Previewing the 8th annual Hood River Open

For today's preview blog, let's talk Hood River by the numbers. Around this time last year, I pronounced seven as the lucky number for one of the 20 players convening on Panorama Lodge. With Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse arriving next week, that lucky number has increased to eight. That's right - the eighth annual Hood River Open is upon us!

Over the years, we've weathered snowstorms, a pandemic, and burning blank slips. (Credit to Chris Lipe for extinguishing not one, but two fire-related incidents at prior house tournaments.) Along with Chris, four other players who have played every single Hood River Open will return (Conrad Bassett-Bouchard, Randi Goldberg, Puneet Sharma, and Dave Wiegand). This time around, we are also delighted to welcome four first-timers (Chris Cheng, Zachary Dang, Carson Ip, and Erickson Smith),

In a testament to the constant strength of the field, we've crowned six different Hood River champions in seven years. Only one person, Dave Wiegand, has managed to win twice. Everyone will face off over 20 games against a stacked field of strong players vying for the coveted wood trophy plaque.

Much of what brings players to the lodge year after year remains the same. We'll have s'mores over the fire pit and tons of after-hours board games and rounds of anagrams. By popular demand, Puneet Sharma and David Whitley will bring back their Sunday trivia night. It's always a blast to test our brains (and try to match Chris Grubb's amazing trivia prowess).

We'll have many home-cooked meals courtesy of Chef Clinchy. (By that, I mean Evans. I'm the Clinchy cook who lets the pot boil over because I wandered away to answer emails.) Grillmaster Conrad will reprise his burgers, complete with veggie burgers and beef burgers and special-ordered, onion-free burgers. We'll feed vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and carnivores all weekend long with a variety of tasty food options, including a breakfast bar with omelette selections named after Scrabblers.

Beyond the lodge, we'll enjoy outings to the adorable town of Hood River. We'll launch the weekend with a Friday evening dinner at Pfriem. After games wrap on Monday, we'll venture to Double Mountain for afternoon pizza. In our largest rock climbing outing yet, 10 players will then descend on Brimstone Boulders before we return to the lodge for a final evening of merriment.

What I love about this event is the camaraderie. Each year, we convene a slightly different group of 20 players. What's consistent, and what I'm most grateful for, is how people pitch in to help me and Evans as directors to run a smooth event. It takes a lot of spreadsheets and planning to transport, house, and feed 20+ people for nearly four days. People volunteer to shepherd groceries from Costco and to fetch incoming players from PDX airport. Others help set up decorations, restock drinks in the fridge, and wash dishes. (Seriously, if you're coming and you're reading this, please help wash dishes or unload the dishwasher!)

You can count on players to help their fellow lodge companions, too. I've mentioned in prior years how a player carried an injured friend on his back when he couldn't make it up the hill on his own. Last year, a player's car slid off the road and got stuck in a snowbank. When I asked who could help, three players immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed outside to mount a successful rescue. That kind of selfless care for others is priceless, now more than ever.

All that's to say, it promises to be another wonderful weekend of fun, friends, food, and prizes. We can't wait to welcome everyone to Hood River this week. So many of us have come to love Panorama Lodge that we even created shirts and hoodies depicting the wood cabin. If you're playing, pack your board and get ready for a great time. For those staying home, you can follow the competition all weekend long on our live coverage page starting Saturday morning. Let's do this!