WILLKOMMEN TO THE STARTENFÜSTE!

Hallo Füsters!

GG’s aware you’re probably on information overload after perusing the WF24 Rule Book and Quick Start Guide (for the Neo-Füstes) but as tomorrow’s the start of Winterfüste, GG just wanted to touch base and set you up for success . . .

• Remember, nothing to do tomorrow but play the game. Stay away from your mouth hole, get outside and exercise (for those in NorCal, you might want to plan on a morning workout as rain is supposed to start after noon). First report off to GG using your Daily Reporting Tool is due on Wednesday by noon.

• Week 0 has few bonus opportunities so you can concentrate on easing into things. But that’s not to say there’s nothing extra to do. You can start your Stairs training with 10 flights and your Long Winter Wog with a one mile run or walk or anything in between. On the Haus side of the game, you can earn your first card of the Poker Run by simply turning in your Startenfüste Assessment and weigh-in (more on that below) . . . and you can always score bonuspunkte for your Haus if you happen to be lucky enough to see a long dog in the wild! You can click here to go direct to the Bonus page if needed.

• Click here for the link to the Startenfüste Assessment. This is required on Day 1 as it will set a number of the parameters that each Füster will work with for the game.

• Don’t forget to weigh-in first thing in the morning and then send GG a pic of the scale (if your feet are on it, please, for the love of Gott, wear socks . . . ). You’ll want this number to compare with on the Finalefüste cause it should be at least 15-20 points lighter.

• If you didn’t notice in the Rule Book, The Füste is now going to be broadcasting from a new app called “Threads”. It’s basically Facebook’s take on Twitter and all you need is your Instragram log-in info to get on board. Search of GGROLAR or The Füste. GG will be using this as the primary nightly communication venue.

Okay, that’s more than enough for tonight. GG’s happy you’re here and he’s looking forward to the amazing things you’re going to accomplish over the next 9 weeks of Winterfüste! Have a great night and we’ll catch you in the AM for the Startenfüste!

May the Füste be ever with you!
GG

WINTERFÜSTE '24!

Hallo former Füsters!

Griswalde Grolär here, Geschäftsführer of the Füste, announcing that registration for Winterfüste ‘24 is now open and we here at Füste HQ have some big news!

First, after taking stock of the last few years of game play, we’re returning to the Füste’s origins and re-focusing on what Herr Doktor Mediziner Schneebärtchen considered the core principal of the Füste . . . the battle against the compounding consequences of a holiday season filled to the brim with gluttony and sloth! Winterfüste ‘24 is going to double down on your health and fitness by bringing the game back to the basics. GG has designed a new version of the game that embraces some of the original Füsting concepts first presented on the Spielbrett over 225 years ago in Bavaria!

Here’s just a couple examples of what you have to look forward to in the New Year:

• The individual game will be stripped down and focused in on your personal growth and post holiday rehabilitation! It’s going to be less about bonus play and more about the daily grind of earning your punkte and punishing that flank meat. Prepare to meet your maker, Flankenfleisch! This also means that you can top the leader board without have to take a selfie under a full moon or dress up like a Squat Lobster! In addition, GG is restructuring the individual game to include a legacy ranking system whereby a player can earn a specifically designated rank at the completion of each Füste and this designation will move forward with them to each future event. For instance, finish the game in the top 3 and earn your Goldener Gürtel. Finish in the top 10, Silbener Gürtel for you. Top 25, that’s a Bronzegürtel. Once a Gürtel is earned, you’ll keep and carry it into your next Füsting event. So maybe you don’t need to worry so much about achieving Bestenfüste and can spend more energy on trying to improve your overall ranking game over game, eh?

