From the Sidelines: First real Chingawassa Days a success
Sports reporter
Although I was here for last year's Chingawassa Days I considered this past weekend my first real taste of the festival.
My participation in the first Rhino Extreme Challenge was great, but the torrential downpour ruined what the experience would have been.
This year the weather cooperated, staying fairly cool throughout the day. I got my shot at winning the Rhino Challenge again, this time with partner Hank Collett.
We took fourth place after combining to swim in the creek, slide down a hill, jump in a pool of ice, eat a worm-burger, swallow live minnows, and eat a "balut," otherwise known as an incubated chicken egg.
Now granted, Hank did most of the eating, but swallowing live minnows wasn't exactly like eating my favorite meal of chicken strips.
Saturday brought on the dodgeball tournament. My team of Adam Heerey and Clayton Garnica took third, falling to, let's just say some more "experienced" teams.
The first paper-rock-scissors tournament went well, except for yours truly who went out in the second round. I knew I shouldn't have put out scissors.
Around 70 people signed up for the second-annual Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament. I got there at 8 a.m. to sign up, and told my wife Jamie maybe she shouldn't because most people were pretty serious about winning. She insisted on playing so she could win a T-shirt for trying.
Three hours later she was finally knocked out after taking fifth place. Her $50 cash prize sounded good to me, after I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack.
The highlight of her day came from one hand that knocked out five men. In the end Jessica Laurin proved too tough for Jamie, and all the men, as she claimed her first-place prize of two round-trip tickets to anywhere in the continental United States.
It was then on to the bingo tent. Why I played I don't know, because I always attract the absolute worst bingo card. This year was no different.
The closest I ever came to winning was needing just two more numbers called. Sounds good, but really it's like saying you lost a 100-yard dash by "only" three seconds.
After spending the entire day at the park, the rough and tough game of bingo wiped me out. I'm not really a concert person, so Jamie and I decided not to attend. The word on the street was The Guess Who was great, and attendance was better than expected.
For the 10th year in a row the festival was a success, and my first real Chingawassa Days weekend was worth the $20.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go make a minnow sandwich.
