Cloverdale’s Running of the Beds will roll again.
The annual Cloverdale Bed Races are set for May 16 in the town centre. The event is the unofficial kick off to Rodeo Weekend.
Paul Orazietti said the 2024 bed races may have a few unexpected competitors. He’s the executive director of the Cloverdale BIA and his office organizes the annual event.
“There will be some surprises this year, but the parties involved are holding their cards close to their chest,” Orazietti said.
Orazietti added teams have been slow to sign up, but he expects to get a whole pile before registration closes at the end of the day on May 10.
“There are a lot of people that have yet to register,” he said. “Cloverdale likes to do things last minute. And I’ve heard from many that they will register. So I’m just waiting on the paperwork.”
Orazietti is confident all heats will fill up by race day.
He said Turkey’s is back, looking for redemption after a disqualification loss last year. He noted Kearney’s will be back with their Coffin Car and a number of schools will be competing too. He said he’s heard rumours a new team is joining with a custom-made bed.
“It’s all good-natured fun in the spirit of competition,” Orazietti added.
The competition always has several rivalry races as part of its make-up.
“There are some grudge matches between local businesses and associations,” Orazietti noted. Last year the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce battled it out against the Surrey Association of Community Living, among others.
Orazietti encouraged potential spectators to come down and soak in the atmosphere.
“It’s an hour of absolute bliss,” he explained. “You’ll see a lot of people who are sweating for glory.”
The good-natured races inspire people to dress up. That, he said, is inspiring in and of itself.
“The costumes are always topical. Each year groups have their own themes. They fight it out. It’s plain and simple fun.”
The whole event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with a demonstration by world-class skateboarders who are in town for the World Freestyle Round-Up Skateboarding Championships to take place on the Cloverdale Fairgrounds during Rodeo Weekend.
Both freestyle skateboarders and a kids bike parade will warm the crowd before the races. First the freestyle skaters will roll, jump, and spin out a demonstration for curious spectators. Then the bike parade will open for kids of all ages to ride back and forth down the bed-racing strip (176A) to show off their decorated bikes.
The freestylers will give a 10-minute demo starting at 6 p.m. Then the kids will take over with the bike parade at about 6:15. The bed races will roll at approximately 6:25.
Orazietti said people usually show up at about 5:30 p.m. to grab their spot. Rob Patterson will once again emcee and play music from the stage—the flat deck of a classic truck from the B.C. Vintage Truck Museum.
SEE ALSO: End of an era: Turkey’s loses in Cloverdale Bed Races
All of the famous trophies will be on display beforehand on the stage, so race-goers will be able to walk over and see them.
Those trophies include: the Bed Pan, awarded to the winners of the men’s race; the Chamber Pot, awarded to the women’s division winner; the Centre of the Universe trophy, awarded to the winner of the mixed division; and the Stone Pig, awarded to the winner of the “service club” category.
The first Bed Race took place in 1976, and according to Turkey Kielesinski, he won that inaugural race. Turkey’s Party Makers Racing Team also won the Bed Pan Trophy in 2022, which was their 10th win all time, making them the winningest team in race history.
The Party Makers Racing Team were four-time consecutive winners going into 2023 looking to add their second five-peat to the chronicles of race history (they were victorious from 2010-2014), but they were disqualified in a semi-final heat. The loss opened the door for eventual winners Lord Tweedsmuir to emerge. (Orazietti ran the bed races in 2022, even though there was no rodeo or country fair, in an effort to keep the race’s tradition, and the spirit of the Cloverdale Rodeo, alive.)
Turkey said the inaugural Running of the Beds back in ‘76 was six blocks—three down and three back—and it zigzagged through the streets.
“You started on 176th Street, turned on 57th, then came up 176A Street,” Turkey told the Cloverdale Reporter in 2022. “Then you turned around and came back.”
He said the inaugural race was a war of attrition, but not because the teams had to zig and zag six blocks.
“There were bags of crap being thrown. Eggs. Herring. You could ram other beds. The firemen hooked up the fire hose to a hydrant on the corner and sprayed the teams. We were all wearing kilts and they blew our kilts off. It was a battle royale.”
Turkey said he and his team crossed the finish line for their historic win in the buff.
He said the race was cleaned up the following year, rules were added, the race was shortened to one block up and back, and the race has remained pretty much unchanged since.
On race day, all racers must bring their bed frames down for inspection at 5:30 p.m. There are also a few extra beds available for any teams that don’t have their own frame.
Orazietti said he loves the Cloverdale Bed Races as they are a long-standing tradition that helps foster community spirit in the town.
“If you look at what the folks from the Rodeo Association are doing, they are trying to bring back that old-fashioned community spirit. So, when you look at it from that standpoint, they are doing their damndest to put the fun back in everything we do.”
Registration for the Cloverdale Bed Races is open until Friday, May 10 and there is still room for more teams.
For more information, visit cloverdalebia.com.