• But what if you really like the bonus play? Well, don’t worry, Füster, cause GG’s got you covered. Going back through the journals of Herr Schneebärtchen, GG found a repeated reference to a long forgotten touchstone of the original Füste, namely the Spielhaus. When Füsting was first introduced in 1798, each player was sorted into one of four Spielhauser: Bärenhaus, Wolfshaus, Drachenhaus and Wienerhaus. These four houses and their members would go on to represent the elite of the Füsting world for over 100 hundred years before being overshadowed by the impacts of the ever shifting geopolitical dynamics of the early 20th Century. Well, GG’s going old school and resurrecting these great and proud game houses to return them to their former glory. Each Füster will be placed in their appropriate Haus after visiting with the Sortierhelm . . . and as with the original Füsters, your Haus assignment is permanent and will follow you year after year for your Füsting career! Bonuspunkte and much of the extra game play will be collected within the footprint of your Haus and not only can you win your Haus outright but during each Füste all four Hauser will compete for the ultimate designation of Bestenhaus!

That’s just a couple examples of some of the innovative game play coming to you in Winterfüste ‘24. But one last thing before GG sends you over to the registration page . . . It’s a proven fact that you stand a better chance of Füsting success if you surround yourself with friends and family who are on the same 9 week journey as you. To help with this, GG’s going to cut you a deal: recruit five new or former Füsters and you’ll get a free entry to Winterfüste ‘24. You heard GG right, bring five players to the game and you’ll get your $100 entry fee waived. There are worse things in this world then dropping flank meat and looking good naked without cracking open your wallet, amiright?

Okay, that’s enough for now . . . GO HERE TO REGISTER FOR WINTERFÜSTE ‘24 and we’ll see you on the Spielbrett on the morning of January 2nd, 2024! Have a happy Christmas!

Week 5: Back Half

Hallo Füsters!

Well, we made it to the halfway point and as expected, Sömmer Kamp remains the bear it’s always been. It is some kind of sadistic to deny people their right to a cold drink and a toatsted s’more on a warm Sömmer evening but then that’s how the flank meat wins so . . . here we are, the final 30 or so players for 2023. Four weeks left in the game, one more week of Doppelts before the final push and the glorious pain that is the Trippelt Schmerzenfüste!

But for now . . . onward!

• Fastentag #5, Monday, August 7th. You know what to do (or rather, what not to do). Sunset is 07:01pm for SoCal, 07:37pm for NorCal.

• You got 50 flights of stairs this week BUT it’s the first time that your weekly vertical suffering will be worth +3p so there’s that.

• Sömmer Kamp Challenge Course for Week 5: Time one of your workouts to end right at sunset this week. Attach a pic of said sunset to your STRAVA post of the workout and title it: “The Sun Never Sets on the Füste!”. Score +1p bonus.

• GG realized a little late that he made a mistake with the Cycling Doppelt Schmerzenfüste parameter. It’s been corrected.

• Remember, this coming Sunday is the end of Periode II and all associated bonuses must be complete by midnight. If you’ve been stacking them up, you’ve only got 7 days left (only one bonus allowed each day!)!

• Speaking of bonuses, only two new ones posted for Week 5: GO HERE.

That’s it for now. Halfway point of the game is a good time to start thinking about your Drachenfüste and what you’re going to put yourself through to earn that über bonus. It’ll be September before we know it!

GG

Week 4: Approaching the Half-Way Point!

Evening Füsters!

Three weeks down, five to go! So far, GG’s been fairly impressed with the Sömmer Kampers as Füsting during the hot months is no easy feat. But let’s not waste time talking about yesterday! On with the update!

• This week is fairly light on new bonuses. Sömmer Kamp Challenge (ice skating), 40 more flights of stairs and the second elevation hike bonus (2023ft) are all posted for your enjoyment starting tomorrow (Monday, July 31st). Don’t forget that the bonuses for last week’s after dark workout, walk in the park and exercise class are all still good if you haven’t knocked them out yet!

• Fourth Fastentag is tomorrow. Clear liquids only starting at sunup and going to sunset (07:07pm for SoCal, 07:44pm for NorCal).

• Next weekend you’ll get hit with your Midterm so hopefully you’ve been doing some of the Sömmer Skul homework that’s been assigned! There’ll definitely be (at least) a 90 second plank so go ahead and book some time for suffering next Sunday!

• Also, Tuesday is National Night Out, which just happens to correspond with the first full moon bonus of Sömmer Kamp! To make things easy, you can earn your +1p bonus by simply attending or taking part in a National Night Out activity or get together. If you don’t want to do that, just be prepared to howl at the moon after dark!

