Do you enjoy watching mud-covered contestants leap over pits of fire en-route to glory, accolades and booze? The Warrior Dash, a 3-mile race, obstacle course, and after-party on Windham Mountain, had got your number.
Warrior Dash racers are a hutzpah-filled bunch. A blogger named Adrian went to last year's event on Windham and came away demanding that all the obstacles be bigger, muddier, and harder:
On their website I counted 13 obstacles, but on race-day, I would qualify no more than 5 or 6 as true obstacles. To me, and obstacle is something that must be overcome, so something like a wooden bridge doesn’t count unless you possess an abnormal fear of splinters. While some obstacles were quite fun (the mud swim or cargo nets) others were in need of some serious PEDs. The previously mentioned Warrior Walls turned out to be three 3-foot high walls to climb over, the Warrior Roast was 2 rows of dura-flame logs, and the Tunnels of Terror were ridiculously short. So as an open message to all adventure race organizers hear this battle cry: We want to be WARRIORS, damn it! Or at the very least, we want to tackle something that can’t be built in a Manhattan studio apartment.
It's too late to sign up to be a mud-covered race contestant, but spectators and partiers are still welcomed to watch in awe as racers battle each other through mud pits and terror tunnels. Windham's organizers say that 25,000 people have registered for the race, making it the biggest event the ski center holds in the summer. For non-racers, Windham promises lots of fun:
There's something for everyone with the Big Air Bag, Euro Bungee, Skyrides, Zip Line and even Helicopter rides. So grab your viking helmet, rub a little dirt on your shirt and get in on our biggest event of the summer!
Ah yes -- did we mention that racers are encouraged to wear "fuzzy Viking hats?" Windham Mountain's website has a video tour of the obstacles at last year's dash -- led by a tour guide wearing the Viking hat.
Warrior Dash, Windham Mountain, 33 Clarence D. Lane Rd., Windham, NY. All day August 13 and 14th, 2011. www.windhammountain.com. www.warriordash.com.
