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The 2014 running of the loos

Second year, the Outhouse Race is a part of Golden City Days this September
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2013 Outhouse race winners from the fire hall.

Tara howse

Rossland News

For its second year, the Outhouse Race is a part of Golden City Days. Mike Williams’ passion to bring back the fun resulted in him personally building two outhouses last year just to ensure at least one other team could enter.  “I remember how much fun the Outhouse Races were in the 80s. I want to bring that back.”

After some coaxing at the fire hall, he was able to convince a group of our local firefighters to build an outhouse vehicle and enter the race, allowing the inaugural Outhouse Race to be between Mike’s team of retired firefighters, a “young guns” team of 15 year-old males and a team made up of current firefighters.

Like any good competition, this one had its share of controversy. The retired firefighters’ team has taken issue with the so-called “controversial win” of the Fire Hall’s finest, accusing them of gross cheating. The race is made up of two runs and the fastest combined time wins the glory of the toilet bowl trophy to display for the year. Each run contains four sections:

• Run 100 feet,

• Each team member to run three laps around the vehicle, followed by taking up a position they previously had not occupied,

• Run another 100 feet,

• Race their individual toilet paper rolls to stack on the plunger.

At an undetermined point in the 2013 race, the firefighters’ outhouse broke an axle, likely causing a slow-down in their timed run.  Photo evidence clearly shows the firefighters clambering into the retired firefighters’ outhouse, weighing down the veterans’ vehicle, in hopes of slowing down their second 100-foot dash. These tactics apparently worked and were deemed permissible:  the firefighter team took home the 2013 first place prize of bragging rights.

Mike is prepared this year. He’s working on a third outhouse and not sharing all of his design secrets. He has a very specific message for the Fire Hall:  “Bring your best game because this new one is going to kick tail. Fix that design you had, and you might want to fix that axle!”

With no entry fee and a minimum age of 12 years to participate, it’s a simple process to enter a team. There are guidelines on what the outhouse vehicle must look like and teams are made up of five people—four runners and one, errrr…”occupier.” Keeping it simple is key—an online search of “outhouse races” results in a variety of creative and fun designs—and, most importantly, ensuring one has fun.

For more information on the race or for help with how to build an outhouse, contact Mike Williams at  (250) 362-5244.