Running the greasy pole: Gloucester’s annual super challenge (Photos)
A 45-foot long telephone pole, dripping with grease, juts off a pier 200 feet off Gloucester’s Pavilion Beach and people just can’t wait to run it.
“Some contestants sprint out like racehorses hoping momentum will carry them to the end of the pole. Others take a very slow approach, one step at a time, always trying to maintain their balance,” organizers say of their famous event.
The object is to grab the flag pole at the end before slipping and falling into the ocean.
Regardless of the tactic, organizers admit that it’s “not uncommon for these daring individuals to come away with scrapes, bruises or even broken ribs.”
The event is part of the yearly St. Peter’s Fiesta, which takes place to the weekend nearest the Feast Day of St. Peter and is organized by Gloucester’s Italian-American Fishing Community. The fiesta, and its greased poll event, started Friday and concludes Sunday.
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