• One last thing, GG is struggling with the best way to share game information on a daily basis. Once upon a time, before an evil megalomaniac took over Twitter and literally X’d out the cute little bird logo for no clear reason, GG would send out an (almost) nightly update on that platform. But now he doesn’t really feel right about it. So, GG is taking an unofficial poll. Text GG your social media preference for updates: IG, FB, uh, maybe even STRAVA could work. Let GG know what you think (and if you do actually read this all the way through and send GG a suggestion, he’ll personally score you a +1p bonus bonus on Tuesday!)

That’s it for now. Have a great Week 4 and as always, may the Füste be with you!

GG

Week 3: On to Periode II

Füsters!

Congrats on finishing out the introduction period of Sömmer Kamp ‘23 (Periode I)! GG’s seeing a lot of good game play so far. He knows Sömmer Kamp (and Summer time in general) is always a real challenge for the Füsters so it’s really impressive to see you guys outside exercising in the heat and denying yourself the ice cold adult beverage afterwards (which is why GG allowed for a free Drunkenpunkte on the final day of Periode I). Keep it up cause we’re now entering the meat of the game and Periode II!

Now, on with the updates!

• Periode II introduces Doppelt workouts. You may complete four Doppelt workouts each week during Periode II (Weeks 3-5). The other three days of each week will be Singelt workouts only. Entirely up to you which days you do a Doppelt and which days you do a Singelt, as long as you abide by the four Doppelts only rule. Also remember, Doppelt parameters are either two separate Singelt workouts on the same day or a specifically defined double workout (go HERE for the details).

• And while we’re on the topic of workout parameters, GG has noted a couple things that he’d like to address. First, please make sure you are either posting your completed workouts to STRAVA for verification OR you’re sending GG the required heart rate proof of your workout (this is all covered ad nauseam in the game Rulebook). You need to do one or the other to earn your exercise punkte. GG has to be able to confirm that you did what you said you did. And second, please remember that in order to earn your daily point/points (+1p for a Singelt, +2p for a Doppelt) you must complete a workout that meets or exceeds the required parameters! For instance, if you score yourself +1p for completing a 5K run, you must run the entire 5K distance within the required time! If you only run 2 miles, that will not earn you the +1p for the workout! Complete the entire workout within the required parameters and you’ll earn your punkte and live to play on in GG’s good graces!

• For those who have been carrying around 15 extra pounds to shorten the walk/hike exercise parameter, Periode II now increases the load to 30 pounds. Want a shorter Singelt? Carrying 30 pounds gets you down to three miles. Want a shorter Doppelt? Carrying 30 pounds reduces your walk to 5 miles! You can thank GG later!

• Tomorrow (Monday, July 24th) is the 3rd dawn to dusk Fastentag of the game. And no, it’s not your imagination, they get harder each week! So, clear liquids only from sunup to sundown (07:12pm for SoCal, 07:50pm for NorCal). Get it done!

• New bonuses have been released! Remember, all Periode I bonuses are no longer valid so make sure you review the Bonuspunkte page to see what’s what in Periode II! Go HERE now for more information!

• Homework requirements have been updated for Periode II. Don’t forget that there is Midterm on August 6th to confirm you’ve been doing your homework regularly (and GG has it on good authority there will be something close to a 2 min plank involved!).

• Week 3’s Sömmer Kamp Challenge Course: miniature golf! Check the Bonuspunkte page for more!

• Keep your eyes peeled for a Periode II Tracking Sheet that will be texted to your phones in the coming days to help you keep organized in this second game period!

That’s if for now! Hope you guys are having fun and that you’ve got your flank meat on the run! The first day of Periode II is a great day to weigh in and check your progress. If you’ve been Füsting to GG’s expectations (and why wouldn’t you be??), you should have lost several pounds by now. If you haven’t then you need to take a good look at what you’ve been doing for the last two weeks! The Füste works but you have to put the effort in. GG has complete faith in you and knows you’ve got this!

Have a great Week 3!

Griswalde Grolar

Week 2: The Heat Cometh . . .

Hallo Füsters!

Week 1 is behind us and GG will keep this short and sweet since we’re still in the beginnings of the game . . .

