Waiter Race

The waiter race is just what it sounds like- a race for waiters! It took place in May, which was Tourism and Hospitality Month here in Dominica. There were a lot of events going on during the month to celebrate the restaurants and hotels which serve Dominica's tourists.

The waiter race was for anyone who worked as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant in Dominica. The basic idea was that the waiters and waitresses would each be given a tray with three full glasses of water and an opened Red Bull (Red Bull sponsored the event). Using only one hand, the racers would carry their tray as quickly as they could at a walk (no running was allowed!) through a previously laid out course. The course started at the Old Market at the bay front in Roseau, ran all the way to the new market, and then down a side street back to the start to make a loop. The trickiest part of the course was when the racers had to pass through the Old Market- a cluster of close-set stalls which the contestants wove through- all while walking on cobblestones! The whole race was tricky though- they didn't stop traffic or have any race officials to clear people out of the way, so the racers had to dodge cars and shoppers and carry a tray with drinks that got heavy pretty quickly! They had to go through the course twice- it was about a mile in total.

The winner of each category- men and women competed separately- was determined based on finish time and the amount of liquid spilled. The more liquid you spilled from your cups and can of Red Bull, the more of time penalty you would recieve.

I went to the race to cheer for my friends Lindsey and Ike, who work at Comfortel de Champ, a bar and hotel near campus. Lindsey is a spouse, like me. Her boyfriend, Kieran, is also a second semester student at Ross. In order to get support for their two competitors, Hans and Lise, who own De Champ, offered rides to the waiter race, beverages, and t-shirts for 25ec (about 10 dollars US). My friend Ivana, Lindsey's boyfriend Kieran, and I all decided to go cheer her on. It was so much fun! We really enjoyed it.

The most exciting part of the day was when Lindsey placed third! There were about 12 women competing, and Lindsey did very well. She got some amazing prizes! She was so excited. She got a pair of custom leather sandals, dinner for two at Mirage, incense, and a free massage! Oh, and she also received a whole case of Red Bull, since they were the event sponsors. It was a great day! Here's a short video clip of the Old Market section of the race. You can see cars passing by between the racers. This was on the second loop, so they're all pretty tired. You can also hear Lise and I discussing where Ike is- he was near the front on the first lap, but he disappeared on the second! He ended up placing sixth overall. Enjoy the photos as well. Yay for Ike and Lindsey!