QUICK WORK: Hopkins takes down his fourth greasy pole flag in as many tries

Nick Curcuru, Gloucester Daily Times, Mass.
·2 min read

Jun. 27—Derek Hopkins remains undefeated on the greasy pole.

Despite a three-year layoff, Hopkins again made it look easy, taking down the flag with a flawless walk as the second walker in the second round. The win was Hopkins' fourth flag in the four Greasy Pole competitions he's competed in, all four wins have come in the second round.

"It was like riding a bike," Hopkins said of his Sunday championship walk, finding a groove quickly in his first time on the pole since winning the triple crown in 2019. "It's been three years off and I know anything can happen up there and it was so windy today. I just stayed focused and kept my balance."

Hopkins entered Sunday's competition as the heavy favorite given his track record in 2019. He showed why he was the favorite right away in the courtesy round, where walkers are not allowed to take down the flag until everyone gets one walk, making it all the way to the end of the 40-foot, greased telephone pole before jumping into the water on his own.

By the time he got his second chance as the second walker in the second round after Saturday winner Anthony Novello dropped after making it halfway, the stage was set and everyone knew what was about to happen.

"Get your cameras ready," announcer Tom Favazza told the crowd in attendance on Pavilion Beach. "This kid walks the pole like he's walking on the sidewalk."

Sure enough, Hopkins delivered another flawless walk. While he may have leaned a little bit, he never lost his balanced and trudged all the way through the thick grease that still sat on the end of the pole to take down the flag for the win.

So how did Hopkins deal with the pressure? Just stay focused on the task at hand.

"I hear the talk around town and it's hard to ignore but I always try to stay humble," he said. "I know there's always going to be someone walking before me and there are so many ways to fall. I just need to keep the dedication and determination and not take it for granted. It was a great feeling."

The wind was a big factor in Sunday's competition as well. Early in the first round the wind blew the flag off of the pole. After a few attempts to nail it back on to the flag, the Coast Guard had to cut the flag off, leaving just a flag pole nailed to the end of the greasy pole.

Hopkins will now enter the 2023 Sunday Greasy Pole competition looking for a fifth flag and a third Sunday flag. He has the chance to be the first walker since Stew McGillivray in 2008-10 to win three straight Sunday competitions.