LAKEPORT – The Lakeport City Council will host a special workshop at 5 p.m. today to seek public input on whether or not the city should host BoardStock.

The extreme sporting event includes competition in wakeboarding, wake surfing, slalom skiing, street bike exhibitions, skydiving, motocross and concerts.

City officials say the community workshop's intent is to explain how BoardStock would be conducted if the city hosted the event this summer, and to hear from the community about concerns and opportunities.

A statement from acting City Manager Richard Knoll said the city “is contemplating a family-oriented, alcohol-free, open admission, sporting event in keeping with previous lake-related recreational events held in Lakeport.”

Knoll said the city hasn't made a decision about the event yet, and is still in the “information gathering phase.”

The City Council will use the input generated from the workshop to make its decision about BoardStock, Knoll added.

Rob Stimmel of BoardStock Promotions said that Greg Bennett, president and CEO of Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, notified him Feb. 13 that the resort would no longer host the event.

Supervisor Rob Brown said that Bennett cited concerns about underage drinking during the event as a reason for canceling.

Stimmel said BoardStock has been held at Konocti Harbor for the last two years.

He said last August Konocti Harbor had notified them that “all systems were go” for this year's event, and that he believed his company had a verbal agreement with the resort. Stimmel said he wished he'd been notified sooner. “We've been scrambling now,” he said.

Over the last three weeks Stimmel said he has met with city and county officials about moving the event to Lakeport. So far, Stimmel said he's received a positive response from city officials, the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce and some members of the Board of Supervisors.

He said he believes tonight's meeting will have a huge influence on the city's final decision. “They really want to know what the public thinks about it,” he said.

Stimmel said he's due to visit Lake Havasu, Ariz., which also is extremely interested in hosting the event.

But Stimmel said, given his choice, he'd rather stay in Lake County, where he said he's received a warm and friendly reception, and he knows what to expect.

“I would love to stay here,” he said.

Stimmel said he also believes the event has given the county great exposure; he cited a recent edition of Boating World, which he said devoted six pages to the county.

The meeting takes place at 5 p.m. today in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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