“We don’t care how they do it in New York.”
A button owned by a friend of mine back in Ann Arbor provides the title for this post. Amanda called me out on her blog, announcing somewhat cryptically the upcoming Idiotarod. She says:
I have a friend who said once “oh, yeah, we do that in Ann Arbor, too” and I am here to tell you that nobody does this in Ann Arobor [sic]. Fire breathing dragons? Surgery on the run? Menacing giant squid? I don’t think so. This is Brooklyn, people. We turn everything up a notch.
27th of January in the year of aught seven
Yes. This is Brooklyn and they’ve turned it up to eleven. But does that make the Idiotarod better? Let us compare.
The Idiotarod (from what I gather on the C.O.B.R.A. web site) began in 2005, takes place in the dead of winter, is miles long, involves teams of five runners, has detailed rules posted on an official web site. It has a $5 entrance fee and features many creatively themed carts with outlandish props and dazzling special effects, live, in three dimensions. There are cash prizes.
The Ann Arbor Shopping Cart Race began in 1998, typically involves teams of two, has no “official” organizing body nor entrance fee. It is held in August, around midnight, is about 3/4 mile long, mostly downhill. It is part of the week long end-of-summer festival of Punk Week, which also features a city-wide capture the flag competition, cake walks and other spontaneously and independently organized events. It also features many creatively themed carts with outlandish props and dazzling special effects, live, in three dimensions. There is no cash prize but the winners often receive a cake, home-made.
What sounds like more fun? A short, high-velocity downhill romp on a warm summer evening with costumes, props and fireworks? Or a grueling run through New York City in the middle of a cold winter day that you must pay for the privilege of joining and may be “disqualified” from, with costumes, props and fireworks? I’ll take the former, but maybe that’s just the midwestern in me.
January 4th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Oh, you don’t know what you are missing. Suffering and pain are always more fun than comfort.
January 4th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Plus, the idiotarod was around before C.O.B.R.A. began our diabolical quest for world domination.
January 9th, 2007 at 12:33 am
our team and others have just showed up at the Idiotarod and run without registering. they dont actually *make* anyone pay. And disqualification only happens to teams that are seriosly running to win the cash prize (the reason for the no spandex rule). Just setting the record straight.
Everythings fun in the warm sunny seasons. Idiotarod turns a whole sucky freezing winter day into a fantastic time of stupidity. Ann arbor sounds nice too. Why must we fight? Or at least can’t we join forces and make fun of the San Fran or DC shopping cart races?
January 10th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Scott and Lizz are totally planning to come help me officiate at the start, Nick. Don’t even worry. They’ve left Ann Arbor, for better or for worse. They’re ours now.
As much as I want to use my new favorite film quote (”Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?”) the truth is that we (actually the folks that came before us, but I digress) had to invent some rules to keep things fun after some actual athletes in spandex and real running shoes actually trained for the race (trained?!?) and totally trounced everyone. And then they were really smug about it even though they totally missed the point and didn’t have any fun along the way. So we had to make some rules. I can believe that in Ann Arbor people aren’t so freaking bent on winning everything that you have to make rules to keep them in check. Here, though, if you don’t have rules, everyone thinks they’re in ‘Nam.