This weekend Virginia City held their 33rd World Championship Outhouse Races, where participants spend a lot of time and money to race right down C Street.
There have been 17 outhouse races around the country, and Virginia City's is considered the peak of the races. This year they saw the most racers they've ever seen with 28 outhouses, running a total of 70 races for the weekend. Jess Horning, a Partner with Liquid Blue Events says "This year we have the fastest outhouses we've ever seen in the history of our races… so I think the competition today is going to be outstanding!"
Every outhouse theme is unique with everything from Alice in Wonderland, to Comstock Loads and Scooby Doo. But even though these outhouses are decorative, they must also be functional. Horning explains "The design of the outhouses is really important for the speed; the pushers are second and the drivers are third. So, there's a lot of science that goes behind it, but the decorations and the costumes and the pageantry behind it all is great."
One local has been making and selling outhouses to participants for some time. He's already made 6 outhouses, usually constructing them out of bed frames. He says people can find him, and his skills, just by showing up to the races. Jason Merlas, the Outhouse Maker tells us "We're all family and friends, and we get to meet up here every year and we don't even have to send Christmas cards."
The Outhouse Races will typically have fun mini game intermissions for the crowds to enjoy. Since it’s a free event it doesn't make money in itself, but it does bring a lot of people around to Virginia City, bringing plenty of business to the town.
Horning mentions "There's a ton of shops, there's a ton of stores, and you get to enjoy the races, walk in right behind you and go to a restaurant, store, shop go back out and catch another race." If you've been to the Outhouse Races before, you might see some familiar fixtures racing down C Street, but you'll likely find new latrines visiting the city to race as well. Horning says "We definitely get a handful of new outhouses every year from around the country that come here specifically to Virginia City, because the outhouses they have in their communities doesn't have the atmosphere it does in Virginia City."
