"On a below-freezing Saturday, with mounds of snow still clinging to Brooklyn sidewalks, 30 groups of costumed revelers gathered behind their homemade carts, dressed to the nines in satire and spectacle. As they would their way through Bushwick, Williamsburg and into Ridgewood, Queens, passersby stopped to take photos, cheer them on and briefly join the chaos. For longtime fans, it was a familiar sight: the 23rd annual Idiotarod race."
"The Jan. 31 event is a tongue-in-cheek take on Alaska's Idiotarod Trail Sled Dog Race, swapping huskies and snow for human-powered carts and city streets. Like their canine counterparts, teams braved the cold to push their eclectic creations, which this year included a mobile sauna, a Satan-themed rig and a wildly reimagined Power Ranger. Carts gathered in Cooper Park to size up the competition, though the atmosphere was anything but cutthroat."
"Anney Fresh, a longtime Idiotarod referee and head judge, said the event's longevity comes down to its emphasis in creativity and community. "We started in 2001," Fresh told Brooklyn Paper. "I spend the entire day meeting everyone and seeing all of the things. Some hallmarks of the race are bribery and sabotage, so I do reap the benefits of this position. In the old days there was chaining cinderblocks on other people's carts, but now it's more friendly.""
On a below-freezing Saturday with snow clinging to Brooklyn sidewalks, 30 groups of costumed revelers gathered behind homemade carts. Teams paraded through Bushwick, Williamsburg and Ridgewood, Queens, drawing passersby who took photos, cheered and briefly joined the chaos. The 23rd annual Idiotarod swapped sled dogs and snow for human-powered carts and city streets. Creations included a mobile sauna, a Satan-themed rig and a reimagined Power Ranger. Carts gathered in Cooper Park where participants hugged, showed off their creations and chatted with curious dog walkers. Teams ranged from first-timers in the Costume Cult to themed rigs like a DSNY-modeled liquor cart and a Hot Tub Crime Machine. Anney Fresh credited longevity to creativity, community, bribery and playful sabotage.
Read at Brooklyn Paper
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