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When the rain fell throughout the night and April 24 dawned an overcast grey, the organisers of April Tools 2010 were concerned that the enthusiasm for April Tools 2010 might be ...well...dampened. What were we thinking! This is Pender Harbour and this is April Tools!!! Tents sprouted in the parking lot of Millennium Park and 12 teams of builders turned their thoughts to the first task of the day---deciding how they were going to deal with this year's twist. Paddles were to be no bigger than 8" X 22" including the shaft! As usual, designs varied wildly but at the 11AM start time, saws began to flail as the building began. Three hours later everyone had a craft ready to be tested in the waters of the Harbour, and most would even go on to finish the course! But first, the high school teams would have their chance to hit the water...literally. After a hard-paddled and orderly race for the 'Big Saw" high school trophy was taken by the team of LL Cool Jay, the Fun Race began. Although it started in a most conventional way, it's seems that LL Cool Jay lost it's way and started going around the course in reverse. Shortly thereafter no boat remained occupied and eventually even the amazingly misnamed Don't Sink sank!
Meanwhile, throughout all the mayhem of adult building and teenage dunking, the kids hammered away happily on their miniboats. In the end multihulls, boats with sails, and boats with mortars vied with vessels of many colours for space in the swimming pool. Their face-painted sailors, filled with free hot dogs from the PH Rotary, wore pirate hats and hats with flowers, and they took home lanyards and mermaids and other boat passengers.
But then came the Main Attraction, and even the sky gave up a little sunshine. Those short little paddles made the work of getting around the course a lot tougher and much sweat...and the odd tear...were shed! The top 3 teams from each of the preliminary heats (see below for complete results) proceded to the final with only 1 boat failing to make the complete circuit--though some took a little longer than others... In the end, those lions of April Tools, Garden Bay's Fireflies, prevailed. A close battle for the next places saw the Fabricating Four slip past team Running Bear, who placed third.
But all kinds of efforts are rewarded at April Tools, and the Fireflies pleased the crowd enough to take the Spiffy Skiffy Award, and the valiant and wet efforts of Madeira Park's April Fools won the judges' choice for the Broken Paddle Award. Even the 50/50 winner benefitted mightily from Bobbi Bennett's spectacular salesmanship as he took home a fat $638!
But nothing gives an idea of what April Tools 2010 was really like better than the pictures! Surf through the Photo Gallery as we get them up for everyone to enjoy!
