2017 F3 LKN Dads Camp
All I can is say WOW. Great weather, great attractions, great food, great fireworks, great shaved ice, great friendship, great time, great staff, great experience all around.
We had 270 dads and kids attend the 1st annual F3 LKN Dads camp and a lot of 1st time dads and kids in that mix. We also had plenty of old vets that still got to experience some new things as well.
We started our the weekend by arriving and getting the camp setup, folks settled into their cabins, built fires, socialized, played sports, got familiar with Camp thunderbird, and welcomed our grand strand brothers that made the trek from Myrtle Beach. We held our orientation and covered off on camp rules, activities, and schedules. We learned about water, fire, firewater, fireworks, and fire ants.
As Friday night came to a close and the kids settled into their beds between 10 to 12, I was able to sit back and really think about what this experience mean to so many people. It is such a great time to really engage and spend time with your kids and other dads and kids, doing things that you would not normally do. I spoke to a few folks that said they never go camping or they don’t have access to bows like that. Also, where can you zip line, giant swing or do the alpine tower anyway? Well maybe at Primo’s house I heard, but watch out, the Oakhurst crew said there have been plenty of hospital visits at the hands of Primo.
Saturday morning rolled around pretty quick for our 7am workout with a lot of sleepy looking kids and maybe a few dads as well. We got after it thanks to 9lives, Jolly, Gump and Sunshine (?? From Grand strand) and their 2.0s. We were on slip and slide hill, the tennis courts, the soccer and baseball field, the beach and I heard a few in the water. Also watch out for the goose poop I hear. Once we wrapped up the workout and started to circle up, Beaker from Grand Strand (aka Myrtle Beach) had a patch presentation for me and it is something that they do for quest Qs that come down to their region and lead a workout. “All” I had to do was write a backblast (which I am doing now) and do 34 burpees in honor of our falling brothers. The 34 comes from one of Grand Strand’s own members that lost his life from a brain injury sustained in a local tough man contest. He was only 34 years young. While I was doing those burpees I was asked many things about F3 and the core values that I kind of answered to the best of abilities due to lack of O2. I think I did 34 burpees (with the paxs help) and was presented a very awesome patch with a trident and Grand Strand on it. Those patches are special for sure and I learned for the local pax to earn them there are some pretty tough requirements so I am honored to have received one of these patches. To add to this part of the backblast, being a large Clydesdale of man doing burpees is never something I want to do or enjoy, but for some reason having 200+ dads and kids doing them with you made it not so bad.
After COT/Ball of Man/Kids we head off to our 1st meal provided by camp T-Bird. Kids got to experience what camp is like. I am sure some kids have had lunch in their school cafeteria, but there is just something different about getting to pick out whatever you want and eating as much as you want. Of course when you can get PowerAde for breakfast how could that not be an awesome time. Or maybe you got to put chocolate milk on your cereal (looking at you Macy Balmat and I am sure many others) or just got to eat a cereal mom won’t buy for you. We also had Olive talk to us about Operation Sweet Tooth and the back to school drive, man did he collect a lot of stuff.
After breakfast we had full run of the camp everything was open that we could get our hands on and everyone took full advantage of it. I know my 2.0s where super excited and zipped, climbed, shot, slid or got wet all before lunch. As someone that has done the 1st 3 F3nation camps the lines were not too bad considering we have 270 people. Zipping in the morning might have taken an hour for some and the giant swing always takes a while. But man did you see the kids’ faces or maybe even your own face? That there my friends is what it is all about.
After the morning session we went into lunch and had a little break to relax until the attraction opened back up a 2pm. Some folks napped, fished, played sports, or just took it easy as man that is a lot of stuff in the 1st 3 hour session. The afternoon session featured the same stuff and I know at one point my 2.1 and mini-me’s 2.0 rode the zipline like 3 times in 20 mins. I saw multiple videos of our nantan/bkoi/Jolly Roger defying the laws of physic with his aerial performances on the alpine tower and the wet wylie. I still don’t understand how your head hit the water 1st on the wet wylie.
Once everything closed down at 5, everyone again was taking it easy in preparation for the BBQ feast that was held at the outdoor pavilion. It was great to be outside and relax next to the lake with friends and 2.0s. The shaved ice was a hit as well, again sorry I couldn’t cover it for everyone, but I think this way we didn’t have kids getting 7 of them. Heck they may still have gotten 7 of them since they were just a buck.
After dinner and shaved ice, camper took advantage of the down time to relax, play game, and socialize. We had the SPEED FOR NEED racing chair setup on the main field where kids and dad could take turns trying them out. SPEED FOR NEED is a vision that one of the F3 Nations pax had to allow disable kids or adults participate in running events by having the men of F3 push them around the course. I know a lot of fun was had by all as part of this display. Olive, Jersey Boy and myself all had the same idea and brought different types of light up devices to be used when it got dark across the camp. We have some great photos and video of the LED rocket coppers being shot on the main field in unison in preparation for the main event that would occur at 9:30. For the 1st time that I have been at camp, we had fireworks that were shot off from the beach where you get your SUP, kayak or canoe. The paxs was over near the wet wylie and pool area and had an awesome view of the speculator 15 min firework show. It was amazing display for a non-4th of July event. I know a lot of folks said they were impressed with the show and want to understand how the timing was perfected. I did ask the camp tbird member that shot them off and he said just years of practice and no special fuses or anything.
After the fireworks kids and most dads went to get some much needed shut eye in preparation of doing it all again on Sunday before heading back home. I did say most dads, as there were plenty that partook of the after fireworks firewater around the camp fire.
Sunday from 9 to 12 was the last chance to get your fills of any of the non-water sports activities and man did everyone get it in. With it being my 2.1s 1st camp I wanted to make sure she had experienced everything the camp had to offer and after 6 round of archery, 2 more zip line rides and one giant swing the camp was complete. With the attractions closed we headed back the cabin to pack up and load up the truck to head home. As I packed up sleeping bags and dirty clothes and collected all the sports equipment we brought, I looked at my kids tired little smiling faces and knew that the 1st annual F3 LKN Dads camp was a success. Also when we got home and we had to tell mom about everything and show her all the pictures and video we had of the entire event. I know that my kids will start asking around January when the next dad’s camp will be. I put in a request to Camp Thunderbird for Aug 17th thru the 19th and once I have it locked in I will put the placeholder on the website.
As a part of this back blast I would like to solicit any feedback, suggestion, likes, dislikes as it relates to your F3 LKN dads camp experience. Also feel free to post any stories or fun events you may have witnessed.
Thanks you for attending and thanking me for the setup but it all cannot happen if you guys don’t attend so thank you for attending with your 2.0s.
Sincerely,
Sweet Caroline (aka Neil Joyce)