Last week it was that time again: the annual Conics Team Day Out. After several years of continually pushing boundaries – we think of wall climbing, diving with tanks, and racing with off-road scooters and go-karts – it was time for a new version. But the organisers must have thought: What could be better than a self-made game? And just like every year, the day's schedule was kept a secret for as long as possible.
After the colleagues warmed up with a breakfast coffee at the office, a small hint of what was to come was revealed: we would be spending the day 'outside'. The teams were formed, and after a brief briefing, it quickly became clear that we would be playing our own Vuelta del Westhoek today: we would be covering a local cycling route, peppered with tasks. Call it a little De Mol. Our mole, however, was not among the participants but came from the organising committee and would also be fighting with unequal weapons.
“Recognising cola? I can do that!” Team Brian cleared the cola table by blind tasting all the cups and correctly naming them on the spot, while the beer tasters were a bit slower (but let’s be honest, how many beers are on the market, and how many colas…). At the beautiful destination of Lijssenthoek, the task was to complete 3 puzzles per team as quickly as possible. The puzzle stress quickly turned into cheerful giggles: our mole had secretly managed to obtain childhood photos from our family! “Recognising cola? I can do that!” Team Brian cleared the cola table by blind tasting all the cups and correctly naming them on the spot, while the beer tasters were a bit slower (but let’s be honest, how many beers are on the market, and how many colas…). At the beautiful destination of Lijssenthoek, the task was to complete 3 puzzles per team as quickly as possible. The puzzle stress quickly turned into cheerful giggles: our mole had secretly managed to obtain childhood photos from our family! During the afternoon, we enjoyed the sunshine and lunch on the rooftop terrace at Bar Bernard in Watou. After an entertaining game of bolletra (does anyone actually know the rules?) to the beats of some good schlager music, the teams cycled towards Poperinge. There, a new shockwave went through the team during coffee, as the mole not only managed to extract childhood photos from our family. He also returned with some impressive stories, which the teams had to link to the right colleague in a quiz round. The bike ride concluded with a final sprint towards Ypres, the e-bike battery had to endure it.
This CO2-neutral top day was concluded with a friendly meal, during which the impressive stories were systematically toned down. The cycling times were meanwhile added up, the task bonuses awarded, but the final result was mysteriously concealed and never communicated. Participating is more important than winning, isn't it? The battery of our E-mole did not run out. It is still being spotted on the Westhoek (main) roads...