Virtual Golf Tournament!

The chosen course, Pebble Beach. (Non-virtual edition)

FEBRUARY: Indoor Golf Tournament
Golf it is! However, as it's a roaring cold winter outside, we took it indoors at Golf-O-Max, Ottawa's premier indoor golf facility. As this is an indoor facility, we got to choose where we virtually played. For this event, Frank chose the Pebble Beach Golf Course! Nice course if you're good at golf, a pain in the butt if you constantly fall off the cliffs and are terrible. In this case, this included 1/2 the boys. We didn't even get to 18 holes, we ran out of time after 15.

Frank putting his Wii skills to good use

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
- Location: Golf-O-Max, Ottawa
- Classic Golf Tournament Rules! (50% weight)
- Closest to Pin on Hole 7 (25%)
- Longest Drive on Hole 14 (25%)

Kilts, making golf awesome since the Middle Ages

RESULTS:
Ryan won the event! Playing every week during the summer months definitely helped his cause. Full results coming soon.

Ryan chipping from the "rough"

Minute to Win It Competition!

JANUARY: Minute to Win It - MOTY EDITION

The year began with an onslaught of mini games, and a few beers for good measure. 

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

As in classic Minute to Win It fashion, there was 60 seconds on the clock for each event. After all events were done, the man with the overall lowest time (minus DNFs) won the day.  Here's what went down.

RESULTS:

Here's a tiny grid for your viewing pleasure!

1st - Eric (66)  2nd - Dan (79)  3rd - Cam (85)  4th - Frank (94)  5th - Simon (95)  6th - Zeek (97)  7th - Jazz (111)  8th - Matt (114)  9th - Ryan (119)  10th - Alex (122)

MAN OF THE YEAR 2013

It is with great pleasure and resounding applause that the Men of MOTY announce the Man of the Year 2013: Jazz!

Jazz displaying his sheer strength during the gladiator competition

Jazz came crashing out of the gate for 2013 and held a solid lead for most of the year. In a year of vastly different competitions, Jazz placed well throughout each event and solidified his lead with each passing month. He was so far ahead, in fact, that he could have stayed home for the December event and still clinched the title. Congratulations to you, good sir, on a well earned MOTY title. 

As our long and valued MOTY tradition dictates, to the winner go the spoils. The prestigious MOTY Belt Buckle. Treat it with respect, because this is much more than a trophy, it's the ultimate testament of manliness in its purest form.

As the newest Man of the Year, Jazz joins a super-elite club where very few men have had the privilege of becoming members. Relish this moment Jazz, because starting in January, the Men of MOTY are back at it and you'll be fighting to defend your title. Consider yourself a marked man! As you know, history has been cruel to past MOTY winners. Never has a single MOTY Winner been able to defend his title. Will you defy history?

We'll find out in 2014.

As for the rest of the MOTY Men, it's been a pleasure to battle for victory with you all once again this year. Congratulations to everyone. Competition aside, you're great friends and it's a blast getting together with you to shoot the breeze, have a few drinks and battle in ridiculous competitions. I'm excited for another year of fun, friendly competition and getting out there to do new things with you boys. Here's the final ranking for the 2013 MOTY Season.

Also, here's the assigned months for next year!

MOTY CALENDAR 2014

January: Matt

February: Frank

March: Ryan

April: Alex

May: Jazz

June: Cam

September: Dan

October: Jer

November: Eric

December: Simon

If you're reading this and interested in starting your own MOTY, check out our How To Make Your Own Man of the Year Competition Guide.

Rocket Propelled Popsicle Stick Sled Competition!

DECEMBER: Rocket-Powered Popsicle Sled Competition
This snowy December, the men were once again confronted with a box of popsicle sticks and a glue gun...   What to do?  Add a stick of TNT in the mix and you have a ROCKET PROPELLED Popsicle Stick Sled Building Competition.  The weather was just right, the little bit of rain froze on top of the 3 feet of snow to form a perfect surface for our rocket strapped creations!

