Rhode Island...on the GO! (c. 1967)

[Music] so [Music] so you think rhode island's a small dull state full of crowded cities and smoke stacks maybe a few foggy inlets for clamming to make that famous clam chowder well think again rhode island has more to offer than any other vacation area of comparable size in this country it's a swinging state the state that's always on the go a sport rapidly growing in popularity at south county beaches is surfing breakers range from two to eight feet adequate for the serious surfer and safe enough for anyone who wants to try surfing for the first time waxing is important so are the girls he hasn't noticed he now has approximately one inch of wax on his board more and more sun seekers have been discovering for themselves the special charm of rhode island beaches the relaxing cool tempo of a rhode island summertime on historic block island while seasoned sailors race offshore their families swim in luxury in a new saltwater pool placed conveniently beside the marina rhode island's buried coastline has miles of beaches most of them open to the public and stalwart lifeguards to lead fearful ladies in distress to safety at newport's national tennis hall of fame a more traditional form of sport is enshrined but genteel tradition was doubly shattered recently on newport's hallowed grass courts when top pros were invited to play for money here's where james van allen introduced his controversial van allen scoring based on table tennis points with service from a mark three feet behind the baseline what's more supposedly conservative newporters welcomed the double innovation wholeheartedly rhode island is dotted with green the green of championship golf courses with ample facilities and one of the few night courses in america golfers seldom have to wait long periods to play [Music] step right up ladies and gentlemen [Music] yes whichever side of narragansett bay you visit you'll find instant pleasure at one of rhode island's amusement park [Music] [Applause] so [Music] [Applause] crescent park is on the eastern side of the bay [Applause] and rocky point on the western shore [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] rhode island visitors from southern points drive to the island of jamestown and cross to the eastern side of narragansett bay using the magnificent newport bridge they discover soon enough that the shores of the bay are one vast marina after another with facilities for boats of any draft rhode island sound for decades has been famous for international sailing championships such as the americas cup races the top international rates since the first race in england in 1851 the united states has successfully defended the cup through the years [Music] another exciting race is the yearly newport to bermuda contest a 630 mile thrash from newport to bermuda the crowded start is the most important single phase of the race [Music] [Applause] [Music] intricate maneuvers can block another boat's wind and a few minutes lost here can mean the difference between defeat and victory despite the long grueling sea miles before bermuda landfall [Applause] a new and exciting addition to rhode island sailing is block islands race week skippers from all along the eastern coast look forward to the ever changing weather that makes rhode island sound a true test of any siemens metal [Music] as expensive boats sail close to shore with safety because of the sounds deep waters spectators on the island's unspoiled beaches watch the end of another race week [Music] it's not all competition racing though rhode island waters are ideal for pleasure boating [Applause] with protected waters abundant rhode island is a utopia or the pleasure cruiser [Music] southern rhode island is laced in an intricate network of inlets and coals ideal for small boats there are thousands of boats and yet there's still more than enough water for yours if you want to bring it along or if you wish rent anything from a small outboard to a luxury cruiser [Music] recent visitors to narragansett bay with the nuclear freighter ns savannah and the danish square rigger denmark of a quiet evening rhode island shores and waters are dotted with that most patient of all sportsman the fishermen a favorite south county pastime is surf fishing and a man can lose a year's tension right quick here on the rocks with the sea at his feet offshore the blue waters are bound with tuna bass and many other game fish the world's largest tuna tournaments are annually based at galilee the nation's best deep sea sports anglers come to rhode island to fight the giant bluefins the tuna range from 200 to over 900 pounds each now that's a big fish every sunday afternoon at diamond hill the famous and the not quite famous perform in a natural amphitheater for crowds that come from several states appreciation for the finer things is particularly noticeable on hot summer afternoons in august oh well today everyone's a critic [Music] a different breed of cat comes to the folk festival from europe asia and africa folk song aficionados annually swarm to their mecca newport [Music] afternoon workshops are as popular as the more formal evening concerts at dusk the mood changes but the crowd lingers on [Music] there's another side to rhode island the heady excitement of an end run on a fall afternoon the nostalgia of the turn of the century automobile parades staged frequently by several clubs there's four season horse racing at narragansett park and lincoln down rhode islanders enjoy the provocative stimulating performances of a professional repertory company the trinity players they present everything from shakespeare to alby and there's a year-round calendar of performing arts with everything from symphony to musical comedy in recent years four ski areas each with their own snow making equipment have brought excitement to rhode island's winter agenda and the rhode island reds have their own special brand of excitement surprisingly for a small state rhode island has two ballet companies the state ballet featuring herze marsden former yugoslavian ballerina and the american festival ballet with christine hennessey long popular in europe [Music] favorite of the cool crowd and the not so cool is the newport jazz festival highlight of the summer season covered avidly by international press representatives the festival gains new brilliance each year [Music] top musical performers like dave brubeck dizzy gillespie frank sinatra come back yearly to give rhode island that special swinging but sweet touch that caps out its summer madness that flat madness of rhode island on the go [Applause] [Music] so [Music] well now think you've seen something not really this has been just a small taste of rhode island on the go next summer why not come where the fun crowd is to the cool swinging pleasure-minded state that's always on the go rhode island [Music] you

Channel: Rhode Island Historical Society

Views: 28,898

Keywords: Rhode Island, Rocky Point, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, Narragansett, Newport Folk Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, History, Providence, Archives, Archival Footage, 1960's, Surfers, Beach

Id: NZwYVndNpoA

Length: 14min 1sec (841 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 18 2020