The XVIII+XIXth Annual IdiotarodNYC

Playing with fire outside checkpoint #2

Judge Oriana at Checkpoint number 2

Books at the love letter/flirting station

Jaclyn

Telfer

Jason

Playing soccer before the racers arrive

Playing soccer before the racers arrive

Margot

Checkpoint 2 judge team

Emily pins Telfer

One of the games at checkpoint 2, Butt Croquet

Butt Croquet starting line

Larissa hanging a sign at the flirting station

Jaclyn

Tea at the Butt Croquet station. While playing, racers had to hold a cup of tea.

Testing Butt Croquet before the racers arrive

First racer to arrive writes a flirty letter

Jason outside Mika just before more racers arrive

The Spice World team arriving to the second checkpoint

The Spice World team arriving to the second checkpoint

Pocket the cat

The time traveling team are now Romans. They were from the 1980s at the previous checkpoint.

Playing Butt Croquet

Jaclyn and Pocket

Members of the Galactic Virgins construct a flirty letter...

...three phrases are pulled from a hat and all three must be used in their letter.

A racer reads a flirty letter to another. Does she accept?

She does!

A game of Butt Croquet in progress

The WilliamsBurger cart made burgers...until they ran out of meat.

The Brutalist team move on to checkpoint 3

The Galactic Virgins move on to checkpoint 3

Jaclyn does karaoke on the Spice World cart

Jaclyn has an audience

Spectators outside Mika

Ginger Spice (Jacob) outside Mika

Jaclyn

Inside Mika after most racers have departed

Landmimes arriving to Wonderville, moments after I did

Stephanie and Mark, the owners of Wonderville (a.k.a. checkpoint #3)

One of the games racers had to play was "Happy Birthday, Butthole" which was like "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" but features cotton swabs and Noxema.

A member of Landmimes plays "Happy Birthday, Butthole"

Landmimes communicate only via gestures and signs

The time traveling team are now prehistoric cavepeople

Julie, a photojournalist, speaks with Deadmoose

Mark of Wonderville playing "Happy Birthday, Butthole"

Mark of Wonderville playing "Happy Birthday, Butthole"

Mark of Wonderville playing "Happy Birthday, Butthole"

Mark of Wonderville playing "Happy Birthday, Butthole"

This player found the butthole while blindfolded

His teammates and others cheer

Mark of Wonderville with a photo given to him by Ginger Spice (Jacob)

Team members playing "Spit in the New Year"

Team members playing "Spit in the New Year"

Team members playing "Spit in the New Year"

Team members playing "Spit in the New Year"

A team playing the indie arcade games at Wonderville

Mark and Stephanie outside Wonderville most of the racers have left

On Saturday, March 5, 2022, the annual Idiotarod NYC race took place across Brooklyn and Queens. This year’s edition was a combined one, for the 18th and 19th years, since it did not take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 17th year (XVII), I documented the race for BTRtoday which now no longer exists. The race also shifted from late January to early March this year due to Omicron as well. Each team comes up with a theme and follows the secretive route. Some of this year’s themes included time travelers (at each location, their costumes changed to reflect a different time period), Landmimes, Spice Girls (a mashup of the British girl pop group and Frank Herbert’s Dune with their cart resembling a giant sandworm), a team of Dudes (from The Big Lebowski) and others.

The race began in McCarren Park at noon but I was stationed at the second checkpoint so I didn’t get images of the beginning of the race. The racers departed McCarren and went to the first checkpoint, which was Bushwick Country Club in East Williamsburg, from there they raced to us at Mika, followed by Wonderville, and ended their night at The Deep End in Ridgewood. Each checkpoint featured games the racers had to complete before the judges allowed them to move on to the next location. Teams could offer judges bribes in the hopes of being released earlier. Rather than making it to the final stop in Queens, I came home to edit photos since I’m shooting something else today. One of these days, I’ll make it to the very end to witness the destruction of the shopping carts and celebrate those who win prizes and glory.

Idiotarod is still a very silly thing that I first discovered in 2004 (and documented the following year, plus 2007, 2019, and 2020). I’m very glad it’s still going and that I got to be involved again and naturally can’t wait until next year’s (XX) race.

Results from XVIII+XIXth Annual IdiotarodNYC

BEST IN SHOW - Time Travel Paradox

BEST CART - Spice Girls

BEST SABOTAGE/INDUSTRIAL DESIGN - The Brutalists

BEST CHECKPOINT - #2 Brooklyn Bridgerton

MOST TOPICAL - Idjokovics

SPARKLEPONY AWARD - Forestival (Kostume Kult/Hashers)

BEST BRIBERY - Jameson’s Telescope

HOT MEAT AWARD - WilliamsBurgers

STAYING IN CHARACTER AWARD - Landmimes

SMALLEST DICK AWARD - Galactic Virgins

HOT MESS AWARD - Derelict Dudes

TINIEST TEAMMATES AWARD - Oompa Loompas

HONORABLE MENTION - Johnson Space Station