Bed races and ducky derbies
I’ve realized that the tiny village I currently live in has some pretty hilarious events. I’ve known they exist, but I’ve never actually attended one until I was on a photo assignment for the newspaper.
My town hosts an Oktoberfest celebration. There’s always music and a car show. It’s an all-day thing and the biggest event is the bed race down Main Street. This is where teams of five, usually put together through various community organizations and businesses, literally make a twin-size bed with wheels and race them through the center of town. There are four pushers and a rider for each team. The teams decide what theme they want if any, which always produces some insane beds. This year included grass skirts and coconut bras along with a hospital-esque bed and scrubs.
This is not just a simple sprint-to-the-finish kind of race. The teams have to park at four stations along the way and complete a task to the satisfaction of the judges. The tasks change every year and the teams only find out what those tasks are just a few minutes before they have to start racing. This year’s challenges included the rider “shaving” the other four’s faces, getting the entire team passed through a hula hoop while holding hands, filling a pitcher with water using only ladles and changing the sheets before running through the finish line.
The actual races are utter madness. The team members all have to sign waivers in case of injury, which is completely and totally possible and probable. One team lost a wheel and a shoe, whose owner was almost run over as she tripped when her shoe came off. The race is hard work for the teams, and it absolutely hysterical to watch. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life while taking photos and doing my best to run along with the teams. The whole thing is just utterly ridiculous, but raises some good money for village events. I’d post photos, but I won’t because they all have people in them and I don’t want to cause problems so you’ll just have to use your imaginations. And get creative with those brain cells, because it really is quite something to see school administrators and support staff duke it out in a head-to-head race.
The second event is what they call a “Duck Derby.” There’s a ton of numbered rubber duckies, which are purchased by people throughout the week and on the day of Oktoberfest. They are then loaded into a drop cage before being dumped all at once into the river that runs through town. The object of the game is to be the sponsor for the first five ducks that make it to the finish line just a short way downriver. You win some of the money that came from the duck purchases, while the rest goes to future village events. I have never seen so many rubber duckies, nor have I ever seen a river full of them. Here’s a few photos to illustrate the idea for you:
Just after being released, the army of duckies goes over the dam.
If they make it past the rapids and rocks after the dam, the rubber ducks float down the river in their slow-paced race.
See what I mean? Completely and utterly ridiculous, but wonderful at the same time. All the kids love it and the adults certainly love the chance to feel like a kid again. It certainly helps that it was yet another absolutely gorgeous day outside, but I’ll definitely be going again next year even if it’s just to watch.
The everyday commute
They all look like this is just the normal routine for getting to work by train. And the station people are helping! Come on… really?
Bruises, anyone?
