Report by Evan Hitchman
The Christmas Bash 2017 was a big success with a few dozen Crusaders heading down to Roppongi to support our local sponsors and scare some of the locals! We started off at the HUB where John Gorman was already stationed early (unlike some members who shall remain nameless!), ready and waiting with a back-pack of Chu-Hai’s ready to pass onto unsuspecting newbies. Of course the club president Evan really should’ve seen it coming as a deft hand slipped a can of chu-hai into his Cru parka hood without even noticing.
Eric joined us for the first time and looks like he will be a welcome addition to the Cru with his beer drinking skills being tested to the limit and him coming through with flying colours. The old favourite Cru game – “Danger-Chop” got a big workout with Eric challenging and being all and sundry, including one over-zealous Frenchman who while watching from the sidelines and seeing beers being destroyed and faces slapped decided he would like a piece of the action. “Just don’t touch the face, not the face” was his only instructions, and so Eric being the gentleman that he was after annihilating him in the drink off gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder.
Perhaps being a national trait, the gentleman in question decided losing once was not enough and he was back for more. The result, was of course the same but…..
Corey was not so gentle…
After the ruckus had finished and staff and dragged the sorry soul away the Cru emerged victorious from the first part of the evening and of course celebrated in the traditional Cru way – with an order of 25 jumbo Moscow Mules!
With pre-drinks over it was now onto the real thing at the Roppongi Hobgoblin where the lads and lasses made the most of the generous nomihodai and copious rounds of beers and rums ensued. Poor Chris Ford had a nightmare of an evening being buffaloed and chu-haied (yes it is a verb!) from every direction and at last count having at least 8 beers in the hour go down – not sure how many came in the reverse direction though.
Joel was awarded best dressed of the evening with a spectacular red and white Christmas suit and scored himself a Cru Hoodie in the process, with Ford and Ed a close second and third with simply horrible Christmas sweaters.
We also received a welcome and surprise visit from Cru Old-boy, Maurice “Big Mo” Joy who we haven’t seen for quite a few years as well as Yusei “You say it best” Shimoda on leave from Fukuoka.
Always wanting to keep well hydrated it was off to our major sponsors Mogambo’s and Geronimos for more beers, shots and mindless banter until the wee-hours after which it becomes a bit hazy until you wake up in a familiar stair-well and head home on the first train in the morning.
It was a successful evening and from last report all Cru made it home….to a home, not necessarily theirs though!
Au revioir and see you all in 2018