Thursday, August 14, 2008

The Lube's Pennsyltucky Olympics feature 'redneck' games

By Sarah Poulton

SHARON, Pa. — Patch up those overalls and shine up your best belt buckles, kids, it’s time for what folks at the Original Quaker Steak and Lube call, The Pennsyltucky Olympics.

That’s right. The Pennsyltucky Olympics, just like the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, only this one features events like Seed Spitting, the Beer Belly Wet T-Shirt Contest and the Hub Cap Hurl.

And you can forget the Gold Medal. The winner of this fine competition wins a sweet 1984 Limited Edition Ford Crown Victoria. It’s missing first gear, but it runs like a champ.

No, I’m not kidding.

Carrie Longstreet, field marketing manager for Quaker Steak and Lube, said the 3rd Annual Pennsyltucky Olympics is expected to draw quite a crowd. She said people flock to the event wearing flannel shirts, hunter orange jumpsuits and camouflage everything. Don’t be surprised if you see people wearing “red neck teeth” either.

“Some people will dress up and wear mullet wigs,” Longstreet said. “Other people actually have mullets.”

The event will start promptly at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lube’s Sharon location with opening ceremonies. New to this year’s event is the “Red Neck Re-Vow.” Married couples will register the day of the event to renew their wedding vows. Longstreet said one couple will be chosen, and the renewal will be performed in front of the crowd. The couple will also be sent on a “Hillbilly Honeymoon” to Erie, be crowded “King and Queen of the Pennsyltucky Olympics” and receive VIP seating throughout the event.

Longstreet said Fan-favorite events include Live Big Buck Hunter, in which they shoot paint balls at Lube employees, and the Dumpster Dive, when contestants see who can “dive” the best.

“Last year, we had people jumping off people’s shoulders,” Longstreet said. “One guy made sure he had a ‘plumber’s crack’ before he dove. They go crazy.”

Last year’s runner up, Ray Ray Cataline said his favorite event is the Git ‘R’ Done Long Jump, where participants hook up jumper cables to the Crown Victoria, then go though an obstacle course en route to their tractor, hoping there will be enough juice in the car to get their tractor started.

“I can run pretty fast,” Cataline said. “I’m like the Quaker Steak and Lube cheetah.”

The server/bartender at the Lube said he's been competing since the beginning, and actually won first place overall, but had to take second because he was unable to win the car.

“I had to come up with a last-minute steroid story,” Cataline said. “People actually saw me talking to Barry Bonds in the bathroom.”

Cataline said this year, he wants to take first place in points again. What he’s really hoping for is a big turnout, and he said there’s no reason why that shouldn’t happen.

“It’s the best event we have all year,” Cataline said. “The only thing that’s missing is NASCAR.”

Longstreet said participants for the games can sign up the day of the event and can begin practicing at 2 p.m. Participants have the choice of competing in all of the events, or they can pick and choose. First-place awards will be given out for each category and first-, second- and third-place awards will be given out for the all-around competition.

The event will conclude with closing ceremonies and award presentations at 9:30 p.m.