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oss that croaker! After being on hiatus for a few years, the Croaker Relay returns to Croakerfest this year.

The familiar elements are there. Organizer Turtle Midyette says it’ll be a 4-x-1mile race that can be done with a relay team or solo. There will be that classic finish line with an arc of water from the fire hydrant at the north end of Lupton Park.

You too can own a croaker. Be part of the Croaker Relay on Saturday morning July 5.

And it wouldn’t be the Croaker Relay without the batons in the shape of the croaker. The plywood croakers (live ones are less cooperative as battons) play a key role in this event.

For the uninitiated, a word of explanation: the Croaker Relay is decided not by who crosses that wet finish line first, but by who is more skillful in flinging the plywood fish in a contest after the race. A few years back, contestants winged the croaker from between their legs. This year, there is talk of arranging for a catapult.

The scene in George Midyette’s backyard this week. George (foreground) and cousin Turtle Midyette, who is organizing this year’s Croaker Relay, get to work on the croaker batons to be used in the race.

First though, you need to have the croakers. For every year’s Croaker Relay, new croaker batons are made. They are not mere pieces of wood, but probably the most decorated baton you’ll carry in a road race. One year, a Neuse moonrise was painted on the fish’s body. Another year a shiny abstract — thanks to leftover boatyard paint.

Turtle and croaker. This one, he says, has ‘scales’. (George points out that it’s non-skid.).

The 2008 models, still in production, have been AwlGripped shiny white with splats of red and blue. More than 60 fish have been jigsawed so far. This week, Turtle and his cousin, George Midyette were tackling the detail work, routing out the fins and gills and tails.

George Midyette works on the routing detail for this year’s croaker batons. With the edge of a sander, gills, fins and tails get more definition.

Turtle says they will be ringed with black paint, and they will all carry the name, Leon, in honor of Leon Jones, the Croaker Festival parade Grand Marshal and retiring UPS driver.

That’s a lotta croakers

The masked men of croaker creation

One fish, two fish, red white and blue fish. Three of the fish that’ll be carried in this year’s Croaker Relay.

You can be the proud owner of one of these — and there are folks who have collections of croakers from over the years — if you take part in the Croaker Relay, You can run, walk, rollerblade. The route is 4 × 1 mile, though in keeping with the spirit of the event, there is a short cut. Registration starts at 7:30am on July 5 at Lupton Park. The race starts around 8.

Unmasked, Turtle and George Midyette.

Posted Thursday June 26, 2008 by Melinda Penkava