End of season

The end of sailing season is always a sad time of year. Not as sad as it used to be, perhaps, but then Hoofers ain't what it used to be either. But it still has sailing, at least. Just a couple of weeks ago it was almost 70 degrees out and we were still sailing.

The season's end is about as sad as the UW football team which just ended a 22 year streak of bowl game appearances by falling to Minnesota 24-7. What an embarrassment. Actually, what's even sadder is that Wisconsin could still potentially get into a bowl game, despite a 5-7 losing record this year. Who wants to watch losers play losers..? Only someone who stands to profit off of it.

The highlight of Friday's game, played in 20º temperatures, was Head Coach Luke Fickell blowing his nose, biker-style, straight onto the ground on the sideline in the second half. Yes, we were there watching for some inconceivable reason, shivering on the Wisconsin sideline and all out of vodka.

As for Hoofer Sailing, today it's basically a glorified day care center for irresponsible college students. That was the wet dream and unstated goal of Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier who wanted control so he could make money off of it, and to puff up his ego some more. Even if Hoofers doesn't make money for the Union, it gives him a rush to know that he's finally running the show. He even refers to it as the "Tong Family Marina" or The Marina. We'd laugh if that weren't so sad.

Over the past two-plus decades, Guthier and other UW admins have grown increasingly out of touch with UW students and with the UW's mission. That puts some students out of touch too, creating a vicious cycle of ignorance and narcissism. It's elitist and reminiscent of some Ivy League colleges.

Eighty percent of Harvard professors identify as liberal or very liberal. On 60 Minutes last Sunday, U. of Austin (a tiny right-wing school in Texas) admins slammed that as biased and out of touch:

"Any university that is identifiably political isn't fulfilling its mission."
--U. of Austin spokesperson

But the fact is that intelligent people tend to be liberal/Democratic, whereas the uneducated tend to vote Republican. Why?

It's because the brain is like a muscle--you need to use it or lose it. Education isn't indoctrination. It's development, and if you don't develop your brain and your mind, you'll get dumber--and in the end you'll have a stronger tendency to vote Republican.

Republican correlates with lots of stupid things, like guns, dogs, low taxes for the wealthy, ATVs, etc. There's nothing really wrong with any of those things, but they won't solve any of the world's problems or any of the growing problems here in Madison. It's more complex than that, of course, but a blog post can't go into that much detail. But the faculty at Harvard and other "elite" schools are not out of touch. They're educated, they're enlightened. They've developed their brains instead of their brawn. Unfortunately that can some across as elitist to the laboring class.

As for Director Guthier, a criminal, he is a closet conservative who has found a home at the UW which continues to slide to the right along with the rest of Wisconsin. One side effect of the creeping conservatism is the dramatic increase in surveillance, although it might be needed keep Outdoor Rentals staff from stealing anymore. Too bad there are no surveillance cameras in Guthier's office. That might turn up some really interesting things.

By the way Mr. Tong, we need more money--some of the new piers are already wearing out! Plus, we want to build an offshore bar next summer.

Infected Mushroom

Welcome to the 2024 sailing season! We're posting this today in honor of the amazing weather and wind we've been having lately, especially today. Most boats are already in the water although a few are not, but then it's still only June. Keep in mind that the water is still cold, with dangerous upwellings that are cold enough to kill, despite some very warm days recently. We also have a new HOI and lessons are underway.

A quick refresher for the partiers: NO alcohol is allowed on Hoofer boats (wink-wink). If you're caught with beer on board, well, just don't get caught. We were out on a [boat type redacted] in that great wind today (Saturday), and we didn't not have no beer on board. Anyway, beer doesn't kill--incompetent Union directors do, but there is still officially no beer allowed on Hoofer boats. Drugs? Yes. Beer, no.

Note that there is now a $200 work-hours deposit (which most of you will never see again). Of course, instructors and other preferred members don't have to pay a deposit. Only you the customer do.

With the season getting into gear, communication becomes more important than ever. Among other things, that means the club's email lists. You may need to be logged in to view or add comments.

There is also the keelboat list, but that appears to be dead in the water. In fact, the only posts over the past year have all been by Pete Mooney (see image)--not exactly what you would call "interaction" or a healthy exchange of ideas. Most of the posts aren't even about sailing--they're on off-topics like silent movies, folk concerts, sex organs, etc. The list's webpage (or is it here?) says "for Soma, Toy Boat, Decoy, Knotty Rascal and Spray..." Do we even still have any of those boats? One, maybe.

