"But this is
the ultimate rush: it's you versus not
just your opponent, but your willpower.
Can you stay asleep on command, or do
you have to wake up at some point? If
you can't answer that question, you
might want to test yourself."
Hocker allegedly came up with the game
when he was let go from his bagboy position
at Piggly-Wiggly and had time to kill.
Hocker and his roommate, Paul Schack,
then proceeded to sleep into the next
day, with a $20 wager on whoever slept
the longest. Hocker won easily, clocking
in at eighteen hours straight to relative
lightweight Schack's ten. Hocker knew
right then that he was on to something.
"I knew right then that I was on
to something," Hocker told this
reporter, "so I thought, 'hey,
this could be something.' I'm a big
believer in seizing the moment, so I
went back to sleep to see if I could
beat my old total."
After a dramatic pause, Hocker added,
"And I did...twenty-four hours!"
Organizers at the event have established
a series of ground rules for the competition:
contestants are to consume non-caffeinated
beverages before entering the competition
area, they can bring pillows from home
but blankets and mattresses are provided
for them, and restroom breaks do not
count if they keep at least one eye
partially closed. Also, the lights of
the gymnasium-style amphitheater where
the contest is held will be dimmed so
that a laser show can be set up for
entertainment during the hour-long break
that contestants are allowed.
In accordance with the original Hocker
model of the game, some contestants
who cannot sleep without a television
and/or radio on will be housed separately
from those who require absolute silence
in order to nod off. Special observers
will patrol the areas to ensure that
no one is cheating either by "napping"
or burying their heads in pillows to
stay awake.
The competition, the first in a nationwide
tournament that will make several stops
across the country this summer, is set
to air on ESPN-100 (The Scrabble Network)
in lieu of their normally scheduled
Scrabble tournaments. In addition, a
"celebrity" edition of extreme
sleeping will air in June, featuring
Billy Dee Williams, Horshack from "Welcome
Back, Kotter," and Cousin Oliver
from "The Brady Bunch" as
contestants.
Written
by Faux-Newz Staff Writer
Trev Danger, Washington Correspondent (It's a Living)
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