For the (very) few who will be interested, I thought I would report that TickleFest 2006, held in Dallas from October 12-15, was a huge success. Over 40 men participated, from all over the country. The hotel was great, and the hospitality suite and guest rooms were suitably soundproof--no one complained, anyway, about our laughing, screaming, and begging for mercy!
One of the highlights of the weekend was the Tickle Rodeo, held in the party room of an actual working ranch about 90 miles outside of Dallas. The men who attended were asked to volunteer for two groups: the Cowpokes and the Steers. In the first event, the Cowpokes got to demonstrate their roping techniques by binding the Steers and tickling them till they screamed "Moo!" The Cowpoke with the fastest roping and Steer-breaking time was the winner.
The second event was, I thought, quite ingeniously designed. A wooden picnic table was brought in from outside and placed in the center of the party room. Four chairs for "spotters" were placed near the corners of the table. One by one, each Steer had to lie on the table with limbs outstretched. Ropes were tied from the Steer's wrists and ankles to four cowboy hats, which sat on the heads of the four spotters. Then the names of two Cowpokes were drawn to tickle each Steer. The Steer had to take this tickle-assault for three minutes without moving his arms or legs enough to dislodge two of the spotters' hats.
When I was the Steer on the table, the luck of the draw put my friend Pepe in place to tickle my upper body, and I knew I was in trouble--he's a ferocious tickler. Sure enough, when told to "Go!" he latched on to my ribs
and had me screaming for mercy. Meanwhile, another Steer was tickling my feet! And I wasn't allowed to move! I don't know how I did it, but I managed to hold out for 51 seconds...a terrific score, I thought. But there were some tough (or maybe not quite as ticklish?) Steers who lasted for three minutes or more!
We had free time throughout the weekend to make our own hookups. One of the best sessions I had was with two guys who had teamed up as 'lers many times, and knew their stuff. They put me in hospital restraints and, over the course of three hours, destroyed me with tickling. Their merciless, knowing hands and tools (which included a vibrating glove) finally brought me to that point where I was able to luxuriate in that special place called "sub space" while my body writhed in agony. It was more than just a great time--it was unforgettable.
Kudos to Boots McGraw, the brilliant organizer of this year's event. I got to sub for him too, and he made me yell so loud I'm surprised I have any voice left. Well, I've rambled on long enough for this post; if anyone would like to hear more TickleFest details, feel free to contact me.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the Tickle Rodeo, held in the party room of an actual working ranch about 90 miles outside of Dallas. The men who attended were asked to volunteer for two groups: the Cowpokes and the Steers. In the first event, the Cowpokes got to demonstrate their roping techniques by binding the Steers and tickling them till they screamed "Moo!" The Cowpoke with the fastest roping and Steer-breaking time was the winner.
The second event was, I thought, quite ingeniously designed. A wooden picnic table was brought in from outside and placed in the center of the party room. Four chairs for "spotters" were placed near the corners of the table. One by one, each Steer had to lie on the table with limbs outstretched. Ropes were tied from the Steer's wrists and ankles to four cowboy hats, which sat on the heads of the four spotters. Then the names of two Cowpokes were drawn to tickle each Steer. The Steer had to take this tickle-assault for three minutes without moving his arms or legs enough to dislodge two of the spotters' hats.
When I was the Steer on the table, the luck of the draw put my friend Pepe in place to tickle my upper body, and I knew I was in trouble--he's a ferocious tickler. Sure enough, when told to "Go!" he latched on to my ribs
and had me screaming for mercy. Meanwhile, another Steer was tickling my feet! And I wasn't allowed to move! I don't know how I did it, but I managed to hold out for 51 seconds...a terrific score, I thought. But there were some tough (or maybe not quite as ticklish?) Steers who lasted for three minutes or more!
We had free time throughout the weekend to make our own hookups. One of the best sessions I had was with two guys who had teamed up as 'lers many times, and knew their stuff. They put me in hospital restraints and, over the course of three hours, destroyed me with tickling. Their merciless, knowing hands and tools (which included a vibrating glove) finally brought me to that point where I was able to luxuriate in that special place called "sub space" while my body writhed in agony. It was more than just a great time--it was unforgettable.
Kudos to Boots McGraw, the brilliant organizer of this year's event. I got to sub for him too, and he made me yell so loud I'm surprised I have any voice left. Well, I've rambled on long enough for this post; if anyone would like to hear more TickleFest details, feel free to contact me.
