Summer mow-jo
Gary De Chenne of Deer Park should feel snubbed.
He wasn’t invited to compete in next week’s summer X Games 12.
Fact is, De Chenne has never set foot in a half pipe, and he couldn’t tell a dirt jumper from a speed climber.
But, dude, the dude can shred with the best of them.
De Chenne’s extreme sport is lawn mower racing, and ever since he straddled the Naugahyde seats of his mowers, he’s kicked some serious grass.
De Chenne, a 59-year-old husband, dad and granddaddy, began lawn mower racing about four years ago. It was a natural move, considering De Chenne always has had a need for speed. As a Lewis and Clark High student, De Chenne and his pals raced dirt bikes. As an adult, he still races dirt bikes, when he’s not tweaking his tractor.
His fleet numbers two. There’s El Mow, a 25-year-old 8-horsepower, supermodified mower that appeals to the Sesame Street set and also is the envy of grown men who race against De Chenne.
El Mow, tastefully accessorized with an Elmo stuffed animal secured to the grill and Elmo slippers covering the pedals, has been clocked at 48 mph on a 200-foot gravel straightaway. De Chenne said he’s put about $1,500 into the mower but hasn’t won any money races yet.
His other mower is a behemoth named Moby B. Dick. It’s a 13-horsepower machine from the ‘90s. He won $150 racing it last summer at Spirit Lake, Idaho. Moby B. Dick can reach 7 mph, while other mowers in the stock class top out at 6 mph.
“He ain’t fast, but he’s faster than any mower he’s up against,” said fellow racer Larry Honegger. “When he got beat last year, he was mad.”
Honegger, a pal since their school days at Sheridan Elementary on the South Hill, persuaded De Chenne to try lawn mower racing. The perfect place for a grass-roots group to get off the ground was on Honegger’s and his wife Mary’s 20 acres in Rathdrum, Idaho.
Larry Honegger’s ride is named Mow Beer, perfect for a “mowter” sport group that believes “the mow the merrier.”
The Honeggers don’t organize informal races on the property anymore because they are concerned about liability issues. Now, the gang sticks to organized events such as the yearly Father’s Day race in Spirit Lake, Pomeroy, Wash., races, Colville races and a September event in Smelterville, Idaho. A group in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, recently started racing.
De Chenne, a custodial supply salesman in Spokane, said he would like to organize a race next year in conjunction with the Stevens County Fair. De Chenne works a lot of Deer Park neighborhood and community days selling beverages and snacks from a plumbing supply truck he restored.
While Honegger’s friends race old mowers that have seen greener pastures, both high- and low-end lawn mower racing is spreading like weeds.
The U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association and the first STA-BIL nationals began in 1992. STA-BIL, a fuel stabilizer, continues to sponsor races throughout the year. Some have been televised on ESPN2. Lawn mower racing also has been featured on news magazine shows and TV sitcoms.
There are 22 national chapters. The closest one to the Northwest is in North Dakota.
De Chenne said he believes there’s not a local chapter because of the expenses it would involve and that the association also has a lot of rules.
That’s not to say the local racers don’t practice safe mowing. For obvious reasons, the blades are removed from all mowers, even the ones that don’t go faster than 6 mph. Racers also wear helmets, whether they are zipping around an oval or racing on a straightaway.
“You don’t have to have years of talent or training for this,” De Chenne said, “You have to be fearless or crazy.”