The Half-Mind Weblog

This entry was written by my friend and favorite co-hare Casual Friday, about a trail she recently laid in Tampa, Florida.  I don’t know about you, but I love hash trashes, and miss being in a hash that has them.  When I see a good one, like this, I want to share it with all my friends.  Enjoy!

Here we go sports fans, after a few weeks of gentle prodding and taunting by the hares with videos, photos of scouting trail in bikinis, and verbal dares to catch us if you can, Saturday, April 12 had finally come. Will Sing 4 Head, Sweet I Da Ho and I took much time to meticulously plan an exciting trail on St. Pete Beach for the Jolly Roger wankers. The weather was delivered just as ordered; sunny with a sweet warm breeze, perfect for beach hashing! Our trail was to be laid 100% live; therefore Sweet I Da Ho and I got started early that Saturday. After checking into our hotel and convincing the front desk clerk to join us at Start for a fun trail later that day, we grabbed our string bikinis, our shovel, our water anchor buoy and our maps, and hit the beach. We made a quick pit stop at a condo building to steal some bricks underneath security’s radar screen and we promptly commenced digging a hole in the sand to bury a map. Many onlookers had the need to know what we were doing; each time we were asked we gave a different answer. We assumed Sheep N Easy had sent out his spies so we gave out worthless information to the so-called onlookers. After burying a map to direct the pack to the water where I swam out to place a map on an anchor buoy, it was Miller time at Woody’s beach bar for the hares.

“Go time” for Sweet I Da Ho came quickly; since it was her virgin haring, she was nervous as hell. She exhibited typical virgin hare behavior; forgot that she had put extra clothes and money for the on-afters in the beer van, panicked about where she was to lay powder even though the notes were in her pocket, dug in her pockets for an important trail accessory while she was wearing it on her wrist, and we won’t mention the nightmares she had the night before the hash. God love the virgin hare! Time to leave came quickly and the three of us took off like bats out of hell.

I Da Ho laid her part of the trail flawlessly, and kept out of sight from the pack; I was very impressed. Being her mentor, I was dang proud of myself! Okay, I was proud of her too. The .7 mile checkback Will Sing 4 Head laid as quick as any Olympic track star, worked perfectly as the entire pack fell for it and added 1.4 miles onto their trail. While nicely done, it gave me plenty of time to lay my part of trail without getting snared (I have a secret haring rep that nobody knows about). I had a blast laying powder as I ran the trail through two weddings prior to the beer check. I was covered in flour and slid through 6 groomsmen, all wearing beautiful black tuxedoes while the photographer snapped photos of my passing. Oh how I was dying to slap the one half my age on the butt with my hand covered in flour (sorry Mom)! Since I laid trail behind the chairs of both weddings, I can’t help but wonder how many wankers are in beach wedding photos and videos!

The pack was put through a song check lead by Will Sing 4 Head at Bongo’s beach bar, and everyone was treated to his awesome and powerful Pirate Juice. Wankers were then lead to Ricky T’s for a beer check and a round of “Tug-o-Hoes” on the sand. All I remember was seeing Racing Stripes ass-on-sand and hearing much laughter from Goo Light Special’s team as they let go of the rope. The photo turned out great!

Sweet I Da Ho and I took off to the north in a puff of powder as Will Sing headed northeast for his next section of trail. The pack were taken through Jimmy B’s and Swigwam’s beach bars, and converged around the map point to dig in the sand for a clue to the next direction of trail. As I had prayed they kept busy digging in the sand. I pounded pavement sucking wind while thinking kitty litter. Racing Stripes, Leave It In Beaver, and Harelip Dog were more than likely just yards behind my short wimpy stride. I stealthily pushed ahead through a street fair and was stopped by an officer of the law. Fan-freaking-tastic! He told me I ran right in the middle of a drug sting! I’d love to say I planned it, but it was just dumb luck. The officer wanted to know about the white powdery substance that covered my body, and while I had a list of possibilities to offer, I gave him the boring one. “Sir, I’m a wanker covered in flour!” Being the trained professional that he was, he spied my hash shirt and hash flour bag; laughed and told me I had better pick up my pace. I ran as fast as my spaghetti legs could take me through the drug sting, and wondered how many uniformed eyeballs were watching me in the bushes as I bent down to draw true trails on the sidewalks. So I hiked up my shorts a tad and bent over a bit more than necessary; my older sister taught me well. I had soon connected with Will Sing’s section of trail and ran it in to Finish. He did a fine job of laying that section to bring the pack on-in unscathed. Sweet I Da Ho drove the beer van to finish and we toasted to her very first hash haring as we waited for the pack to show up.

