Anyone who’s ever thought they had the balance and strength to make Mr. Miyagi proud should try to channel their inner Karate Kid into another sport: canoe jousting.
Ok, it’s not exactly an Olympic sport, but try jabbing at someone using a piece of plastic tubing with a volleyball on the end while balancing on a wooden platform in the middle of a canoe. Yeah, doesn’t sound so easy now, does it?
Easy, no. Hilarious, yes.
“When I heard canoe jousting, I was like, ‘What the heck is that?’” said Reese Buchman, part of last year’s winning team.
The key to his success was staying calm.
“You can’t be cocky, it is what it is,” he said. “It just takes confidence. It just takes not being a hotshot.”
Buchman and his team will likely return to this year’s joust, which benefits the Bowers Fire Company. The joust is Saturday, June 27, at Pennington’s Pond, Bowers Beach.
Fire company member Jeff Dennison is chairman of the joust, and he said Buchman is on to something: It really is about staying calm and balanced.
Don’t get taken in by the adrenaline once that other team starts jousting, he said. Just practice your balance.
Staying calm can be tricky for those dueling their longtime foes. The event pits family members against each other and breeds rivalries.
“You got a disagreement with somebody? That’s the time to take care of it,” Dennison said.
Most of the competitors are there for the party and bragging rights more than anything.
This year the event will have two live bands and a moon bounce and activities for kids.
Participants like to show off their flair for the athletic and dramatic even when they don’t win, so there are awards for best entrance into the water and sportsmanship.
“I try to give them something for the little bit of pain they went through,” Dennison said.
It’s more wet than painful, so anybody older than 18 who doesn’t mind doggy paddling to shore after getting rocked out of their canoe should consider assembling a team of three.
“It’s something that you may never do it again, and why not do it in the safety of a fire service function,” Dennison said.
For those planning to joust, they should wear closed shoes (no flip flops) and be prepared to get wet. Rowers are going to get wet, too, so swimsuits are a good idea.
For those who are hesitant to helm the canoe or joust, they should just go to watch. The spectacle is one anyone who appreciates absurdity and a bottomless mug of beer would appreciate. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
Email Sarika Jagtiani at sarika.jagtiani@doverpost.com
Bowers Beach —
