Spank Station 1
Today was race day! Actually it was one of the more full days I've had in quite a while. I was up about 8, and out the door soon after. Lots to accomplish today! I found a geocache, dropped off a geocoin, retrieved and dropped off another... and that was all before 10:30.
After that (and breakfast) I hopped on a train bound for Brooklyn to do my part in the Idiotarod. When I stepped onto the train there were 4 teams on the same car as me, all hotly debating which station was going to be the best one for them to exit the subway system. Issues being weighed: elevators, line changes, and the number of flights of stairs out of particular stations.
I was manning a "mini" checkpoint. At checkpoint 1 the teams played rock-paper-scissors to determine which of two minis they would be sent to. The minis were supposed to deal with roughly half of the racers and send them on to checkpoint 2. Our checkpoint was dubbed the "Spank Station" and here's how it worked: Teams showed up at a vacant parking lot where they were confronted with the above padded sawhorse. All five members had to touch the sawhorse and receive their spankings before they had their manifests stamped and were given their next checkpoint location. (I was in charge of giving them slips of paper with the location on it.)
Teams went ALL OUT. Every team was in some sort of themed costume, I saw Elvises, nuns, cougars, the Scooby gang (who screamed "Jinkies" when spanked), pro wrestlers, mimes, ninjas, pirates, sheep... there was some serious effort placed on this event. This team was followed through the race by a flatbed truck that was dressed to look like a wrestling ring. They would have a match at each checkpoint before moving on to the next.
Don't think we let them off easily either... check the swing that my friend Wendy is putting into the spanking she is a bout to deliver. On a cold day (it was about 30ยบ) that's one surefire way to warm up... at least one part of your body anyway.
This was my personal favorite team. I was told that they are somewhat legendary Idiotarod racers. Their cart was decorated as a guillotine and they were carrying cakes decorated as chopped off heads that were handed out to the judges at each station. They were the only team to bribe me personally (bribes to officials are encouraged and indeed often necessary to complete the course) with a pair of lace gloves. Very chic.
The police involvement this year (at least up until our checkpoint) was minimal. No helicopters or lines of police on horseback chasing people this year (unlike last year.) They seem to have gotten more involved by the end of the race based on the reports that I'm reading, but I guess that's to be assumed. For a minute to minute breakdown check the Gothamist's post here.
After my checkpoint was cleared by all the racers I was actually off to Queens for the first organizational meeting of a new geocaching club that is forming here in the city. Awesome to put faces to some of the more famous caching names around town. As I said... full day! (Oh, with lots of time spent on the train... so look for a sketch tomorrow!)
After that (and breakfast) I hopped on a train bound for Brooklyn to do my part in the Idiotarod. When I stepped onto the train there were 4 teams on the same car as me, all hotly debating which station was going to be the best one for them to exit the subway system. Issues being weighed: elevators, line changes, and the number of flights of stairs out of particular stations.
I was manning a "mini" checkpoint. At checkpoint 1 the teams played rock-paper-scissors to determine which of two minis they would be sent to. The minis were supposed to deal with roughly half of the racers and send them on to checkpoint 2. Our checkpoint was dubbed the "Spank Station" and here's how it worked: Teams showed up at a vacant parking lot where they were confronted with the above padded sawhorse. All five members had to touch the sawhorse and receive their spankings before they had their manifests stamped and were given their next checkpoint location. (I was in charge of giving them slips of paper with the location on it.)
Teams went ALL OUT. Every team was in some sort of themed costume, I saw Elvises, nuns, cougars, the Scooby gang (who screamed "Jinkies" when spanked), pro wrestlers, mimes, ninjas, pirates, sheep... there was some serious effort placed on this event. This team was followed through the race by a flatbed truck that was dressed to look like a wrestling ring. They would have a match at each checkpoint before moving on to the next.
Don't think we let them off easily either... check the swing that my friend Wendy is putting into the spanking she is a bout to deliver. On a cold day (it was about 30ยบ) that's one surefire way to warm up... at least one part of your body anyway.
This was my personal favorite team. I was told that they are somewhat legendary Idiotarod racers. Their cart was decorated as a guillotine and they were carrying cakes decorated as chopped off heads that were handed out to the judges at each station. They were the only team to bribe me personally (bribes to officials are encouraged and indeed often necessary to complete the course) with a pair of lace gloves. Very chic.
The police involvement this year (at least up until our checkpoint) was minimal. No helicopters or lines of police on horseback chasing people this year (unlike last year.) They seem to have gotten more involved by the end of the race based on the reports that I'm reading, but I guess that's to be assumed. For a minute to minute breakdown check the Gothamist's post here.After my checkpoint was cleared by all the racers I was actually off to Queens for the first organizational meeting of a new geocaching club that is forming here in the city. Awesome to put faces to some of the more famous caching names around town. As I said... full day! (Oh, with lots of time spent on the train... so look for a sketch tomorrow!)
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