Manitouwadge’s 2012 Amazing Race A Hit! (NEW PHOTOS Added AUG.1)

6 teams of 2 people each, among them a Son-in-Law/Mother-in-Law team, a team from the local "Ladies' Boot Camp" group, long-time friends and some co-workers, ready to head out on Day 2 of the 2012 Amazing Race in Manitouwadge this past weekend. Photo OntarioNewsNorth.com

MANITOUWADGE, ON – Friday, July 27th Manitouwadge Community Services’ 2-day Amazing Race kicked-off with 6 teams of two being given their first instructions by Community Programmer Shawna Patterson and Community Services Assistant Chris Townes.

Their were 2 legs to Day 1’s racing and 3 more on Day 2. Each leg of the race included a travelling challenge: the way in which they would have to travel from point a to point b; a ‘road block’ challenge (choice between 2) to be completed to receive their clue and, after these; the “Pit-stop” a 5 minute mandatory break during which water was provided to the competitors. The Pit-stops were of particular importance on Saturday when teams were racing under sunny skies and temperatures hovering between 29 and 31°C.

Prizes were awarded to the winning team of each leg which were both clever and humorous. For Example: Day 1 both legs were won by the team of Shelley Hogan and Carol Burns, the ladies were thrilled to each win a new car! (‘dinky’ car that is) AND a trip on a Cruise! (a.k.a. an inflatable water-materess). Day 2 included equally exciting and unpredictable prizes for each of the 3 legs’ winners:

• $500 (2 packs emptyof toonie rolls )
• a trip to meet Mickey & Minnie Mouse (in the form of Mickie & Minnie Pez dispensers)
• a Wine Tasting Tour (

Though the prizes for each leg of the race were cute and funny, the final prizes for the top three teams competing in the 2012 Amazing Race  required no sense of humour and were definately worth the efforts put forward by those teams who claimed them.

Congratulations to the Top 3 teams in the 2012 Manitouwadge Amazing Race:

1^st place Kevin Gauthier, Jessica Tessier

• PRIZE:6 rounds of golf (each)

2^nd place Cindy Franklin, Sherie Hatch

• PRIZE:9 holes golf + Ticket to Sensational Hot Rods & beer & skits (each)

3^rd place Tyler Baran, Barb Patterson

• PRIZE:Ticket to Sensational Hot Rods & Beer & Skits (each)

The Sensational Hot Rods and Beer & Skit tickets awarded are for a performance taking place during the 2012 Manitouwadge Sunfest on August 24^th.

The Amazing Race was a hit, it was great on Friday when OntarioNewsNorth.com followed along to see residents riding along the race-route following the action.  It community spirit like that shown by Melanie Courty and her 2 daughters who followed on bikes, that takes this type of event over the top and from being something neat that a dozen people participated in to something really cool that the town can get behind and be involved in as spectators.

Patterson was very please with the increased interest in the event which she had been force to cancel in 2011 when only 2 teams registered.  The only major change she made to the 2012 Amazing Race was to reduce the number of days over which it would be played and take it from being planned as a 5-day weekday event to a 2-day weekend event which was a hit.

Congratulations to all those who participated and those who cheered them on for your guts and determination.  As can be seen in the photos, there were some very, very intimidating challenges, among those tests of endurance, determination and adaptability which the competitors had to face were:

• Getting from one ‘Road Block’ to the next while:
• walking back to back with arms linked
• walking face to face while keeping a basketball between their torsos up using only ‘hug-power’
• walking while rolling a truck tire which had to have both team mates hands on it at all times
• walking while signing the campfire favourite “I am slowly going crazy; One-two-three-four-five-six-switch” at which point they would turn around, walk backwards and sign the song in reverse “Slowly going crazy am I six, five, four, three, two, one SWITCH” and on an on from the triangle in front of the Our Lady of Lourdes church to the Recreation Centre.
• walk with one team mate blindfolded from Prospector’s Park to the Lions’ Beach (which is not easy terrain especially since a few teams though taking the trail along the lakes edge would be shorter)
• Among the Road Blocks they faced were:
• “Three blind mice” were one team mate was blindfolded trying to kick 3 soccer balls into a net with only their partners words to guide them
• “Bottoms Up or Messed Up” in which they had to search through bowls of oatmeal using only their mouths to find a specific marble hidden within one of them (each team mate had to find theirs)  OR drink (and sometimes combine and drink) shooters of: prune, bamboo shoot, beet, tomato, pinneaple, apple, lemon, or lime juice
• “Opera or Country” where they chose between either face painting to replicate a provided photo of an Opera Character (much more difficult than it sounds, though a couple tried none were able) OR take a crash-course in Line Dancing from local expert Bunny Schermann and then perform the line dance on their own

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Posted in Awards and Contests, Community Events, Manitouwadge/Marathon, Municipal, Northern Ontario Headlines, Sports, video post | Comments Off on Manitouwadge’s 2012 Amazing Race A Hit! (NEW PHOTOS Added AUG.1)

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