Super Bowl & Rodeo Partner

Houston's Super Bowl to saddle up with the rodeo: Big game's going to kickoff with cowboy extravaganza

Only days before he was to join Houston Super Bowl Host Committee reps in New York for Super Bowl XLVIII, host committee chairman Ric Campo discussed plans for H-Town's latest round of Super Bowl mania coming in 2017 including an affiliation with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

"We kickoff at the rodeo in 2016 right after the Super Bowl," Campo said. "They're both huge events and create a lot of value for Houston. So there are a lot of parallels between the Super Bowl and the rodeo."

RodeoHouston was not involved when Houston hosted the Super Bowl in 2004 and certainly not back in 1974 when Super Bowl VIII was played at Rice Stadium.

In recent weeks, the host committee has been running in high gear focusing on fundraising, organizing and enlisting HLSR. "We're looking at engaging the rodeo as a real partner and jumping onto their volunteer base, which is very well organized and well focused," Campo said. With the support of RodeoHouston president and CEO Joel Cowely and COO Leroy Shafer, Campo expects to tap into the rodeo's volunteer mix of 28,500. He says Houston will need 15,000 pairs of hands on deck for the vast array of surrounding Super Bowl activities.

In the meantime, Campo and eight key members of the host committee are in New York and New Jersey this weekend studying all aspects of the sports extravaganza. Houston Texans president Jamey Rootes and Houston Super Bowl Host Committee executive director Sallie Sargent are part of the team whose mission is "to learn, to learn from the host committee."

The host committee has even tapped NASA to participate with the creation of "a cool space ride."

"We hope to really learn about what things they are doing best and adapt our Super Bowl to make it a better event and also to see some of the things that we don't want to do," Campo said.

Campo explains that the host committee has divided the next three years into "three fourth-quarter periods. Three years sounds like a long time, but when you break it down to quarters, it flies by really fast."

Before the end of 2014, the plan is to have all monies raised from the private sector in place and the host committee fleshed out. While Campo doesn't put an exact figure on funds needed to make Super Bowl LI a success, he does say that the cost will be within the range of New York's $70 million, Phoenix's $30 to $40 million and San Francisco's $60 to $70 million. "Houston will be somewhere in between," Campo said.

Those mega dollars go to three areas: public safety, security, logistics, traffic; community engagement (the various concerts and special events); and game day experience.

In 2015, the focus will be on planning the various activities including a 10-day fan-based festival with concerts and various events. The host committee has even tapped NASA to participate with the creation of "a cool space ride." And in 2016, it's execution of all the year-long series of events and activities that lead up to game day.

While the Houston host committee team visiting MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will have all-access passes, you won't find them hanging out in the cushy suites. "Host committees do not get suites," Campo said. "We have a few tickets in club seats but some are just regular seats in the bowl with everybody else. So it will be chilly."

It's three years and counting for Houston's Super Bowl LI and the host committee is already at work.

Houston Super Bowl LI Facebook

It's three years and counting for Houston's Super Bowl LI and the host committee is already at work.

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rock on

Native Houstonian brings Austin-based climbing gym to the East End

Photo courtesy of Crux Climbing Center

One of the many climbing walls at Crux.

Crux Climbing Center, one of Austin's best indoor bouldering and climbing gyms, opened its first Houston location in September and is hosting a grand opening celebration this weekend.

"As a native Houstonian, bringing Crux to the Bayou City has always been a part of the long-term vision," said native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder Kevin Goradia. "Crux is a community-oriented climbing gym, and our decision to open our first out-of-market location at The Plant was largely inspired by Concept Neighborhood’s plans to create a walkable neighborhood that truly integrates the local community.”

Goradia — the son of Houston petrochemical billionaire Vijay Goradia — co-founded the first Crux in South Austin in 2016 after being dissatisfied with the offerings at other climbing gyms. Crux has almost everything a climber could want, including bouldering, training boards, a spray wall, strength training, fitness and yoga classes, saunas, locker rooms, a Kids Cave, lounge space and a retail shop.

The gym flourished in the post-COVID physical activity boom as more people looked for both exercise and social interaction following the lockdowns. The community aspect of Crux is very important to Goradia. When he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023, he credits the support he had through the climbing scene in Austin as a major factor in his eventual recovery.

Now, he's bringing that to Houston, a city where indoor-climbing is booming. The exceptional flat city has few natural climbing spots, which would be arduous even if they existed thanks to the heat. Instead, the last twenty years have seen an explosion of massive, indoor facilities like inSPIRE, Momentum, and now Crux.

The grand opening event will take place at the 21,000-square-foot gym space located at The Plant (3100 Canal St.) on Saturday, October 10 from 2-8 pm. This is more than just a few grab bags and a chance to do some climbing. Native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder, Kevin Goradia is pulling out all the stops with a full vendor fair offering art, jewelry, and vintage items.

The climbing will be a great way to work off the calories from some of the food partners. Cheaters Creamery and Sinfull Bakery will both be handing out treats, and Miguelitos Grill will be serving fresh-off-the-grill quesadillas that can be washed down with beer from St. Arnold's Brewery for the 21-and-up crowd. There will even be free tattoos from 13 Goats.

And, of course, there will be climbing. Throughout the event Crux is offering BOGO deals and raffles. The event itself is free, so this is a great opportunity to get a look at what made Crux stand out in Austin.