6AM arrived very early this morning. On the way from Brainerd to Ironton, I pulled in to Rotten Ronnie’s to grab something to eat. Alan requested a breakfast burrito. Having spent some time in Texas and Mexico, I’m not terribly sure how they could call that a burrito…but to each his own I guess. The good news is that they could be consumed one-handed while driving to Ironton.

We certainly lucked out on the weather, which is quite a departure from the tornadoes 30 miles away from us last year. Not a hint of rain anywhere, the light breeze and 2 coolers full of lemonade and Diversitea kept us going strong in the moderate heat (88F).

I did my best at this event to harass everyone with the pictures for the website. I’m not sure how we got onto the flashing gang signs kick…you’ll notice the dry gloves and the attempted “M” symbol for Minnesota. I guess you really had to be there to understand how funny it got.

3PM Running out of food! Lunch has been officially over for an hour now, but Alan is still making sure everyone’s eaten something. Since we didn’t really have a solid idea of how many people to expect, food numbers were pretty much a wild guess. It was a good thing we bought those extra 20 burgers. Rocky Balboa (great name for a Boxer) was really appreciative of the burgers that got charred during the big Brat induced flare up.

5:30PM Well, the truck is loaded yet again and ready to return home to DUI for refitting and repairs etc. Nothing to do now but take a few minutes to sit and absorb some of the scenery, while hanging out with the Crew that made this event happen. What a great group. We’re truly blessed to have such dedicated and excited friends within the DUI family.

It is very difficult to single out anyone person in recognition of their efforts, since each step in the Demo Day process relies on the previous step being done well. Each of the dive shops represented really stepped up to the plate for this our second visit to Ironton. There are a few people that I did not get to thank sufficiently in the melee that is DOG Truck loading:

Dennis – last year an event attendee (at Wazee) and this year a DOG handling 2 to 3 stations by himself at times, and coming through with the “in the middle of the woods internet connection” to look up proof of certification for a diver that forgot their c-card. (Yes…we do check those!) <g>

Bonnie & Steph deftly handled the often over-looked yet critical BeachMaster duties. Thanks for pulling it together down at the lakeside and making sure that divers had a safe and enjoyable dive. Judging by the happy divers (especially Ron) things went really well! Steph…where’d you get that cool little tent thingy?

Rick Van Raden – the man, the myth, the legend. Thanks for all of your support and for bringing a great crew.

Our dive leaders Jim, Carmen (Northland Equipment), Chuck, Dean (SCUBA Dive & Travel) …ahhh…I know I’m forgetting someone and for that I apologize. Y’all were awesome! Working under the waves means that people don’t get to see much of you on the surface. Thanks for making things seamless, safe, and enjoyable for all.

All told, we gave over 50 divers their first ever, unforgettable drysuit experience, which they are sure to talk about for many years to come! You made some life-long divers today, and grew the sport we all love just a little bit. It is also important to note that we did not have even 1 diver enter the water with their dry zipper open (that’s a first for this year). Each of the shops supporting the event really stepped up their games and came through in a big way. As much as we love doing these events, it really cannot happen without their effort and support.

11:30 PM After a few hours of iPod time on the drive back to the city, and a quick dinner (talking about ways to improve on Demo Days in general), it’s time to crash for a few hours before the flight back to SAN…in the middle seat again. <sigh>