The circle was held in Just Rick’s backyard, and we gave him quite a show as we had some terrific walk-ons and virgins who were quite entertaining. I’m not sure why we hares got the brainless award, but we took it in stride while we did our best to get three pairs of lips around the top of the skull and suck in some nectar of the Gods all at once. I won the wet t-shirt contest.

I was told the pack never found the map in the sand because Bed and Buckfest was sitting on it while digging a hole the size of a quarter for a photo opportunity. She sure looked pretty cute in the photo not knowing the map was in the crack of her ass! At least the pack got to see the results of the drug sting; apparently St. Petersburg’s finest handcuffed quite a few dealers on trail that evening. Funny how Dab showed up a bit late. The next morning the stolen bricks used for the water anchor were returned to the condo after I risked life and limb in hurricane winds and waves 10,000 feet high to retrieve my $20 anchor and $10 waterproof container. There were curious onlookers but not one sorry bastard wondered if I was okay while I was bound to 100 pounds of stone I drug behind my 120 pound frame. I suppose Will Sing and I Da Ho’s cheering my ass on the sand didn’t give anyone cause for alarm.

As usual, I can’t wait to hare again!

. . . and if reading Casual Friday’s writeup gives you the hots to hare, all the better!

Readers who follow these Half-Mind interviews are probably starting to wonder why so many of my subjects hash near the Arctic Circle. Sea-Xplanation is a Dane. Vodka Splite’s a Norwegian. Rose eh & MTM are Canadians. Legs, from snow-covered Sapporo, is the Japanese equivalent of a Viking. And now we present Eyðbjørn “Codpiece” Augustinussen, from the Faroe Islands.

I’ll be honest with you. I interview so many hashers from northern climes because I’m desert bound and can only dream of snow. As to why so many northerners hash, who knows? Maybe the exercise helps them stay warm during walrus season.

Codpiece is from Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands. He lives in Denmark, where he hashes with the Copenhagen HHH. He’s been hashing for 13 years: in that time he founded the Lyngby New Moon HHH, established the Haffniae Annual Red Dress Or Nude (H.A.R.D.O.N.) HHH, and served as Copenhagen HHH’s GM and MC (RA).

Codpiece prepares to explore the fjords

Codpiece comes from the mixed hash, dead hare, singing, A-to-A trail hash tradition, which makes him a wimp like me, which is probably why I like the guy (even though we haven’t met yet). Here’s what he had to say to my list of questions:

Codpiece, when & where was your first hash?

My first hash was in October 1994 in Lyngby, just north of Copenhagen.

How did you find the hash?

I was bartender at a student bar, and there were these two teachers who kept telling me stories about their strange running club. For some reason they didn’t know of each other until one day they were both sitting at the bar at the same time. It turned out they had both been members of Copenhagen H3 at different times so they decided to start their own hash for the students at my business college. In the end I turned up late and missed the inaugural hash, and since I was drafted to co-hare the second hash, I was a hare before I was a hasher.

How did you come to be called Codpiece?

After four hashes my GM, Sodbuster, still had problems pronouncing my real name so he named me Codpiece: Coming from a fish-exporting nation, and not being that tall.

Do you have a hashing mentor?

GM Sodbuster told me all the basics, and introduced me to hash-l back in 1994 and I’ve been hooked ever since.

When & where was your first away hash?

During Easter 1995 we made a trip to the Warsaw 666th hash. It was a great opportunity to put a face on people I only knew from hash-l. And it was also a great way to get to know my fellow hashers from Copenhagen.

Where have you hashed?

Mainly Europe, plus the Interhashes in India, Thailand and now Australia.

Are there places you haven’t hashed but would like to?

Canada, Iceland, Africa and more of Asia.

Are there places you wouldn’t like to hash?

Not really, but I guess I’ll never make it to the US.

What are your favorite haring techniques?

