Toilet bowl race big hit at Stirling winter festival

By Topher Seguin

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (29/01/12) Zackery Lowery, 12, Alex Roy, 13, and Hunter Storms, 9, race their way into first place at Stirling's annual Toilet Bowl Race Sunday afternoon. The race was organized and sponsored by Josh Skinkle of Skinkle Custom Manure Spreading. Photo by Topher Seguin.

Sitting on a toilet’s never been this much fun.

Winding down the final days of Stirling’s Hogfest and braving the winter chill, residents of Stirling took part in the annual Toilet Bowl race held on Mill Pond in Stirling on Sunday, Jan. 29.

Waiting behind the line painted delicately on the ice, the competitors exchanged smiles as they whispered different strategies between their partners. Muscles tensed and fingers were freezing as organizer Josh Skinkle shouted ‘Go!’ and everyone sprinted, pushing their homemade toilet-kart along with them.

Off to a slippery start, competitors then worked their way around a pylon at the end of the pond, all the while weaving in and out of one another as everyone tried to be this year’s toilet bowl champion.

While some competitors built their “poop machines” from scratch, many chose to spruce up a previous year’s design and improve on past failures.

“Last year a team’s wheel came right off,” said Skinkle, “but in the end it’s all about the toilet. Some people choose to buy their toilets from second-hand stores; others use toilets from home renovations.”

The rules are simple. Get a toilet, throw on some wheels, and get your friends to push you across the pond.

Last year’s winners, the “Rawdon Rockettes,” promised to put up a tough fight this year, but ultimately failed to produce when put up against some of the younger teams.

“The race is awesome,” said Hunter Storms, 9, whose nameless team made it into the finals.

With approximately 50 spectators watching from the sidelines, and more than 30 contestants racing, the competitiveness slowly turned into a free-for-all for anyone willing to give the course a try.

Although there were no actual winners this year, everyone who participated walked away with a Stirling Hogfest Toilet Bowl Race tuque.

“I don’t actually know who won,” said toilet racer Jordan Gates. “It was fun while it lasted, though.”