The Charlotte Observer
Published Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Bragging rights are at stake this weekend
16 High school chums to compete in Waite Challenge
By STEVE LYTTLE

It was 1990, a decade since he had graduated from South Mecklenburg High School, and Mike Waite was weary of the trash-talking. Every time he and his high school buddies gathered, they would argue about who was in the best shape - fastest, strongest, most athletic. "I got tired of it," Waite said. "So I started the Waite Challenge."

Friday and Saturday, 16 men - most of whom have known each other since their high school days - will gather for their annual test of body vs. the aging process. They will compete against each other, but also against the ravages of time, in the 10th Waite Challenge. "We help keep Ben-Gay in business," said Waite, 38, who has compiled a strange combination of events that tests physical strength, hand-eye coordination and pure competitive desire. Over a period of 28 hours, these gladiators - each a 1980 graduate of a high school in southern Mecklenburg County - will compete for trophies and a share of the prize money they have put up themselves. "Some of these guys have stayed in pretty good shape and are fairly athletic," Waite said. "There are a couple who compete in triathlons and run marathons. But more than a few of us haven't done quite as well with ourselves."

Then again, it isn't all a matter of pure physical ability. After all, if you can't do well in the three-mile run, there's always the bowling event. And if weightlifting isn't your cup of tea, how about miniature golf?
"When I put this together, I tried to come up with a wide range of events - something for everyone," said Waite, who works for an engineering firm and is married with five children. He said the challenge was an immediate hit among the entrants, which numbered seven in 1990. But, Waite added, the trash-talking before the event and the social bonding are also important aspects. "Technology has been a boon to the trash-talking," he said. "You should see the e-mails we send each other!"

One example: In a recent note, Waite describes charter Waite Challenge entrant Bob Beard this way: "You'll always get all he's got, even if it's nothing." And some of the challenge entrants taunted fellow competitor Jay Johnson by saying his wife had failed to sign Jay's permission slip to compete. "It gets nasty," Waite said.
Then again, the two-day challenge is a chance to renew friendships. After Friday's events, the group will retire to a nearby watering hole for refreshments and talk. They'll have dinner together Saturday evening and finish with an awards ceremony. Some of the men's wives and children will be among the spectators. "It gives us a chance to catch up on each other's lives," Waite said. All but one of the competitors live in Charlotte, although some have moved to other cities during the past 10 years but traveled back to the Queen City for the challenge.
The Waite Challenge's organizer said Mecklenburg residents can see some of the entrants on a sidewalk near them. "If you see a seemingly out-of-shape guy jogging, there's a good chance he's getting ready for the Challenge," Waite said.

Reach Steve Lyttle at (704) 358-5006 or at slyttle@charlotteobserver.com.

The Waite Challenge
Here is a list of Waite Challenge events: Friday: Three-mile run; 100-yard swim; weightlifting; basketball shooting. Saturday: Sprints; relay race; punt, pass and kick; team touch football (four-on-four); soccer kicking; home run derby; team (four-on-four) basketball; golf; miniature golf; bowling; darts.

"Some of these guys have stayed in pretty good shape and are fairly athletic. There are a couple who compete in triathlons and run marathons. But more than a few of us haven't done quite as well with ourselves."

Mike Waite
Founder of the Waite Challenge