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

- 2 hours to build a sled

- 1 box of Popsicle sticks 

- 1 glue gun. 

After the build, each man is given 3x C6 rockets to launch rockets across a snowy field. Sleds are ranked based on distance. The winner is determined by combining the rankings of all three launches. Minor adjustments can be made in between launches.

A few sleds

Our snowy setup

Rocket burn marks!

RESULTS:

Duct Tape Raft Competition!

OCTOBER: Duct Tape Raft Building Competition
As part of the great Canadian Man of the Year Competition (MOTY), the boys battle through snow, rain, mud, icy waters and frigid Canadian wind to build some great (and not so great) rafts!  Thanks to Ryan for organizing and to Jazz and Jer for letting us use La Cabine!

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
- 2.5 hour build time using an axe, a knife and 2 rolls of duct tape.
- Raft had to float (water below rider's knees).
- Riders have to raft around a checkpoint and return in the shortest time possible.
- Failure to reach the checkpoint or falling in results in a DNF.

RESULTS:

3D Dodgeball Tournament!

MAY: 3D Trampoline Dodgeball Tournament

Just think of it as a small arena of death, where there's 2 weapons and 12 guys running around trying not to get hit in the face. Glorious madness!

EVENT DESCRIPTION: 

- Over 25 rounds of 3D Trampoline Dodgeball Tournament MADNESS!!!! 

- Points are awarded based on order of death from a match. Last man standing wins the most points. Honour system was in place as it was a pretty fast pace game.

- After 25 rounds points are tabulated. 

RESULTS:

Lumber Hauling Competition!

MARCH: Ridiculous Lumber Hauling Event 

What's manlier than hauling lumber? How about hauling lumber when it's -20 Celcius in the woods, in 2 feet of snow, wearing ski-blades and having an army throw snowballs at you! It was a bit of a stretch for an event but we made due because of technical problems with the original plan.

EVENT DESCRIPTION: 

- Move one pile of logs to another location 40 feet away as quickly as possible. 

- Lumber hauler will wear: 

     (1) Ski Blades

     (2) Goggles

     (3) A Helmet

- While lumber hauler is moving logs, all other MOTY participants must throw as many snowballs at this individual with the goal of distracting him of his task.

- Points are awarded based on speed/total time.

RESULTS:

Superbowl Betting Bonanza!

FEBRUARY: Super Bowl Prop Bet & Poker Tournament

Poker. Football. Beer. Wings. Chili. Do you really need anything else for an event? 

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

- Texas Hold'em Poker: 50% Weighing

- Super Bowl Prop Bet (Taken from an assortment of Vegas certified bets and odds). Everyone starts with "100$" and whoever makes the most money wins the prop bets. 50% Weighing. For the event's betting schedule and full Excel calculation spreadsheet please ask Frank or Simon for a copy.

RESULTS:

Rideau Canal Skate Scavenger Hunt!

JANUARY: Rideau Canal Scavenger Hunt & Race

The late January glacial northern winds allowed for a successful Canal Skate Scavenger Hunt! With the entire, world famous, 7.8 km of skating surface open, the MOTY men embarked in a scavenger hunt that not only covered the whole canal but also included a portion on-foot dodging traffic on the busy streets of downtown Ottawa!

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
The men were given a list of 33 items to capture along the tourist populated race circuit with the objective of arriving at the finish line in the best time possible. Take heed, as arriving at the finish line with missing items would cost you 1.5 minutes per item on your final time!

RESULTS: 
As any MOTY man stuck in a cage with two tigers and a grizzly would tell you, this event required quite a bit of brute busting strategy and only one man was able to come up on top…

This man stepped on the ice testosterone-fueled along with a pair of skates he sharpen himself with his two upper-left molars, and he has the scars to prove it. These buffalo hide leather beauties were so sharp, once fasten he could outrun a dozen cops without breaking a sweat. What’s more impressive, he didn’t even consider nancy boy amenities like a navigation map or a cheat sheet, he had learned all thirty-three items and their location off by heart and could even recite them backwards.

