SPORTS
Hua Hin Hash House Harriers
The Hash House Harriers according to Wikipedia
The Hua Hin Hash House Harriers (H2H3) is but one of hundreds of similar groups worldwide. Monthly, we report through the OBSERVER, the most recent events of local Hash activity. It is likely that people have read reports and were left wondering what the nonsense was all about. For a better understanding of ‘the Hash’, the following as according to Wikipedia should provide all you need to know. So, if you have half a mind to join the Hash, that’s all you need.
The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH or H3) is an international group of social, non-competitive running and drinking clubs. Hashing has frequently been described as ‘a drinking club with a running problem’, and the social element of hashing is of equal importance to the running.
The organization of the Hash House Harriers is completely decentralized, with chapters (also commonly called kennels) having absolutely no formal regional or national offices or leadership structure. There are more than 1700 kennels with at least one Hash in virtually every major city in the world. Most hashes gather on a weekly, monthly or other regularly scheduled basis, with some occurring only sporadically, i.e. on Leap Year days, or Friday the 13th, when that occurs.
Several regional directories or international directories have been published with Hash Contact information, although the Internet has become the primary source of hashing information.
The template for a hash run is for one or more hashers (the “hares”) to lay out a running trail, which may include false trails, short cuts and trail breaks. These features are designed to keep the pack together regardless of fitness levels or running speed. The pack or ‘hounds’ follow the trail from check to check. From a check the pack will normally check out the surrounding terrain to attempt to find the continuation of the trail. A well-laid check will have the effect of allowing slower runners to catch up and rejoin the main pack, while the faster runners try to find the trail again.
History
Hashing began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938, when a casual group of British colonial officials and expatriates, Cecil Lee, Frederick “Horse” Thomson, Ronald “Torch” Bennett, and a British accountant of Catalan descent Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert (A.S. Gispert) would meet after work on Monday evenings to run, following a paper trail, through the environs of Kuala Lumpur to get rid of the excesses of the previous weekend. There was another member of the group, John Woodrow, who is rarely credited as one of the founders as he left Malaysia after the war to return home to his family in Scotland.
After running for some months they were approached by the Registrar of Societies, who advised them that, as they were a “group” they would require a Constitution (the aims of which are reproduced below) and a name. (A.S. Gispert) (known as “G”) suggested the name “Hash House Harriers”. As bachelors, they were billeted in the Selangor Club Annex, known locally as the Hash House, because of its monotonous food. Their runs were patterned after the traditional British paper chase. A hare was given a head start to blaze a trail, marking his devious way with shreds of paper, all the while pursued by a shouting pack of “harriers.” Only the hare knew where he was going...the harriers followed his clues to stay on trail. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and solving the clues, reaching the end was its own reward...for of these there thirsty harriers would find a tub of iced beer (and, in those earlier, more forgiving days, ginger beer and cigarettes).
Hashing died out during World War II after the Japanese invasion of Malaysia, but started again shortly after the war, when the original protagonists, minus “G” who had been killed in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, re-assembled in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from a “one off” chapter, formed in the Italian Riviera, (now the Royal Milan and Bordighera Hash), hashing didn’t take off until 1962, when Ian Cumming founded the 2nd kennel in Singapore. From then on, the phenomenon started to grow, spreading through the Far East, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as Europe and North America. Hashing experienced a large growth in popularity during the mid-1970s.
By the end of the 20th century, there were thousands of Hash House Harrier clubs in all parts of the world, with newsletters, directories, and even regional and world hashing conventions. This boom is owed largely to the power of the Internet to provide timely and accurate information on kennels and their events and points of contact. As of 2003, there are two organized HHH groups in Antarctica.
