Minneapolis, MN
Inside a Minneapolis neighborhood’s impromptu speed-skating race on a lake
An anonymous post on an unofficial Instagram page named “powderhornskatingclub” was all it took to coax nearly three dozen intrepid skaters onto the frozen lake at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis a few days later.
“That’s right baby. The Powderhorn Skating Championship is back!” the post said.
The origins of speed skating on Powderhorn Lake in Powderhorn Park date back to the 1930s and ‘40s when, according to the Minneapolis Parks website, a local ice track hosted national skating championships and even Olympic trials. In 1948, four of the nine skaters on the U.S. Olympic team were from the south Minneapolis neighborhood.
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Organizers said they wanted to honor Powderhorn Park’s history of speed skating and bring their neighbors out for some winter fun. On Saturday, skaters toed the starting line of the hand-shoveled track in two categories: beginner and intermediate. Heats consisted of one lap for beginners and two laps for the intermediate division.
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Before the start, Powderhorn community members Orren Fen and Helena Howard passed out handmade cardboard signs for a dozen or so spectators lined up on the frozen lake.
“We saw the flyer and I was like, ‘We should grab some flags and come on down,’” said Fen.
Racers were decked out in outfits ranging from figure skating tutus and Carhartt coveralls to neon-patterned singlets straight out of 1980s workout videos.
Mar Horns, who skated in the beginner heat, said her grandfather grew up competing on the ice at Powderhorn Park. “It’s cool hearing my grandpa talk about his time living here, then seeing people continue to have some of these really cool traditions.”
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“The real victory is being here with my friends and feeling my heart race as I skate around the ice,” said Spencer Polk, who finished first in the intermediate heat.
In the end, unofficial winners received tiny prizes that were thrifted from a store up the street, and awards for best outfits and most helpful shovelers were handed out as well.
MPR News video producer Anne Guttridge contributed to this story.