SPIRIT LAKE — Without enough snow for a track, Spirit Lake’s annual Outhouse Races looked different this year.  

Rather than slipping and sliding across packed powder on skis in City Park, the outhouses instead careened down Fourth Avenue on furniture dollies.

“The weather and God wanted something different,” said Scotty Allin with the Spirit Lake Community Coalition.  

What remained the same, however, was the community spirit that was tangible along Maine Street. About 100 people gathered for Spirit Lake’s Winter Olympic Games, an event known in previous years as Winterfest.  

Neighbors caught up as they sampled Chili Cook Off entries or watched their children play giant Jenga and cornhole as they waited in anticipation to see who would come out on top in Saturday’s “game of thrones.” 

The rules were simple.  

“Push an outhouse, have some fun, and don’t hurt yourself,” Allin reminded the crowd.  

Teams of three took turns racing toward the finish line in outhouses supplied by the Community Coalition.  

Even without snow, crossing it was no easy feat. 

“Keeping it in our lane was probably the hardest part,” said Kinsley Bradetich. “We kinda kept swerving into the other lane.” 

Kinsley pushed an outhouse — with her mom, Savannah Bradetich, riding inside — alongside her friend and fellow Spirit Lake Middle School student Camryn Young. 

“It was really fun,” Bradetich said with a laugh. “I was kind of nervous with these crazy girls pushing, but it was fun.” 

Each heat sparked cheers and laughter from both participants and spectators before Andrew Cole, Alex Mauri and Mason Mauri ultimately came out on top in the championship round. 

It was the group’s first time participating in the outhouse races.  

“It was tiring — but we trained exclusively for this,” Alex joked.  

As spectators issued their congratulations, they couldn’t help but ask about the laptop-sized case Mason showed off from his seat inside the outhouse during each heat.  

It was a Star-Batt, a device created by Andrew and Alex that holds and powers Starlink Minis for up to 24 hours.  

“It’s internet in a box,” Cole said. 

Wifi capabilities were certainly a first for the mobile outhouses — and though it was also the first year the Races weren’t held on snow, Allin was optimistic that snow will return to the area soon.  

“We all know Spirit Lake; 3 feet of snow could drop next week,” he said.

    Community members lined Fourth Avenue in Spirit Lake on Saturday to take in the Outhouse Races, the main event of this year's Winter Olympic Games.