I got more than one chuckle over a recent article we published about wife carrying out in the Silver Valley.

First off, as the accompanying photo of the event at Lookout Pass clearly showed, some competitors kick off their shoes for more traction in the snow.

That action right there should tell you all you need to know about the cerebral well-being of some of the participants.

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I was also enthralled with the different ways the husbands packed their better halves. The photo showed the inverted method, with the wife upside down on the hubby's back, arms wrapped around his waist and legs above his shoulders.

The more standard piggyback method is not as popular, I expect since it is harder to keep the cargo from bouncing and the center of gravity would be constantly moving, making it harder to run smoothly.

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The only part of the whole thing that looks attractive to me is the prize - the winner is awarded his wife's weight in beer, a custom handed down from the sport's origins in Finland.

It's pretty obvious this is more of a social sport than out-and-out competition. To me, it looks like something that falls into that "I'll do anything once" category.

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The more I think about it, I see no clear win-win situation for me and the wife in this sport.

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First off, we'd have to decide how she'd be carried. The inverted, head down position not only looks uncomfortable, but if her grip slips or if I happened to lose my footing and fall backward, she'd end up with a noggin full of snow and I'd end up with a couple earfuls of profanity. The long ride home would be just that - and then some.

If we did the piggyback method, I'd have the wife providing the backseat driving commentary, while trying to match my cadence, so again, no win there.

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The only win-win I can see is if I can convince the wife that her carrying me would not only be unique, it'd spotlight her prowess while psyching out the competition. A win for her.

The other half of the win would be for yours truly. By being carried, I not only win by not having to grind out the sprint, I save the energy to consume all that beer after she sprints across the line to victory.

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A win for me - no, make that a double!

Jerry Hitchcock has no jockeying skills whatsoever, but for free beer he could be coerced. Meanwhile, he's a copy editor for The Press and can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com.