2nd ANNUAL

Costume Weekend, Part Two
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2008: SLAM POETS FROM BOULDER (Of Course!), COLORADO

Behold. The inspiration for Sunday's theme: Dress as Elliott Dressing as Magnum P.I. Day

Flash forward another year. The world has (allegedly) gone once around the sun. There's been weight gain, fights with spouses, stress at work, pregnant cats, a plummeting economy, ya de ha. Though the last year has brought about many new things, the desert has stayed the same...

Nay! The desert has changed, but only superficially. The Superbowl now has port-a-johns (courtesy of Friends of Indian Creek), the hippies that use them have been given Mastercams by Metiolious. UT 211 is freshly chip-sealed. Somebody allegedly got stuck in an offwidth and required evacuation-by-oil-dousing. And I don't really know, but I'd bet some good climbers put up some more hard routes. Wow.

This year, when the calendar once again rolled around to October, we all got excited for Costume Weekend with the same fervor as last. Except this time there were more people and a bigger box for costumes. Personally, I was more excited because this year I've actually come to ENJOY crack climbing-- which is a new feeling for me.

We had many new faces, and many old. (...and by "old", I mean some as old as 30... or even older.) Definitely some key people missing, but also some new and colorful attendees. A slam poet that gifted us with some tricky thoughts and a series of words that end in "-ation".

This year we also had two phertographers. Dueling phertographers. Though their rivalry was only in our heads (not theirs), we still liked to imagine the possibility of a Clash-of-the-Titans battle between the two.

Zac "I'm not one of the two phertographers, but damn, do I look good with a crooked mustache" Robinson

No such battle did go down, but Nathan Smith (www.pullphotography.com) took a loaf of photographs and portraits, which he's shared with me for our viewing pleasure. See below:

Andrew "I'm meaner, but have less reach than Nathan Smith" Burr

Christine "I wanna take lipstick and go like this: 'Aaaaaa!' all around my mouth" Balaz

Elliott "You can't keep a good man down" Barcikowski
(aka Elliott "Which Elliott? Oh... LOUD Elliott, yeah I know him!" Barcikowski)

Zac "Oh Geez" Robinson

Christine "Fancy" Balaz

Steve "My costume is so rediculous, it's OK that it's prefabricated" Gourley
(But watch it in the future, Steve.)

Rob "Insert Camouflage Joke Here" Duncan

Laurél "My name is fancier than Laurel's" Flood

Zac "Wow" Robinson

Kev "go hang out in Boulder, Mr. Political Statement guy" -0

Nancy "Everybody loves me" (for real) Roth

Steve "Can't stab a goddamn beer can with this sword to save my life" Gourley

Caroline "I was a cheerleader" (also for real) Grist

Porscha "I don't know what the Hell is going on" Doucette

It's so much easier to climb while not wearing a huge prom dress.
(Three Strikes and You're Out, Battle of the Bulge)