Embracing The Awkward: Bay to Breakers

Despite the fact that this is my 4th May in the Bay Area, this was the first year that I'd participated in--or even seen-the spectacle that is the Bay to Breakers.

For those of you who are un-initiated, the Bay to Breakers technically is a 12K race that goes from the East Side of San Francisco (the bay) to the West Side (the ocean, or breakers. )Considering that 50,000 people registered for it, I'd say that probably a good 100,000 people participated. Of that number, maybe 20,000 actually attempted to run a fast time. The rest, realizing that it's San Francisco and thus a) it's hilly, b) it's kind of cold and c) there are about 5 million free-spirited anarchists all looking to dance in the streets and just generally get in the way, decided to to dress up and walked/drank it. This is the spirit which which I approached the Bay to Breakers (dressed as a scared-of-water snorkeler complete with pool floaties), as well as my friends Helen and Becky (who dressed like 80's aerobics instructors).

Here are some pictures, but seriously, they don't even begin to do justice to the zany drunkness that is the Bay to Breakers. Naked men who shouldn't have been naked, one naked woman painted red and one belly dancing, people wearing nothing but plastic wrap, approximately 200 people all wearing orange, a super old snow white with her seven dwarfs, gold aliens with anal probes (that's how they explained it to me in line buying 40's at the convenience store, anyway), about 5 sets of Noah's arc (complete with animals), the cast of Gilligan's island, about a million pirates: yeah--they were all there.

The $2 Miller High Life 40--"For on the go," as it said on the label. Quite the deal.

Snow white and her 7 dwarves

Claire tries to drink beer out of her snorkel. It leaks all over her shoulder and her pool floatie and she realizes it won't work. Then 20 minutes later, she tries again.