Of Gin and Gents

From the (seriously overstuffed) ah-those-crazy-Brits files: Bring on the three-trousered limbo, the cucumber sandwich discus and the moustache relay — it’s the Chap Olympiad!

What’s a chap? According to their self-described satirical manifesto, the men prefer brogues, hip flasks and martinis. (Yes, women are also allowed.)

This year’s sixth annual Chap Olympiad — named one of the best events of the summer by no less authority than the U.K.’s Sunday Times — featured an afternoon in the rain of drinking, pipe-smoking, umbrella-jousting and general hilarity.

Forget boring Olympics opening ceremonies. The Chap Olympiad — held July 11 in London’s Bedford Square — opened with a pipe being lit and passed around to the contestants as a brass band played England’s national anthem (and spectators sipped gin and tonics). Instead of stretching, the athletes flexed their pipe-smoking jaws and shook out their cocktail-making wrists.

Then it was on to the competitions, among them a three-trousered limbo, where pairs of contestants sharing trousers had to wriggle under a steadily lowered pole while 1930s calypso music played from a gramophone player. As contestants are meant to be gentlemen, points were deducted (amid much laughter) if trousers slipped to show underwear.

Another sample event: Bounders, a play on the historic British game of rounders, which is a bit like a 16th century version of baseball. Of course, the Chap Olympiad version requires no actual ball batting or catching skills, just approaching women and trying to be as big a cad as possible in two minutes. The winner: Whoever receives the loudest slap for his behavior.

Winners of the events received gold or silver cravats — and of course, an extra-stiff cocktail. As the Brits would say, cheers!