World Shovel Race Championships

By: © Nelson Taylor 2008

Festival Location: Angel Fire, NM, USA

Festival State: New Mexico Festivals

Festival Type(s): Winter Sports Events, Bizarre Sports Events, Bizarre Festivals

Shovel racing is one of the craziest and one of the most exciting new sports in America -- for racers and onlookers alike. It was born from the tradition of winter trail maintenance crews riding their shovels down the mountain after a hard day's work. Now, every February since 1973, the Angel Fire Resort has hosted the championships. Men, women and children compete in two different categories -- Production and Speed Modified -- racing down a 1000-foot course for cash and kudos. Because wipeouts are inevitable, helmets are required.

In the Production class, contestants ride stock grain scoop shovels. Riders sit on the shovel, hold their legs in the air on either side of the handle and use their arms for steering. Gail Boles currently holds the Production record, flying down the hill in 16.66 seconds. That's 67 mph! A Taos native, Boles has only been into shovel racing for about six years. He admits that he didn't get into the sport sooner because it didn't sound to him like much fun. Boles says, "So it was a little bit more exciting than I had initially anticipated." That's an understatement. He was all-out hooked. (While most people bring their own, shovels will be donated to those who don't have one.)

When Production no longer scares you, it's time to try the Speed Modified, which Boles explains as "the poor man's auto racing." These aerodynamic speed machines are built on frames, which are attached to skis or snowboards. A shovel must be incorporated and must be touching the snow. Boles' craft, attached to a pair of 240 racing skis, is about as high-tech as they come. Designed and built himself, his craft cost him $8,000, an amount he says he's earned back in sponsorships and cash prizes. His incorporates custom rack and pinion that was made in Detroit, a nitrogen-powered breaking system, a chrome molly frame and a durable roll cage. Boles is also a four-time Modified champion, the only person to have won in both categories. But he doesn't hold the Modified record. His personal best, 78 mph, is just 1 mph short of the record.

Boles and other Angel Fire racers like John Shrader took shovel racing to the 1997 espn2 Winter Extreme Games. But they had a less than successful showing because of adverse course conditions. Both Boles and Shrader crashed big time. Shrader broke his back. Boles was knocked unconscious when his machine flipped thirteen times and flew over the wall. While they weren't invited back to the Extreme Games, highlights of their crashes are still used in Extreme Games advertisements. Even through all the pain, both Shrader and Boles are still racing, still perfecting their crafts, still trying to get shovel racing the attention it deserves. Maybe, just maybe, Modified shovel racing will become the next addition to the Winter Olympics. While the shovel racing is free to watch, prices for competing run $10 to $70.