Duck race events still excite

Aug 25, 2008 (The Deming Headlight - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- GTAM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Aug. 25--It's a long toss from Glendale, Calif., to Deming.

Darin Kuhlmann made it worthwhile Saturday afternoon, throwing a tortilla 204 feet, 6 inches to win his age division (male, 17-to-54) in the Rotary Club Great American Tortilla Toss. It was the day's top throw among 55 competitors scattered in seven divisions.

He beat Deming's Robert Nordorf by a foot on Tortilla Flats (Poplar Street).

Each competitor got two throws, using tortillas of six to eight-inches in diameter, donated by Amigo's Mexican Foods. The discs were allowed to go stale, providing a harder body with which to get distance.

Kuhlmann, who won $50, is a rookie tortilla tosser.

"I watched Robert throw it," Kuhlmann said of Nordorf, "and I copied his throw."

Kuhlmann was here visiting his dad, John McClure.

There were local throwers, too, as well as competitors from Silver City, Albuquerque, El Paso, Las Cruces and even Baja, Calif. Baja was represented by a visiting Rotarian, Robert McDonald, who threw 133 feet, six inches, to win the 55-and-over male division.

Deming's Denise Milo, 13, won the age 13-to-16 girls event, throwing 69 feet, four inches throw. Deming's Joshua Milo won the 0-6 Coed toss, with a 15 foot, eight inch fling.

Awards were $25

for first and $15 for second for throwers 12-and-under. Older folks threw for $25 and $50.

Other winners were: 7-12 Coed, Jay Northcliff, 84 feet, two inches; 13-16 Male, Dartanian Pina, 78 feet; 13-16 Female: Denise Milo, 69 feet, four inches; and 17-54 Female, Tonya Shields, 146feet, three inches.

Cookoff

Summer heat wasn't the only thing turned up at the 29th annual Great American Duck Race. Judges for the Border Foods Inc. Green Chile Cookoff also had to taste spicy-hot submissions of salsa and main dishes.

Forty-three dishes of salsa, or a main dish were submitted to a board of judges on Saturday at McKinley Duck Downs.

Erica Hall took first in the main dish category, with Nellie Zamora Reynolds and Gail Hackney coming in second and third, respectively.

For salsa, Frances Flores took first with her recipe, which she respectfully declined to share. Dave Wood came in second and Teresa Torres came in third.

"If I didn't win, it would still be fun," said Flores, a competitor for three years with a second-place salsa finish last year. "I'll be back next year to compete."

"Some of these are hot enough to make you sweat," said Dennis Campos, a first-year judge.

"We all had a great time," said Lori Alvarez of Border Foods, sponsor of the cookoff. "I think the public really enjoyed it."

Parade

For the second straight year, the Deming Elks Lodge No. 2799 captured the top prize in the Tournament of Ducks Parade on Saturday as part of the Great American Duck Race in Deming.

A long trail of floats, mariachis, a marching band, mounted patrols and tricked out vehicles made its way down Pine St. to Gold St., where the route headed south toward McKinley Duck Downs (Luna County Courthouse Park).

"The trucks were cool," said Juan Miguel Salinas, 12. "I liked the butterfly doors and the super slide."

The grand marshals of the parade were longtime local rancher and former state Rep., G.X. McSherry and his wife, Jody.

Mariachi Friendship, under the direction of Albert Valverde of Deming High School, took second and the Mimbres Memorial Hospital came in third.

Balloons

Over a dozen hot-air balloons and their teams gathered early Saturday morning at the Deming Soccer Fields to participate in the Chino Federal Credit Union Balloon Rally Mass Ascension.

Teams from across the state and country were joined by hundreds of people fans at the Deming Soccer League Fields.

Chris Seltzer, from Deming, joined the "Blue Southern Angel" crew for a soar above his hometown.

"They got me last evening about nine o'clock," Seltzer said of his initiation.

Jim Hoytle, of La Luz, and pilot of the "HSSS Too." has been a balloon pilot since 1998 and loves the experience he has acquired flying in the annual ascension.

Winner of the Hare and Hound Race was Albuquerque's Mark Heidemann (3 feet), $500.

Second was Brian Smith (4 feet, 4 inches) of Las Cruces, $300; and third was Tucson's Roger MacKenzie (45 feet), $200.

Pageant

Cheryl Lenhardt didn't do a lot of head scratching to come up with her Duck Royalty Pageant routine.

"All my kids are gone -- except for one," she said after claiming the 2008 Duck Queen crown Thursday night at the Deming Public Schools Auditorium. "Mama Duck is something I know and my husband, Randy, and son, Isaac (13) gave me all the love and support I needed."

Lenhardt put together her own lyrics -- with the emphasis on ducks -- to the late John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," but substituted the word "Mama" with a wagon full of darlin' ducklings looking on.

It was Lenhardt's first venture into the Duck Royalty Pageant and she will pocket a cool $1,000 and have a weekend trip to Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino and Resort in Ruidoso.

When asked what duck race fans can expect during her weekend reign, Lenhardt replied: "I don't know... I was the oldest contestant out here at 51. I guess I can't make any more of a fool of myself."

A packed auditorium stomped their feet, clapped in unison and sang along with the contestants in five age divisions.

And the winners were: Just Hatched (1 year and under) -- Annie Duckling (Nila Granillo, 14 months), Li'l Waddlers (ages 2-4) -- Harry Duckling (Victor Eaglestar), Downey Duck (ages 5-8) -- Crazy Country Duck (Joy F. Baca) and Darlin' Duckling (ages 9-12) -- Taylor Swift Feathers (Loni Belen Zumwalt).

Outhouse Race

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

J & J Printing "Wiped" out the competition at this years Great American Outhouse Race held Saturday on historic Silver Avenue. The bitter racing rivals bit down on a roll of toilet paper to sweep both men's and women's divisions.

Steer Safe was second in the mens and Busy Bee Septic was runner-up among the women.

There were racers under the Dust Devils' name, J & J Printing, Safe Steer, T-Shirt Print Shop and Busy Bee.

Winners are the horseshoe pits were Lucile McBride and Bob Swain in first, Jenny Portillo and Tommy Esquivel in second and Ronnie Zertuche and Richard Moralez.

Chava and son Pat Puentes captured the Washers Tournament title, beating Las Cruces' Ray Vasquez and Richard Serna. Third went to Tommy Gomez and Jesse Arias.

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