How it is done
Hashing hasn’t strayed far from its Kuala Lumpur roots. A typical hash kennel (local chapter or group) today is a loosely-organized group of 20-100 men and women, aka Harriers and Harriettes, although not all groups are co-ed, and some chapters in major metropolitan areas have well more than 100 hashers at an event. Kennel members meet to follow a trail laid by a hare (the person(s) leading the trail who leaves the appropriate marks on the ground, trees etc. for the pack to follow). While strips or pieces of paper have previously been used to mark trail, especially in tropical areas, it has generally been replaced with flour or chalk, with toilet paper often being used in off-road areas that would make the other marks difficult to see. Many hash kennels recommend that the hare call the local police dispatcher before the run as a courtesy to inform them of the run. They also prefer the use of bio-degradable materials such as flour or sawdust to mark the trail in order to avoid unnecessary problems. After the anthrax scares in 2001, many groups throughout the Western world had to change the way they marked trails by using colored chalk or other materials. Generally any mark used to identify the trail is called a ‘hash mark’. On August 25, 2007, a “bio-terror” alert was triggered in New Haven, Connecticut due to hashers using flour, and the two hares (who spread the flour) were charged with a felony: Hamburger Hash Affair.
Trails may be “live” - where the hare gets the head start (often 5-10 minutes) from the pack, or “dead” - where trail is laid entirely (or in part) in advance of the start. Live trails, while closer to the original Hare and Hounds tradition mentioned in “Tom Brown’s Schooldays”, are more common in the USA, while the rest of the world tends towards “dead” or pre-laid trails. The choice of “live” or “dead” trails is a subject of much controversy on the various hash-related discussion groups.
There may be one or more “beer stops” or “beer checks” along the way, with the hare either pre-caching a stock of beer, or having the trail go to a prearranged meeting spot with the “beer truck”, generally a personal vehicle that someone is using to transport a keg or cooler of drinks, snacks, and beer along with the hash’s gear.
With a “live” trail, the general intent of the pack is to attempt to catch the hare before they finish the trail and get to the end. In efforts to do this, some pack members might “range”, or go off-trail if they can guess where the hare may go, in attempts to head off the hare. Generally such a form of athleticism is frowned on by some of the more socially minded kennels. To make the run interesting, the hare can set the trail through literally any kind of terrain, with the hares’ imagination providing the only limitation. Hashers may run through streets, back alleyways, residential areas, forests, swamps or shopping malls, ford streams, climb fences, explore storm drains, run through huge jungles and scale cliffs. The pack never knows where a trail will go or where it may lead and are occasionally may be advised to bring a change of clothes and shoes to be used after the trail is complete.
A trail may be ‘A to A’, where the run starts and ends in the same place, or ‘A to B’ where the start and end are at different locations.
Often the hare will employ several tricks in attempts to slow the pack and to keep runners and walkers together. The hare may mark an intersection - generally called a “check” - that signifies that the trail continues within a 360 degree area from that point. Several false trails may lead from that check and it is up to the front runners to “solve” the trail by going out and determining what might actually be the correct path, or “true trail”. Once the true way has been determined then that runner may mark the check to indicate the proper direction so that anyone to come up it later (such as the walkers, other runners, or anyone arriving late) will not have to figure it out all over again. The pack will generally carry whistles, horns, or other audible means of communicating in order to assist each other on trail and keep from getting lost. A member of the pack calling out “Are you?” means to know if another individual is searching for the true trail, typically near a check (or intersection), or is on the correct path. Someone will typically call out either “Checking!” to indicate that they are looking for the trail or “On-On”, or blow their whistle or horn three times, to signify that they are on the true trail and that the pack should follow them.
Every Hash has its own set of marks and the names for these marks may vary widely, so Hashers visiting another pack should check the local signs before the run. Traditionally, new runners of visitors will have the local markings explained to them before the run at a “chalk talk”.
Although some (but perhaps very few) of today’s health-conscious hashers may shun a cold beer in favour of water or a diet soda, a trail’s end is still a party. At trail’s end hashers gather to drink beer and observe so-called religious ceremonies, the “Circle”, which consists of drinking more beer; this time ritualistically. Circles may be led by the hash Grandmaster, the group’s Religious Adviser, or by a committee of mismanagement. Traditions and the degree of rowdiness vary from hash to hash, but in general the Circle consists of awarding “Down-Downs” for misdemeanours real, imagined, or blatantly made up, and the recipients will most likely have been dobbed in by their fellow hashers. Generally the activities will also include the group singing of bawdy drinking songs of the type that can be heard in a pub, fraternity party, military get-together, rugby match, or other such social gathering. With or without specially added hash house verses, these traditional bawdy songs are also published and distributed to members in the form of so-called Hash House Hymnals.