97% of my trails are dead hare so I like to use double and triple checkbacks. And I like to have a loop just before a drink stop to give me time to catch up with the frontrunners.

What’s the best thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

I can’t put my finger on a single event, just the feeling of meeting old friends at big events.

What’s the worst thing?

Apart from the beer and food lines after Perth Red Dress I can’t really think of anything really bad. And even that wasn’t catastrophic. . . .

What’s the most dangerous trail you’ve done?

Can’t think of a dangerous trail. Denmark is flat as a pancake, but I once went scouting for a trail on a stormy night and when we got back the following day some of the trees had been up-rooted.

If you could pick the location of a future Interhash, where would it be, and why?

Definitely Brussels in 2014 . . . Eurohash in 1997 was my first regional away hash and it was just perfect!

What do you most love about hashing?

It’s the instant network of friends you have when you get to a new town, plus the opportunity of seeing some hidden aspects of your own area that you would never see normally.

What don’t you love?

Elitism, the notion that some hashers or hashes are better than others. And to some extent the commercialization of the big events.

Has hashing affected your personal or professional life?

I guess that planning my holidays around the hash calendar puts me in the hash-affected category. But I see it as a good thing.

Do you tell everyone you meet about the hash, or only people you think might become good hashers?

I tell potential hashers about it and leave the others alone.

Are there certain fundamentals you believe all hashers should embrace?

We’re all in this for the fun, so keep an open mind and cut the organizers of any big event some slack when things don’t work out perfectly.

What do you think you’ve contributed to hashing?

Hmmm, I once brought a rubber chicken on a trip to Belgian Nash Hash. Higgins hasn’t been quite the same since.

What’s next for you?

To fill in some of the white spots on my hashing map. And perhaps one day to lead a small hashing expedition to my ancestral home of the Faroe Islands (not good hash potential – no woods and very expensive beer!).

For many years, I’ve shared an e-mail friendship with Tomomi “Legs” McDowell. One of these days, I hope, our paths will cross at a hash. Legs is from Sapporo, in Hokkaido, Japan. She became an American citizen 20 years ago and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she hashes with Music City HHH.

I like to know which of the many hash traditions hashers come from, because it tells me what they might be like to hash with. So where does Legs come from? She likes mixed, live hare, singing hashes, and doesn’t really care whether the trail is A-to-A or A-to-B. See? Right away you know she’s fun!

Legs has been hashing since 1980 and is the co-founder of three hashes: Huachuca HHH (Arizona), Ozark HHH (Missouri), and Mannheim HHH (Germany). A hasher after my own heart, she also has a blog!

Legs at InterAm 2007, Puerto Vallarta

Legs, when & where was your first hash?

Saturday, June 14, 1980, at Naha, Okinawa, Japan.

How did you find the hash?

I thought HHH was a joint training for Japanese Defense Forces and the US Military. I was just helping out for beer at the finish point.

Why do they call you Legs?

I don’t know. Only I can think is I’m a tall Oriental person.

Where have you hashed?

Okinawa, Tokyo, Asahikawa, Seoul, Warsaw, Heidelberg, Ramstein, Bonn, Mannheim, Worms, Bern, Paris, Istanbul, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, London, and Puerto Vallarta. In the USA, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

What’s the best thing about hashing to you?

Learning non-textbook English and behavior.

What’s the worst thing about hashing to you?

Being chased by policemen.

What do you most love about hashing?

When hashers wear “beer goggles,” I’m still looking good to them.

Have your attitudes toward hashing or hashers changed over the years?

At Okinawa, it was a family hash. In the US, it has been mostly for adults only. West London, there were some kids. I like to hash with kids.

How has hashing affected your personal or professional life?

I keep learning from hash and hashers to this day. Without the hash, I wouldn’t have so many friends in the world, and I’d probably still be in Japan.

What do you think you’ve contributed to hashing?

My accented English has been entertaining hashers. Many hashers try to copy my accents.

Another Evil Twin production from my old Half-Mind Catalog files:

What I wanna know is, why they don’t teach Unintelligent Design!

