Lawn Olympics 2001 Delivers

By The LO Committee

PORTLAND, ME (Staff)- The L.O.O.P. The rain was coming down hard at 9:30am. It was June 23, 2001, the day of the 3rd Lawn Olympics. The dark cloud overhead was dashing the hopes of the Lawn Olympics Committee. The members were out and about getting the final elements organized, trying not to think about the possibility of a wash out. The downpour let up some… then some more. By high noon, when the athletes started to arrive, it was apparent that the day's festivities would be shined upon.

The day began with the registration period, a time when most participants stick mainly with folks they know, hang back and quietly wait for further instruction. First-timers usually don't know what to expect and this year was no different.

At the end of the sign-in period, the lawn was scattered with small clusters of individuals. It was time to get the show on the road. The Committee disappeared inside, then, with the grandeur of a royal wedding, a majestic introduction began. When the Gods emerged moments later, clad in their ceremonial garb, the small clusters no longer existed. Upon hearing the introduction, participants had drawn closer to the house, eventually forming a large horseshoe around the porch. Anticipation was in the air, for Lawn Olympics has official begun.

Moments later, the Egg Toss was underway and, as before, the scene was chaos. Eggs where flying, landing, breaking and bouncing. There were issues with cracked eggs, foreign eggs, and eggs with sparkles on them. Someone in the peanut gallery shouted "Hey you can't practice" which prompted the group to turn and see Jenn Doe and partner Kelly Dickinson playing pass with a rock to get the timing down. In the end, four teams advanced to the finals later in the day. Jenn and Kelly were one of those teams. After the spectacle of The Egg Toss, the athletes dispersed to different events just getting underway.

Cribbage and Croquet were next. And with the start of those tournaments Lawn Olympics was in full swing. If folks new to the Riverside Homestead weren't yet baffled by the squawk of the bullhorn and the lines at the keg, the "mothers in hats" semi-final cribbage match may have thrown them. Both participants were lovers of a fine chapeau and each wearing theirs to prove it. Mother Wolfgram, wearing her wizard hat, came out the victor of the game, advanced to the final match. While Mother Glidden made her way back to the masses and wore her giant foam flamingo, proudly for the rest of the day.

The proud return of croquet was a complete success. The games had been stream lined with only 3 players per round. This made for more action and faster games. During the opening round, a young man by the name of Mark Seitz listen to the rules for the first time. He had never played Croquet before but his competitive spirit beckoned him to give it a try. He won that first round and made it in to the finals. Also in the first round, Adin Wolfgram and Kyle Rankin played a nail-biting finale to a crowd of onlookers. In the end, Adin took Kyle out with an amazing shot from across the lawn. The crowd cheered at the thrilling conclusion.

After the disqualification of, the missing in action, Tim Harkins, the last game boiled down to a Wolfgram-Seitz match up. Beth, John and Adin Wolfgram had all won in the first round. Along with Keri Seitz and newcomer Mark Seitz. In a hard fought battle, Mark surprised everyone by winning the first two games of croquet he ever played and taking home the coveted Croquet trophy.

As the day continued, people started to find their own activities to quench their thirst for competition. The ping-pong table saw many a battle over the course of the afternoon. An impromptu volleyball game started just as the sun was breaking out from behind those storm clouds. Events like Frisbee Toss, Wiffleball Homerun Derby and Golf Chipping made tales of heartbreak and triumph that will live on in L.O. lore. Greatness was born in these events with names like Roukey...Navarro...Dickinson. The battles for bragging rights proved to be sometimes more interesting then those in the main spotlight.

Over at the horseshoe pits, a crowd had gathered to watch the big event. A couple gals from Boston, Jodi Dorfman and Kathy Crosley, along with a friend from Portland, Wendy Leavitt, sat on the grass discussing their individual performances in the earlier round. Two had never played before. Another couldn't wait to play again. Meanwhile, Last years champions Julie Daignault and partner Paul Glidden, had been knocked out in the first round. The dashed run for a repeat was a surprising turn of events. There would be new champions this year. Those champions would be Jeremy Browning and Frank Crandell. Frank, running on sheer emotions, dove in to his partner's arms to celebrate the final shoe landing for the 2 points they needed to win. It is rumored that the pride of the victory stayed with Frank through the next days. There are stories circulating that Frank kept his trophy on his pillow while he slept in the week after the Lawn Olympics.

As the pack of exhilarated puppies ran around the yard chasing after nothing in particular, Pass the Trash was called together. The largest game of Pass the Trash this side of the Mississippi was getting underway. Amazingly, with a record 43 people playing, the first few rounds failed to produce multiple losers. The gods stood in awe as only one ace would come up, thinking to themselves 'if this keeps up we're going to be here for a while'. Thankfully the pace quickened and the field narrowed on the way to the huge jackpot. Mike Leavitt, with a poker face as cold as Maine in March, survived as the final man standing and was declared the winner.

The last event before the finals was the Odyssey Of The Mind. This all brains, no brawn competitions provided some high drama as teams had to build a bridge out of given supplies to hold as much weight as possible. The crowd oohed and ahhed while watching the judging. The tension was thick as Staci Nix and Jodi Dorfman steadily placed heavy metal bolts atop their homemade structures. 12...13... they moved to 3rd place. 14...15...16 now in second...17...18 tied for first. The crowd hushed as Staci selected her bolt placement to take the lead. She held her breath as she started to let go of the judging piece. The bridged remained strong. Staci and Jodi would take home the title of Champions Odyssey of the mind.

The Awards Ceremony took place just before dusk. The unveiling of the Wheel of Fate and this years t-shirt created a cheer from the Olympiad's. Trophies were given out for the first time this year. As a requirement of the winners, it is necessary to return the awards next year (preferable in person) to pass to the next champion (or keep for themselves if a title is successfully defended). MVP where also handed out to those people that made the day just a little more enjoyable. And of course, thanks were given to those who really pitched in and help make the day what it was.

From good fortune, Lawn Olympics 2001 was extremely successful. The weather smiled upon us, the food was plentiful, the beer flowed like wine, the competition was hearty and the company was exceptional. It was boasted by the Lawn Olympics Committee that this year...lives would change. From the stories and accounts of our honored athletes we believe this to be true. It is the enthusiasm and spirit of group that makes The Lawn Olympics what it is.