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Tuesday, October 10, 2017

"The Flip" by Christopher A


I was waiting in Walker Longue for the breakfast halls to open up to start. It was my first day back from Pomona College ever since sophomore year. I was groggy and out of submission attempting to gather my thoughts of what this summer holds for me. Luckily, I had my friend Jose to keep me awake as we discussed all the fond memories from last year and how incredibly difficult the math assignments were going to be. As we were catching up, he mentions that we should participate in the talent show and do something that was incredibly ridiculous, but requires a bit of skill. At first, I was listening all of his suggestions half-heartedly knowing that my timid nature wouldn’t even allow me to step foot upon a stage not much less embarrassing myself in front of the entire program. He finally came up with a suggestion we both agreed: flipping a water bottle along with accompanying music. And with that our journey to understand the intricacies of the water bottle flip challenge began. Starting off we just found any adjacent water bottles filled it up with random amounts of water and began flipping water bottles in hopes that it would magically hit the table. However, as we began practicing around the campus we began experimenting with different variables like the shape of the bottle, the amount of water placed inside the bottle, and the minimum amount of force that needs to be exerted by the hand. Every time we went back home for the weekend, we would come back with 20-30 water bottles to make sure our supply never fell short. As we progressively improved, we also had to make sure that we were in sync when flipping the water bottle, and that both bottles land on the table in coordination with the music. This was the most difficult part of the trick because if only one of us lands the bottle on the table, while the other misses or if both of us miss the landing it would ruin our act completely. So in order to ensure that this wouldn’t happen we practiced our every day for 3 weeks. Jose and I would wake up at the break of the dawn and practice by playing
games that would “hone our skills” such as attempting to land the bottle in ridiculous places such as on top of a fire alarm and also having a streak of who could land the water bottle the most times in a row. Our efforts attempting to master the bottle flip inspired the rest of the community to take part in the challenge and sounds of thuds against a table could be heard across campus.
The night of the talent show finally arrived. After weeks of practicing, experimenting, and becoming synchronized with one another it was time to demonstrate the fruits of our labor. As we were awaiting our turn to perform my heart seemed to be beating out my chest and my palms were drenched in sweat. Too many thoughts were passing through my mind such as: What if we over performed the trick in front of everyone and it lost its novelty? What if I miss my landing? What if he misses his? What if we both miss? All those thoughts were quickly pushed aside as the host called us up to the stage. We dragged a table to the center of the stage and placed our water bottles on top of the table and queued the host to start the music. We waited for the proper timing for the music and once we both recognized the designated queue in the song we grabbed the water bottle from the table and flipped it when the beat in the song changed. Both of the water bottles landed in unison with the music! The entire room roared with applause and cheering I was still in complete shock that we actually landed it on queue. The shock quickly subsided when we and some of the audience members began jumping up and ushered us off the stage in excitement. Later that night, Jose and I both acknowledged our hard work but also recognized all the time we spent attempting to follow an internet trend. But even though it was frustrating and difficult to get down I wouldn’t trade the time spent on learning how to flip a water bottle for anything in the world.

30 comments:

  1. So i was looking through all of the writing submitted this month, trying to find something deep and original when i came across your submition not expecting to read what i read, never expecting to have enjoyed a piece about bottle flipping but this was so funny and interesting to me that i absolutely had to finish reading. You took something so simple and made it into a learning and fun experience that you will always remember.

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  2. Chris, this was such a cute story! I think I saw a video of this on twitter (if my memory serves me well). Knowing the type of person you are, I was a bit surprised to see you wrote a semi personal piece. However since you are who you are, it was of course beautifully written and still incredibly intellectual (even though you wrote about young a friend flipping bottles). I was also fond of how descriptive you made it, it was as if I too was flipping water bottles with you and Jose!

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  3. I admire the little details in explaining the process of learning to master the art form of flipping water bottles. Describing the different factors like bottle shape and amounts of water, helped me visualize what you were doing as if I were there with you, I love the dedication great story!

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  4. The title gave me a different mindset of your story before reading, but when I read your story I couldn't help but laugh! I wasn't expecting bottle flipping to be "The Flip". Anywho, as I collect myself from hysterically laughing, this piece was indeed realistic in a way I found myself relating to it and connecting. I thank you for writing this piece for it has made my day.

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  5. Wow Chris, I would have never had thought all the detail in this story would be about a simple bottle flip. Great way to get the readers attention. I could not stop reading, and i'm glad the flip was successful. Great work!

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  6. I remember seeing the video of this talent show so hearing the story behind it was really cool. I loved how you described the science and experimentation behind nailing the bottle flip. Your personality really showed through in the piece in the way you described all the time and meticulous calculations put into your performance.

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  7. I really enjoyed this story. I love how you, as the speaker, was able to grow as a person and in your writing it definitely showed that. The tone seemed shy and timid, at first, but as you continue to read you can see how you grew as a person and gained some confidence and definitely stepped out of you comfort zone. I overall enjoyed this story. I'm proud of you Chris!