Several years ago I put together some hash history for the Half-Mind Catalog. One of my most valued sources was Kitty-Kitty from San Diego, a hasher who’d gotten his start in Indonesia and who’d been at it a long time. Known to mortals (and many hashers) as Mike Collier, Kitty-Kitty lives in Encinitas, California, and runs with North County HHH, La Jolla HHH, and Iron Rule HHH. He’s been hashing for 26 years.

Kitty-Kitty

Kitty-Kitty, when & where was your first hash?

July 7, 1982, with the Jakarta HHH.

How did you find the hash?

The Marine I was replacing at the American Embassy told me about the Hash while I was attending Indonesian language school.

How did you get your hash name?

I’ve had more than one. I was Uncle Sam while running with Jakarta HHH; however, Jakarta didn’t bestow names . . . it was a nickname thought up because of my connection to the U.S. Embassy and the fact I was a Marine. North County HHH gave me my current name, Kitty-Kitty. In the North County HHH, names are given after six runs and everyone with a Hash name participates in the naming. I happened to be wearing a Rumbai Sumatra Hash T-shirt the day I was named. It was a tiger-themed shirt and on the back it said “A tiger can kill you but a little pussy never hurt anyone.” There was evidently some reluctance to use the word “pussy” in my Hash name so Kitty-Kitty was chosen. It is a name I’ve carried proudly since December 1988.

Who taught you the most about hashing?

John “Wrong Way” Moe, Jakarta HHH, ex-Tehran HHH, ex-Puget Sound HHH.

When & where was your first away hash?

Sydney, Australia, April 1983.

Where have you hashed?

InterHash ’82, ’88, ’94, ’96, ’98, ’06, and’08. I’ve Hashed in Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Greece, Cyprus, and Japan.

What do you most love about hashing?

Seeing the countryside, seeing the local people/places along the trails. Beer.

What don’t you love about hashing, if anything?

The homogenization of the Hash. Many seem to want every Hash to be just like all the others (with emphasis on their home Hash) without regard to local customs and traditions. Pale yellow fizzy stuff called “beer.”

What’s the best thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

One day to the Hash there came a beauty
A thing most unusual to do
Something made me think this girl was different
It must have been the tattoos on her boobs
She wore hot pants and a see-through t-shirt
Sipped her beer through rosy choo-choo lips
All the Hashers became excited at the sight of her swollen tits
Hash Master got his horn out, everybody else put theirs away
Then I got myself into position
Where I could see her lovely buttocks sway
She shortcut, I shortcut behind her
Wondering if today I’d be in luck
I heard her calling “On-On” from the bushes
And I knew right then that we were going to fuck.

What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

Off trail, in the rain, after dark, in the jungle. Lost!

Where are some places you haven’t hashed, but would like to?

South Africa, DPR Lao, Cambodia, Argentina, Viet Nam.

Are there any places you wouldn’t like to hash?

Big city streets.

Have any of your attitudes toward hashing or hashers changed over the years?

Yes, since I can’t run faster I have to run smarter.

What are some of your favorite haring techniques?

Do-Loops, water crossings, frustrating short cutters.

Do you tell everyone you meet about the hash, or only people you think might become good hashers?

I tell anyone who is interested. Most recently (March 2008) I’ve introduced two Taiwanese Marines and a Singaporean sailor to the Hash. All three can’t wait to return home and get in touch with a local Hash.

What do you think you’ve contributed to hashing?

A helping hand to new Hashers. I’ve helped many new Hashers lay their first trail.

Are there any core fundamentals you believe all hashes and hashers should embrace?

Develop and embrace traditions within your home Hash. Make it distinctive from other Hashes. Be amenable to change, but don’t lose sight of where you came from.

Kegs or cans? Be honest.

Kegs of IPA, cross my heart.

What’s in your hashing future?

After IH 2008, on-on to IH 2010 (with a couple hundred runs in between).

Thanks to help from my mate Likk’mm, the interview photos of Vodka Splite and The Wolf are finally straightened out.  To those of you who maybe thought I knew something they didn’t, and that the hashers they always thought were Vodka Splite and The Wolf were actually imposters, I apologize.  To Vodka Splite and The Wolf . . . what can I say?  I owe you both many beers.

