A stiff wind blew tiny ice pellets off the Bay and threatened to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd gathered there for the first annual Ice Lawnmower Races at Geano Beach.
But, in Wisconsin, we’re like human Gore-Tex, weather resistant and ready for fun. Also, on a Saturday afternoon in February, with the Packer season long over and Opening Day still weeks away, we need a creative outlet to keep our cheering muscles loose.
With its fearless drivers and souped up machines, the Wisconsin Ice Lawnmower Racing Association (WILMRA) fit the bill. The opening round involved children, cute little cherubs who smiled sweetly as they headed toward their mowers and then tore up the course.
I watched a young man use a bungee cord to secure the hood of a woman’s lawnmower just before she raced. “That can’t be good,” I thought. Of course, I thought wrong.
The Number 40 mower blew away her competition in every race I saw. At one point, she double-lapped a competitor.
I cheered, shot some photos, entertained my husband with a little play-by-play and then, when I could not feel my face anymore, I made my way into the mercifully warm Geano Beach Bar and Grill where we secured prime seats between a bay-facing window and the fireplace.
Bliss.
