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Gears and beers
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| Skywaynews, February 13, 2006 by Jeremy Stratton Minneapolis bike couriers know what sets them apart from most of their peers across the country: their ability to withstand bone-chilling winter weather. To prove it, local messengers host the annual Stupor Bowl. This year, the ninth annual race/pub crawl drew riders 225 riders, some from as far as Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. The three-hour race included 25 stops, most of them bars, all over the city. Some contestants rushed through the course in hopes of taking the timed-race crown; others imbibed along the way to vie for the title of Stupor Champ. Last year's 50-degree weather drew a then-record 192 riders. This year, the temperature was 30 degrees colder, and a brisk northwest wind made it feel like zero. A bright sun shone from a cloudless blue sky - it was the kind of mid-winter day that is the pride of Minnesota. "The colder weather is ideal," said Spencer Haugh, this year's organizer. "It's what we have over other cities' couriers." At the word go, the 225 bundled-up bicyclists took off from Boom Island on 224 bicycles (one was a tandem). Soon, they were zipping alone or in packs through city streets, all steering toward the finish at Grumpy's Bar, 1111 Washington Ave. S. Despite general consensus that the weather would favor the locals, Minneapolis took fourth place for the second straight year, via hometown courier and Stupor Bowl VII winner Matt Allen. Local messenger Liz placed first in the women's bracket. Minneapolis retained the Stupor Champ title, however, thanks to long-time messenger "B-Rad," who wore his motorcycle helmet and birthday-boy grin well into the night. |
