Clamtastic!

We had 46 entries for this year's coveted Chowder Bowl.  Some of my favourite names (who didn't quite crack the medal podium) included Clamtankerous, Lord VolldeMollusk, Clamitude, Inclamdescent and Clam Before the Storm...   Clamboys and Aliens, and Escargot Girl! were also brilliant. Clamerican Debt ran well at the start, but then seemed to just get mired down...

The winner, running 5 feet, was CLAMTASTIC, the entry of Thea.

In second place was CLAMMY POTTER, Alaina's entry.

Third place went to LAKE CLAMPLAIN, Dan and Shelley's clam; and we had a tie for fourth, between CLAM FU PANDA, Katie's entry,  and THE CLAM'S SPEECH, entry of the Kelly family (but the clam was found by Hugh, so credit must go his way!)

The tension on the dock in the morning, as Brian (Resident Clamologist) carefully measured the track left by each clam.  The ducks patrolled the course all night to ensure fair play.

It's tremendously good fun, this business of racing clams.  Our clams don't just run for fun, either, results from the Clam Race go to science - the MNR acknowledges that we are among the very few folks studying just how far a clam can travel overnight. We are working on a grant to examine just how happy IS a clam, too...  And the University of Massachussetts uses Clam Race Data in a statistics course. 

They're Off!

It's the Celebrated annual Clam Race for the Chowder Bowl!

46 Clams went to the Post -- the start line marked out with burning citronella candles and a line drawn in the sand, about knee deep.  That's the approved and technical start designed by our resident Clamologist Brian.

In this photo, some of the crowd gathers on the dock to watch the clams jostle for starting position...

They will run overnight, and we'll be back at 8.30 Thursday morning to determine the winners...

Then it's off to the Marathon Swim... and the Regatta -- which was delayed due to some rain Wednesday morning. It's going to be a busy day.

The highlight, however, will have to be the medallists in the Chowder Bowl.  How can it miss?  With Clamboys & Aliens squaring off against Lord Voldemollusk; with Clambustion challenging Peanut Butter & Clam; Clamerican Debt and Clamtankerous ready to duke it out on the lake floor...  it's got to be spectacular!

Don't touch that channel... we'll be right back.

Heavy Medals: How the Race Was Won.

The Clam Race is always hotly contested. Clams (who knew?) are quite competitive, and with 37 entries, they can get into a lot of traffic during the overnight race. In fact, Good Gollusk, Miss Mollusk collided with Pulled Mussel, detracting from an otherwise good stretch run. Pulled Mussel, evidently feeling the strain, just stayed put.

Brian was over the moon to finally -- after never getting close to the podium in all these years -- to WIN! Clamagement Services dashed five feet to scoop the gold medal.

A close second for the Silver was Lottie Faulkner's entry, the very royal Princess Clam, at 4'6". Up on the podium with Lottie, by the lake, are the 4th place winners, Alli and Zach Robb, whose Clamentine ran a very close 4'3".

In third, at 4'4" was Clamboyant, the entry of Laura Biggar. From the indications at her Certificate Presentation, it would appear that Clams aren't the only things Laura has under her spell!

Because the Clams ran on a Thursday, the actual medals won't be here until next week. Jim, our hero at Treasures and Trophies, simply can't get it done over the long weekend. So the Clam Race will extend a little longer, and the winners can breathlessly watch the Mail for the arrival of their medals.

Some of our other contestants included Clamtastic, Abraclam Lincoln, Put a Shell on It, Adam Clambert, Clamrad Quack, Escargot Girl, A Clam for All Seasons.... even Napster the Cat had an entry this year, Clamcasso, in honour of his new artistic career.

It was a Grand Occasion, tons of fun. Thanks to all the competitors for their spirit and inventive Clam Names, the Music Men for being so thoroughly into Clam Racing, and all the folks who make this race run. Not to mention, Here's to the Clams! Couldn't do it without you!!

The Running of the Clams

The Clam Race is an Endurance event. For everyone. The Start is a big occasion -- we were thrilled again this year to have the Muskoka Music Men attend. They add a heightened level of class and a great deal of entertainment to the festivities, and are always popular with our guests, so thank you to our Barbershop Quartet. The old favourites are always best, are they not? Songs like "My Wild Irish Clam," "When All Your Clams are Smiling," and the like...