• New bonuses are posted. Remember that only the Walk in the Park bonus from last week carries forward into Week 2 and is still live through next Sunday (the end of Periode I). If you did the walk last week however, you cannot do it again this week. It’s one and done!

• Don’t forget that tomorrow (Monday, July 17th) is the second Fastentag of the Sömmer Kamp and as such you’re allowed only clear liquids from dawn to dusk (that’s 07:53pm for NorCal and 07:15pm for SoCal).

• The Sömmer Kamp Challenge Course continues with the second challenge of the game and what would be more meta then a game within a game? To score this week’s +1p bonus, set up a backyard game on the lawn (e.g. croquet, cornhole, lawn darts, whatever you’ve got) and play a couple rounds with friends and/or family. Send GG a pic of the festivities to earn our punkte!

• Don’t forget to do your homework!

That’s it for now . . . Have a great week!

GG

SK23 Week 1

Evening Füsters and welcome to Week 1 of Sömmer Kamp!

Hopefully you all had a good weekend and didn’t leave any punkte behind for Krampus to find (yes, that diabolical fiend is active off season!) . . . GG is pretty much referring to the Ice Bucket Allowance. You can still get it done tonight and claim your +3p bonus on tomorrow’s DRT. You know what to do!

Now for Week 1 details:

• Bonuses have been released (go HERE). Please pay attention to the information in the descriptions. Two of this week’s bonuses are only valid through next Sunday, July 16th (that’s the Sömmer Challenge Course and Treppenfüste Week 1 bonuses). After Sunday, those punkte will no longer be available to score.

• Sömmer Skul Homework has been assigned (go HERE). Remember, to pass the Midterm, you’re going to need to do your homework! And no “the long dog ate it” excuses either (although there’s no doubt that if it was edible, a long dog would eat it).

• Tomorrow (Monday, July 10th) is the first dawn to dusk Fastentag (fasting day). Clear liquids only until the sun goes down at approximately 20:35 hours (8:35PM). Prepare to get hangry!

That’s it for tonight. We’ll keep this one short and sweet. Hope you are all feeling good after a couple days off the sugar and sauce and have some sore muscles from giving your flank me what for. Have a great Week 1 and GG will catch up with you on the flip side!

GG

PS . . . There’s a slight typo on the Periode 1 Bonus Tracking Sheet that GG sent out. The Ice Bucket Allowance is only worth +3p, not +4p. GG’s got fat fingers right now. It’s why we Füste!

Sömmer Kamp 2023!

Evening Füsters!

Welcome to the 2023 edition of Sömmer Kamp, a Füsting event designed for only the most dedicated and extreme of Füsters. Winterfüste is hard enough on its own but throw the long warm days of Summer on top of things along with the proclivity to want to cool off those warm days by lazing about in a hammock with an ice cold adult beverage in your hand and not only do you have the perfect breeding ground for flank meat but also a landscape designed to make Füsting as difficult as humanly possible (which is why only about one quarter of those who play the game in the cold months have the fortitude to take it on in the hot ones). So let GG be the first to complement you on the journey you’re about to embark on. Few would walk this road willingly!

Most reading this already know how the game is played but it never hurts to review the Rule Book for game changes and updates (go HERE to make quick work of it). To help the Füsters ease into the next eight weeks, GG has put together a list of new information and requirements that you’ll want to pay strict attention to . . . so let’s get it on!

• Game play starts tomorrow at 6am . . . that means no more sugar or alcohol till Labor Day weekend . . . and get ready to run, ride, swim or whatever you do to earn that punkte.

• First things first, make sure to weigh yourself and text GG a pic of what you’re starting with (please, for the love of all that is holy, wear socks in the pic). For Sömmer Kamp we’ll be awarding a new final title of Schlankfüster to the player that loses the largest amount of flank meat!