At the conclusion of the Circle, some hashers may head to an “On-After” or “On-On-On”, which may be at a nearby restaurant or pub for grub and libations with which to wash it down. This is the social part of the hash, and the party may last from one hour to several hours, as they tell stories, have fun, and enjoy everyone’s company.
Generally no membership or reservations are required to join a group, and typically all that is needed is to find out the time and location of the start; either by emailing a current member, viewing the group website, calling the information phone line if available, and just showing up. Most groups conduct a “chalk talk” where introductions are made and the system of hash marks is explained to new hashers and visiting hashers who may be used to a different system of marking. The exception to this would be special events, such as camp out, pub crawls, etc., that require significant pre-planning of food and beverages; however even then walk-ins are generally welcome.
Traditions and naming convention
There are said to be no rules in hashing, however several traditions have developed with a violation of such severely frowned upon and likely to invoke a punishment by way of a “down-down”. A down-down is one of the oldest traditions and is a means of punishing or rewarding pretty much anything. Upon being called to do a down-down the accused must come to the middle of the circle and drink everything that they have in their vessel (generally a cup, mug, or other drinking device). They must do this without pause until they have consumed the whole quantity of drink (typically beer, but it can be of any drink they may have with them) or they must pour the remaining contents over their head.
Typically there are no new shoes allowed on the hash trail whereas being caught in a pair of new shoes may require that one drinks from the offending shoe as penance. Other traditions include a prohibition of pointing with fingers, requiring the use of elbows or other appendages to indicate direction, and a proscription against the use of real names (aka nerd names) at any point around other hashers.
One aspect of hashing that makes the activity stand out (besides the running and general drinking of beer) is the use of names as assigned by the group. Though traditions may vary greatly among the groups, and some groups do not do this, it is common practice to give members a name. At their first hash, attendees will generally be known as “Virgin [Name]” or “New Boot [Name]” and will then be called “Just [Name]” until duly named by the group. The occasion of a member’s naming by the group may occur after they have attended a specified number of hashes (e.g. 5), after they hare their first trail, or after they do something the pack deems noteworthy. Before a naming, the group may collect information concerning the individual or ask them a series of questions that can include occupation, most embarrassing moment, personal preferences, stories, or experiences. Others will then be allowed to share their own stories or knowledge concerning that individual in hopes of finding some aspect that seems to be memorable or noticeably sticks out regarding that person. Many suggestions may be offered, with the final name being chosen by vote or general group consensus with more often than not some humorous or debaucherous connotation being used.
The traditional symbol of the hash is the outline of the foot, with often the words “On-On” written upon it
Special events
Sometimes a kennel will conduct a special event in place of a normal hash, that can consist of anything from a house party, camp out, or pub crawl. One of the most famous events is known as the ‘Red Dress Run’ and is held by most local chapters once a year. This tradition began in San Diego when a virgin (new) hasher showed up for a run wearing only a red dress (having been ill informed of what to expect). When she next returned, other hashers decided to wear a red dress as a joke; with it soon becoming an annual event and eventually spreading around the world. During this event, which can be either a normal hash run or a simple day-long pub crawl, everyone (yes, guys too) is to wear something red and dress-like, not specifically just a red dress. The idea is to just get crazy and have fun, with ideas ranging from red body latex paint to red duct tape, red sarongs, or a normal lovely summer dress, with all extremes being pretty well accepted. Hashers can usually be found digging through the racks at the local thrift stores a short time before the event. This is typically the largest event of the year for any kennel (local hash group) with attendance up to 2,000 (as seen in San Diego for a couple of years) and 500-600 in places such as Washington DC or New Orleans every year. Other variations of a theme can be seen, as kennels might also host a green dress run (often held around St. Patrick’s Day), formal dress run, lingerie hash, or even a clown hash where everyone wears the appropriate themed outfit for the run or pub crawl.
There are also bicycle hashes or BASHes, that have been formed, based on the same principles as the running hashes, but often without the ceremonial aspects. In many countries, there may be Children Hashes for those under 16, generally with soft drinks replacing beer and many adult themes being toned down considerably. There are also “Hash-O” events that combine elements of hashing and orienteering.
