So the Judges are ready and MuzikDoc steps to the edge and BOOM! He just crushes it. Perfect form… arms, legs and head arched slightly back, belly extended and making first contact, loud and a giant splash! We’re not effin’ around here, MuzikDoc has thrown down a gauntlet and it appears to be forged of Valyrian steel. The judges are duly impressed, awarding nearly straight 3’s. If he hadn’t been the FIRST flopper they would have been straight 3’s. I applaud with concern.
There is more confusion at the judges table about the flop order but eventually Drummerboy steps to the edge. He has been commenting on the need to do something different, he carries a handicap in this event similar to mine but greater. His plan is to offset his size with athleticism and he takes a running start to a very high twisting leap. He gets UP there. But he only turns 180 degrees and as he comes down he snaps his back to impact the water. He has committed the Rookies mistake, back flopping at a BELLY FLOP competition. He gets high marks for style and splash but gets marked way down for impact. This is particularly funny because Gerry is standing right behind the judges as they are dogging Drummerboy for back flopping at a belly flop. Still, Drummerboy has racked up some decent points on a back flop!
I just want to say that I came prepared to play as many angles as I could to give myself an opportunity to win. A HIGHLY competitive spirit is an integral part of the dark side of my personality. It can lead to some of my more regrettable actions. Fortunately, with this event, I think I channeled that competitiveness in a manner that created rather than destroyed. I know I walked away feeling closer to my competitors even though I pulled out ALL the stops. I tried to pull all the levers I could, play any card I could think of – I tried to elicit laughter and amazement, I tried to impress, I tried to pull heartstrings, ‘cause lord knows I wasn’t going to push a lot of water. Oh, and I also took advantage of every lax rule I was aware of, the primary being BRIBERY! Oh, yes, I bribed. As was clearly stated in the pre-flop rules, bribery was not only legal, as far as the judges were concerned it was kind of expected… Well, hell, I’m all over that.
I had hit a few of the judges up with their complimentary flop souvenirs before the contest but as Gerry is getting ready to go, I notice BeccaJean is admiring one of the bribes. I quickly grab another “Gift” and present it to Becky with my warmest regards.
I’m feeling the squeeze as I watch the Mighty Californian step to the edge… He steps back and takes a running approach to the pool and… and he BACK FLOPS! I’m gonna say the impact is huge and the wave is tsunamic but he BACK FLOPPED! Now I’ve watched the replay on this and I’m convinced it’s because Gerry has a misunderstanding of the rules, thinking it’s the best of two flops to move on not the combined of two flops and he wants to save his best for last. But it’s not and I see the door open a crack. Still he gets good scores for everything but impact. The wave was insane, watch the video. So I’m still feeling like there isn’t much operating room in the field.
