ISU Bengal

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Samantha Evans Contestants racing on ice blocks at Cold Butts 'n' Beer.

Editors note: This article was originally slated to appear in the Sept. 5 issue of The Bengal, but due to a mix up, was not included in the issue. We offer our apologies to the writer.

The Third Annual Cold Butts & Beer night, Tuesday, Aug. 28, was met with the largest turnout in their short history. Brand new white shirts were given away to the first 125 students to show up and challenge the hill. The event was sponsored by Chi Alpha, led by Director Paul Austin who was impressed by the turnout that continued to grow as the night progressed, reaching a total of over 200 students. Chi Alpha is a Christian campus ministry who put on many activities throughout the school year, and Austin emphasizes, "anyone is welcome, and it is not necessary to be a Christian to come out and have a good time. We want students to check out the club without pressure."
Chi Alpha runs a large group meeting every Wednesday night at 7:30 in the Canoe Room of the PSUB, with other activities running all throughout the week. More information about Chi Alpha and events sponsored by their club can be found on their website: www.isuxa.com.
In the failing light of the evening, students in white t-shirts huddled waiting for their chance to earn a grass stain badge from an ice-block wipeout. The tumbles and spills sent legs and arms cart-wheeling through the air. Andrew Kupchock, a sophomore at ISU, watching the event commented, "it's like NASCAR; you just sit and wait for the crashes."
Hopped up on root beer's sugary goodness, students sat on ice blocks and raced down the tiki-torch lined hill of Bartz field. The participants continued to march up the hill covered in grass stains. Students were sliding all over the grass slamming into each other and having a great time. A trio of inventive students attached a folding metal chair to two blocks of ice, creating a sled that looked fun in spite of the fact that it was destined to topple, which may have been the plan.
There were two types of races at the event: the individual and the team relay. The latter held the greatest potential for entertaining disaster. In the team relay, the racers slid down the hill towards their teammates who stood waiting at the bottom like bowling pins. Once their teammates reached them the ice blocks changed hands and they raced to the top to take their turn. The finals of the team races were the highlight of the night when the team dubbed "Texas Trash" swept the final race, while their competition ended up chasing their ice blocks down the hill after the handoff.
In the singles race competition, Dustin Smith blazed down the hill and won by three comfortable ice block lengths.
You may be wondering what types of ice block riding techniques are embraced by the champions and joy riders alike. The most popular technique involved what resembled an upside down crab balancing on an ice cube. The "crab" method was very effective but was only moderately satisfying to the real thrill seekers. The riders with the need for speed and danger switched between conga lines of three or four blocks of ice, and a need to live out childhood fantasies of flying like Superman by lying on their stomachs and buzzing the grass with their noses. The party definitely lived up to its name with nice cold root beer and cold wet butts making an enjoyable evening out of some untraditional ingredients.

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