Does it feel like Springtime where you are? Actually, it’s been snowing here in Bobbledyville, but we’ve still got Spring Fever. Here’s this week’s quiz about Spring. Let’s see how you do!

[WpProQuiz 12]

Well done! Alright, now that you know all about Spring, it’s time to get down to business. And business is…

WELLY WANGING!!

Yes, whether you’re in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere, you can (nay, you MUST!) join us in the first ever International Interwebs Welly Wanging Competition! The rules are outlined in our theme post (which you can find HERE) but the idea is simple:

1. Welly Wanging is basically a ferocious competition of throwing a rubber boot (known as a “Welly,” which is short for “Wellington,” a brand of rubber boots in England and the British environs). Anyone can do it:

(we even tried to get Iggy to join in, but she refused, claiming that throwing is for people and fetching is for dogs).

Boys and girls:

Even two-year-olds can compete, though August’s toss came in at 32″ (since official regulations state measurements must be made in yards, feet and inches, it actually came in at 2 feet, 8 inches), which one might argue isn’t really competing.

2. Once you’ve made the toss, you need to measure how far your welly has flown.

We discovered that having multiple tape measures on hand made it much more exciting for the many (count: three) people who were desperate to use a measuring tape.

3. You have to wang your welly from behind a designated line on the “thong” – the “thong” being your area of play. You may simply stand behind the line and throw it, or you are allowed a run-up of 42 paces.

I attempted a windmill-style run-up, in which I swung the welly around multiple times during my approach. I don’t think it helped, and I almost hit Kato in the head three times, so keep in mind to clear the pitch if you plan to do a run-up.

4. Traditionally, the “thong” is a specific area in the original welly wanging competition site in England. For our purposes, we just agreed that the welly had to land on or near the sidewalk. Allowances were made, however, for grandmothers:

or at least this grandmother, whose welly ended up hitting the back of Doug the Baker’s and landing in a pile of leaves.

5. Be careful to record everyone’s measurements.

(Being careful, of course, not to mix up Mama and Papa’s tosses, because it made Papa look bad). Alden recorded first in inches, and we had to work together to get the proper conversions to yards, feet and inches – a somewhat taxing math exercise.

6. It helps to get your strongest wanger to go last.

There are a couple reasons for this. Number one is that everyone gets exhausted having to run so far to find the welly.

Number two is that you’ll need to commit a fair amount of downtime to measuring. It’s best to do this once everyone has figured out a successful strategy.

And number three is that through brute strength, the best welly wangers often eviscerate their welly, and (apparently) can injure themselves enough in the process to prohibit further throws. It also messes up the game for everyone else who might have been sharing (or wearing) that welly.

And so, the first entries to the first International Interwebs Welly Wanging Competition are as follows (from shortest distance to longest):

August Swanson: 2 feet, 8 inches
Alden Swanson: 5 yards, 2 feet, 1 inch
Kato Swanson: 7 yards, 8 inches
Robbi Behr: 10 yards, 7 inches*
Matthew Swanson: 24 yards, 2 feet, 5 inches**

So those are the numbers you have to beat.

* potential disqualification due to endangering another contestant. Decision pending by judges.
** potential disqualification due to destruction of fellow contestant’s welly. Decision pending by judges.

The WINNER of the first International Interwebs Welly Wanging competition will come away with THIS very fine high-class trophy of glory and sophistication, sent via post to the contestant with the highest score:

The first and second runners-up will win an archival 8″x10″ framable art print of their choice from any of Robbi’s drawings. For those of you who have lost out on auctions, now is your chance! First and second runners-up will not only be judged on distance, but also on style points. If you send us a good story or photo of your welly wanging, you might win the judges over in the artistic category.

And there you have it!

Now you’ve learned everything there is to know about Spring, it’s time to get outside and do some Welly Wanging!! Post results in the comments here or on any spring-related post, or use #bobbledyspring on instagram to enter the competitive fray!