Hoofers gets ready to hoist the sails
By Francesca Bonifacio
Tucked away on the second floor of Memorial Union, the Founders Room is bathed in sunlight as Led Zeppelin fills the open space through a pair of tiny speakers. The hum of a single sewing machine creates a steady backdrop of noise as two pairs of hands maintain the balance of the room.
These four walls have been transformed into a space where Hoofers members have spent the better part of the day building sails in anticipation of the lake’s thawing out as the spring season nestles in.
Shop Director Paul Birrittella explains that when this process began, Hoofers members possessed very limited knowledge about how to construct a sail. But under the tutelage of Hoofers’ newest Head of Instruction, Dave Elsmo, and Paul’s guidance throughout, what little knowledge there was in the beginning grew rapidly. By the end of this project, these increasingly dexterous hands will have churned out 18 sails – two for each boat and an extra set, just in case.
From there, the sails will be sent off to Nielson Sailmakers of Racine, Wisconsin, for polishing and fine-tuning the hardware used in rigging. Aside from gleaning a wealth of learning and experience, having Hoofers employees sew the sails to about 80% to 90% completion has significantly cut labor costs and has given those involved a true sense of gratification. Hoofers are excited to reap the benefits of their hard work and finally navigate the lake with sails that are truly their own.
