The Downhill Regatta
Yesterday we had the 8th annual downhill regatta. Usually boating and snow don't mix, but we found a way. A few years ago a bunch of us decided that we wanted to do some snowboarding. Of course at the time none of us were any good so we didn't want to spend money to go to a ski resort until we had a little practice. There is this conservation park not to far from where I used to live. In it there is a rather large bowl shaped depression, I think it used to be a lake or something but it is pretty deep, and some areas are quite steep. All in all it is a pretty good place to do some snowboarding. Well we spent the whole day there. Late at night one of the guys went into the bush to take a piss, and he found an old aluminum row boat. Well when we saw it we had the bright idea to drag it to the top of the hill and bobsled it down. Because the top of the depression is flat for a long ways we brought the boat to the steepest and longest drop, put it about 20 m back and all 16 of us grabs an edge, pushes the boat at top speed and jumps in. It is tremendous fun.
I guess over time it has now become a yearly tradition. We all pick a date when there is enough snow, and we go boarding. It has become a big event, now, we bring along a few cases of beer, a little BBQ and some steaks. And of course we bring along the boat.
The best story happened about 4 years ago. We were all there and "Dan" brought along some inner tubes. Some one had the bright idea of building ramps and jumping the tubes over them. It was fun albeit dangerous. When Dan went down he flipped off the tube and hit his head against the ground, and just laid there. We went to check. He didn't remember what happened. So we told him he fell and hit his head. Since he had bit his lip and it was bleeding I told him to eat some snow. My brother joked that he should find some yellow snow. 5 minutes later he again asked what happened. then he asked why his lip was bleeding and if he ate yellow snow. 5 minutes later the same thing. After the third or 4th time we got worried and brought him to the hospital. He had got a concussion. By the time we got out of the hospital it was about midnight. And Dan asked where we were going, we said we were going to bring him home, and he said, "we haven't been down with the boat yet, one little concussion isn't going to break this tradition!" So we went back and did it.
Theres been a lot of memories over this little silly tradition of ours. But you know what? I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I guess over time it has now become a yearly tradition. We all pick a date when there is enough snow, and we go boarding. It has become a big event, now, we bring along a few cases of beer, a little BBQ and some steaks. And of course we bring along the boat.
The best story happened about 4 years ago. We were all there and "Dan" brought along some inner tubes. Some one had the bright idea of building ramps and jumping the tubes over them. It was fun albeit dangerous. When Dan went down he flipped off the tube and hit his head against the ground, and just laid there. We went to check. He didn't remember what happened. So we told him he fell and hit his head. Since he had bit his lip and it was bleeding I told him to eat some snow. My brother joked that he should find some yellow snow. 5 minutes later he again asked what happened. then he asked why his lip was bleeding and if he ate yellow snow. 5 minutes later the same thing. After the third or 4th time we got worried and brought him to the hospital. He had got a concussion. By the time we got out of the hospital it was about midnight. And Dan asked where we were going, we said we were going to bring him home, and he said, "we haven't been down with the boat yet, one little concussion isn't going to break this tradition!" So we went back and did it.
Theres been a lot of memories over this little silly tradition of ours. But you know what? I wouldn't miss it for the world.
posted by The Cube at 9:48 AM
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