August 2011 Monkey Games: WEEK THREE
Friday, August 19, 2011
So far two different weeks have passed, but the games aren’t over yet. There’s been heartbreak and sadness, but also laughter and joy, and our staffletes have made the most of their lunch breaks in the quest to win their team the very highest honors.
Today’s the Week Three Recap, and your chance to catch up on how all the teams have done in this week’s competitions. Also remember to take a look at our Woot Monkey Games Home Edition Challenge for full rules and explanation of how YOU can win an EXCLUSIVE one-of-a-kind Woot Games 2011 Monkey (as well as a t-shirt and a Sansa medal). But before you take your turn, jump inside and read about how our staffers did… this week in the 2011 Woot Monkey Games!
Week Three already? The teams are really feeling the pressure now. It’s time for the big push, pulling out all the stops, getting it in gear and dropping mad cliches. This is the week that could make or break those teams close to the top, and the best chance for low-end teams to catch up with the pack.
DAY TEN: RUBBER BAND ARCHERY
Also the event in this week’s Monkey Games Home Edition, Rubber Band Archery took place in Downstairs Conference Room Arena. Athletes had to shoot for accuracy and time, because the first to clear all the cups from the table was the winner.
Five cups and a limitless supply of ammo meant our archers could pick their strategy. Did they aim for the sweet spot with force and try to take one cup with each shot? Or did they rapid-fire short bursts, hoping to drive the cup back first via gentle taps?
Photographers had to move quickly to avoid the ballistic attack. And just like in true archery, the bandmen had to make their decisions quickly. Unlike true archery, the athletes had to wrap it up before lunch break was over, so contestants only had a single heat. But isn’t that how archery started? Do or die against the invaders and no second chances? Maybe our method’s a bit more traditional than the system those other O-word guys use, hmmm?
DAY TEN WINNERS:
1st: Brian Woodrick (Money Talks)
2nd: Paul Carpenter (The Leakfrogs)
3rd: Jason Thomas (Ware-A-Shirt)
TEAM EVENT: PICTIONARY
This week’s team event- you know what? We all know the rules. Paper on the wall, people yelling guesses, dude with a pen, dude with a timer, there you go.
Teams had 15 minutes to draw as many pictures as they could. When the non-drawers guessed the photo, the artist had to pass the pen so that everyone had a turn to draw. Artists were able to pass the pen early if they felt like miserable failures, but then everyone would know and shame them for it later.
Teams did very well, for the most part, and who doesn’t enjoy Pictionary? Third place was a very exciting and unexpected three way tie, with three teams guessing nine words each, followed by 16 points for second place, and 18 words securing the top team their gold.
TEAM EVENT WINNERS:
1st: The Zookeepers
2nd: Money Talks
3rd: (tie) The Assets
3rd: (tie) The Leakfrogs
3rd: (tie) The Scarlet Sansas
DAY ELEVEN: MINI GOLF
Who expected it? The golf event was dominated by the financial departments! Buyers and accountants and CFOs all poured out of their offices to show of their skill on the links. We didn’t have a windmill, but we did have some difficult shots.
Athletes had five shots toward any cup, with the harder shots having larger point values. After five shots, the points were tallied and the highest point value won. With so many golfers on staff, the level of competition was very high, and the audience maintained a respectful and amusing hush during the event. Golf claps were allowed.
DAY ELEVEN WINNERS:
1st: Chris Klassen (The Leakfrogs)
2nd: Brian Woodrick (Money Talks)
3rd: Derek Chapin (The Assets)
DAY TWELVE: HELICOPTER RACING
After a short two day break in honor of this week’s Woot-Off, competition began again. Athletes used the break to learn their machines inside and out, fusing their minds into the metal and plastic, thus making Thursday the first day in a post-Singularity world.
Cyborg athletes had to take off from the X and maneuver between the cones, then move in a clockwise direction through the hoops. The final obstacle was an old piece of workout equipment (Watch for it in your next Bag of Crap!) that the helicopter had to fly under to end the circuit. Humans could not step outside the marked middle square, and helicopters had to pass through each hoop before moving on. In the event of a crash, a neutral judge was on hand to make things right and help the little chopper fly again.
The edges of Upstairs Arena were filled with excited spectators. A small debate raged about whether the air conditioning would affect the race, then a challenge was issued when one of the contestants was suspected of modifying his helicopter on the sly! It turned out that he had tried to get away with it, but that modifications actually led to a crash earlier in the day, and he was forced to use a new one from an unopened box in actual competition. Learn from this, kids, because cheaters never prosper. And fair play is the best play there is.
The winning time was just over a minute at 1:14, comfortably ahead of second place’s 1:45 and third place’s 2:04. But even the last place team still got to spend their lunch break flying a tiny helicopter through hoops. And isn’t that what victory really means?
DAY TWELVE WINNERS
1st: Brian Rutherford (Money Talks)
2nd: Chris Pray (The Assets)
3rd: Nathan Fenster (The Leakfrogs)
Some exciting shifts happened in the third week, and the race for top spot is still very very close. Preparing for week four, Money Talks is in first place with 22 points and ten medals, The Zookeepers sit comfortably in second with 21 points and 9 medals, third place belongs to The Assets with 19 points and 7 medals, The Scarlet Sansas are close behind with 18 points and 8 medals, The Leakfrogs made a strong showing to move into fifth with 14 points and 8 medals, and Ware-a-Shirt stands strong with ten points and four medals. Incidentally, Team Ware-A-Shirt has the second highest number of individual gold medals so far, so don’t count them out yet! Week Four still lies ahead!
The Woot Monkey Games run every weekday through all of August. Check back in this space every Friday for the rest of the summer to see how your favorite team is doing. And don’t forget to take your chance to win a special 2011 Woot Games monkey, shirt and medal in this week’s Woot Monkey Games Home Edition Thread. Remember, everyone’s a winner, but only a few people can be champions!
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