Snail Racing

Children and adults enjoy snail racing, an event where two or more snails make their way from the center of a round track to its outer edge. Since snails move very slowly, observers of their races tend to make droll comments about the contestants' speed and agility. Many snail races take place outdoors, but people can create an indoor track by placing a damp cloth upon a table. Some of the most famous snail races have occurred in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. Recently, the internet has made virtual snail racing a [Page 645]popular sport for people with a well-developed sense of humor.

Snails may seem to be small, insignificant beasts, but European folk tradition identifies them as powerful creatures. According to the Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens [Handbook of German Superstition], snails have magic stones in their heads that cure various ailments: coughs, headaches, bloody noses, and fevers, among others. Snails can predict rain and foretell the duration of winter weather. If thrown against a wall, a snail may transform itself into gold coins. These folk beliefs help to explain why snails have become focal points of playful behavior.

For children living in rural areas, snail racing has provided welcome amusement during school vacations. One record of snail racing during the 1920s and 1930s in Poland appears in the memoir They Called Me Mayer July (2007), co-authored by Mayer Kirshenblatt and his daughter, folklorist Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett. Growing up in the small village of Apt, Mayer Kirshenblatt searched for frogs, snails, and leeches in a creek with friends. Reciting such traditional rhymes as “Snail, snail, show us your horns. We will give you bread on the floor,” the children teased snails out of their shells. As soon as they had two snails, they would start a snail race.

Adults' interest in snail racing became evident when Tom Elwes founded the World Snail Racing Championships in Congham, in Norfolk, England, in the 1960s. Having observed snail racing in France, Elwes wanted to promote the sport in the United Kingdom. To date, the most successful snail in this competition has been Archie, who completed the 13-inch outdoor racecourse in two minutes in 1995. The owner of the winning snail in this summer competition receives a silver tankard full of lettuce. Participants cheer their favorite snails on with the formulaic chant “Ready… Steady… Slow!”

Even without actual snails, it is possible to enjoy snail racing. For young children, the game Snail's Pace Race, which involves moving wooden snails across a colorful board, offers gentle entertainment. Players win the game by guessing correctly which snail will cross the finish line first and which will cross last. Parents who want to deemphasize competition encourage their children to cheer the snails on without worrying about who will win or lose.

Teenagers and adults who participate in the Web-based realm Second Life come together at certain times to race bright-colored giant snails, which have their own comic history. Instead of moving across a circular racecourse, giant snails on Second Life traverse a large number of sims (simulated spaces) in a cross-country rally. Second Life has identified a recent snail race as a fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Visitors to Second Life's Web site, http://www.SLCN.tv, can watch videos of recent snail races, with enthusiastic commentaries that bring to mind commentaries on horse races on television.

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