I was the summer camp campsite champion
 

in arm wrestling.

We were bored yesterday and started arm wrestling. One of the boys in my troop is a 16yo wrestler and pretty husky and strong. The boys were impressed that I beat him. The only adult I arm wrestled was my assistant and I beat him.

So we had all kinds of matches and established a pecking order. Later, the 17yo from the sister troop arrived in camp. He is the Stake President's son and probaby the most gungho scout I have ever met. He has been an eagle for at least a couple of years, is the Order of the Arrow council head scout, still goes to summer camp (obviously). He's a little bit socially awkward (his 10 minute prayer on the cobbler last year comes to mind, as well as his obsession with ticks, and his loud remonstrations that he won't help the boys remove them if they are on their "privates."). Very smart. He's not particularly athletic, but he has done the mile swim a few times, and just plain dogged.

So he started arm wrestling the "contenders" and establishe himself as the #1 contender. So I wrestled him left-handed and beat him pretty handily. When he had rested a bit I wrestled him right-handed. This time I decided to screw around and draw it out.

So it went back and forth, me almost pinning him, him almost pinning me. All the boys were gathered round, and then were chanting/screaming his name, rooting for him to beat me. He yelled out "he moved his elbow!" "He his hand is down!" (It wasn't). I yelled out "get me a drink of water." Suddenly water appeared next to him, and not me! It went a full 10 minutes, I kid you not. Literally 10 minutes and then I finally put him out of his misery.

Here is the amazing part. Not a single boy figured out I was toying with him. 10 minute miraculous see-saw arm-wrestling. I guess I am a good actor. :)

He told me later "that was the best arm wrestling match I have ever been involved in." It was a fun time. :)

Now let me tell you, 10 minutes of arm wrestling, even if you are screwing around, against the best boy arm wrestler in the two troops is TIRING!

You should have done the move Booger did in Revenge of the Nerds to win his match against the Pi. Why even toy with the kid? End it quickly.

We are doing a three-day trip to Moab next week with the teachers and priests. This sounds like a great idea for an evening activity.

Wow, way to beat up on a bunch of children! ;)

Actually, I was the Camp Cherry Valley arm wrestling "champ" three years ago. Not anything official, just sort of an impromptu thing after the camp's scottish games. Of course, I beat a few 14 year olds, but also a few adults. Anyway, my last match was some 17 year old football type, real bruiser, kinda cocky. His dad was there as a leader and they start talking a little smack. He was a strong kid. Our match lasted about 3-4 minutes but I bested him. His dad was pissed at me saying I had cheated, moved my elbow, blah, blah, blah.

On the ferry ride back from Catalina to Long Beach, he and his dad approached me and ask for a rematch. I oblige. I go to where his troop his and they're all waiting like it's payback time.

The moment we begin I realize that the reason I had such a difficult time pinning him last time was because my arm had been worn out from the twenty or so previous matches. I was in a moral quandry. Should I pin him now or should I draw it out a bit as not to embarass him? Since he was a punk and his dad was an ass I decided to go with option A.

That's a great story, Venkman.

Very good. You should have challenged the dad - made him either step up or wuss out in front of his kid.

Should I have challenged the dad? (the dad wasn't there, and he is the Stake President, and just guessing, I think I would beat him). What is the protocol with these things? Do you let the SP win?

Wow this post brought back some memories. Camp Cherry Valley is where I went as a scout ... and then the summer between my Junior and Senior year, I was a camp counselor. Worked on the waterfront teaching swimming and lifesaving merit badges, lifeguarding, taking troops on war canoe overnighter's, snorkeling, etc. And of course chasing the girls' on their Daddy's yachts when the scouts weren't there. There are many worse ways to spend a summer as a 16 year old.

Cherry Valley is still San Gabriel Valley Council is it not? HQ in Pasadena? Knew the guy who ran the council pretty well back then too.

Never let the SP win, unless you fear he's petty enough to call you as state YM pres. Even then, you can get out of the calling by going inactive for 6 months.

Sexist pig.