Can you wipeout at the great outhouse race?

Sapphire Valley in Jackson County, North Carolina, will again host one of winter’s wackiest events in the country: The Outhouse Races.

Every winter toward the end of the ski season, Sapphire Valley Resort hosts this annual event, where outhouses on skis are raced down the ski slopes in front of a crowd of onlookers. 

What is an outhouse race? Imagine watching someone dressed in a crazy outfit climb into a decorated outhouse built on skis, sit on a toilet seat and fly down the slopes — all while attempting to stay upright without crashing.

The rules are simple: register in advance, and outhouses must be five feet tall and are equipped with a toilet seat and toilet paper. Beyond those requirements, outhouses may be creatively decorated, and the more outlandish the participant’s costume, the better. Past participants included themes like “Who Cut the Cheese,” “Redneck Wishing Well,” and a clown in an outhouse named “Party Poopers.”

There is no cost to watch the races.

The 2020 Outhouse Races will be on February 15. The afternoon starts with a parade of all of the outhouse entries, followed by racing at 3 p.m. Check here for more details. All proceeds of the event benefit local charities.