To boldly go where Rockaway has never gone before.
Previously published in The Wave.
In some ways, I’m a “basic” Long Island chick. I played lacrosse in high school. I love Billy Joel. I’m into Botox. But it may surprise you to learn that I’m also a Trekker. (Not a Trekkie. If you don’t know, don’t ask.)
My husband essentially forced me to watch the show back when we were dating. He would come over with Star Trek DVDs. We started with the original series but then jumped to Deep Space Nine, which Matt thought was a better introduction for Trek newbies. Essentially DS9 is a space soap opera – great plot lines, romance and action. It just happens to be set in outer space. I was hooked.
Last week, after a few glasses of “Klingon blood wine”, I had an awesome idea: there should be a Star Trek Convention this summer in Rockaway. It would be amazing. Before you stop reading, allow me to set the scene for you.
Picture, beings streaming off the ferry and the shuttle heading to the boardwalk dressed as Star Trek characters. Klingons will be drunk, getting in fights with Green Goblins (The Parks Dept.) on the Beach. Andorians will be sunbathing their blue skin. Each concession will host its own galactic party!
Low Tide Bar will transform into Quark’s, the local watering hole on Deep Space Nine. Your favorite bartenders dressed as Ferengi (ahem Rob Bryn, Emil Seager), will serve you Trek-themed otherworldly cocktails. Some ideas for possible drinks include:
* The Mind Meld
* The Pattern Buffer
* The Borg Queen
* Liquid Latinum
They’ll be picnic tables with gambling (ok, probably board games) with beautiful Dabo girl attendants distracting you from your earnings. And it wouldn’t be Quark’s without the holodeck. I’m thinking Will Farrell of Wilderness Yard in a teepee tent and some of his magical tinctures? That, in combination with a few Mind Melds, and you’ll feel like you’re in a virtual alternate reality. Holodeck, check.
Imagine Armin Shimerman himself shows up at our convention! It’s common for Star Trek actors to attend these conventions and Rockaway is a draw for everyone in the summertime. After all, the reason Captain Sisko earged Quark to run the bar on the starbase was to encourage interstellar commercial tourism, boosting the station’s economy. See where I’m going with this?
Caracas, I appropriately deem as Rissa, designation: “pleasure planet”. It’s a luxurious world where many in the binary system go on vacation. First Officer William T. Riker describes it best, “This place is called Risa, and believe me, Captain, it is a paradise. Warm tropical breezes, exotic foods, nothing to do but sit around all day.”
Trekkers will travel through the Neutral Zone (ie, walk the boardwalk) to reach Ten Forward (Rippers). Ten Forward is the crew lounge aboard the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D, the ship on a favorite of mine, Next Generation. Like Rippers, Ten Forward as spectacular views, is the social center of the ship and has a dedicated wait staff. I think Nick Bendick would make a great Guinan. Characters from all galaxies will be dancing on the tables at Rippers all night long!!!
Trekkers of Rockaway, set heading to RB Star Trek Convention – 2019. Make it so!