The H2H3 will have concluded the Border to Border Challenge by the time this report has gone to press. Joining the Hua Cha Hash Pedalers we will have biked, run, sauntered, strolled, stumbled and staggered our way from the Burma Border to a Cambodian Minefield. Hopefully, there will be a survivors report in the November OBSERVER. www.huahin-hhh.com,
www.cha-am-hhh.com
Hua Hin Pool League
Pool league fixtures
Pool Division
dt wk home-away
3 7 Butterfly Rock - JW Black,
P & P - Lucky Shot A,
SugarCane - Déjà Vu A,
Pink Flamingo A - Nung
10 8 Déjà Vu A - Butterfly Rock,
JW Black - Lucky Shot A,
P & P - Nung,
SugarCane - Pink Flamingo A
17 9 Nung - Lucky Shot A,
Pink Flamingo A - P & P,
JW Black - Déjà Vu A,
Butterfly Rock - SugarCane
24 10 Lucky Shot A - Butterfly Rock,
P & P - JW Black,
SugarCane - Nung,
Déjà Vu A - Pink Flamingo A,
31 11 Cup and Shield Quarter Finals
snooker Division
dt wk home-away
3 7 Jungle Juice A - Billy’s Babes,
London - Jungle Juice B,
Billy’s Bar - U-Turn,
Sabai - Limelight
10 8 Billy’s Bar - Billy’s Babes,
Jungle Juice B - Jungle Juice A,
London - Limelight,
U-Turn - Sabai
17 9 Limelight - Jungle Juice B,
Sabai - London,
Jungle Juice A - Billy’s Bar,
Billy’s Babes - U-Turn
24 10 Jungle Juice B - Billy’s Babes,
London - Jungle Juice A,
U-Turn - Limelight,
Billy’s Bar - Sabai
31 11 Cup and Shield Quarter Finals
Division 3
dt wk home-away
3 7 Good Friends A - Bamboo Grove
Moonlight - Lazy Daze A,
Dick’s Office A - Red Bar,
Pink Flamingo B - Lips
10 8 Dick’s Office A - Bamboo Grove,
Lazy Daze A - Good Friends A,
Moonlight - Lips,
Red Bar - Pink Flamingo B
17 9 Lips - Lazy Daze A,
Pink Flamingo B - Moonlight,
Good Friends A - Dick’s Office A,
Bamboo Grove - Red Bar
24 10 Lazy Daze A - Bamboo Grove,
Good Friends A - Moonlight,
Red Bar - Lips,
dick’s Office A - Pink Flamingo B,
31 11 Cup and Shield Quarter Finals
Division 4
dt wk home-away
3 7 Déjà Vu B - Dick’s Office B,
JW Red - Dolphin Bar,
Baan Suan - Love Bar,
Lucky Shot B - Good Friends B
10 8 Baan Suan - Déjà Vu B,
Dolphin Bar - Dick’s Office B,
Good Friends B - JW Red,
Lucky Shot B - Love Bar
17 9 Dolphin Bar - Good Friends B,
Lucky Shot B - JW Red,
Dick’s Office B - Baan Suan,
Déjà Vu B - Love Bar
24 10 Dolphin Bar - Déjà Vu B,
JW Red - Dick’s Office B,
Love Bar - Good Friends B,
Baan Suan - Lucky Shot B
31 11 Cup and Shield Quarter Finals
Division 5
dt wk home-away
3 7 Headrock - Dizzy Dolphin,
Mr. Dan - ice Cheers,
Free Time - Queen Flower,
Lazy Daze B - Omar
10 8 Free Time - Dizzy Dolphin,
Ice Cheers - Headrock,
Mr. Dan - Lazy Daze B,
Queen Flower - Omar
17 9 Lazy Daze B - Ice Cheers,
Omar - Mr. Dan,
Headrock - Free Time,
Dizzy Dolphin - Queen Flower
24 10 Ice Cheers - Dizzy Dolphin
Mr. Dan - Headrock,
Queen Flower - Lazy Daze B,
Free Time - Omar
31 11 Cup and Shield Quarter Finals
Hua Hin Darts
Hot Property Hua Hin Darts League
Congratulations to Johnnie Walker Black on winning the league for the second consecutive season. Well done CAT bar on their runners up position. Trophies will be presented at the Top 16 final on 2nd October at Johnnie Walker Bar.
