UNITED KINGDOM: Battle to be Britain's top gentleman is staged at the Chap Olympiad in London

Record ID: 777615

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Battle to be Britain's top gentleman is staged at the Chap Olympiad in London
  • Date: 17th July 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWLY ENGAGED MAN DEREK OSTENSEN (STANDING WITH FIANCÉ NATALIA OLENICOFF) SAYING: "I'd say it's one of the more unforgettable events in the world it's wonderfully eccentric, it's full of tremendous characters all around so in terms of remembering the moment I thought it was the perfect occasion."
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom, United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVABYOU7WQ2PXFOLGCQS9LASPHOU
  • Story Text: Gentlemen, bounders and cads battled to become Britain's top Chap at their annual Olympiad in London on Saturday (July 16).
    The master of ceremonies echoes the thinking of yesteryear as a pipe packed with tobacco is lit to mark the beginning of the Chap Olympiad in London.
    Events include the Pipeathlon, where contestants saunter a ten yard course whilst smoking a pipe before riding a bicycle.
    The Olympiad is now in its seventh year and is organised by Chap Magazine.
    "The thinking behind this event is very little thinking at all," said Chap Magazine editor Gustav Temple said. "The thing is Chaps don't really like to do sport. Chaps like to drink Martinis, smoke pipes and cavort around in their finest clothing."
    The noble cads view themselves as a dying breed who wear horn-rimmed spectacles, listen to music on the wireless, and wear smoking jackets, cravats, bow ties and hats.
    The whole concept of their games is to pay tribute to a time gone by and make a stand against vulgarity, to celebrate the "gentleman' and the "dandy".
    "Basically it's about not throwing away surface appearances," said Master of Ceremonies Tristan Langlois, himself turned out with a finely fettled moustache and perfectly oiled hair. "The seam of a trouser, the turn of a cuff. These things are of seminal, semiotic importance to any Chap or any cad, first and foremost."
    This year's Olympiad was sold out with around 1500 tickets purchased.
    Costumed revellers made picnics in the picturesque Bedford Square park in central London.
    The food and drink was quintessentially English, with Pimms and cucumber sandwiches being consumed in large volumes.
    "I guess it's the slightly more refined sandwich," said Juno Ormiston. "There's no mustard, there's nothing strong it's the simplicity of cucumber and butter and good bread."
    Gentleman's Club Golf sees contestants use a walking stick to knock a bowler hat into the back of a net.
    This year the gentleman's game was won by a woman, Dawn Parsonage-Kent.
    Other events included Waiter Baiting, Swing Dancing, Seated Tennis and Swooning, a contest where gentlemen must try to literally bring a lady to her knees with a risque comment.
    The words of Californian Derek Ostensen had the desired effect. He proposed to Natalia Olenicoff in front of the crowd.
    "I'd say it's one of the more unforgettable events in the world it's wonderfully eccentric," said Mr Ostensen. "It's full of tremendous characters all around so in terms of remembering the moment I thought it was the perfect occassion."
    The weather for the Olympiad was typically British during the summertime with heavy rain which later cleared.
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