Bolt!

This blog is to introduce a new game that we have named "Bolt!" it's because online I saw it called "BolO Ladder Toss" and Bolt! sounds cooler. So, we've renamed it. Josh and I were looking for something REALLY cool to give Randy for his birthday and house warming present. We shopped and shopped and couldn't' find anything cool enough. Then we remembered this game that Josh's family plays and realized it was the perfect gift. So, we built it and presented it to Randy yesterday. Fortunately he liked it. :)

Here is the recipe for the game:

Ingredients:
PVC pipe (we used 3/4 inch) cut in the following lengths:
18 at 32" each
4 at 20" each
4 at 18" each
4 at 16" each
12 PVC connector elbows
12 PVC Tee joints
12 golf balls (you need at least 2 different colors to distinguish between 2 teams)
6 lengths of nylon rope (you want the space between the golf balls to be about 16"-18" so cut them a little longer than that to allow for knot tying.

Build 2 of the stands as shown in the photo diagram.

The space between the top and second rung should be 16 inches, between 2nd and 3rd run is 18 inches and between the 3rd rung and the ground is 20 inches. Drill holes through the golf balls. Thread the nylon rope through 2 golf balls and tie the ends (so there is 1 golf ball at each end). We also burned the ends of the rope so they wouldn't fray and fall apart.

To play:

Set up the 2 stands about 20 feet apart (depending on your desired field size). 1 person from each team should stand by each Bolt! stand. (If it's boys against girls, Jamie and Cameron stand at one end of the field, and Josh and Amy stand at the other.) 2 players (on the same end of the field) have 3 BOLT golf ties each and alternate throwing them one at a time to try to "ring" a rung on the ladder. The top rung is 3 points, middle is 2 points and the bottom is 1 point.

After both players have thrown all 3 of their golf ties, THEN you score, if any golf ties were knocked or blown off by other throws, they do not count for points. They have to last through the round (all 6 throws) to count. If there are 2 golf ties from opposing teams occupying the same rung, no points are awarded (so you can "steal" or negate somebody else's points by ringing a tie on the rung they already hit OR by knocking their tie off the rung). If (when) the girls team has 2 golf ties on the 3 point rung, and the boys only managed to get 1 tie on the 3 point rung (because girls rule and boys drool), the girls are then awarded 3 points (the boys steal or ruin our first hit, but the second one still counts...). The first team to get EXACTLY 21 points wins.

If a team goes over 21 points, they revert back to 11 points and the game is still in play. This goes on until somebody hits 21 exactly.

A sample round would look like this:

Jamie throws (because Cameron lets girls go first) and hits the 2 point rung. Cameron throws and hits the 1 point rung. Jamie throws and it hits the 3 point, but bounces off. Cameron throws and hits air. Jamie throws and hits 3 point line. Cameron throws and hits the 2 point line. Scoring for that toss would be: Girls: 3 Boys: 1 (both hits on the 2 point line wash each other and nobody gets points).

Then Josh and Amy remove the golf ties from the Stand and throw toward the stand Jamie and Cameron are by. Since Cameron was the last person to "score" (by hitting the 2 point line) the boys go first. Josh hits the 3 (miracle of miracles!). Amy hits the 3 (that never happens, but it sounds like fun). Josh hits the squirrel behind the Stand. Amy hits Cameron's toe (I'm not very good at this game). Josh hits the 2 point line. Amy hits Jamie (I overcompensated). Girls: 3 (thanks Jamie!) Boys: 3 (1 from Cameron's previous and 2 from Josh). Then it's Jamie and Cameron's turn again. The boys never really get higher than 5 points, and the girls go on to get 22 (which makes them go back to 11) and then back up to 21 while the boys are still trying desperately to get even 1 point (the boys are embarrassed that the girls lapped them, but that's life). Jamie and I pretty much school Cameron and Josh at all the games we play.

This game is HIGHLY recommended for pretty much anybody for a few reasons. 1. The girls pretty much always win. 2. It's storable - and EASILY set up. We take it camping, to picnics, in the backyard anywhere. It's really easy because it all breaks down to the PVC pipes and it's very mobile. 3. Everybody looks like a dork doing it, so I don't get embarrassed as much. 4. Sometimes Garret (my 8 year old nephew) throws the best hand of the game - and that's just plain cool.