Finding Minnesota: Bar Stool Races in Ironton

IRONTON, Minn. (WCCO) – With all the extreme winter sports for serious athletes, a town in central Minnesota is offering an extreme competition for the less serious crowd.

The Bar Stool Races in Ironton feature downhill events that are fueled in part by beer.

Two years ago, the co-owner of Town Tavern, Carmen Cady, came up with the idea to put skis on bar stools and race them to raise money for the local snowmobile club.

It was the start of something ridiculous.

At this year's races, Rob Geske of Crosby modified his bar stool to resemble a top fuel dragster, complete with a Hemi.

"The object of the race is to get down to the bottom of the hill as fast as you can and look good," Geske said. "It's probably not the brightest thing I've ever done, but common sense left me a long time ago."

Ironton mayor Dean French designed a more aeronautic stool, which he dubbed, "Mayor Force One."

"You can't have anything to steer it really," he said. "I mean, you can lean, but that's all you can do. It's just pretty much get on her and ride her down."

Town Tavern co-owner Steve Cady acts as one of the emcees of the event, which features several categories of winners.

"Best costume, best design for a bar stool, first, second, third place and then best wipe-out, of course," Cady said.

Mark Turner of Verndale showed up in a banana costume to ride his stool down the slope.

"I'm a drag racer by trade and we get bored in the winter time," Turner said. "So we need something to do and it combines everything. It's the creative process, it's speed, it's racing and it's having a lot of fun with your friends."

In its second year, though, the race almost didn't happen.

"You'd think we'd have snow in Minnesota and we haven't had any snow here," Cady said. "We made it and that's kind of the way this community is. We'll make it happen."

Cady says they went through three power washers and two compressors while trying to make enough snow for the slope. Those expenses left the bar $1,500 in the hole for the event.

But he still plans to bring the races back in 2016 for a third year.

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