the final league table
Team P W D L PF-PA Pts
JW Black 24 20 1 3 182-58 41
CAT 24 19 1 4 168-72 39
Jungle Juice 24 16 4 4 160-80 36
Pink Flamingo 24 15 3 6 148-92 33
JW Red 24 15 1 8 144-96 31
Bamboo Grove 24 14 1 9 144-96 29
Good Friends A 24 11 4 9 128-112 26
Jaew Bar 24 9 3 12 107-133 21
Dick’s Office 24 7 3 14 101-139 17
Lazy Daze 24 4 6 14 92-148 14
Good Friends B 24 6 1 17 85-155 13
Bamboo Shoots 24 3 2 19 61-179 8
Love Bar 24 1 2 21 45-195 4
The results for week 29 were:
Love Bar v Jaew 2-8
Bamboo Shoots No Game
Dicks Office v Good Friends B 6-4
Good Friends A v Jungle Juice 4-6
Bamboo Grove v Lazy Daze 10-0
JW Black v Pink Flamingo 7-3
CAT v JW Red 7-3
Bangkok International Rugby Sevens
By Alan Parkhouse
There’s no doubt the showcase event on this month’s calendar will be the Rugby World Cup, but at the local level this year’s 13th annual Bangkok International Rugby Sevens tournament is shaping up as one of the best on record with several new sides traveling in from Australia.
The good news this year is the addition of property developers Raimon Land Public Company Limited as the title sponsor. Raimon Land is well known in Thailand for supporting a number of big sporting events, particularly the renowned Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.
This year’s event from 26-28 October will feature the Men’s & Women’s Sevens competitions at the Police Stadium, and the Boys U/15 “Rugby Challenge” and Veterans Division at the Bangkok Patana School grounds.
Top sides from New Zealand, Carlton-Grammar & Linton Army will be joined by Australian sides, Gordon, Darwin Dingos, Margaret River Gropers, Lindfield and a composite side, the Thai Airways Pacific Island Sevens. Additionally, regular regional sides from Laos, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Singapore and the tiny Pacific island of Niue (population 1,600) will be represented at this year’s Bangkok Sevens.
Hosts Thailand will be well represented with at least eight sides entered in the Men’s competition - the Southerners, British Club, Thai Police, Kasetsart Alumni, Mahasarakham University, Bangkok Japanese, Chiang Mai Suas and RBAC.
The Woods Bagot Women’s Sevens will be no less competitive with Lloyd McDermott, Singapore Blacks, Singapore Bucks and Hong Kong joining the Southerners Women’s Sevens, Royal Thai Air Force, Bangkok IPE and regulars Yala IPE, a team from the troubled southern region who have been assisted to play in the Sevens for the past few years by architectural firm Woods Bagot (Thailand).
Tournament organizer David Dufall, points out the huge strides taken in staging the U/15 years boys’ ‘Rugby Challenge’ which will be played on two pitches at the Bangkok Patana School. He contends that the future well being of rugby in Thailand is dependent on bringing Thai youngsters up through the ranks and the “Rugby Challenge” gives children from less fortunate locations up-Country the opportunity to play in a strong tournament within their own age group.
This year’s Boys Event will be sponsored by UK firm, Xpotential Global giving boys from Surin, Mahasarakham, Roi-et, Chiang Mai, Lopburi, Surat Thani, Ubol and Krabi a chance to show their skills in a top-class tournament.
While the fast-paced seven-a-side rugby action takes place almost non-stop, spectators will be able to dine on a wide array of dishes washed down with an equally wide array of liquid refreshments, all of which will be served up by Caterers, Down Under Sports Bar & Bistro and Men’s Plate sponsors, Pernod Ricard who’s Jamesons cocktails have proved so popular with spectators in the past.
For more information on the annual Bangkok Sevens, go to the website at www.bangkoksevens.com
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