Though the weather didn't cooperate, it was a "potty" atmosphere at the Virginia City World Championship Outhouse Races as several teams, new and old, turned the event into a real bash.
Homemade outhouses with names like the Party Pooper, the Flapper Crapper, the Urinator, the Classic and the Golden Throne lined up for the parade kickoff led by the Plungerettes, a drill team from South Reno's Ole Tyme Saloon group doing a routine using plungers instead of flags or batons.
The high temperature was 58 degrees, but it felt more like 40 degrees at times thanks to the wind. The competition, though, was as hot as the partying at the Bucket of Blood parking lot on C Street.
The United Site Services' Kung Poo Fighters Golden Throne won all their heats, including the brand-new Ladies Races that ran just ahead of the men's heats.
The Kung Poo Fighters will be challenged again tomorrow, with the championship races starting at noon today. The weather forecast if for the mid-60s and clear.
Though it was their first time racing, the Nevada Wildflower Red Hat Society's Flapper Crapper was a crowd favorite in the Ladies Race, and made a party out of the event complete with picnic table, food and an ample supply of wine.
The Red Hat Society is a group of women over 50 who dress in red hats with purple accessories and participate in community activities.
Though they lost both of their races to younger outhouse pushers on other teams, the Red Hat ladies were not discouraged and plan to come back.
"Next year we are going to have some studs from the college do the pushing," joked Sharon Wentzlaff of Carson City.
Penny Morris of Silver Springs had the idea to join the races, and got her husband and son to build the purple and red Flapper Crapper, with photos of male country stars tacked side, moon windows carved on the sides and a red hat on top made out of spray painted tissue paper.
She thought up the theme of the flappers.
"We're not quite that old, but it is an old-time name," she said.
The interior featured a red fur toilet seat cover, perfect for the cold day, and complete with bathroom sound effects to make it a little more realistic.
Catalog pages served as toilet paper and purple and red lingerie hung from a clothesline attached to the back.
The flappers raced against female team members of the Kung Poo Fighters racing the Golden Throne. The Ole Tyme Saloon raced the Classic and the All Crap Racing team of Rough & Ready, Calif., raced the Party Pooper.
Long-time racers the Ole Tyme Saloon team with the Plungerettes brought along a sound system and Kathy Lantz, a strong-voiced singer whose powerful version of the national anthem brought loud cheers. She will sing the anthem again today. The group, joined by visitors, danced and sang until late Saturday afternoon.
Joe Rooney, owner of the Old Tyme Saloon, said they have been participating in the Outhouse Races for eight years.
"We saw the ad for it in 2001 and thought it would be fun," he said. "It started out small and then became a big thing. We just party."
Heather Elliott of the Plungerettes said the drill team just "morphed."
"We were just talking about it, that you have to have music and cheerleaders of some sort, and the team was born," she said.
The Kung Poo Fighters also made it a weekend party, with their company sponsoring their fun. More than 50 employees from various branches in Reno and California took rooms at the Ramada Virginia City and made it a weekend, said San Jose Branch Manager Jose Cortez.
He found the new Ladies Races interesting, adding, "it worked out good for us."
The Kung Poo Fighters have been doing this since 2006, and have won the championship both years. Cortez said the team works out all the time in preparation for the races.
They will face the Urinator and the Classic in the finals today.
- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.