For those unaware, June 6, 2026 was the first Cowabunga Weekend party and it definitely won’t be the last. There are certain things that are good for the soul, and playing retro games on the couch with friends while consuming food from my childhood was definitely good for the soul.

Bit of a rocky start, but we got there

The day started at around 6:00am. Got up, showered and started getting things setup. Of course, as with every Extra Life stream I do and despite my best efforts, my PC decided the sound wasn’t going to work at all this morning (I had setup and tested everything the night before by the way). Luckily, a quick reboot fixed the issue. I snarfed a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch, hauled all the hot sauce down into the Swank Tank (my basement), and fired up the stream just in time for 8:00am.

The morning was pretty chill playing through the Sonic portion of Sonic Adventure. Good start to the day.

Switched to Super Mario world around lunch and of course had to pair it with some Super Mario Kraft Dinner and Sharkleberry Fin Kool-aid. I don’t know how to describe it, but Super Mario Kraft Dinner just tastes better than regular Kraft Dinner. It must be something about the chonkyness of the noodles and that they are just a bit al dente. I don’t know, just try it for yourself. In fact, pair it with Sharkleberry Fin Kool-aid for a real taste sensation.

Those look like some thick noods

– DigitalNomadAnalogHermit

The chaos begins

Around mid-afternoon, people started showing up and we switched over to some couch co-op and multiplayer games. We had a big group, so at times it was complete chaos but everyone got a turn.

Around the cowabung-hour (5:00pm) we switched over to, well… the Switch for some Shredder’s Revenge (I know, not technically a retro game, but in the spirit of one).

Of course, we naturally had to pair Shredder’s Revenge with the most iconic pizza from the 90s (Pizza Hut) and wash it down with some Cherry Coke. Honestly, that combo slapped way harder than I was expecting.

The d20 of Pain was rolling

Any donation during the stream over $20 earned a roll of the d20 of Pain; the higher the roll, the hotter the sauce. The donations were coming in hot during the stream (pun intended), and the d20 was favouring high rolls. Let’s just say I was suffering (both during the stream and the day after).

By midnight, the party had died down, but we finished off the night playing some some duck hunt with an old friend. Absolute perfection.

Check out the (almost) full stream below

Keep in mind, I didn’t quite get the sound levels sorted out until about 3 and a half hours in, AND apparently YouTube only saves the first 11 hours and 55 minutes. Sorry, I’m new at this… kinda. I’m working on a highlights video, so stay tuned.

It’s January and you know what that means: it’s time to register for Extra Life!
For those that don’t know, Extra Life is a 24 hour gaming marathon in support of your local Children’s Hospital of choice. Turn that gaming addiction into a force for good by signing up, choosing your hospital, raising money, and gaming for 24 hours. Actually, don’t just sign up, join Team Cowabunga!!

I’m back baby!

For ten years straight, I participated in extra life every year. Over those ten years, we raised over $20,000 USD and as part of the deal, I played video games for over 240 hours total. Then, I became a dad of two awesome and rambunctious boys, and I took my dadly hiatus from Extra Life for two years.

But there’s a monster in me that has been stirring for those two years and growing stronger with every game day that passed. This is the year I set it loose again and make my return to Extra Life.

Goals for Extra Life 2026

1. Break my 9-year record for funds raised for Sick Kids Hospital in a single year ($3,067 USD)
2. Game for a total of 32 hours over 2 game days (instead of one 24 hour session)
   • Cowabunga Weekend: June 6, 8:00am to midnight
   • Extra Life Game Day: November 7, 8:00am to midnight
3. Have Team Cowabunga raise over $5,000 USD