My family’s night at the movies

A favorite Dodero family outing is to take a trip across the Balboa

Ferry from the island to the peninsula for a walk along the Fun Zone,

Balboa Pier and ultimately a bite to eat at Ruby’s.

With all three of my kids under 7 years old, they are easily

amused with such cheap thrills, and the ride across the harbor never

gets old with them.

Being a waterlogged old surfer, I was stoked to learn a few weeks

back that as an added bonus to our little excursion, we could take in

a viewing at the pier of the new surf movie, “Young Guns 2.”

So while I love pointing out the seagulls to my kids as we chug

over the harbor on the Balboa Ferry, I was really looking forward to

watching the flick, part of the Quiksilver Family Movie Night.

Quiksilver was staging the movie as a way to pump up money and

interest in the Balboa Performing Arts Theater.

And considering how long that theater has been under construction,

we all know that keeping the interest level high is important. “We

raised over $2,000,” Christopher Trela, the theater’s director of

marketing and development, said of the July 28 event. “However, we

did not really intend for this event to be a large fundraiser. We

wanted to remind the community that we are still very much dedicated

to the project of restoring the Balboa Theater as a multiuse venue,

and we wanted to demonstrate to the community the types of events we

could eventually present at the theater, and organizations we want to

partner with in the future.

“In that regard, I think the event was a complete success,” he

said. “We are forming plans to do other events of this type, whether

a movie on the beach or a concert or play at a nearby facility such

as the Balboa Pavilion or a local arts facility. We’re also in

discussions with other organizations that are interested in

partnering with the Balboa Performing Arts Theater.”

So, back to our family outing.

We got there early to make sure we had a good spot for the film.

We ate a few tacos, care of Great Mex restaurant, and my kids ran

around the grassy area of Peninsula Park Field near the stage area.

It was a pretty neat scene -- about 1,000 people milling about a

large movie screen donated for the event by Matrix Visual Solutions.

In addition to “Young Guns 2,” there was a new Quiksilver skate film,

a Balboa Theater preview, games and giveaways of cool Quiksilver

stuff -- including a snowboard and a Tony Hawk-signed skateboardAlso,

some of the surf stars from “Young Guns 2” were on hand to sign

posters and chat with the young gremmie fans.

As we were taking in the whole surfing scene, one of the

organizers piped in on a loudspeaker with an announcement that turned

my whole night around.

Ruby’s, he said, was donating a portion of its proceeds that

evening to the Balboa Performing Arts Theater.

“Let’s go get some milkshakes then,” my wife, Beth, said.

So off we went, losing our great spot, down the pier for some

chocolate shakes.

As the kids and Beth were finishing up their shakes, it was

getting dark, so I suggested we head back to see the movie.

“I don’t know,” Beth sighed. “It’s too cold. We should probably go

home.”

“What?” I shouted. “I thought the whole reason we came here was to

see the movie?”

Anyone with a wife and kids knows the outcome of this night out.

So let’s just say I could see bits of movie from the back of the

screen as we headed back down the pier to the Fun Zone ferry launch.

Oh, well, at least a portion of our shakes and tacos receipts went

to a good cause.

For more information on the theater, go to

www.thebalboatheater.org..