Facebook seems to be the preferred method of communication for club leaders, but as we all know Facebook is in its death throes and is a mediocre alternative. The anal wet dream of billionaire scumbag Mark Zuckerberg has just about run its course.

We strongly encourage the club's email lists for communication. Several are used regularly, some only sporadically, but they are the official venue for interaction and announcements. Check them out at the above link to the lessons site.

Speaking of communication, there haven't been any BOC minutes posted in over a year. How's that for pathetic, not to mention dereliction of duty? Nor has the club's website been updated to show current club leaders and instructors. It seems the webmaster has a free membership for nothing.

Of course, you can always use this blog for communication!

And who was that fetching young (not!) Treat Williams-lookalike with the blonde 'do teaching windsurfing the other day? (see photo) Meeow....

JIMMER FOR HOI?!

MARCH 23 UPDATE: Still no official hiring of a new HOI, but word is that Gretchen might return. We hope so! (but not for the reasons you might think.) Face it, we're not going to get top talent for this job, so just pick someone already.

The opening for the vacant Hoofer Sailing Club Head of instruction (HOI) job has closed, with interviews ongoing. Apparently Jim Rogers has applied. He was HOI for more than 15 years (1989-2005) and is intimitaly familiar with the job and its duties, so why not re-hire him?!

Here's why. As a crook and a con artist (sound familiar?), Jim probably isn't the best choice for HOI. Like Donald Trump on a much smaller scale, Jim covets the job he held for so long because of the power and perks that come with it, e.g. the power to manipulate and abuse people, to enrich oneself, etc. That didn't seem to work out very well for Jim before, but as HOI, you're the big fish in a small pond. Nevertheless, despite being dug in like a north woods tick, Jim was removed from Hoofers in 2010 and reassigned to the furthest corner of the Union. He has since returned as a bored board instructor.

Incredibly, the only prerequisite for the HOI job is "Previous sailing experience". Nothing about managerial experience, teaching experience, certifications, etc. Yup, we're easy, and desperate because most people don't last long in the Hoofer Sailing HOI job.

The job has a somewhat sordid history. Jim Rogers we've discussed. Brian Borkovich, a.k.a. Borko, also committed crimes on the job, including voting to increase his own salary (that may not sound so bad, but it's actually a felony in Wisconsin). Tom Barry died on the job. Dave Elsmo moved on to become head of Hoofers, as did Rogers. The latest, whats-her-name, quit. It's almost as if the job attracts unscrupulous people, or at best individuals who are naïve.

With the right oversight, the HOI position could be a great learning development opportunity for students in management or similar fields. Unfortunately, such oversight has always been lacking at Hoofers and the UW. The BOC has some control, and used to have more, but they need even more oversight themselves.

Meanwhile, you have a chance to change all that and help make the HOI position respectable again! Oh wait, you don't--the application deadline has already passed. In any event, the club better hurry and pick someone because the application deadline to apply as a sailing instructor for 2024 is this Friday.

We hate to be so critical, but there are so many serious problems at the Wisconsin Union and Hoofers that it would be impossible to elaborate on all of them. This blog is only the tip of the iceberg.

From U.S. presidents on down to Hoofer instructors, including the HOI, corruption is ubiquitous among public employees. As a federal appeals court just ruled, even U.S. presidents are not immune from prosecution and punishment for crimes they commit. Neither are Hoofer employees, although most have managed to escape justice so far.

Ghosts of Hoofers Past

For those who never got to see it, the old Hoofer lounge was similar to the Mendota lounge, although smaller. But it was cozy, with wood paneling, carpeting, and a fireplace. What's left of it now is just sad, a half-assed museum exhibit designed by Union hacks. The coziness is all gone--it's a bloody hallway!--bums sleep there, and surveillance cameras track your every move (see photo).

Adjacent to the Lounge was the old Chart Room, with its wood floor, bookcases, charts(!), awards showcase, etc. Jim Rogers always disliked it because any club member could come in and browse books, magazines, and charts. He wanted the Hoofer library (and many other things) to be the private purview of his instruction staff... and now they are. After all, knowledge is power, and the more perks and favors you have to give out, the more you can get in return.

