Tube to Work Day

I met up with some friends for a run along the Boulder Creek pathway on Tuesday morning, and I'm sure glad that I did! We were in the right place at the right time to see people gathering for Tube to Work Day.

Only in Boulder would this crazy event not just exist but thrive. It started in 2008 when two friends decided to float to work instead of driving/walking/biking. Yesterday, about 200 people showed up to brave the freezing waters of Boulder Creek.

I missed the actual tubing part, so these pictures are not mine. 

In advance of the event, the founder advised bringing a wetsuit, a business suit (this is the only non-practical item on the list), an inflated tube, a helmet, and a bus pass; tubers were encouraged to leave their cars at home and take public transportation instead. When we ran by the designated starting point at about 7:15 A.M., eager tubers were already strapping on helmets and talking excitedly. I saw a fancy news camera on a tripod, aimed at the river. At 7:50 when we passed by again, the initial few had exploded into a crowd. People wore wacky business attire (some more business-like than others) and had all kinds of floatation devices: some simple black inner tubes, some pool toys, and one shaped like an inflatable swan.

I had to get to work (not by tube), unfortunately, and couldn't stay, and I think we missed the launch by only a few minutes. The event started in a park and was set to end wherever people needed to get out of the river to walk to their offices. I heard that tubers got stuck on rocks a lot in past years, but this year high water levels thanks to our never-ending rain helped, as did the number of people in the river bumping into each other.

I knew in advance about Tube to Work day and had forgotten about it. Even if I'd remembered, though, I don't know if I'd have decided to brave that freezing water. On the other hand, how many people get the chance to participate in something like this? Maybe next year...