Smoosh! Event a Colony Christmas staple

PALMER— The eighth annual Smoosh Race at Colony Christmas brought kids and adults together, pitting new and familiar faces against each other, trying not to fall in the wet and squishy, or “smooshy” snow by the train tracks in front of the museum.

Denise Christopher, Marketing and Community Relations Director, for the Mat-Su Miners was one of the Smoosh event organizers. She said she helped come up with the name based on the sound people make while racing around a loop with wooden 2-by-4 planks attached to their feet.

“It’s like, smooshy,” Christopher said.

She said the event started eight years ago and each year, someone usually ends up in the snow.

“Sometimes, the winter is winning,” Christopher said.

Nancy Black linked up with a group of mutual friends to compete against the returning champions, Team Alaska Chicks.

“Next year we are going to be amazing,” Black said. “We grew together as a team.”

Black’s team took second place after watching Team Alaska Chicks rhythmically swoop past them, moving almost like a locomotive.

“Look at the methodical rhythm. They practiced,” Christopher said.

Black didn’t want to go too in depth about her team’s secret strategies for next year’s race. She said that she didn’t want “those candy cane girls” overhearing.

“We’re working on smoosh boosters,” Black said.

Four young boys — Corbin Wilson, Harlow Wilson, Gabe Black, and Jake Black — joined up for the Smoosh Race. They were the only youth racers this year.

“It’s difficult,” Gabe said.

Corbin was wearing exercise shorts and a thin jacket. He was still dripping with melting snow.

“It was cold and wet,” Corbin said.

Jake said they need to go faster next year. All four of the boys said they want to try it again next year.

“We need to stay more together,” Harlow said.

Team Alaska Chicks — Crystal Vroman, Jaida Vroman, Kristin Mayer, and Carly Venzke — showed up to the Smoosh Race with their handmade, candy-cane colored, 2-by-4 planks with four pairs of shoes screwed to the tops. They used the same planks to scoot their way to victory last year.

Crystal said that coming back for that second victory raised the stakes.

“We’re defending champions so there’s pressure,” Crystal said.

Crystal said that all the women on her team knew each other through the iconic Alaskan clothing company: Alaska Chicks. She said that she always wanted to join the Smoosh Race but she didn’t have a team. Then, she had the idea to round up her Alaska Chick colleagues.

“I said, ‘let’s do a work team.’ It’s something that I always wanted to do and I had people who wanted to do it,” Crystal said.

Crystal’s daughter, Jaida, said that they only did one practice run before the race. She credited their unified motions on the slippery snow to their shared mind as mutual friends.

“We’re all connected,” Jaida laughed.

Mayer agreed, saying they noticed the young boys likely lost a lot of momentum because they kept flailing their arms around without linking up for balance.

“We’re just in sync. We work together... You cannot be afraid to hold onto the person in front of you. You have to be comfortable with each other,” Mayer said.

Mayer said she was going to keep walking around Palmer for more Colony Christmas festivities and running into more familiar faces, relishing that small town effect.

“Seeing people we know, I think that’s my favorite part,” Mayer said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com