What started as a monthly family board game night has morphed into a full blown, Amazing Race-style backyard “rodeo” party.
And if the Sharma family gets its way, the whole of Richmond will have the opportunity to join in the fun next summer.
The Sharmas – who live on 2.25 acres on No. 6 Road and Steveston Highway – along with spouses, partners and friends, got together regularly to play “competitive” board games, such as Catchphrase, eat lots of food and consume a fair share of drinks.
But this summer, they decided they wanted to take the party outdoors and ramp up the activity levels.
And so it was that 26-year-old Deepti Sharma was tasked with organizing the first ever “Summer Rodeo Party.”
“It took a few weeks to pull it all together,” said Sharma, who lives at the family home.
“The most challenging things were trying to fit it into everyone’s schedule, anticipating the weather and getting everyone’s opinions on the games.
“What I heard initially was ‘that’s too messy,’ and ‘I don’t want to get hurt,’ but we wanted everyone to participate, so we had to find a balance.”
In achieving the “balance,” Sharma said she deliberately kept spouses on opposite teams.
“That was important, as our family games tend to get very competitive,” she laughed, while explaining the teams were split into two groups of five; the Red Rebels and The Beasts.
“It worked really well and there were no big fall outs.”
Among the point-scoring games was a team building event, where each group had to build the tallest tower with tape, straws, sticks, paper and cards. And then balance an egg at the top of it.
Also part of the nine-hour long contest – there were lots of breaks for food and “refreshment”, said Sharma – was a potato sack race; baton relay; Paani (a traditional Fijian game involving rubber balls and cans) and tug-of-war (2v2, 3v3 and so on).
At the end of it all, there were two trophies, gold for the winner and a silver one for the second team.
“There were also non-playing captains in my 83-year-old grandfather and 76-year-old grandmother,” added Sharma.
“Everyone else was in their mid-20s to mid-50s.”
And given how successful the event seemed to be, Sharma and Co. want to spread the “rodeo, countrified theme” event around the entire city next year.
“We may approach the city to get a permit for a bigger event in the centre of Richmond, who knows,” she said.
“Perhaps we can charge a small fee per team to raise money for a cause. We’d love for the whole of Richmond to take part.
“We may have a different theme if we open it out to the public next year. I feel like we’ve started something here; who knows where it can go?”