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  8. The way you described what was going on in your mind and with your body while you were nervous was very relatable. I could imagine how your heart was racing out of nervousness because of the strong use of imagery that you used to describe the moment. As I was reading towards the end, I was able to replay that video you posted on Twitter in my head again and I giggled a little bit because I knew exactly what was going on. Thank you for sharing this moment and for making me laugh.

    Maya Berdeja

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  9. I loved your piece on water flipping. It was very entertaining in the sense that you were able to write such a descriptive story on the topic of water bottle flipping. Your use of details on the hard work and emotions gone into the ordeal was incredible. Great Job.
    - Eric Kim

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  10. Alejandro QuintanillaOctober 16, 2017 at 11:57 AM

    I really enjoyed your person account of a triumph that to an outsider might seem quite trivial, but the story and the challenge truly captivate a sense of perseverance and stepping out of one's comfort zone in a very relatable way.

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  11. Great job Chris! I did not know there could be so much detail in a story about bottle flipping and how many variables there are in the art of bottle flipping. Also, congrats on landing the flip!

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  12. I remember you talking about this. It was just yesterday but clearly had an impact on your life. I think now more than ever we are influenced by social media but rather than it being a negative thing it provides us with something to relate to. I know for a fact there are many people who wouldn't have made the extra effort to talk if it weren't for social media. Thanks for the great story also i have a GIF still of you freaking out to it ;) - Alexis Padilla

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  13. I was looking through the titles of the articles and yours stood out and made me wonder what it was about. I love this story it shows practice makes perfect ! And how hard work pays off . I enjoyed the details , it really painted a picture in my mind while I was reading it !

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  14. The impact of your description and sensory details are very impressive.... I felt my heart racing and butterflies in my stomach as you and your friend attempted this feat. The power to put a reader into your shoes masterfully displays your skill as a writer.

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  15. I remember you telling me about that day! It's so nostalgic to think about how much time has passed since then and how we've both grown! I enjoyed how you were able to relate such a story in a humorous way. I'm proud of how you've been able to push yourself out of your comfort zone and share a more personal story with all of us. Nice job Chris!

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  16. This was such a sweet story. You were able to find so much joy in a bottle flip.The amount of sensory details you used caused me to view bottle flipping as an art rather than a silly pastime. Good job, Chris!

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  17. Wow Chris, this was truly inspirational and quite the read. I remember being there as well, witnessing the preparation happen, but never knew that you both went to this extent to accomplish it. This post shows your courage and determination, even if they task might have been as simple, or silly, as flipping a water bottle. This brought back so many memories from that summer with the use of specific detail and imagery,so thank you for that. - Jennifer Kirksey

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  18. Chris when I first saw the title, "The Flip" and after knowing you for the past 8 years, I was expecting a fairly serious piece but I never could of imagined at the time that I would be laughing hysterically at your piece of writing throughout the whole story. Chris you did great man and I think your story was hilarious and a well-written masterpiece.

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  19. Initially, I thought the story would be really serious, because of it's succinct title, but it was lighthearted and funny. I love the self-awareness throughout the piece; how acknowledged the slight absurdity of following a fad, but going through with it anyways.

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  20. Seeing the post on twitter and other social media platforms was so funny! When we came back to school it was all that everyone talked about for a while. PAYS sounded super fun and I'm glad you were chosen to participate! I hope that you learned a lot and made new friends, and possibly even find someone...? Just teasing! I enjoyed reading your point of view and hope to hear more stories from you!

    - Travis L.

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  21. Very funny in my mind, because I remember the summer where you did this. I saw multiple videos of you guys at the talent show. Great to see how to you narrated your story!

    Jeremiah Credo, Period 1

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  22. Wow. I found it intriguing that you were able to take an internet trend and transform it into an event the reader could follow along. I enjoyed the thrill of discovering how you guys would end up performing. Great job!

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  23. Wow. I found it intriguing that you were able to take an internet trend and transform it into an event the reader could follow along. I enjoyed the thrill of discovering how you guys would end up performing. Great job!
    -Ravreet Kang

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  24. This is a great narrative about an seemingly ordinary internet fad. PAYS sounded super fun according to everyone who participated! You displayed incredible determination and effort in an effort to avoid embarrassment.

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  25. this was truly so captivating and never would i expect someone to write about something such as this topic. the work was amazingly structured. great work!!

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  26. Chris, this was a very different and fresh story from the others! I realy enjoyed to read this story of your hardwork of flipping the bottle!

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  27. This story was very interesting in the best kinda way, I found myself finishing the last sentence with a smile because I was able to relate simple happy experiences with my friends and also have that feeling of I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.

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  28. Wow!!! This is very inspiring !! I am amazed how you spent so much time and effort to accomplish the exact outcome you wanted. I loved how you used such a simple act as bottle flipping that is such a huge thing in society today And comparing it into anything you do. My interpretation that I got from this is that anything that you do and anything you put your mind to all you need to do is put effort and motivation into it. So thank you and great job!

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  29. Hey Chris. I loved how this story talked about one of your own memorable experiences in the PAYS program. Just make sure to mention it in your post, as not everyone knows about it! Aside from some sentence structure errors that you should watch out for, your narrative was great overall.

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  30. Wow I feel like I too know how to flip water bottles properly and get them to land them every time. This was a great story to teach us all the proper technique.

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