Who is this man, you ask?

Eric ! A rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double. Eric managed to show cheetah like speed while staying focus on capturing a total of 30 items. This kind of discipline put even the Tibetan Monks in the highest mountains of Eastern-China to shame.

Well done Eric, well done!

Winter Survival Sandwich Competition!

DECEMBER: Winter Survival Sandwich Competition
What do Les Stroud, Bear Grylls and John Montague, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, have in common??? Beyond being great men, not a damn thing...until now!

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Last Saturday, the Men of MOTY had to brave Canadian winter conditions, go swimming in a pond frozen solid under 6 inches of ice (if they wanted to use a pan), and build a cooking fire to prepare the most delicious Chicken BLT sandwich by making their own bread using only basic ingredients (flour, water, salt, pepper, dried milk, lettuce, tomato, bacon, chicken and mayonnaise) and the allowed equipment (matches - pan if earned). 

How did we determine the winner? We invited two beautiful women to judge our tasty creations. Judging involved:

- Number of matches used to light the fire: 5%
- Using all ingredients: 35%
- Taste: 50%
- Presentation: 10%

RESULTS: 
Eric had the best Manwich! 

DH Mountain Biking Contest!

NOVEMBER: DH Mountain Biking

Our original plan to hit up Camp Fortune got a bit messed up when we found out that Camp Fortune was holding the biggest off-season sale event in history. Nevertheless, Plan B was put into motion and it was off to Jazz and Jer's cabine for some dangerous DH. Needless to say, Jer dominated. 

EVENT DESCRIPTION: 

Each man was allowed 2 time trials down a rocky course. Best overall time wins.

RESULTS: 

Rock Climbing!

DECEMBER 2011: Rock Climbing Contest
Rock climbing was an intense competition! Thansk to the Coyote Gym for hosting us. While Eric won the event in a spectacular display of agility, dexterity and all-around colossalness, the real story behind this event was the competition between Jazz and Dan who were both tied for the title of MOTY 2011 coming into the event. The winner amongst them would become MOTY 2011 so every move on the rock walls needed to be calculated and strategic. It came down to the wire for this event, but Dan was able to pull out ahead of Jazz to take the MOTY 2011 Title!

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
- Technical Climbing (Highest levels of difficulty as indicated by the gym)
- Speed Climbing (Fastest to the top)
- Wall of Chaos (Pull up wall -> most reps)
- Rings of Fortitude (Longest time up on the Rings with arms by side)

RESULTS: 

00 Agent and Casino Survival Competition!

OCTOBER: 00 Agent and Casino Survival
The Men of MOTY suited up for an evening event dedicated to all things Bond. Casino Survival at the Hull Casino, a GoldenEye shoot-out and a few tasks to test your wits, dexterity and speed made this evening a huge success! A big thank you to Money-Jilly, for the excellent food, tasty martinis and being a great hostess.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
15% - Goldeneye Tournament - Top scores
25% - Escape & Puzzle Course - Fastest time
10% - Maze  - Fastest time.
50%- Casino Survival: 1 hour, 50$. Whoever came out with most money wins.

RESULTS:

Bond: Goldeneye

How To: Create a Man of the Year Competition

For the six people who view this blog, here's the basics to creating your own Man of the Year Competition:

1) RECRUIT!

Recruit a dozen great men (at least) to be part of the competition: More is possible, but planning events becomes a bit tougher. MOTY Competitions take place every month and participants should be willing to participate in every/almost every event. Strong participation is key to a good MOTY!

2) CELEBRATE THE START OF YOUR MOTY TOURNAMENT!

Have a guys night to celebrate the beginning of your MOTY competition! This event is an opportunity to explain how the MOTY Competition will work.

