Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The BIRD is Back!
Some things are just too good not to share so Bird made the inaugural staging of the "Running of the Reindeer" in Anchorage, Alaska.
Patterned after the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain in July the good folks in Anchorage set loose seven reindeer (actually domesticated caribou) on three blocks of Fourth Street in downtown Anchorage on Monday. 1000 people and one crazy Flamingo paid $20 to be chased down the street by the thundering herd.
"Normally we just eat them," said Mark Berg, a spectator who has lived in Alaska since 1967. "I just made some jambalaya the other day out of reindeer sausage. I've eaten more of their cousins than they want to know."
Organizers of the run, part of Anchorage's annual Fur Rendezvous festival, said the idea grew out of a joke. No one was exactly sure how the reindeer would respond.
The practice apparently worked. The plan was for the crowd (most dressed in costumes with some sort of antlers attached to their heads) to start running and for the reindeer to chase them down the three blocks. The reindeer had other ideas. They knew where the apple slices were and they took off running, quickly passing the entire crowd.
"We thought, 'Ok, they're just going to mosey along,' but they took off running," said Amanda Pelkola of Eagle River, who dressed as a carrot with her friend, Kasia Gilbert of Peters Creek. "We got smoked by the reindeer."
You can watch the event here.
Patterned after the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain in July the good folks in Anchorage set loose seven reindeer (actually domesticated caribou) on three blocks of Fourth Street in downtown Anchorage on Monday. 1000 people and one crazy Flamingo paid $20 to be chased down the street by the thundering herd.
"Normally we just eat them," said Mark Berg, a spectator who has lived in Alaska since 1967. "I just made some jambalaya the other day out of reindeer sausage. I've eaten more of their cousins than they want to know."
Organizers of the run, part of Anchorage's annual Fur Rendezvous festival, said the idea grew out of a joke. No one was exactly sure how the reindeer would respond.
"Theoretically, the reindeer will pursue the people through the streets and the people will run frantically like in Pamplona, (Spain)," said Cary Carrigan, a Fur Rondezvous board member. "Although, reindeer being what they are, they will more likely be looking for candy and treats from the crowd."
To prep the reindeer for the romp the handlers practiced by setting them loose and then rewarding them with apple slices once they made it through the three block course.
The practice apparently worked. The plan was for the crowd (most dressed in costumes with some sort of antlers attached to their heads) to start running and for the reindeer to chase them down the three blocks. The reindeer had other ideas. They knew where the apple slices were and they took off running, quickly passing the entire crowd.
"We thought, 'Ok, they're just going to mosey along,' but they took off running," said Amanda Pelkola of Eagle River, who dressed as a carrot with her friend, Kasia Gilbert of Peters Creek. "We got smoked by the reindeer."
You can watch the event here.
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