Monday, February 1, 2010

Fastest bed in the West

OATMAN - Sunny skies provided a background for the 20th annual Great Oatman Bed Races Saturday afternoon.
The Bed Bugs from Kingman made the loop - and the bed - the fastest at just under 35 seconds. But the Daily News was unable to catch up with them following the race. One of the team members left right away to celebrate his engagement, which had just happened before the team took its turn.

Fred Eck, emcee for the races, said this was the first engagement in the history of the event.

Reigning champions the Womack Revivers from the Mohave Valley Medical Care offices tried to sustain the momentum they've had for the past two years.

“I think we had two very lucky days in a row,” said team captain Brian Womack of his teams' first-place finishes in two years.

“Some of the people from Valley View Medical Center have been talking trash, so as long as we beat them, I'll be happy,” Womack joked.

And beat VVMC they did. Womack's Revivers came in at 48 seconds and VVMC's Bed Pans ended the course at 50.99 seconds.

Each team is made up of five people, four to steer the bed and one person to ride on it. Teams are required to stop in the middle of the course and make a bed, complete with sheets and four pillows needing cases. Ideally, teams put their lightest person on the bed.

The Superheroes from Colorado River Medical Center in Needles came in second place. Team captain Catwoman - a.k.a. Mary Gonzales, director of medical records - said the team wanted to do the superhero theme last year but did not have time to pull it off. Team members donned outfits such as the Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Spiderman and Bruce Wayne.

“I figured if we didn't win at least we would get the award for best costume, but I guess they aren't giving it out this year,” Gonzales said.

As usual, teams from the Oatman Fire Department and the Red Hatters participated in the race by having fun with the audience and race officials. Neither team participated for the title. The Red Hatters used the pillow cases to collect spare change to go toward the new bathrooms in Oatman.



Source: HEATHER SMATHERS/The Daily News