Cabin Fever Days
Wade Kelch wipes out after crossing the finish line during Bar Stool Races at the 33rd Cabin Fever Days in Martin City on Saturday afternoon. The event continues today with more activities ranging from Turtle Races to a Mountain Man Contest.
Markie Mark stands on the seat of his ride, pumping his fist as he steers himself down Sugar Hill.
Doug Burnett holds on in front of a canoe while Margo Cady grips an oar as they begin their ride.
Outrageous ingenuity took center stage Saturday in Martin City where the renowned barstool ski races got under way at the 33rd annual Cabin Fever Days.
Boats, bicycle parts and beer kegs were just a few of the items used by participants who glided — and in some cases careened — down Sugar Hill to the cheers of revelers lining the sides of the run.
Doug Burnett of Bigfork donned a Sasquatch costume as he and his two grandchildren sat in a canoe fitted over electric conduit that allowed it to slide across the snow.
He said he built the contraption Saturday morning to take part in the event for the second straight year, bringing his teenage grandchildren along for the ride.
“This is one of the funnest things to do in the winter,” Burnett said after the makeshift sled slid off the run, forcing cheerful onlookers to jump out of the way. “It’s just the best.”
Other participants selected vessels more in line with the theme of the event, choosing to attach barstools to snowboards and skis.
Wayne Swanson, who traveled to the event from Dayton, said he purchased a stool at a flea market in Missoula four months ago for the express purpose of making an inaugural run at the event, where he has previously been a spectator.
He attached it to a piece of plywood, which he said he sanded to achieve maximum velocity.
“It’s fun to watch, but it’s more fun to have a few drinks and go for a slide,” he said.
Luke Hojnacki and Tyson Wright piloted one of the more elaborate entries in Saturday’s preliminary round of barstool races.
Representing Tamarack Brewing Co. of Lakeside, they coasted down the run in sled resembling a biplane.
At the base of the contraption was a wooden Jim Beam beer keg — with a propeller attached to the front — which the duo said they used as a starting point for the creation.
“We thought about the Red Baron,” Wright said. “This is the beer baron.”
The first entry of the day was occupied by five men who stood atop a wooden platform along with three empty kegs. A rusted tractor seat comprised the cockpit of the sled, with a steering device added to improve on the group’s 2010 entry.
“We have a patent pending,” said Dane Hollinger of Bigfork, who worked with friends to bring the project to fruition.
“We were on the edge,” he said of the groups’ rocky start that included a sharp swerve toward a group of onlookers. “People were jumping out of the way.”
A sizable crowd appeared unfazed by the not-so-controllable sleds that drifted down the run.
Gracie O’Quinn, who recently moved to Kalispell, said she brought her two young children to the event for a reason not unrelated to the theme of the festivities.
She was briefly alarmed when a large row boat sped by her unsuspecting 4-year-old son Connor, but her anxiety soon turned to calm enjoyment.
“I just needed to get these (kids) out of the house,” she said. “It has been a great time.”
The barstool races continue today with qualifying runs beginning at 1 p.m. and finals at 3 p.m.
For additional information on Cabin Fever Days, including a schedule of events, visit www.cabinfeverdays.com.