Terje Eriksen, aka Vodka Splite, aka Oslo Fuckin’ Ere, is a Norwegian hasher. He hashes with the Oslo and Oslo Full Moon Hashes. He’s been hashing for 20 years. Unlike most of us, Vodka Splite has a life outside of hashing, and these days you’re just as likely to find him at a Rolling Stones concert as at a hash.

Vodka Splite

Vodka Splite, when and where was your first hash?

Pattaya Hash, Thailand.

Do you remember how you found out about hashing?

Friend of mine living there. “Hey, found this great ‘thing’ . . . every Monday they do this . . . let’s go. It’s a run . . . then fun.” Probably why I skipped the first one and lost the opportunity to be a ’87 hasher.

How did you get your hash name?

Dead boring. Drinking too much Vodka & Sprite in a Thai Hash Bar over the years. Everyone there just called me “Vodka Splite,” with the lack of the “R” among the employees. The RA (Sir Airhead) of the Pattaya Hash hated it. When I later reached enough r*ns, because I was a nice Viking, I almost ended up with Oslo Buccaneer, but quickly got the circle into Oslo Fuckin’ere. So I have two names – one in Oslo, one in Pattaya.

Who taught you the most about hashing?

The Wolf (Old Farts Interhash Survivor and Frankfurt Hash these days), also known as my unwanted father (or is it that I am his unwanted son?).

When and where was your first away hash?

Manila Monday HHH on the way to Interhash 1990.

Where have you hashed?

Hmm, think I have hashed with around 63 chapters at last count. No Africa nor South America. Missed everything in the US except for the Gypsies in the Palace Hash in lovely San Francisco. Four to five walks and r*ns Down Under including the fine gentlemen of the Hamersley Hash. The rest is Europe.

What do you most love about hashing?

The people. When I tell non-hashers about it I often use Interhash Rotorua as an example. Not the Interhash but what the press wrote. The locals where shitting their pants when thinking about 4000 people drinking the place dry. Then the papers arrived on the Monday with the interview of the head-police-something. It was something like “Yes, we had to help a few finding their hotels but absolutely nothing to write home about. Well, one thing, we had to stop this couple that were doing ‘it’ in the roundabout. They are more than welcome to come back.” Great bunch of nice people is the short version!

What don’t you love about hashing (if anything)?

Can’t think of anything except for long runs without warnings. It keeps the newbies away.

What’s the best thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

Finding the trail at a Manila run, see below . . .

What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

Totally lost in the dark in Manila. Totally lost the trail. Never felt more alone in the bush/jungle in my life. Never do those runs without a flashlight.

Where are some places you haven’t hashed, but would like to?

Budapest, Africa, South America and Russia.

Are there any places you wouldn’t like to hash?

Not really. Of course a few places have problems at the moment. In a decade or so it could be fine.

Have any of your attitudes toward hashing or hashers changed over the years?

Yes and No. I feel it’s a bit more serious these days. Longer r*ns.

What are some of your favorite haring techniques?

Must be my infamous loops. Hated by the Oslo FRBs, loved by the walkers.

Do you tell everyone you meet about the hash, or only people you think might become good hashers?

Got to know them for awhile. Too much struggle to explain everything.

Have you founded any hashes?

Oslo Full Moon Hash.

What do you think you’ve contributed to hashing?

A few good laughs maybe? Proud ‘Drunk of the Year’ twice in the Oslo Hash!

Are there any core fundamentals you believe all hashes and hashers should embrace?

Keep the run length suitable for everyone or warn them.

Kegs or cans?

Cans.

What’s in your hashing future, Vodka Splite?

After Interhash in Perth, we’ll see. I’m not that active these days.

In an earlier entry, I commented on mismanagement’s reaction to financial malfeasance in a hash I belong to, drawing instant and sharp criticism from some fellow members.  Although my comments were confined to this blog, other members brought up the issue on the hash group’s e-mail list.

While reaction to my blog post was hugely negative, I’m happy to report that once other unhappy hashers began posting to the e-mail list, mismanagement squarely faced its problem and took aggressive action:

After the recent ‘discussions’ about hash cash etc. the committee decided to send a one time warning everybody on the listserve. Anybody violating common sense rules for hash-appropriate emails - in particular regarding the currently discussed issues - will be taken off the listserve.

No problem’s too tough for this group!

