Welcome to the Bong-A-Thon.
Held in a semi-secret mountain location to determine who has the fastest lungs in the Rockies, the Bong-A-Thon pits cannabis lovers against each other in a race to rip through one-gram bong hits. Last weekend's event included a couple of side shows as well, including a wet T-shirt contest.
The Bong-A-Thon is excessive and a bit ridiculous, but it's also a testament to counterculture and really, really fun to watch. We've seen a joint-smoking gorilla, Goku hitting a bong and a successful marriage proposal at past Bong-A-Thons, and the 2023 edition was just as magical.
Westword photographer Jacqueline Collins went to the competition and camp-out (no one was driving home) to capture the excitement on race day.
![A man smokes weed from a bong with friends](https://media2.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/17414545/bong-a-thong-2023-collins-6.jpeg?cb=1690293119)
Getting high with a little help from friends is essential to Bong-A-Thon competitors.
Jacqueline Collins
![The ref of a weed-smoking competition lays out rules to participants](https://media2.westword.com/den/imager/u/blog/17414552/bong-a-thong-2023-collins-13.jpeg?cb=1690293559)
A referee lays down the rules before competitors began smoking at the Bong-A-Thon.
Jacqueline Collins