Photos by Danny Kern
Rain and wind closed the mountain on Sunday, which pushed back the Merrill Mini Pipe Invitational to Monday. I left Govy on Saturday night to get all the instruments for a potential show on Sunday, but when I awoke in Portland to find that Government Camp was in a drunken depression and all the park rails were blown out of the ground due to wind, I hung out until Monday morning before making my way back to Hood. The following was the series of events the best I can remember it.
Monday 7/ 21
11:30 am: The Merill Mini Pipe begins and encourages poaching. The format is two runs per person, then a jam format at the end.
Tim Eddy starts a Revolution
12:05 pm: Tim Eddy breaks free from the standard run and surfs the entire right side of the wall. Everyone loses it.
12:17 pm: I swear I hear a robotic glitch in Pat Bridge’s voice. It could have to do with the microphone, but I start an official investigation as to whether Pat Bridges is indeed a cyborg.
12:46 pm: Nils Mindich goes HUGE to flat. Some how he doesn’t go full Tanner Hall. OH! TANNER FALL, has anyone thought of that?
Shane Flood representing the legends
1:35 pm: Scott Blum eats shit because he may or may not have strapped into his binding accidentally.
2:04 pm: Scotty Arnold lands a front 9 after being taunted by Bode to “do a trick from his part in Lame.”
2:15 pm: “Red Gerard is the second smallest competitor, next to Austen Sweetin.” – Bode Merrill.
Max Warbington makes us all feel some kinda way.
Johnny Brady hit his face at one point, but that didn’t stop him.
3:00 pm: I hear a rumor that our band is playing at Cobra Dogs at 6:00. I tell this to Brandon, and he says, “Oh sweet, let’s just do that then.”
4:15 pm: I ask Cory Grove if we can play at Cobra Dogs. He says no before I can even finish my sentence.
4:19 pm: Order a Cobra Dog with everything (sans Jalepeños.)
4:19 pm: MY GOD, BUNDY, HOW DID YOU DO THAT SO FAST?!
4:36 pm: I begin to fear all hope is lost for Fuzz Lightyear’s Govy show.
4:46 pm: I see Pat Bridges and take the opportunity to que up “Mr. Roboto” by Styx on my iPhone. No Reaction. Results remain inconclusive as to whether or not he is a robot.
5:00 pm: Cocard skitches by me on a truck going up the hill. He lets go, giving me the thumbs up. “It’s on!” he says. “Burton Demo Center at 8:00.”
5:01 pm: Band high five- Nanook included.
The early crowd, AKA our biggest fans!
7:00 pm: We begin setting up. One of the most important parts of our set-up is our mic stand, which is a tiki torch woven through the arm and leg hole of a camping chair.
7:45 pm: The show begins (because, honestly, we can’t wait any longer).
I pretty much just stare at Brandon the whole time.
8:15 pm: Pat Bridges puts a GoPro on my snare drum and walks away to investigate the current status of a 12-pack. I try my best not to slam it with my drum stick… no pressure.
Shit got real.
8:37 pm: Cocard coerces Bode to come up and sing.
8:45 pm: We play every song we know and several that we don’t. The crowd demands more so we hit them with one of our fan favorites “Wolfman,” just one more time.
“No seriously guys, we’re done.”
9:00 pm: Cocard finally convinces the audience we really, really don’t have anything else to play. We break down the instruments and slowly, the crowd moves to Charlie’s for the M.M.P.I. awards.
Hood with a hat.
9:17 pm: Red Gerard is denied access to Charlie’s by the bouncer, so his brother accepts his 2nd place trophy.
MMPI Official Results:
1. Austen Sweetin $4,000
2. Red Gerard $2,000
3. Chad Otterstrom $1,000
4. Scotty Arnold
5. Alex Sherman
6. Chris Beresford
7. Nils Mindnich
8. Colin Langlois
9. Garrett Warnick
10. Blake Paul
10:00 pm – 2:00 am: Party Time- excellent.
2: 20 am: It begins to pour rain. The Burton Demo Center’s door is locked and Brandon is planning to sleep there. I give him a boost up onto my shoulders so he can reach the roof and knock on the window.
Tuesday 7/22
10:30 am: Brandon swings open the doors to the van, where I have passed out among all of our instruments. He gives me a comical “Staaahhn?” and before opening my eyes, I wonder, “Am I dead? Is that God calling my name?”
10:45 am: All of Govy feels hungover and the weather has closed the entire mountain. The mission turns into GET OUT OF GOVY ASAP.
11:30 am: After cracking a few more jokes and bidding a good bye to all- I’M OUTTA HERE!
Jaeger doin Jaeger.
Chad Otterstrom also ripping for the legends team
Knucks to a rad dude.
MAX DUBS!
Yo Ralph, you model?
Right hand Stan
Sing along time
BLINK 182 is HARDCORE!