S.L.O.S.H

Throw what you think happens at a SLOSH event and open yourself to the possibility of going head first into a group that you have known about for many years, yet at the time, believing you were straight, would have made things awkward.

Oh, I was soooo wrong!

My first SLOSH event was earlier this year Underworld. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although it made me realise how different it is, getting messy on camera with one other person, compared with doing it in a group. A real comfort zone breaker!
It can be difficult for some people to understand this difference.

I had been looking forward to the York event ever since Underworld. It was the first opportunity to get messy with the guys I had met.
I spoke with a few of them on Twitter and got told to get there early. I got there at 10am, can you imagine the look on my face, when I saw that the guys that were staying at the farmhouse, were only just having breakfast! Even if I had got there at 11am like planned, I still would have been earlier than most! Although because I was nervous, it wasn't a bad thing as I got to meet and chill out with the others before the fun started. I started to help inflate the pools and fill the clean-up pool with hot water.
Things were very chilled. The few guys that I already knew introduced me to others, yet I still don't think I can remember many names.
After the pools were inflated and the gunge tank set up, the main pool was uncovered as the sun was shining and we all deemed it a way to heat it up that little bit quicker. A lad called Huskin started throwing a ball over the pool. It became a perfect ice breaker, as we threw it back and forth, eventually all ending up in the pool, playing a game of water volleyball, if you could call it that!
It was great fun!

Photo time!
The theme of Saturday was Bond baddies. There were some brilliant outfits. I was Oddjob, well sort of. I was dressed in a suit and tie with a bowler hat. The thought was there at least! Those who were happy to be in a photo lined up and a group photo was taken. At this point we were running behind a little and we still had my initiation to do as well as few others. I had a great idea why didn't we push it back to the Sunday, so that another lad, who was only there for Sunday, could do it at the same time as us. It was agreed that it would be ideal, as it had been a super relaxed start and time was getting on.

Games
The first game needed 4 people and with not many volunteers I offered myself as a participant. We had to squirt the gunge from one bucket, into a smaller bowl over the length of the inflatable pool with water guns. Obviously missing a few times was just a given! I wanted to win the game, knowing that at Underworld, the winners got a trip to the gunge tank. I was correct, and won! I was walked over into the tank with the other lad who I had teamed up with. Sat comfortably on the chair I sat down eyes shut and waited for the gunge to flow, and flow it did! Covering us both in wonderful warm gunge! We then returned for another round, this time we switched sides, so I was holding the bowl to collect the gunge. The other guy managed to miss a few times as well, coating me in gunge, just like I did to him. Somehow we ended up winning again and expected another trip to the gunge tank. But no They didn't keep things the same. That would just be too predictable! Happy I had been in once, I wasn't too bothered; my white shirt, black tie and suit pants were saturated in lovely gunge!
The games were lovely and quick, and it soon became a free-for-all. Lots of buckets of gunge were placed by two of the pools and the people who were staying clean started pouring the gunge over us. Lots of sloppiness ensued. I didn't go in the mud pool on the Saturday and after I had enough playing, I got out, showered and then ended up going in the hot tub for a bit.
The plan for dinner was a BBQ, although it started to rain. Food got cooked on the BBQ grill under the gazebo and in the oven. Whilst it was cooking, I went to the hotel to check-in. Once back from the hotel, I had some food and then we sat around talking, before putting on the new Slosh film they had recently finished! It was great! Getting on for midnight it was time to get some sleep and I headed to the hotel.

Day 2 Initiation day!
After a slightly later start, leaving the hotel at half 10, I made my way to the farm. I previously warned people I was most likely to be early today too. Again, starting with pool prep, the day was on for a good start. There was a bit of waiting around, and with the weather being slightly cooler than Saturday, it meant no one really went in the pool like we did the day before.
Today it was a beachwear theme. I was to wear some jammers and a surf top, but for my initiation I wore a football kit knowing the gunge could be a tad nasty. It soon became initiation time. There was a point just before, when my nerves were so high I nearly went and hid. But I was convinced to do it and it helped by not being the only one. The nerves soon went and somehow I half put myself first again! There seems to be a theme here! I can't have no-one getting messy can I! I stepped in the pool, and repeated the pledge after the chairman, who was doing the initiation and a few others proceeded to get me messy. It was done, the initiation had happened, I was officially a member of the group! My pants were bulging with what mess was put down there. I sat to one side as the other three got the same treatment. Slightly helping the other gungers, by opening the shorts to help the filling!
We then had a quick shower to clear off a bit, before joining in with the days games.
Firstly, Mud Limbo. We all lined up, going through the mud pool in turn, with the pole getting lower. There was a point where we had no option but to go headfirst under it. Luckily, Nicky was crazy enough to join me!
Next, Foam Pie Fight. There was 4 of us and plenty of foam pies! 10 points for a face shot, 10 points for a groin shot, and, well, let's be honest why would you aim for a torso or anywhere else! It was great fun. Not sure who won, but it was great.
There was then another game after that. Five of us in a row and we had to use a colander, to transfer gunge from a bucket at from one end to the other, over our heads! And the inevitable happened, lots of gunge went everywhere! We won the both times, the second time the gunge was watered down to make it harder, and even messier.
With the games done, the free for all happened again. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of gunge on offer. This time a lad I know, Nicky, was in my pool. We had chatted a lot previously and unfortunately should have met at the Underworld event earlier in the year, but something had come up and that had not been the case. We ended up wrestling in our end of the pool until we decided we should head into the mud pool.But before that, it was that gunge tank which to be honest, I had wanted to happen for months! And it didn't disappoint! We had a quick wash down, and then headed into the mud pool where we wrestled a little more before just covering each other, and the other two lads in the pool in mud.
The rest of the afternoon was spent clean reflecting on how good the weekend had been, in what was something quite out of my comfort zone.
I genuinely couldn't have wished for a nicer group of people to get messy with, who welcomed me with their arms wide open! For a club where there is limited internet information availability, I now fully understand why people travel from America or Germany, to get messy with a club that is so established.
I can't wait until the next one!
Expect the unexpected and simply embrace opportunities to get together with other people in the gunge community.

Manwam

If this sounds like something you would enjoy have a look at www.slosh.org.uk and get involved!