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Friendship
The only real purpose of Vern Mulligan's Manhood Challenge is friendship and every effort is made to avoid cliques and bullying, which is a bit of tight rope walk since verbal abuse and trash talking are greatly encouraged. It's how men show affection.
Info and News
2024 - XXII - A Home Run
Pre-Event A few life events and challenges kept several regulars away this year, leaving us with a pretty small group. With only 10...
2024: VMMC XXII Champ - Jake Smith
Jake looked like a strong contender coming out of the draft. Partnered with Bonzon for Wiffle, Marsh on the lanes, McKeever in golf, and...
In the Beginning
The roots of Vern Mulligan’s Manhood Challenge reach back into the late 80’s in Huntington Beach, California. Those endless summers, warm...
About us: The Manhood Challenge
Vern Mulligan’s Manhood Challenge is a classic joining of friends to “compete” in the purist disciplines of true manhood. Friends come...
0 DAYS TO THE EVENT
Quite simply the greatest weekend of the year. After 22 years of this, do we really need a "teaser"?
Jun 20, 2025, 8:40 PM – Jun 23, 2025, 10:00 AM
VMMC I
Designer: Jake Smith.
Shirt Type: Light-weight white T-Shirt
Print Type: Full Color iron-on appliqué. Homemade
This shirt proved unstable after washing and only a few remain making it highly collectable.
Shirt Type: Light-weight white T-Shirt
Print Type: Full Color iron-on appliqué. Homemade
This shirt proved unstable after washing and only a few remain making it highly collectable.
VMMC II
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Heavy Gray T-Shirt (Considered by most too heavy)
Print Type: Two Color Screen Print in Bright Blue and Navy (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) Silhouettes of a Golfer, Batter, and Bowler, with text including slogan as introduced by Vern’s wife “Where men become boys!” Additional irony introduced via the inclusion of host city Sisters, OR. (Back) “VMMC 2004” printed small up along the neckline
Shirt Type: Heavy Gray T-Shirt (Considered by most too heavy)
Print Type: Two Color Screen Print in Bright Blue and Navy (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) Silhouettes of a Golfer, Batter, and Bowler, with text including slogan as introduced by Vern’s wife “Where men become boys!” Additional irony introduced via the inclusion of host city Sisters, OR. (Back) “VMMC 2004” printed small up along the neckline
VMMC III
Designer: Steve Kellogg
Shirt Type: American Apparel White Cotton w/ with Charcoal Ringer Neck and Sleeve.
Key Features: (Front) Custom Designed “MC3” Logo minimizing the Vern Mulligan aspect. The fully custom graphic set of this shirt was challenged by figure hugging styling of American Apparel designs. Steve did not make the event this year, but was given a shirt for designing this one, becoming the first non-attendee to be given a shirt.
Shirt Type: American Apparel White Cotton w/ with Charcoal Ringer Neck and Sleeve.
Key Features: (Front) Custom Designed “MC3” Logo minimizing the Vern Mulligan aspect. The fully custom graphic set of this shirt was challenged by figure hugging styling of American Apparel designs. Steve did not make the event this year, but was given a shirt for designing this one, becoming the first non-attendee to be given a shirt.
VMMC IV
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Brown Heavy-Weight Cotton
Front not shown Traditional front left chest logo that introduced the use of Roman Numerals for the first time
Shirt Type: Brown Heavy-Weight Cotton
Front not shown Traditional front left chest logo that introduced the use of Roman Numerals for the first time
VMMC V
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Red Mid-Weight Cotton (Graphic Traffic)
Print Type: White Screen print
Key Features: (Front) Roman numeral goes big. A massive V, representing the 5 years of organized reunions, was placed in the center of the chest. Many mistakenly assumed the V was representative of Vern and was designed to remind everyone that this was HIS event.
Shirt Type: Red Mid-Weight Cotton (Graphic Traffic)
Print Type: White Screen print
Key Features: (Front) Roman numeral goes big. A massive V, representing the 5 years of organized reunions, was placed in the center of the chest. Many mistakenly assumed the V was representative of Vern and was designed to remind everyone that this was HIS event.
VMMC VI
Designer: Steve Kellogg
Shirt Type: Navy Blue Heavy-Weight Cotton
Print Type: Silver Screen print (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) Again Steve shows what you get when you use a professional. The Greek god Atlas lifts the table as “Vern Mulligan’s Manhood Challenge” collapses sliding off the top. The powerful image mockingly represents the unstable balance between competition and camaraderie that runs deep in every Manhood Challenge event.
