Booger steps to the edge and does a little fumbling around. Finally, he steps back and takes a quick run at the edge and just as he reaches the edge to launch himself he reaches back and tugs the back of his trunks down and flies out to a nice swan flop. The Moon Flop! The place goes crazy! Chris, who’s been watching the whole proceeding, declares, “That’s it! It’s going to take skin to win!” This concerns me, as the crowd contains exactly one person interested in seeing me any more disrobed than I already am. On top off that, Booger is playing my showman’s card to extraordinary effect. Damn CaliCoolCat! Maybe if I sing…
I believe I can flop,
I Believe I can really drop,
Judges look in my eyes,
And your scores I will hypnotize,
Yes you know I’m the one,
One-oh, one-oh that equals ten…
Yes! I get to throw in a little poetry (okay lyrics, but still...) at a Booger moment!! I’m frantically trying to work something out as Sandie steps to the edge. I have to be honest, I don’t remember what Sandie did for her second flop, I was in serious competitive focus mode. I gotta do something besides just flop. I’m looking around and I notice the shark kite has some streamer tails on it that had been rubber-banded up on the first flop. They came loose and are trailing me as I walk around with the kite strapped to my back. I gather them up in my hand. I think I’ve got it. As Sandie receives her score I walk to the corner of the pool by the Zoom Room…
I walk up to the judges table as I’m announced, crouch down and look behind with a concerned glance. “Duh-da… Duh-da… Duh-da,duh-da… Duh-de-da!!” As I move steadily but urgently around the pool. I stop at the edge and repeat, “Duh-da… Duh-da…Duh-da-duh-da,” and at this point I throw the streamers out behind me and am quite happy and surprised that they actually end up 6-8 feet behind me, “Duh-de-da!!” and I launch myself out in a nice torpedo dive, only I keep my head up, mostly. I still impact head first, well actually face first. Pretty much all day I led with my face. When I come up there are good cheers again and before I know it a special belly flop duck rescue team has been dispatched to aid me out of the pool.
As I’m sitting on the edge of the pool we watch Gonjon throw a jackknife for his second flop! Boy pulled it all together at the end. What small victory would this have been had it knicked our hero’s sword? What cunning and foresight to realize that by losing this brief battle he was better positioned for the long slog of close quarters combat the week had laid out for him…
There is a pause in the proceedings as the judges tally their scores. All contestants were worthy competitors, but only four will move on. Who will they be?