3) DETAILS OF THE MAN OF THE YEAR COMPETITION

Monthly Competitions: Each month, one of the guys organizes a unique competition. Determine who is responsible for each month. The event can be anything and everything. Three rules should be followed when selecting an event:

• The event has to be judged in a non-subjective quantitative manner. Measures like "Best wipeout" or "Style-points" should be avoided as they'll lead to conflicts.
• 1/2 the men must agree to participate or the competition is vetoed by the group. You might kick tail at a lard-eating contest, but it's probably not something the men of MOTY want to do. Or perhaps your expensive Vegas Survival weekend would have been awesome but if half the group can't afford it, it's a no-go. Keeping it fun and accessible is key.
• 2 weeks notice must be given prior to a competition to allow participants to practice, prepare and/or clear their schedules.

Scoring Points: Scoring of events is based on the ranking and number of participants. If there are 12 participants, 1st place gets 12 points, 2nd gets 11 points, etc. until last place gets 1 point. MOTY members who miss the event get 0 points. Scoring is at the discretion of the organizer. All ties should be settled during the event. Any unforseen disagreements are settled democratically with the organizer having the last word if there is still a tie.

Winning MOTY: Points that have been amassed throughout the year are tallied and the man who has the most points at the end of the year is proclaimed to be the Man of the Year. Some sort of token should be awarded to the MOTY as a sign of respect for their testicular fortitude. Our group rewards the winner with a custom belt buckle.

The Great MOTY Buckle

Manly Competition Ideas: There's a few MOTY-style websites out there for ideas but, generally speaking, they are terrible and pretty useless unless you plan on playing poker and going to the casino every weekend. Here's a few ideas to get your group of men inspired and the envy of your families, friends, schoolmates, and coworkers.

Classic Manly Competitions:
- Texas Hold'Em Tournament

- Go Kart Racing
- Billiards/Darts Tournament
- Scotch/Beer/Wine Tasting Competition

- Golf Tournament
- Casino Survival

Competitions for Beasts & Athletes:

- Strong Man Competitions

- Triathlons / Marathons / Cycling Races

- Racket Sport Tournament (Squash, Tennis, RacketBall)

- Sport Competition (Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Etc.)

- A Spartan Race / Death Race / Tough Mudder / Adventure Races

Competitions for Outdoor Enthusiasts:

- Survival Competition

- Lumberjack Competition

- Fishing Tournament

- Ranch/Cowboy Competition

- Orienteering/Trail Running Competition
- Whitewater Canoeing Competitions
- Raft Building 

Competitions for Ninjas and Snipers:

- Sharpshooter Competition

- Paintball Tournament

- Hunting Competition

- Fencing Competition

- FightClub (Boxing, Wrestling, Sumo, MMA, etc.)

Details on some of these competitions are in the blog and there are new events listed every month on our website! This is an awesome way to spend some time with your boys and try out new things. Keep it fun and you'll have yourself an awesome MOTY competition! Now quit reading and get to it!

Barefoot Waterskiing Contest!

SEPTEMBER: Barefoot Waterskiing Contest
With a triumphant event, the boys of MOTY are back from the summer break with a vengeance! Jazz organized a very manly event: Barefooting!

While most of us just flopped on the water like rag dolls trying to grab a few precious seconds of standing time, a few men proved to be masters of the event! As expected the Dicaire Bros kicked some serious tail and took first and second place. Honourable mentions go out to Frank and Cam for their spectacular wipeouts!

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
- Event was filmed to keep score
- Points were awarded for getting up, time spent up and for tricks (1 foot, 1 leg, etc)
- See results for full details.

RESULTS:

Here's the difference between the pros and the 1st timers.

 Pro: Jer putting us all to shame with a casual wave.

1st Timers: Dan, enjoying a good flop on the water. He's hangin' on though! Like a champ!

Cam ready to eat some water in the face at 60km/h.