LONG BEACH ISLAND – “Come and knock on our door – We’ve been waiting for you!” That was the vibe on Long Beach Island as 45 women donned their best Helen Roper outfits and romped around for a day of pure nostalgia and fun. The bar crawl celebrated the quirky, free-spirited wife of grumpy landlord Stanley Roper from the beloved 1970s sitcom Three’s Company.
Participants channeled the eccentric, quick-witted Helen Roper, portrayed by the late Audra Lindley, wearing floral caftans, clunky jewelry, and curly red wigs. The wigs served a dual purpose – no one needed to be worried about frizz and extra curls associated with the rain-drenched day.
The event was organized by Christine DeJianne and Rosemary Salvia, two women who met in a group known as LBI Girlfriends. They put together an array of activities that included a scavenger hunt and trivia contest. And, of course, there was even a prize for the best dressed Helen.
The day kicked off at noon with a check-in at the Bywatyr Shop. Participants received scavenger hunt cards and were assigned numbers as name tags. They then set off on a pub crawl that included a 1.8 mile walk, with stops at Terrace Tavern, Station 117, the Sandbar at the Engleside Inn, and The Marlin. Nardi’s picked up the Helens in their pink party bus for a wrap-up of dinner and announcement of contest winners. Local businesses contributed prizes, including gift certificates and LBI-themed gift baskets.
DeJianne said that a new coffeehouse in North Beach Haven set up their outside marquee with a welcome sign for the Helen Roper Romp. The Whittingham Coffee House also arranged for a runway so the Helens could strut their best stuff in style.
The Scavenger Hunt titled “Romping Around Beach Haven” instructed participants to take pictures or videos of their find. Points ranged from 2-20 points each with 20 points assigned to such things as finding George’s Bar Stool, which had absolutely nothing to do with Three’s Company, but was something specific to one of the stops along the way. Many seemed to focus on the 10-point category which meant having the band play Disco Inferno or taking a picture with Stanley.
“They earned points for things like ordering a drink in another language or finding a fish out of water, which was a nod to the Marlin statue at one of the restaurants,” said DeJianne.
Bartenders got in on the fun, with one at the Sandbar dressing as Stanley Roper. Another took on the role of Larry, Jack Tripper’s best friend. Local musician Scotty Zimmerman played “Disco Inferno” upon request to help participants gain scavenger hunt points, contributing to Maria Weikel’s win as the Most Original Mrs. Roper.
“One of the highlights of the night was the voting for the most original Helen Roper costume,” shared DeJianne. “We handed out little cards for people to vote at each bar we visited.”
“My phone started dinging with multiple votes for Number 17, calling her a hottie,” DeJianne continued. “She went up to sing with Scotty and everyone loved her.”
Beach Haven Terrace resident Doug Easterly, who runs the Facebook page “LBI…Six Miles of Separation” said he heard about the event from one of his friends. He decided it was something worth highlighting with his nearly 22,000 followers.
DeJianne said she had no idea who Easterly was when he asked to borrow a sign with Stanley Roper’s picture. Scavenger hunt competitors quickly came close to score points – a first of two unplanned photo opportunities.
Thinking it would be fun for the Helens to be seen with what he calls the most “famous cat on Long Beach Island,” Easterly ran home to fetch his lovely black-and-white cat, Siete. He figured that Siete’s presence authenticated his self-appointed Stanley role. Yet, there’s no evidence that the Ropers had a feline in their household.
The first Mrs. Roper Romp was held in a 2013 in New Orleans. Since then, tributes to Helen Roper have become internationally famous. Seaside Heights held a romp on their boardwalk last year, while Helens paraded on the Atlantic City boardwalk this August.
On Long Beach Island, three’s not enough company. Turns out 45 is just the right number!
