I usually have a lot of fun checking out the BYOBW race every year, but it has been raining sporadically these past few weeks and I’m old and cranky. It takes a lot for me to get out of the house these days, especially on a wet Sunday.
Fortunately my good friend Doug made it out and took some great pictures.
Such is the glory of the Internet. You never have to leave your house anymore and can still live the event vicariously through your computer.
Man, I think there’s a good chance that Sunset at Stafford Lake is going to get rained in this Sunday. Although if we pool our collective energies and prayers of restitution together, we might still be able to pull off a miracle. We’ll see.
2009 was on like Donkey Kong!
Although this was the last year as a renegade event. Next year the promoters will have to cough up $10,000 (ouch!) for permits and paperwork. But for now it was on.
These guys were awesome. I was talking to Super Mario and was all
“That game is a classic! I just bought Super Mario on the Nintendo 64 for my girlfriend’s daughter. She had it as a kid and lost it so I picked up a copy on Ebay and that game is going for up to $50. People still love and aggressively bid on those old Super Mario 64 cartridges.”
And Super Mario was all “Yeah, Ebay is weird.”
The Princess did the entire race in character and with the dress. That’s what I love about this event; it’s not a sausage fest. There are a lot of girls and kids that race.
I biked all the way from The Outer Sunset through Dolores Park and over to Potrero Hill in under an hour and a half. I rule. It’s pretty essential to get to BYOBW early to get a good spot. I was at the bottom of the hill at the second to the last curve. It was a bit shady, but there was a small wall to stand on that was perfect protection from all the carnage.
I stuck around for an hour and then biked back over to Market and Noe where The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were having a free block party. Chances are, if you have a free party with a sound system in this city I will be there to rock the house.
Hey, Mike! You wanna go get annihilated and rock out with a bunch of queens and bears?
The streets of San Francisco were very kind to me this Easter Sunday.
First off, check out that street! Good Lord, welcome to San Francisco.
It does a great job of capturing people just flying down that hill and destroying their big wheels in the process, just a wave of human flesh and plastic that’s been eaten alive as they skid down that pavement. I think my favorite are the kids in the trashcan and compost bins. Imagine those guys slamming into you from behind.
I also like that it’s not a sausage fest. There are lots of girls that are in the race too.
Now check out this video, from a slightly higher vantage point and with far more carnage.
From this angle it feels like everyone is just falling off the edge of the world as they exit stage right. And check out the guy dressed as Frogger who is jumping through the race and fucking with everyone at 2:02.
Last year was the first year BYOBW was at Vermont Street and it was super fun for me. I thought it was the perfect ratio of participants vs spectators. You could get there early to take pictures and get a good spot and not feel like it was a mob scene. It was a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, since the pillow fight on Valentine’s Day cost the city $30,000 to clean up that god ugly fountain at Embarcadero Plaza, the city has been cracking down on non-permitted flash mob like events. I’d like to think that we can keep this party going. We’ll see what happens on Easter Sunday.
PEOPLE!! BEHAVE!! THE EVENT IS AT A CRITICAL MOMENT … and REQUIRES YOUR RESPONSIBILITY and GOOD WILL!!
PLEASE – NO COWBOYS – NO RAMPS – NO HATE MAIL
… BE NICE! and NO MATTER WHAT – DO NOT RETURN TO LOMBARD STREET for a BYOBW type thing – NO!!
ALERTS!! RIDE or PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SF POLICE HAVE PROMISED TO SHOW UP AND TICKET EVERYONE RIDING OR RACING
SFPD TACTICAL vs BYOBW? yes – this could be the case!
Tickets could be for anything like jaywalking, obstruction of traffic or other things (?!) and could be for as much as $100 or so
THINGS TO REMEMBER – EVENT or NO EVENT!! THIS IS A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT – please .. NO BOOZE, open containers or the like … for your own sake do you need another ticket!?
please use the porta-potties please be nice to the neighbors and HELP CLEAN UP DURING AND AFTERWARDS
OTHER NEWS or REQUESTS!!
DON’T DO IT!
stay home and obey the law you heathens!!! don’t make me come over there – i do not want to miss my gma’s bday in kzoo!!
The Outer Sunset 