Shirt Type: Navy Blue Heavy-Weight Cotton
Print Type: Silver Screen print (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) Again Steve shows what you get when you use a professional. The Greek god Atlas lifts the table as “Vern Mulligan’s Manhood Challenge” collapses sliding off the top. The powerful image mockingly represents the unstable balance between competition and camaraderie that runs deep in every Manhood Challenge event.
VMMC VII
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Olive Green Ring Spun Cotton
Print Type: Brown Screen print (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) The understated almost faded color of the word Manhood, is contradicted by the oversized font of that word emblazoned across the chest. Accentuating the word MANHOOD was intended to evoke conversation on the street “What is Manhood.”
Shirt Type: Olive Green Ring Spun Cotton
Print Type: Brown Screen print (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) The understated almost faded color of the word Manhood, is contradicted by the oversized font of that word emblazoned across the chest. Accentuating the word MANHOOD was intended to evoke conversation on the street “What is Manhood.”
VMMC VIII
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Tan Ring Spun Cotton
Key Features: (Front) Orange and Yellow diamonds intersecting across the chest make no mention of Vern or Manhood as after 8 years it is assumed that the VMMC moniker is understood by all.
Shirt Type: Tan Ring Spun Cotton
Key Features: (Front) Orange and Yellow diamonds intersecting across the chest make no mention of Vern or Manhood as after 8 years it is assumed that the VMMC moniker is understood by all.
VMMC IX
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Black Lightweight Ring Spun Cotton
Key Features: (Front) In honor Scott Pirtle’s Manhood Challenge the shirt was emblazoned with LARGE Green letters "SPMC", however playfully, but not so subtly embedded within the SPMC in grey was "Vern Mulligan IX" and "VMMC IX" (Back) No Design (Sleeve) Green Bowling Ball with wager winning 204
Shirt Type: Black Lightweight Ring Spun Cotton
Key Features: (Front) In honor Scott Pirtle’s Manhood Challenge the shirt was emblazoned with LARGE Green letters "SPMC", however playfully, but not so subtly embedded within the SPMC in grey was "Vern Mulligan IX" and "VMMC IX" (Back) No Design (Sleeve) Green Bowling Ball with wager winning 204
VMMC X
Designer: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Navy Blue midweight Cotton
Print Type: Grey and White, Screen print (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) A large "X" emblazoned with the word "Manhood" covered the front left chest in honor of 10 years of brotherhood. (Back) A larger X was covered in the fading scroll of all previous participants and the number of years they had attended, to ensure that every athlete would be remembered and all participants could use the line "My name is on the shirt ...."
Isaac Samsa is erroneously only credited with 3 previous events instead of the actual 4 previous
Shirt Type: Navy Blue midweight Cotton
Print Type: Grey and White, Screen print (Graphic Traffic)
Key Features: (Front) A large "X" emblazoned with the word "Manhood" covered the front left chest in honor of 10 years of brotherhood. (Back) A larger X was covered in the fading scroll of all previous participants and the number of years they had attended, to ensure that every athlete would be remembered and all participants could use the line "My name is on the shirt ...."
Isaac Samsa is erroneously only credited with 3 previous events instead of the actual 4 previous
VMMC XI
Designer: Blue Star Graphics
Concept: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Red Mid-Weight Cotton
Key Features: (Front) Simple vintage look, white oval panel centered on chest paying homage to our 70's youth. The red, white & Blue paying respect to the July 4 date of the event.
Concept: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Red Mid-Weight Cotton
Key Features: (Front) Simple vintage look, white oval panel centered on chest paying homage to our 70's youth. The red, white & Blue paying respect to the July 4 date of the event.
VMMC XII
Designer: Grey Wolf Promotions
Concept: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Brown, Lightweight Ring Spun Cotton
Key Features: (Front) An 80's surf inspired sunset, with the Three Sisters silhouette and a setting sun (er Wiffle Ball).
Note: The Vern-less use of Manhood continues
Concept: Matt Smith
Shirt Type: Brown, Lightweight Ring Spun Cotton
Key Features: (Front) An 80's surf inspired sunset, with the Three Sisters silhouette and a setting sun (er Wiffle Ball).
Note: The Vern-less use of Manhood continues
Commemorative Shirt
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