SPIRIT LAKE — Mayor Jeremy Cowperthwaite knew exactly what the crowd was waiting for during Saturday’s Winterfest at City Park.

“Who’s ready to get these races started?” Cowperthwaite shouted.

Of course, he was met with cheers. A few hundred came out to enjoy a surprisingly sunny Winterfest — the main event being the annual Outhouse Races.

Five teams competed in the races this year, their outhouses donning appropriately dignified names such as “The Caffeinated Crapper,” “The Dapper Crapper” and “Flame Throne.”

The heats were nothing short of action-packed, and despite multiple close calls on the track, each outhouse made it to the finish line upright and intact.

There were some returning champions. Matt Kline and Justin Barr, coworkers from Sprout Coffee Co. of Hayden, won Best in Show a few years back. They built The Caffeinated Crapper in one day.

“We decided to come out and try it again. ... And peddle some coffee,” said Barr.

Believe it or not, there’s a technique to racing an outhouse on skis.

“Push hard. Don’t fall,” Kline said.

For other racers, it was a first-time thing, all in the name of family fun.

“We’ve actually never done this before,” said Ariana Hipke, who rode in The Dapper Crapper. “But our family has, so we wanted to build one ourselves and try it out.”

“And they needed pushers, so here we are,” said Trevor Stellflug with a laugh.

The crowd also enjoyed the spectacle of a new game this year — human bowling. Kids were pushed down the racetrack on a sled and attempted to gather as many inflatable snowman bowling pins as they could.

And there was one other welcome surprise for this year’s Winterfest: Some light snow began falling about halfway through the races, adding to the festive feel. 

    Konnor (left) and Trevor (right) Stellflug had Ariana Hipke flying towards the finish line.
  

    Call it a tie ... Moratorium and Spirit Lake Fire Department collided at the finish line.
  

    Winterfest attendees tried their hand at human bowling Saturday.
  

    Spectators lined the racetrack to get a good look at the action during Saturday's Outhouse Races.