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t’s been three years since the incantation, “Eat More Croaker. Eat More Croaker. Eat More Croaker” rose up over Lupton Park on the first Saturday in July. But it was in the air again this weekend as a record turnout of runners, bikers and bladers welcomed the return of the Croaker Relay to Oriental’s Croakerfest celebration.

Croaking again. The first wave of contestants in Saturday’s 4 × 1 mile Croaker Relay. No one could start until they had chanted, “Eat More Croaker”, three times. Then they were off, toting a plywood croaker for a mile.

Organizer Turtle Midyette says over thirty teams took part, more than had done so before the Croaker Relay went on a three-year hiatus.

The familiar elements were there. The fire hydrant at Third and Mildred was cracked open and nozzled, so that the spray arced over the start and finish line.

Christie Foster and daughter Ruby take off on one leg of the race. Ruby’s brother Abe had just completed one lap with his mother.

Also in keeping with tradition, each of the teams was was given a croaker — a plywood fish about a foot long. They were Awlgripped white, blue and red, and some had a dash of non-skid ‘scales’. These croakers were passed from teammate to teammate in the 4 × 1 mile race.

One of the jiggier pass-offs in the relay.

However, this being the Croaker Relay, those croaker batons had another, more important purpose.

The last time the relay was run, Buddy Kelly’s family won. He did three or four laps, one of them on foot, with a younger team mate.

The top honors in this event does not go to speediest team to dash across the finish line. Instead, the winner is determined after the race by way of the Croaker Toss.

Crossing the finish line in the Croaker Relay gets you wet. But no medal. There’s still the Croaker Toss competition.

The toss is the defining characteristic of this race and just before the teams set out on their runs/rolls/and cycles, Turtle Midyette announced the nature of this year’s Toss: teams would be called upon to present their most creative interpretation of a croaker toss. That, Turtle said, was something the teams could think about while they ran.

They rose to the occasion, as you’ll see on the next page.
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Here are some of the highlights of the Croaker Toss, Performance Art Division:

Perhaps best viewed with operatic accompaniment.

Croaker sent packing.

One team deployed a bungee cord to simulate fishing…

…which the younger team member then unhooked and tossed. It was declared to be, “Catch and Release.”

The set-up, the hike….

..and what we think was the “Hail Croaker” pass. The yellow arrow indicates a flying croaker.

Don’t try this at home. Or at your dentist’s office. Tristan Stewart flings the croaker from his mouth.

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As this contestant prepared to toss the croaker, mention was made of the fish getting the same treatment as Oriental’s dogs….

The result: A croaker accessorized with the now familiar black plastic Oriental ‘doggie bag’.

Martial arts, Oriental (NC) style. The set-up.

Martial arts, Oriental (NC) style. The kick.

Barbara Dvorak giddiapped across the park to the tune of the William Tell Overture.

Croaker as not only a fish out of water, but fish out of its usual net. Sarah Winstead used her lacrosse stick to dispatch the croaker for her team.

In the end, no winner was chosen because, Turtle said, it was hard to pick. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat may have to wait til 2009.

Turtle MIdyette, who with his cousin George and Roland Pare, produced more than 6 dozen croakers and revived the Croaker Relay this year.

While water taste may be debatable, that Town of Oriental water can throw a fine rainbow.

Related Links:

Croaker Relay Returns – Fish Baton Construction Underway

Posted Monday July 7, 2008 by Melinda Penkava