• This first weekend is easy . . . the only bonus opportunity will be the ICE BUCKET ALLOWANCE. That’s right, you heard GG. You thought you were going to get off lightly because it’s Sömmer and there aren’t any frozen lakes to jump into? You thought wrong, my friend. As a little nod to Winterfüste, you have the first 72 hours of game play to put a couple gallons of water in a bucket along with a bag of ice and dump it over your head. Some very specific rules here so listen up. The amount of water and ice must be sizable . Do not fill a small cooking pot with some water and handful of ice. You will get nowhere fast with this approach. Couple gallons in a paint bucket, bag of ice, get some help to dump it on yourself if needed (although beware those who would volunteer to help and then visit upon you the dreaded “slow pour”). You’re head must be completely wetted by the ice and water. Text GG a video of the event and you’ll earn your first +3p bonus of the game!

• Don’t want to bonus but still want to feel like you’re being competitive? This Sömmer Kamp we’re going to try an experiment. Anyone who wants to play the game with daily points only (food, drink, exercise) can compete for the title of Punkteführer, awarded to the player who has the greatest total of non-bonus points at the end of the game. It’s not quite the same as the Bestenfüste but it’s still one heck of an achievement (you can still score bonus points when you want and you’ll still be listed on the Bestenliste). This has been a request in GG’s suggestion box for a while so he thought he’d give it a shot this Sömmer.

• Singelt workouts only this weekend! But another new feature of this game will be that distance totals will be tracked and the player who travels the farthest distance by the last day of game play will be awarded the title of Distanzfüster! More to come on this addition but just know that the farther you walk, run, bike, swim or whatever, the more chance you’ll have at earning this new title!

• No homework this weekend but it’s probably still a good idea to get some pushups and situps in to see where you’re body’s at . . .

• Sömmer Kamp has eight fasting days scheduled (every Monday starting four days) for your enjoyment. Water only fasts from dawn to dusk will earn you +1p each Monday and if you finish all eight then you’ll earn an additional +3p bonus!

• Similar to last Winterfüste’s scavenger hunt, this Sömmer Kamp includes a “Challenge Course” where each week you’ll be required to complete a fairly simple, Sömmer themed activity (with proof sent to GG) to earn even more bonuspunkte. More to come on this soon!

Next game update will be this Sunday night when GG will release Week 1’s bonuses, your first homework assignments and details on Week 1 of the Sömmer Kamp Challenge Course. So a lot more to come soon. In the meantime, just do your thing. No sugar or processed foods, no alcohol, and get outside and exercise (again, please check the Rule Book to make sure you have the most up to date information on the Singelt exercise parameters; there might be a surprise or two in there). Remember, first report is due on Saturday, July 8th, by noon. You’ll be reporting on your activities completed tomorrow (you will always report on the activity from the day before).

That’s it for now. GG is so pleased to have you in the game and knows you will do an amazing job over the next eight weeks!

As always, may the Füste be with you!
GG

Summing Up Winterfüste

Evening Füsters!

Yet another Winterfüste has come to an end after 9 weeks of extraordinary game play in the most radical weather GG has seen in over a decade. You all must be commended for your fortitude of spirit and dedication to the the Füste because this was one soggy, cold and sometimes miserable experience! That being said, the Füsters outperformed GG’s expectations and provided the best possible game manager experience imaginable. So thank you for that!

Let’s talk about the top of the Bestenliste. Once again we found ourselves with a five way tie for first place (GG’s only recourse at this point is to make the game even harder . . . I mean, what the heck else is he supposed to do here??). All five players have been bestowed the title of Bestenfüste and officially entered into the Pantheon of the Gottähnfüste (go HERE), a collection of the most revered (and feared) Füsters to ever play the game! And as a new addition this year a plank-off was performed to determine the actual ranking of the top five with Shoebill outlasting all with his incredible 6:34 minute plank! But this is not to take away from the overall accomplishments of the other winners (cause you don’t win the title of Bestenfüste with a plank, no matter how long you hold it) and these five players really did something special this year. The make-up of this year’s Bestenfi was incredilby varied: two Neo-Füstes (Shoebill and Mountain Lion), two return players (Serow and the Kakapo Parrot) and one repeat Bestenfüste champion in the Arctic Sea Jelly. The Sea Jelly’s win is extraordinary in and of itself as there are only two other repeat champions in recent memory and only one who has won back to back competitions before! As for the rest, what a wonderfully mixed bag! Shoebill, quiet, intense and a hell of costume maker. Mountain Lion, invited to the game by friends from the north and a completely unknown surprise out of the beach communities of SoCal. Serow, always ready with a big smile and a laugh. The Parrot, a financial wiz who dreams of being a singer/songwriter (and who could definitely be one). GG couldn’t ask for a better group to be added to the Pantheon! And honorable mention goes to both Kit Fox and Antarctic Krill, who effectively took second and third place respectfully. Kit Fox, yet another Neo-Füste, exploded onto this year’s Spielbrett with enough personality (and his own fox mask) for 10 Füsters. And the Krill, a septuagenarian who’s played for several years now and continues to edge closer to her first victory! Congratulations to all our winners here!

