The Lent Bumps

Today, I went to cheer for the three Wolfson crews. The "Bumps" are a competition of eights. The object is to catch–that is, literally bump–the boat if front of you, and not get bumped by the boat behind. The Wolfson Women "rowed over"–which is good, they neither bumped up nor were bumped down. Both the First and Second Men bumped up–which is better; they caught the crews in front of them and were crowned with garlands. . .really, they beached their boats and put a bunch of weeds in their hair. Huzzah, Wolfson!
I’d been told that the boats can crash into each other, flip over in the wind, catapult Greek Fire at one another, and so on. No such theatre, but there was a soupcon of danger for the spectators. The crews’ coaches and supporters flashed by on bikes with utter disregard for pedestrians. And the mention of feet calls forth my only complaint. I was somewhat misled as to how far away from Wolfson the races occur. I believe I walked three hours and twenty minutes to watch about twenty seconds of racing. All in all, I probably got more exercise than the competitors. Nevertheless, it was really quite a spectacle to witness. And this is only a warm-up for the May Bumps (which, in ever enigmatic Cambridgese, are scheduled for mid-June). I have been advised to: a) hire a taxi, and b) bring a bottle of crisp white wine.