beer races

Beer races were another rite of spring at Bowdoin. If memory serves, it was a relay race around the back yard of our fraternity house. (When we lost the house, the tradition died.) Before the race started, each competitor had five minutes to chug three four full pints of beer. The quicker you drank, the quicker you could remove the beer from your system, which you could do while standing on the drinking table (see above; acid-wash jeans optional). It was half a test of speed and half a test of tolerance. I remember that the better (non-jean-wearing) teams ran it pretty fast and pretty steady. I don't remember anyone ever hosing down the yard. I think that was just left to mud season.