FirstnMonday in September
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nPostednon September 5, 2016
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nIndid not know that there are such things as “bathtub races,” butnapparently a mayor in Nanaimo, British Columbia, started thentradition in 1967.
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nI’mnthinking, um, how do bathtubs even float, let alone race?
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nButnit turns out that the famous Nanaimo bathtub race involves boats made mostly of fiberglass or other lightweight materials. They have to have a portion that looks like or is modeled on a roll-top bathtub….but they aren’t actually bathtubs.
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nIt turns out, the bathtubnboat builders add pointy prows so that their boats can cut through thenwater, plus outboard motors so the boats can, you know, move… Andnthe results look a lot like boats but (to me, at least) not at allnlike bathtubs!
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nHmmm…thenboats aren’t bathtubs, and they don’t even end up LOOKING LIKEnbathtubs…so…what’s the deal?
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nThenGreat Bathtub Race in Nome, Alaska, is nothing like the Nanaimo race.nIt’s a lot more “bathtub,” for one thing!
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| There is a dress code of sorts. Racers are supposed to wear large-brimmed hats and suspenders. |
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nEntrantsnto Nome’s Great Bathtub Race must consist of teams of five. Four pushna bathtub on wheels about 100 yards, down Nome’s main street to anfinish line.
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nThe fifth member (the Captain) must be in the bathtub as it is pushed.nThe Team Captain is urged to pretend to be taking a bath!
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nI see more holding-on-for-dear-life than pretending-to-take-a-bath!
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| Note that many contestants wear stripes of duct tape as their suspenders. |
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nOnenteam member must carry a large bar of soap, one must carry anwashcloth, one must carry a bath towel, and one must carry a bathnmat! They are called the Bath Soap Guard, the Wash Cloth Guard, the Bath Towel Guard, and the Bath Mat Guard.
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| Sadly, it didn’t work out for these guys. |
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nThenbathtub must be full of water at the start of the race. By the end,nit must have no less than 10 gallons of water still in the tub! Andnsoap bubbles must be apparent in the water!!
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nNonmotors are allowed. No mechanical devise may provide any propulsion.nIt’s all muscle, weight, and wheels!
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nItnall sounds incredibly silly but also fun. I’d like to see this one –nfar more interesting and different, to me, than the Nanaimo race!
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| Have you noticed that many of the Team Captains are smaller than the rest of the team? As in, often, they are little kids? Smart…very smart. |
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nAlsonon this date:
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Labor Day in the U.S. (first Monday in September)
Labor Day in the U.S. (first Monday in September)
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nMusiciannFreddie Mercury’s birthday
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nAnniversarynof the opening of the world’s longest tunnel
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nAnniversarynof a tax on beards
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nAnniversarynof the killing of Crazy Horse
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nPlannahead:
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Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
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n Septembern holidays
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n Septembern birthdays
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n n Historicaln anniversaries in September
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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- Octobernholidays
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n Octobern birthdaysn n
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