Update (4/15/08): Outlawing discussion of problems in the hash was so successful, mismanagement decided to set up a permanent censorship committee:

As __________ recently pointed out in an email; a few years ago there was a problem with people arguing back and forth over the [. . .] email list serve (Spamming the entire group). This was deemed unacceptable and a committee was formed. The committee was comprised of __________, __________ and __________. Because of the recent list serve activities, they will once again start monitoring the Spamming problems and ban people from the list serve if necessary.

Marty “Garfield” Hanratty is an American hasher currently living in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He hashes with the DCHHH and Indonostalgia HHH. He’s been hashing and interhashing for 33 years.

Garfield

When & where was your first hash?

Seoul Korea, 1975.

How did Garfield find the hash, or did the hash find Garfield?

Two workmates lied to me and said they were taking me out for drinks and a meal.

How did you get your hash name?

This is a bit long, but here goes. While running with the Jakarta Men’s Hash in Indonesia. I used to spend my spare time serving as a dive master for trips out to some coral islands off the coast of Java. One day at the embassy, a fellow asked if he and his wife could accompany me on one of the trips. After extracting myself from the bars in Bloc M, I raced home, picked up a case of beer and my dive equipment, collected my guests and we were off to the harbor. As we proceeded to the first dive site, a lovely coral island in the middle of the South China Sea, I told my guests I was going to grab some sleep below and suggested they do the same. When we got to the site after 4 hours, I assembled the other 20 divers and snorkelers, told them we would be there until 1:00 and advised them to piss off. After a nice dive, we blew the ship’s horn, waited for everyone to get on deck, and we were off to the next dive site. On our return to Jakarta on the next day, another diver asked if he could have a ride back into town. I apologized, saying that the van was full with me and my guests. It was then that I realized that my guests were nowhere to be found. We raced back to the first island only to find a large HELP sign outlined in coral on the beach. The local lighthouse keeper indicated that they had stayed with him the night before and had caught a boat back to Jakarta that morning. On the return, we ran out of beer but were pleased to find that we had one cold box that hadn’t been use . . . my guests’. Wanting to reduce weight, we quickly liberated the beer and food in the box. On return, I went out to the guests’ house to apologize and see if they were all right. As I walked down the driveway, I was met by my irate guest who promptly took a swing at me. Dropping the cold box on his foot, I quickly did a runner down the drive and got the hell out of there. Next Monday, I was quietly minding my own business on the hash when I was called into the circle and placed on ice. After 20 minutes on the heavenly orb, I was advised that my new hash name was to be Garfield. Who else would leave his friends on a coral island just to get at their beer and food?

Who taught you the most about hashing?

Dave “Browneye” Ives, a Kiwi gentleman hasher, who went on to the big Hash in the sky in 2006.

When & where was your first away hash?

Interhash 88 in Pattaya, Thailand.

Where have you hashed?

There are too many individual hashes to name so I limit myself to the hashes I have been a member of: Seoul Men’s H3; The Night Runners of Bengal (Dhaka Men’s H3); Jakarta Men’s H3 (Indonesia); the Indonostalgia H3 (UK), DC H3 and The White House H3 (Washington, DC); Addis Ababa H3 (Ethiopia), Harare H3 (Zimbabwe) and the New Babylon H3 (al Hillah, Iraq).

What do you most love about hashing?

The friendship and the thirst you develop on the hash.

What don’t you love about hashing?

The running, stupid!

What’s the best thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

Meeting Browneye, the Penguin, Whorator, Chesty, Froggy, Hash Willie, Mr. Magoo, Mellow Foreskin Cheese, XYZ and GBH.

What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

Being carried out to sea after turning over in a small boat accompanied by 3 other drunken hashers at 3:00 in the morning off of Java Head, Indonesia.

If you could pick the location of a future Interhash, where would it be, and why?

After organizing Interhash 02 in Goa, any place where I don’t have to do that again.

Have any of your attitudes toward hashing or hashers changed over the years?

No, it’s still a piss up for a bunch of drunks.

What are some of your favorite haring techniques?

Shagging my lovely cohare in the bushes while laying the run on Mt. Toto, Ethiopia.

Do you tell everyone you meet about the hash, or only people you think might become good hashers?

Are you kidding, and reduce the volume of the holy amber fluid available for me and my mates?