A bit of rain doesn't stop the Race. Clams like wet and muddy conditions, and the big event tent we borrowed perfectly fit the bill, and kept the famous Chowder Bowl nice and dry.

Brian and Mike took clams to the Start; Kitty scribed the names; Shelley and Dan helped prepare the clams for their racing numbers, Mike handled the official fireworks to start the race. 37 Clams were placed on the Start line. The Ducks were on hand to act as area stewards and keep the race orderly.

Mike and Laura lead the charge for fashionable headwear -- like Royal Epsom or the Queen's Plate, fancy hats are always encouraged at prestigious events such as these.

It began to rain just before the Clams were all at the post, so this year some of the candles along the start line did not burn.

The next sun-soaked and spectacular morning, at 8.30, we all gathered on Clover's dock for the official measuring. This task falls to Brian, our resident Clamologist, using a carefully calibrated wheel on a hockey stick (after all, this IS a Canadian event). He carefully follows the trail left by each clam to determine the best distance. The rest of us stay on the dock so as not to disturb the clarity of the water, and take down the numbers. And cheer on the favourites. It gets noisy and fun, but we were assured baby Marty was already awake before we started. Sleeping babies take precedence over cheering crowds...

Mother duck and her baby were on hand early, soon to be joined by the entire flotilla of Area Stewards supervising the measuring. Mother duck kept up a raucous squawking -- we couldn't account for her alarm, until Brian spotted Achmed the Cat lurking under the Clover dock, beneath our feet, hanging out in the crib. Mother Duck was on to him!

In the next post, we'll tell you how the Race Was Won.

The Running of the Clams

Well, gosh, they cancelled the 87th Annual Anglican Church Regatta, just because it was a cloudy, drizzly morning with a thunderstorm in the forecast. Always a mistake. There is really no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing... And as the day progressed the weather improved, as it tends to do.

Although, yes, it would have been a challenge for the young canoeists to keep straight. Perhaps the Regatta needs some dry-land challenges to go along with canoes and swimming?

All that, however, caused the calendar to be drastically altered, and brought forward the Annual Running of the Clams for the coveted Chowder Bowl. There was a lot of buzz amongst the Bondi crew leading up to this, and the earlier date was driven by demand.

So, the Clams will be going to the Post on Thursday, tomorrow, at 7 p.m.

It's hard to pull things together last minute, and change schedules, so we do hope we'll have the Muskoka Music Men with us, and maybe a Piper... but we've got some great guitarists here at the resort, so we won't be short of melody

Mike's put up the Event tents, courtesy of the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce, so we're good to go even if it isn't perfect weather. Clams like a wet, muddy track, so there's no problem there.

We've even got a hopeful call in to Dr. Norman Yan, Professor of Biology from Guelph U. who works out of the Dorset Research Station in Dorset and who is a world reknowned expert in the field of fresh water, calcium levels within that fresh water, and the effects of that on clams and other truly cool critters that hang out in our lake. The Dorset Research Station, at Paint Lake, is an unsung hero -- this is where the fight against Acid Rain was fought, this is where cutting edge work is done on our environment and climate changes, and we bet you don't know where it is, or that it is. Our clams, however, are grateful indeed for the work being done on calcium levels in lakes, because without that, they cannot form shells. No shell, no foot, no racing clam... Our fingers are crossed that Dr. Yan can join us...

That is serious science. The Chowder Bowl is serious fun. Results of the Race go to the University of Massachusetts to contribute to other scientific endeavors in Statistics. For the rest of us, it's just a great little party...

The Ministry of Silly Hats recommends funky headwear for the occasion. Seven o'clock, at Nancy's beach at Bondi... bring your Clam from Bondi Bay (sorry, no foreign clams are allowed in the water here, due to Ministry of Transferable Clam Conditions requirements. Bring a good Clam-ish name: Clamate Change; Romeo&Clamiette; Shell We Dance?; Mussel Beach... we're sure you get the picture...

Shhhh..... listen..... I think I hear the pitter patter of tiny clam feet training in the shallows...