Now time for some stats:

• 146 players started the game on January 2 and 96 finished out on March 4th.

• We ran 3632 miles.

• We hiked 9162 miles.

• We biked outside 480 miles.

• We spun indoors 1652 hours (yeah, that’s 69 days on the Peleton folks).

• We swam 112 miles.

• Total distance covered this Winterfüste: 13,384 miles, mostly by foot, enough to go more than halfway round the planet! Basically, that’s all the way across the Pacific, across China, to Kathmandu. Let that sink in.

• And together we lost half a ton of flank meat (roughly 1000 pounds).

All in all, that’s a pretty good haul, Füsters. But now it’s time for GG (and his alter ego the Grolarbär) to get some rest and maybe hibernate for a while. There’s apparently no end to Winter this year so wake him up when Spring gets here and it’s a warm and sunny day. Thank you all for playing this ridiculous game and for putting so much energy into the last nine weeks. It means the world to GG that you spend this time with him and all your fellow Füsters. Whether you came in 1st, last, or somewhere in the middle, congratulations for finishing out another challenging Füste event. We’ll hopefully see each other on the Spielbrett again, somewhere down the road. Until that time, may the Füste be ever with you!

Griswalde Grolar

Week 9: Finishing Strong!

Hallo Füsters!

Well, it’s that time again . . . Always seems like we get here too fast. We’re now in Week 9, the final week of Winterfüste 2023. Kind of can’t beleive it. As of today (Monday, Feb. 28th), we’ve got 6 days left of game play. Competition for a podium spot is pretty feirce with a three way battle between two Neo-Füstes (Shoebill and Mountain Lion) and a return champiion (Arctic Sea Jelly). But there are at least four other players within striking distance of the crown so GG bets nothing will be decided until the last day, the Finalefüste, next Saturday (more details on how to handle reporting etc. for the Finalefüste coming later this week). So for now, let’s just settle in for one last final push to the finish line!

Updates:

• As you should already know, it Drachen hunting season! You still have six days to slay that sucker (remember, you can earn this bonus right up to the last hour of game play on Saturday). Five times a Singelt is what we’re looking for so hit GG up with your proposal, get your official approval from GG, and get our there and make it happen! +15p is an absolute ton of punkte so you do not wan to leave this bonus unplayed!

• For those who’ve been playing the Scavenger Hunt all game long, this week is the final hunt opportunity. Go out and make like a long dog and complete a one minute plank in the most ridiculous public place you can think of (one year someone did a plank IN A TREE in front of their City Hall . . . IDK). Get this one knocked out and you’ll earn the +3p completion bonus! Video proof sent to GG required . . .

• Some pretty big bonus events are left in Periode III, including both the monster 4046ft hike and the 150 flight of stairs (done out in the world, no “stairmasters” allowed). These are physically demanding challenges and both worth not just the bonus but count as a Trippelt. So get out there and get them done! It’s the last week so what do you have to lose (other than the game)?

• Don’t forget that you’ve got your Final Exam on Saturday so get ready for a metric ton of pushups and situps and the like!

• Here in NorCal, looks like we’re going to end Winterfüste the way we started it: soggy and cold. This has definitely been the wettest Füste event in recent history and you guys have done an amazing job navigating some really terrible conditions. One more week and you can spend the rest of what’s left of Winter safe and dry on the couch at home.

That’s it for now. More to come later this week as we get closer to the Finalefüste!

Have a great week and may the Füste be with you!

GG