The field for the 2013 Silly Chili Triathlon was, again, exceptionally competitive. Unlike the Ironman or Ultraman, however, all participants won. Here’s a brief blow-by-blow of how it went…
Leg 1 – The run
A handful of starters were greeted by glorious blue skies and primo fall weather as they toed-the-line at the William Griffin Community center in North Vancouver. Teagirl Katie took first pull on the baby-jogger and everyone ran together up Del Rio Street and the first part of the Mosquito Creek Trail. After pausing briefly to set our watches at the yellow bridge, we sprinted uphill toward the Mount Royal bridge intent on squeezing in as many loops of the circuit as possible over the next hour.
Frank, in his trademark South African silk running shorts and Action Jackson in his trademark ball cap and Club Fat Ass t-shirt, slowly pulled away from the field. As the slope inclined and the surface underfoot became increasing rocky, Brandon and TeaGirl joined forces to power the baby jogger upward. After having not seen each other in a while, Rachel and Sibylle caught up on each other’s running exploits and didn’t break a sweat. TeaGirl eventually broke away from pushing the stroller and tried valiantly, but unsuccessfully, to catch the lead pack. With three (3) laps under their belts and 20 minutes left on the clock, Wimberley and Jackson choked and wimped-out on a fourth lap, as did Fouladi and Tinsel.
Leg 2 – The Swim
The next leg proved exceptionally successful for all concerned, as it was Twoonie day at the pool ($2 entry.) Fouladi caught Wimberly and Jackson in the hot tub. They were soon joined by Team McAleer/Longworth. After missing leg one, three-time Ironman finisher, William Jans was out to prove himself, so he challenged Jackson to some lane swimming… a challenge he would soon come to regret. While hardly the fastest swimmer in the fast lane, unbeknownst to Jans, Jackson’s swim technique was highly influenced by the martial arts and, more recently, the ultimate fighting championship (UFC). Jans was not expecting Jackson to grab his ankle, his swim trunks or his shoulder and leapfrog him in his lane. Nor was he expecting to drink a liter of pool water in a single gulp. Jans did, however, manage to get even after Jackson snorted a half-liter while laughing. Top finishers of leg 2 also managed to squeeze in some time in the steam room before being overwhelmed by the growling of their stomachs.
Leg 3 – the Cookoff
Things got off to a bad start when it became obvious there were challenges with the tap on the keg. Was it human error or a mechanical defect? After the brightest minds in the field collectively decided an “O”-ring was at fault, John Machray saved the day by jogging home and picking up a tap that had been sitting in his garden for the past decade. As if by miracle, it worked!
As participants arrived and plugged-in their crock pots full of chili goodness, they were handed a fancy beer mug full of fresh, yummy stout. The desert and appie table proved too tempting to many. The pecan pie was gone in a flash and the hot brie and berry plate was next. The bottle of Laphroig Machray brought along also tempted 17-year old Johanna and Sarah, one of whom poured 3-fingers of liquid gold as a taster and abandoned it in the living room. (Note to lovers of smoky, peaty singlemalt: it was recovered and did not go to waste.) Then came news that one of the participants would be arriving a bit late. It seems one fam
iliar to the assembled field had forgotten about daylight savings time and left his headlamp at home on a long run in the woods, prompting rescue before his mobile phone ran out of batteries. The tasting started 2 chilis short of a full field, as Debbie’s opus took a bit longer than planned to bring to perfection.
Thanks to the creativity of participants, the groaning kitchen counter showcased a delicious cross section of what chili can and should be. There were several vegetarian entries, a couple with meat only, some mild, some needed extra beer to cool down. Every entry was excellent in its own way. Since it was a competition, however, one must be crowned the winner. That’s where the panel of independent judges came in. Pre-teens Rory, Becky and Wendy huddled in the living room with the score sheets and, without the help of a computer, determined the 3 most popular. Congrats to TeaGirl and her Pumpkin Patch Luau for winning the popularity contest!
Given that there were hardly any leftovers and the keg ran dry, the 2013 running was a great success. Congrats to all participants and we look forward to seeing you back next year!
Sibylle Tinsel and Ean Jackson
Hosts of the Silly Chili Triathlon
|
1 |
Pumpkin Patch Luau |
Katie & Brendon |
|
2 |
Veganit Chili |
Karl & Lorraine |
|
3 |
Nduna Chili |
Teresa (& Frank) |
|
|
E&E’s Chipotle Surprise |
Erik & Ean |
|
|
Road Kill Extravaganza
(With Cats) |
Ken & Becky |
|
|
Vegan Venture |
Gary & Linda |
|
|
Oh no! I pulled a chili! |
Eric & Jessica |
|
|
Whatever Des finds in the fridge” Chili |
Des |
|
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Badass Bourbon Chili |
Debbie & Leslie |
