea Wavepool, had timed trials down the Bamboo Racer and
relayed against each other in the River Cruise.

Final awards were given to the top three teams. Third-place medals
went to the red team, coached by "Uncle Buck" star Jay Underwood. The
team, from Dos Palos, 35 miles north of Fresno, left at 1 a.m. to get
to the games. The second-place award was given to the Yellow team
from Tulare coached by MTV VJ Simon Rex. The first-place blue team, a
teen fathers group from Los Compadres, was coached by television star
Dawnn Lewis.

One member of the winning team, 17-year-old Gabe Perez, said he had a
great time and especially liked the Bamboo Racer. "I won, that's why
I liked it," Perez said.

Patricia Ledesma also won in the timed race on the slide and said she
was wide awake — though her teen pregnancy prevention group,
Community Challenge, had left their home town at 4 a.m.

"I was so excited I couldn't sleep the whole night long," said
Ledesma, of the blue team.

Professional volleyball player Randy Stoklos was the only coach to go
to the top of the slide and send off his team.

"I think that it's just a matter of giving them a little ... winning
spirit," Stoklos said.

The coach for the Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club, Olympic gold
medalist Bruce Jenner, said he was "just out to have a good time like
the rest of the kids."

Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club member Jared Hall, 11, screamed the
whole way down the 45-foot tall slide. At the bottom he said, "It was
cool. It wasn't scary or anything."

The 10-person inner-tube relay near the 1,300-foot river was more
about figuring out the best way, not necessarily the strongest,
according to 15-year-old Bryan King. His team won the race.

"You just have to be smart about it," explained King. "Go with the
current, and you have to cut the corners."

The five-on-five water basketball games were not about size either.
Just over 4 feet tall, 10-year-old Matt Walker, in the 6-foot deep
water with 2-foot waves, was on the winning team. Walker said the
waves made shots difficult, and they "push you off your inner tube."

The groups were also allowed to bring non-competing group members, a
total of more than 600 people involved, and after the park opened,
all were invited to stay and have a free day at the water park.