Saturday August 6th, 2022 was a blast! Participants rallied together at noon at the Beaches Community Centre in Victoria Beach for the first annual Beaches of 59 “Amazing Race”! 19 teams were in attendance, with 4 participants per team.

Teams were told to chose coloured “Beaches of 59 Amazing Race” pins (each team having 4 of the same colour) to help identify them as a team. On top of that there were also prizes to be won for the most creative team themes! Everyone put a lot of creativity and love into their get ups! One of my favourite things about race day were the costumes. One team, “The Twisted Sisters”, even decorated their vehicle!

Another thing I truly enjoyed was watching how teams pulled together to highlight each others strengths and to help one another when it was needed. Often the teams with a combination of younger and older participants, seemed to have an advantage. In some cases the youngsters were more agile and full of energy and the older, more “seasoned adults” had the brains to solve puzzles.

The inspiration for the event came from the famous hit television show by the same name, where contestants travel the globe completing physical and mental challenges. Our race was a slightly smaller version of course, covering the area between Victoria Beach and South Beach Casino (Scanterbury)… Grand Beach included!

The event aimed toward boosting awareness of what the Beaches of 59 each have to offer, and to help rejuvenate the area in regards to tourism. It “forced” people out of their comfort zones and led them to less known hidden gems!

After registration at the Victoria Beach outdoor hockey rink (next to The Beaches Community Centre), Andrew Kaul, our Event Chair, briefed the teams. The teams braced themselves anxiously for the countdown to the start of the race…having no idea what locations or tasks awaited them!

On “GO!”, the teams blasted out on foot for their first challenge. It took them across Hwy 59 and through the foot path that connects to Pine Avenue. Melissa Wilson was there in a high visibility vest to make sure teams crossed safely and understood that they were to spot numbered oak disks along their way. Once each team solved the mathematical challenge along the trail, a volunteer at the end gave them a clue that ultimately led them into the vehicle restricted area of Victoria Beach where they had to decorate a cookie at the Village Green Bakery.

The 17 challenges were reached by carpooling with their teammates after receiving clues or GPS coordinates from the volunteers at their previous challenges. True, a few teams DID get lost and found themselves backtracking, and in one case accidentally crashed a birthday party. At one of the challenges in Lakeshore Heights, contestants crashed an actual outdoor wedding that was taking place where clues were previously hidden! Thankfully, the bride and groom had a sense of adventure and understanding. Surely it was a memory for all involved.

The Amazing Race challenges ranged from activities such as memorizing a french rap song where each teammate had to recite a sentence, to having to take photos of “puzzle pieces” scattered throughout a very large Sandy gravel pit, using a cipher to complete a number sequence in the end. There was a challenge where teams found driftwood scattered along the beach with words painted in 2 different colours, they had to make 2 sentences before moving forward.

One team had a member that was so knowledgeable that during a flag identification challenge she knew the countries flags by sight alone! It was incredible to witness!

Those are just a few examples out of the total seventeen tasks. Next year will be all new challenges!

The winning team received gold “Beaches of 59” Champion t-shirts while everyone else who made it to the finish line that evening, got themselves a grey “Beaches of 59 Amazing Race” shirt.

Congratulations to the winning team, Amy Edwards, Perry Edwards, Caitlyn Willison, Dana Poulton! Further congrats goes out to everyone who persevered and pushed themselves physically and mentally and made it through exhaustively exhilarating day!

Winners took home vouchers for hotel stays at South Beach Casino and resort, concert tickets to enjoy the Bon Jovi tribute band “Bed of Roses” at Hilltop Resort, gift cards for Grand Palms RV Resort in Grand Marais, gift cards for Carol’s on Leon Gift Shop in Traverse Bay, and a gift basket courtesy of the R.M of Alexander! Saffies General Store in Albert Beach graciously donated hotdogs and snacks for the teams to enjoy once they blasted through the finish line in front of South Beach Casino and Resort.

Two winning teams for the best “themed” outfits were the “Walleye Warriors”, and the “Twisted Sisters”! It was a tough choice, but in the end these guys deserved the win for their awesome team spirit!

We definitely could NOT have done it without our Sponsors. Thank you to:

•RM of Alexander •RM of St.Clements •Grand Palms Resort •South Beach Casino and Resort •Saffies General Store •Carol’s on Leon •Hilltop Resort

An extra big thank you to all of our volunteers that patiently gave up their day to run the stations! We hope to have you back again next year!