Have you founded any hashes?

Africa Interhash, the New Babylon H3 (Al Hillah, Iraq).

What do you think you’ve contributed to hashing?

F@$k all.

Are there any core fundamentals you believe all hashes and hashers should embrace?

Don’t take it seriously, it’s a vacation away from your real-world job where you have to take things seriously.

Speaking of core fundamentals, what does Garfield stand for?

- Kegs or cans: Yes

- Live hare or dead hare: Iced hares

- A-to-A trails or A-to-B trails: Yes

Garfield, what’s in your hashing future?

To continue hashing as long as I can.

Back in the early 1990s some character with two hash names, Per Manstrup Kristensen and Sea-Xplanation, started posting these terribly interesting messages to hash-l. Each message was titled “Hash Events on a List” and everyone loved them because they were the first on-line international hash calendar any of us had ever seen. I eventually learned that “Per Manstrup Kristensen” was his mortal name, and that “Sea-Xplanation” was his hash name, and went on to steal his idea and turn it into the Half-Mind Calendar. Sea-Xplanation is a Dane (you’d never guess it from his mortal name, would you?) from Aalborg who works in Copenhagen but actually lives in Malmö, Sweden. When he’s not fishing for eels or whatever, he hashes with the Copenhagen HHH, Copenhagen Howling HHH, and H.A.R.D.O.N. HHH in Denmark; the Westra Aros Gurka HHH in Sweden; and the Medoc HHH in France. He’s been hashing for 17 years.

Medoc Hash in 2006: Sea-Xplanation is second from right
(photo presumably taken before the 21 wine checks on trail)

When & where was your first hash?

February 1991 with the Aalborg H3, Denmark.

How did you find out about hashing?

A friend of a flatmate had told us about hashers, so if we ever found one locally we should join, he promised great fun. Then a month later I saw a poster at the university with a contact person, I called him, and 4 days later I attended my first run. Simple, really.

How did you get the name Sea-Xplanation?

Christened by Wanker in Aalborg H3 1992-08-03. “Once upon a time in a region of Denmark far, far up north a brave young man one Monday evening decided to go hashing. As he was a bit late that day, and as the run was set way out of reach of public transportation, the young hopeful yet unnamed hasher had to make a run for it just to make the start of the run. As it happened, the to-be athletic youngster overtook a rather large pack of serious runners from the nearby serious running club, leaving them wondering what passed by. A few seconds and several kilometers later our young hero made the hash, only to find that the run this day was started with a beer race, just to warm up. Well, not much reason to be in a hurry then, but at least the fast run was rewarded somehow. As our hero found the episode with the serious runners quite amusing, he told it to Homesick very illustratively (hands, fingers, obscure gestures, sound and blackboard). Almost at the end of the story, after the main point had been made out to Homesick, CandySwing interfered, feeling that he had missed a great story. Without hesitation he started asking about all the details he had missed, picking up on the bits of the story in a weird sequence. Our young hero was still trying to end the story for Homesick while fighting back CandySwing’s questions when Wanker interfered, trying to find out what went on. As it can be a bit difficult telling the same amusing story in three variations at the same time, the point of the story for Wanker’s part slipped away slowly. Now, Wanker was not an MC to mess around with, and as he for a long while had been looking for a good excuse for a naming of the young hero no mercy was given. The result? Well, after the run the young hasher was called forward. At this time the young hasher had never seen a naming yet, thus in no way prepared for what was about to happen. In good Aalborg tradition the hasher to be known as Sea-Xplanation was called to the middle of the circle. Wanker explained that the messy story he overheard earlier that day had given him the idea for the name. In good Danish tradition it was a mistranslation of the Danish word for a long rambling story… So now you know!”

Who taught you the most about hashing?

Hard to say, really, but in the start I guess I got most information from Wanker and Homesick, then later on I had a lot of contact with Periodical from West London, and Likk’mm from Bern.

When & where was your first away hash?

Must have been Copenhagen 666, as I recall it this was in ’92 or ’93, this weekend was held north of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Where have you hashed?

I have hashed in USA, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK-England, Cyprus, Russia. Within USA I have hashed in California, Maryland, New York, Virginia.

What do you most love about hashing?