Hoofers is a case study in cronyism, just like the UW-Madison administration. How do we know the UW is plagued by cronyism and nepotism? Because if it weren't, they would do something about the rampant abuse in Hoofers.

In the new movie The Killer (2023), Michael Fassbender explains the human condition:

From the beginning of civilization, the few have always exploited the many. This is the cornerstone of civilization... Whatever it takes, make sure you're one of the few, not one of the many.

That could be the Hoofer motto. Many (900) customers, a.k.a. "club members", provide cash, romantic interests, and other pickins for the few (100) paid employees.

Eventually, of course, Rogers was out of a job--kicked out by the UW for inappropriate acts with minors. Various other individuals linger like a disease--going into remission, then popping up again in a relapse of mischief and malfeasance. Jim Rogers, Lukas Duddleston, Mills Botham, and others (who won't be named here). These crooks and operators misuse their position and/or popularity to benefit themselves and their buddies, or to solicit sexual partners (e.g. Louis Tenebruso --> Michaela Rabas, Carl Stenbol, Peter Grimmer, and many others). The fact that the BOC openly discuss how to misappropriate some $60,000 in deposits annually--and the almost total lack of interest in prosecuting this and other crimes perpetrated by club officers--reflects very poorly on the Union and UW. Most of them stick their heads in the sand, probably hoping that they won't be called out for their own misdeeds.

It's a top-down problem that starts with the crooked Union director, Mark Guthier, and the UW chancellor. The whole system is rotting. The Big Ten is now the Big 16--or is it 18 now? That's beyond ridiculous, but money and power are what it's all about. And you thought it was about sailing?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Hoofer Sailing Club!

Dog days after noon

The next few days are forecast to be the hottest in Madison in more than a decade and will approach record high temperatures.

With that in mind, the club is suspending the life-jacket-at-all-times-rule. If you get too hot on a lesson or day-sail, you may take off your .... ha, just kidding! Rules are rules and they must be obeyed. Only The Man has the power to suspend rules. That would be the man up on the 5th floor, with the small you-know-what. If you want to take off your life jacket because it's 95° out, too bad. If someone says you can take it off, be very cautious. You could be kicked out of Hoofers for doing that. We simply cannot allow rulebreakers.*

Better to get heat stroke than to stumble overboard, hit your head, and drown. Actually, heat stroke might just cause you to do that, so life jackets must be worn at all times. They help keep you warm in the fall too. And they smell good. They do not smell like mildew or urine or other people's sweat.

This rule comes straight from the top--from Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier. He probably hasn't worn a life jacket his entire life, but he doesn't want to take a chance on some dummy falling overboard and drowning (again), leading to another nasty communique from the chancellor. But you don't have to be a sexual tyranosaur to sit in an office and make up rules. You only have to feel the rush. It's hard to believe sailing is even still allowed here anymore, so I guess we should feel lucky.

At least the hot temps look to bring some decent wind for a few days. This August has already been better than average in that regard.

To help you determine whether to file a complaint against Hoofers or the UW, we've included the heat-exhaustion/heat-stroke chart above.

Note to HOI: Doublecheck that everyone who's been skippering Salom actually has a rating on that boat. That they got legitimately. Which hasn't been revoked. And from an instructor authorized to give them. There's been some very iffy boat handling and other minor screw-ups lately.

*Doesn't apply to BOC members, instructors, or their buddies.

We've been so busy dealing with spam comments from former instructor Daniel Sutton on our previous post that we couldn't post this until now. But worry not! The best of C-Cup is yet to come: The Commodore's Ball starts tonight around 8 PM! Best of all, the ball is open to almost anyone! So come on down (unless you're on the short list of unwelcome guests), get sloshed, and dance the night away. But don't get too hammered, because....

In the past, individuals have been known to take boats out on which they didn't actually have a rating. Hey, if you're a good sailor, why not grab a J-boat, or maybe even a T-10? Who will ever be the wiser? (unless they're on board with you.) We'll all be awash in alcohol well before midnight, so if you can still walk, as in walk down to the lakefront and operate a motorboat or a winch, then the fleet is your oyster!

Note that we in the syndicate do not recommend or condone such unruly behavior, but it has become something of a tradition for the close of C-Cup! Heck, if nothing else, just get yourself out to one of the keelboats and go for a swim. Be sure to snag an extra bottle of wine for that. It's only against the rules to drink on Hoofers boats if you're actually sailing!