This was our fourth year of the Beer Olympics and with each year it continues to get easier, as most of our participants are Beer Olympic veterans and we have quite an accumulation of b.o. (hah) equipment on stock. So planning for this year's event generally starts about a month out thinking about t-shirt design and facebook invitation, etc. We cap our participant slots at 36 so that we don't have more than 8 teams of 4...anything more than that seems to get a little too out of hand.
Some of the preparations include ordering tshirts, writing up & printing out 'official game rules,' and printing off waivers. For more information about some helpful planning and CYA tips - visit this post I did last year.
The day usually rolls out the same way - we have everyone sign in and complete the waiver. They pick up their tshirt and make their donation (donation fee of $30 goes towards cost of beer, tshirt, and a donation to our charity for that year - this year $226 was raised to benefit Miss Tay). Then it is a short game of sloshball (aka kickball, but with beer) while we figure out the team assignments. The only team that remains the same from last year is our previous champs (reigning 2 year champs!) Team Potter (face paint = lightening bolt on their forehead). Everyone else is divided onto teams of 3-4 and given a team name and corresponding face paint.
The day is made up of 9 events with a planned intermission after event #5. Each event has 'official rules' in a binder that the refs carry around. Nobody nitpicks more than someone who's been drinking - so we have our rules ready at hand if we get a whiner. Our first event is always a beer pong tournament, it seems to be a nice way to ease into the day and it gives teammates an opportunity to slide into alliances with each other.
Event 2 is the Dingbat relay because it picks up the pace of the day and is hilarious.
Event 3 was new this year - the Ice Cube Tray Canoe Races
Event 4 was also a new game this year - Slippy Cup (thank you pinterest for the idea). Our slip&slide was an old pool cover loaned to us from Brandon's parents and a sprinkler hose borrowed from my parents!
Event 5 is the Anchorman it is always the last event before intermission. For some reason we never have pictures from it. Then comes a break time when everyone has a chance to load up on water and fill up their bellies with carbs.
Event 6 is Flip Cup because its another good game to ease back into the drinking after the break.
Event 7 is one of our favorites - Beer Bong Races (or Quadbongs). My dad in law crafted up some quad bongs using PVC pipe and some tubing for our first beer olympics and they've made an appearance every year since then.
Event 8 is our Beer Duel. I had to run to the beer distributor last minute to pick up a keg pump (oops! we almost ran out of co2) and as official photographer for the day- we didn't get any pics from this event.
Before the final event we offer a chance for Pound off challenges which is just really a chugging contest between teams. The faster chugger gets an automatic 5 points for their team score.
Event 9 is our Booze Cruise obstacle course which is always hilarious. It has the most weight in points and is the last ditch effort to move your team's score before the awards ceremony.
...Speaking of awards ceremony, before we announce the team scores and places - we hand out awards and sashes to participants that dazzled us (the refs and observers) with their efforts, enthusiasm, or antics during the course of the day. We give awards for things like "Weeble" (weebles wobble but they don't fall down!), "Shark" (someone who doesn't look like a drinker but does awesome), "Clutch" (someone who comes through for their team when they really need it), and "Charlie Sheen" (someone who says the most ridiculous comments throughout the day). Our two biggest awards are the "Rookie of the Year" and "MVD: Most Valuable Drinker."
Oh, and Booboo wins an award every year - for no other reasons but nepotism and because it makes him proud. He won the "snake body" award...which means nothing - he's just into snakes right now and anything snake shaped he calls snake bodies. he's the funniest. And I'm the best mom ever because I allow my child to wear underpants at our super official awards ceremony. #parentingfail
At the end of the day, only one team can win though - and after 2 years of the same champs, we finally have a new champion team! The 2012 Studer's Invitational Beer Olympics Champs were the Buccaneers!
Our beer Olympic champs are the lucky recipients of receiving the first swigs from Das Boot, their names on a plaque for our boot trophy stand, and the satisfaction of knowing they outdrank all other teams...at least until next year:)
I want to publicly thank all our participants for agreeing to wear face & hair paint in the blistering heat this year to raise money for a little girl who needs it. You guys are awesome for following directions, displaying sportsmanship (even if you're 6 drinks in), and recognizing at the end of the day its about kindness and generosity. I also want to thank my awesome refs and volunteers this year (that means you - Mum, Lea, Kayla S, Stacy, Becky, and Joe) for helping me keep it all together. Without you all of you, we would never be able to fulfill these dreams we have - no matter how wacky or crazy they may be. Honestly, thank you - we love you.
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If you were looking closely at the pictures, you may have noticed some things that looked strange. Since we were getting into a routine after 3 Beer Olympics- we decided to switch up the games this year by placing a surprise 'handicap' on each event. Before each event, the teams would decide which teammate would take the 'handicap.' Then the refs would announce the penalty the teammate would need to endure for that game. It just made it a little more fun..while funny at least.
Our 'handicaps' included:
beer pong - taping the three middle fingers of the shooting hand together
dingbat relay - taking a shot of beer at the turnaround
ice cube tray canoe races - cocktail straw instead of a drinking straw
slippy cup - wear & keep on toe separators
anchorman - blindfold
flip cup- bind wrists with athletic wrap
bong races - wear a knee high over your head (funniest thing on the planet)
beer duel - one eye blindfold
booze cruise obstacle course - no 'handicap' because at this point in the day - everyone is their own personal handicap - hah.
The penalties went off great and everyone was open to trying something new. They offered a little spin on the day and we'll probably continue doing them moving forward - only coming up with new and funny things the participants will have to endure.
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If you're interested - here are the links to our 'official' game rules. They are organized in the order that we play them. Feel free to change, alter, or use as is. Its all for fun, right? Do I need to put a disclaimer here? Unfortunately-probably.
- Team Studer (www.studerteam.blogspot.com or Tabitha and Brandon Studer) is not responsible for anyone's actions after following or using our Beer Olympic rules & guidelines. Each person is responsible for his/her own body and personal decisions. If you decide to use our Beer Olympics rules & guidelines, you are agreeing to take full responsibility for any actions, accidents, or injuries that may be caused due to using them. Don't be stupid- but if you are, it's on you, man.-