Getting around on a good trail, seeing spots of a town I’ve never seen before, from another angle than normal, or enjoying great nature, a bit of shaggy and having a ball with the others on the same trail.

What, if anything, don’t you love about hashing?

Sometimes some people fall a little too deep into stereotypes (”you have to drink most beers to be a true hasher,” “you need to run the shaggiest trails to be a true hasher,” “you need to travel around all the time and party to be a true hasher.” Sometimes I like the party, sometimes I like the traveling, sometimes I like to visit a small non-posh family-hash and just have a good time for an afternoon with these people.

What’s the best thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

I don’t want to answer this question, as there has been so many good memories, and I don’t want to make anybody feel they fell into second place if I chose something else.

How about the worst thing that ever happened to you at a hash?

Seeing somebody feeling personally injured when I as an RA/MC tried to give him a name. Between the two of us in the circle I got the option of “leaving him alone, or giving him a name and that would be the last any hash would ever see of him”. I backed out and gave myself a down down for mismanagement without letting the circle know what had been going on.

Are there any places you haven’t hashed, but would like to?

I still haven’t been hashing in Africa or the Far East, or down under (for me it’s down under anyways), so that’s on the planning list somewhat in the future.

Are there any places you wouldn’t like to hash?

Areas where poverty is too obvious around you, with a threat of being attacked by criminals or a military regime not sharing my world view.

If you could pick the location of a future Interhash, where would it be, and why?

I’ve found the interhashes to grow a little too big nowadays, so I’m not that keen on joining them for a while. Africa would be an option, Europe again would be nice. I don’t think North America would be an option, so I won’t even wish for it, just enjoy some of the smaller scale bashes I can attend around there.

Have any of your attitudes toward hashing or hashers changed over the years?

Yes, of course. I started young at heart, and have grown older. You change as a person, and sometimes you get tired of certain elements, then give it a break for a while, and return and enjoy it again. You also learn that you do not need to enjoy ALL parts of hashing, as we as a group differ too much. I’m just hoping I’m getting better at giving other people the space the hash allows for.

What are some of your favorite haring techniques?

Using flour for the markings. J I like to get the group to have a good run with some good views, interesting landscapes if possible, trying to add a little for the fit, and still make it good for the back pack.

Do you tell everyone you meet about the hash, or only people you think might become good hashers?

In the start I told a lot of people about the hash. Nowadays it’s only once in a while, and only to people who might be good hashers.

Have you founded any hashes?

B.A.L.L.S. H3 in Aalborg, Denmark; a bar-crawl hash inspired by T.W.A.T. in London,
Co-founder of H.A.R.D.O.N. H3 in Copenhagen, Denmark; a red dress hash inspired by Cumming Mutha and On All Fours from California, USA. They did a red dress run in Copenhagen, and Codpiece and I made a tradition of it. Co-founder of Medoc H3 in Pauillac, France; I was one of a group of hashers that thought it to be a great idea to do the Medoc wine-drinking marathon as a hash. We agreed to start the hash, and I think I’m the only one who has attended all the runs since. I didn’t found it as such, we just agreed that we needed the hash there, and started it as such.

What do you think you’ve contributed to hashing?

Back in the early days (’91-’93) I helped Periodical running a list of upcoming hash events around the world, gathering the pieces here and there and mailing out a list once a month or so. Some of this work was taken over by Likk’mm, Prof, and Flying Booger in the later stages, as they had better connections around. In the meanwhile Higgins had started a European newsletter which I took over when Higgins ran out of time. I think I ran this magazine/newsletter for a couple of years, probably ’95-’98, doing my best with the spare time I had, doing it on as low a budget as possible. The internet started to come strongly into play by then, with hash-l as the main source, and the purpose of the magazine dried out. Besides this, not much to mention, helping arranging a few big events here and there, now and then.

Are there any core fundamentals you believe all hashes and hashers should embrace?

Enjoy and respect people around you, but don’t accept everything thrown at you.

This one is actually three mini-questions. Your vote:

- Kegs or cans: Cans, it’s easier on a daily basis at the runs.

- Live hare or dead hare: I’m mostly into dead-hare haring.

- A-to-A trails or A-to-B trails: A-to-A!

What’s in your hashing future?

I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to see what hashing will bring me!