Gardner roasted and honored

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Judge Robert Gardner sat smiling in the corner booth of

a dimly lit Costa Mesa bar Saturday, slowly shaking his head at the many

tales his friend told during an honorary roast of the retired jurist’s

alleged past unruly behavior.

“Lies,” Gardner said to laughs. “All lies.”

Members of the Balboa Island Sculling and Punting Society gathered at

The Huddle on Baker Street to present Gardner with a lifetime achievement

award and celebrate his many years of brotherhood in the organization.

Gardner was one of the founding members of the 50-year-old society that

touts taking the train to Catalina, sailing to Las Vegas, Nev. and

hijacking the Balboa Ferry as some of its greatest accomplishments.

Do not make the mistake of calling the Scullers a club. They are a

society -- free from rules of order -- that is made up of men who want to

get together, have a good time and drink, members said.

Those same fun loving -- and sometimes miscreant -- members gave hardy

applause to Gardner, who is also a Daily Pilot columnist, and invited him

to retell some of his wildest tales on Balboa Island.

Sandbar Orr, a former skipper of many Catalina charter yachts, urged

the judge to expound on some of his most infamous tales of youth.

“You have told us many of the intricate tales of a land of joy in the

days of Balboa past, but you have never told us about your own, personal

experiences,” said Orr, who wore a distinct handlebar mustache and white

beard and carried a half-smoked cigar in hand.

“I remember hearing tales of some of the largest poker games in Orange

County,” Orr prompted.

Silence from the judge.

‘What about the parties at the firehouse, in that small room in the

back?” Orr asked.

Gardner had no words but offered a coy smile.

“I seem to recall hearing about a ‘swimming challenge,”’ he continued

to taunt.

“Those are all figments of your imagination,” Gardner said chuckling.

The exchange filled the dark bar with laughter and more taunts from a

group of men who unashamedly enjoy getting together to drink, toast

life’s pleasures, partake in wild adventures and drink some more.

“We’re a bunch of rich old guys who want to do goofy things,” said Jim

Fournier, the club’s publicist.

For a brief moment, the members actually got serious and thanked

Gardner for starting such a long-standing and memorable group. Society

members honored his service to the club as a a mentor, biographer and

historian.

“He is a founder -- one of the originals -- and he has made it all

possible for us to be here today,” said society commodore Randy

Wadsworth.

Gardner was given a plaque denoting his lifetime achievement -- an act

that garnered a robust round of applause and mandatory hoots and whistles

from the audience. The judge also received many firm pats on the back

from his fellow Scullers.

The Balboa Island Sculling and Punting Society meets from 11 a.m. to 1

p.m. on the third Saturday of every month at The Shorehouse in Balboa.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .