RIVERFEST ACTIVITIES ATTRACT 50,000

Colors blazed across the skies above the Mississippi River Saturday night as the 17th annual Riverfest came to a close with a fireworks display.

Riverfest '95 Chairman Marc Cook was pleased with this year's attendance at the two-day event. He estimated that 50,000 people attended the free event.

"It isn't a Riverfest committee event, it's a community event," Cook said. Because the rains have caused flooding in much of the area, the Riverfest committee hoped to give people an opportunity to relax and enjoy the entertainment.

Riverfest was almost canceled after the heavy rains and thunderstorm Thursday evening, officials said.

Friday's attendance was low, but Saturday proved to be a busy day for the 100 Riverfest volunteers. After a cloudy morning, skies cleared and the crowds emerged among the downtown streets.

Fred Frisbie and his soon-to-be grandson, Charles, 4, watched the Bud Light Air Show from the rear of the Common Pleas Courthouse lawn.

Other onlookers found a spot atop the roof of Jayson's Jewelers Ltd. or in the shade of a tree. Some people just stopped in the street to catch a glimpse at the acrobatic stunts of pilot Leo Loudenslager.

The afternoon air show was postponed for an hour because of the possibility of another storm.

Thursday's storm almost canceled this weekend's events, but the Riverfest directors decided to go ahead with the schedule.

"We had never had a rain out and decided not to let the weather knock us over," Riverfest, Cook said.

In some aspects, the weather did have control of Riverfest events. The floodgates remained closed because of high water for the first time in the 17-year history of the event.

However, the crowds still came out to enjoy free entertainment, the Miss Riverfest Contest, the carnival rides and many other activities.

"It's a little different atmosphere without seeing the water," Cook said.

Most Riverfest visitors weren't too concerned about not seeing the Mississippi River because there were crafts, exhibits and shows to keep them busy.

One popular event was the bicycle stunt team demonstrations. Almost 200 people attended each performance, Riverfest board member Jerra Hutson said.

"I hope people realize the magnitude of talent we've had this year," Hutson said. "These are world class people. The adults understand the skill and the kids are just amazed."

Art Thomason and Bob Kohl, members of the Ride-N-Grind stunt team, performed flips, stunts and tricks all afternoon Saturday.

"I always wanted to get good," Kohl said. "I never planned it, I just knew I wanted to do it.

And that's just what he did. Kohl won several contests and was the 1993 BMX national champion. In 1994, he set a world record for doing a back flip on a motorcycle at 35 feet in the air.

Kohl has been riding bikes for 15 years. His first bike was a BMX and he started racing just for fun.

His fun eventually turned into a career. As a member of the Chicago-based Ride-N-Grind team, Kohl, 25, performs in about 30 events a year. Each event can last from one day to an entire month, he said.

Kohl varies his tricks with each show. But his favorites are a 540, which is a 1 1/2-turn on the 9-foot ramp, and the Superman, where he rides the bike with one arm out and his legs extended behind him. He also does several flips and somersaults to amaze the crowd.

While Kohl does more of the daredevil tricks, Thomason specializes in ground riding.

"It's fun to learn new tricks," he said. "I like to set new goals and reach them. I do something and keep working on it 'til I get good or give up on it."

Thomason, 20, has only been riding for seven years. He and several friends got interested in BMX bikes as children.

"Everybody else got out of it and I ended up here," he said. He has been riding with the stunt team for three years.

Both men encourage children interested in bike stunts or racing to wear safety gear before attempting any tricks.

Another favorite Riverfest activity was the Miss Riverfest pageant. Frannie Trum of Sikeston, is Miss Riverfest 1995. Jennifer McDowell of Sikeston, Miss Riverfest 1994, and Kelly Mathews of Scott City, were co-hostesses for the pageant.