Revival of the Summer Games

It’s been 32 years since the Whitefish Summer Games made its debut. This year, the fun-filled sporting weekend could make a return.

The first Summer Games in 1981 featured an oddity of events — soccer, volleyball and tennis were held alongside beer chugging and mouse racing.

As longtime Whitefish resident Colin Sellwood explains it, Jim Trout, Harry Brown and the late Gary Elliott met over drinks at the Viking Lodge to map out their idea for a wacky weekend of events to be held each year after Labor Day. It was touted as “one last hurrah” of summer, and in theory, one last shot to fill the town with visitors before the autumn shoulder season set in.

At its peak, thousands took part, but enthusiasm for the games waned by the mid-80s.

Turner Askew, then owner of the Bierstube, revived the games in 1998, and they made another reappearance in the early 2000s. Soccer is the only event that has managed to carry on, and is still going strong today.

Sellwood smiles wide when he reflects on the first Summer Games. He remembers well playing soccer in a blizzard and running to the sideline for a drink of schnapps after each goal scored. The games were all about having fun, and he thinks it’s about time that lively spirit of Whitefish is resurrected, once again.

Sellwood is actively organizing and planning for a return of the Whitefish Summer Games, slated to be held this year on Sept. 7 and 8. He’s received a good response for the idea from the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, city Parks and Recreation department and local businesses.

“It’s a good time to bring the games back,” Sellwood said.

He plans to start small and include both sporting events and some of the off-the-wall contests.

“It should be a fun weekend and a little silly,” he said.

Events he’d like to see take place include archery, 3-on-3 basketball, cycling, bocce ball, bridge, canoe/kayak races, chess, darts, folf, fishing, golf, horseshoes, ice hockey, lacrosse, pool, poker, rugby, running, soccer, swimming, target shooting, tennis, volleyball, and yes, possibly a return of mouse racing.

Sellwood envisions a traveling trophy known as the Gary Elliott Award that will go to the event that generates the most fun for the community.

The event list is a work in progress, he says, and businesses and groups are encouraged to get involved. A public meeting to discuss the idea is set for June 21 at 12:30 p.m. at Casey’s Bar downtown.

Anyone interested in helping out should attend the meeting, call Sellwood at 897-1008, or email colin@markatton.net.