Actual photo of Carl in mid air while "attempting" to jump the lily pond.
Dead Week, Harding College (now Harding University), December 1976, as Carl "Evil Kinevil" Powell rides "Elmira Lea" through FIRE to attempt to jump the Harding Lilly Pond. Luckily, only a brusied thigh resulted from the crash... Photography by Mike Mason.
It was dead week (the week that nothing goes on but studying for exams) and we were bored. What can I say? I was attending the semi-anual "Patty Cobb Awards Day Banquet" while Mickey Pounders did his famous Billy Graham impersonation as the EmCee. He announced that they had planned to have entertainment, but the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's bus had broken down just outside of Albequrque, NM so they wouldn't be able to make it. I then jokingly said "Hey, I could jump the lillypond with my bicycle!" and he jerked around and said "Howevah, Carl "Evil Kinevil" Powell has graciously offered to JUMP the LILLY POND on his Bicycle!" and that was that. What could I do? I was committed!
So, at the end of the "banquet" (dinner at Patty Cobb hall), I went and changed, got a motorcycle helment, someone searched and found a plank to put up over the curb of the pond and we all had a good time. By the time of the "jump", there must have been 100 to 150 people standing around the pond to see what was going on. Of course, I didn't try to jump it, but only jumped INTO it, then fell over into the water. It was a lot of fun and I got my 15 seconds of fame... sort of... The picture below was actually taken the next semester when we did it again (this time with advertising!) with the added feature of going through FIRE! (well, some ignited lighter fluid on the plank...) Even more fun! If you remember this and want to share your memory with me I'd love to hear from you at carl@cp3.com.
What you see below is me (Carl Powell) breaking a glass Pepsi bottle over the handlebars of the Elmira Lea. Just before this, Mickey Pounders EmCee'd the event and introduced Julie Grobmyer as the "Daredevil Queen." Then, Julie attempted to break the bottle, but it had a thin layer of styrofoam around it and resisted the break. However, the Pepsi took the opportunity to build up some foam and pressure. When I took it from her and broke it over the handlebar, glass and Pepsi went everywhere. Nancy Hannah (seen in the yellow blouse and jeans just above the handlebars) took off her shoes and rolled up her pants and picked up glass from in the fountain. The name "Elmira Lea" was chosen almost at random to make up a good 'ol southern "two-name" using the middle name of an old girlfriend ("Lea" prounounced "Lee"). Photography by Mike Mason.
A picture from the Bison showing Herbie taking a dip! (pattern is from halftone of the newsprint.) Also shown are Perry Cain, Carl Powell, Ray Winters, Phil Hoggard and ??? Who else is this?
