Alaska Life

Our Alaska: A day at the (outhouse) races

Anchorage's 76th annual Fur Rendezvous winter festival ends this weekend, wrapping up two weeks of snowy frivolity including exhibitions, competitions, art shows, performances, special events and the Running of the Reindeer, Anchorage's own Pamplona-inspired footrace. One of Fur Rondy's most popular events is a different kind of day at the races -- the outhouse races. Participants push ski-mounted (non-functioning) outhouses down Anchorage's Fourth Avenue in two-team heats. The official race rules require each outhouse to have one seated, helmeted occupant -- and to be equipped with one roll of toilet paper.

Fur Rondy got its own piece of Alaska's burgeoning reality TV pie this year; YouTube user SouthPaW1227 filmed Travel Channel personality Bert "the Conqueror" Kreischer as he participated in this year's Fur Rondy outhouse races for an upcoming episode. Watch the video to find out whether Kreischer conquered the races -- and look out for another team's winking reference to Alaska's 2010 "spelling bee" Senate election.

While "Sarah Palin's Alaska" has finished its eight-week run on TLC, Alaska Dispatch continues to take a look at the Last Frontier as it's experienced by residents across the state -- urban and rural, young and old, from all walks of life. You've seen "Sarah Palin's Alaska" -- now welcome to Our Alaska.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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