Cartoon of The Day: Snail Mail

 

 

 Taken at Learning Virtualē. In the age of the Internet and e-mail, traditional mail isn't as popular as it used to be, sometimes getting called "snail mail." The designer of this mailbox decided have a little fun with it.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

RFL Announcement: Cross-Country Giant Snail Race in Raglan Shire

 

 

 Just a heads up, the Giant Snail Race tomorrow is a Relay for Life cross-country race through the Shires of Raglan. It's quite a fun one but not a long race. Lots of bouncing, and being shot through the air from cannons, and a tiny sized tube maze a long the way. 

 

10:30 AM SL time

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gullwing%20Shire/131/94/30

 

Dropping By The Giant Snail Races

 

 

The Giant Snail Races are one of those "only in Second Life" events. They were a feature in Second Life's heyday, and years later today, they're still around. RacerX Gullwing is still running them, these days in Gullwing Shire near the tiny community of Raglan Shire. 

Dropping by Saturday October 1, the theme for the races was Medieval, with the snails in princess, dragon, and knight costumes. As usual, the races took place through an obstacle course that included jumps, a maze, and going up a ramp dodging rocks rolling down. There was also a Best in Show competition in which the audience could vote for the best snail costume, and RacerX gave the folks a chance to try for a few Lindens by getting into a ball and getting into a giant pachinko machine.

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The first race was won by Alden Cortes, followed by Niuanya, Dorie Bernstein, and Cally Kane. The second had Cally Kane as the winner, followed by Niuanya, Alden Cortes, and Dorie Bernstein. 

The Giant Snail Races take place every Saturday (with some possible breaks on a few holiday weekends), usually at 10:30 AM. There may also be an "Anything Goes" race during the week in which contestants run the course without snail avatars.

 

To read a little more about RacerX, check out this 2014 interview. 

Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Giant Snail Races Relay For Life Rosehaven Race"

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By RacerX Gullwing on Saturday April 27, "Today we raced across the Rosehaven sims to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The race was so crazy fun. 'Best one ever,' said Lobbie Riggles.

"Announcers this week RacerX Gullwing Mae Best Tindallia Soothsayer Lobbie Riggles Brian Topp Vienna Topp Loopy String and a few others

"Race finish order was BrianTopp Resident 1 CharlieCosmic Resident 2 JaseWolf Wylie 3 Alden Cortes 4 MiniMaylu Naxos 5 Tindallia Soothsayer 6 Nerxual Oh 7 Baldi McMillan 8 loopy String 9 Akay Utu 10 Mari Moonbeam 11 Lobbie Riggles 12 Liammen Resident 13

"Thank you for your donations"

Interview with Tindallia Soothsayer

Deaflegacy recently interviewed Tindallia Soothsayer, one of the Giant Snail Racing team. For eight years, she has taken part in this longest running of Second Life's sporting events, both as a racer and as a member of the staff. Earlier this month, "Tindy" as her friends call her dropped a bombshell. She is stepping down as one of the racers, though will remain as one of the staff.

Read Deaflegacy's article in People.

Announcement: No Giant Snail Race Today

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From Fable Jupiter, "No race this Saturday Nov. 26 2016, join us the following Saturday on Dec 3rd." RacerX Gullwing's Giant Snail Races take place just about every Saturday. But not this time. Here's his announcement courtesy of a friend.

SL Video: "Giant Snail Race No. 448 - 16 Nov 12th - Thanksgiving"

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Published on November 12 by RacerX Gullwing, "Join us for a cornucopia of fun The giant snails have turned fowl and are serving up platters of trouble. Do the turkey trot with us round the Tindallia Soothsayer created track ..."

"Announcers RacerX Gullwing, Mae Best, Tindallia Soothsayer, Oodlemi Noodle, Stephanie Brimmer,Fukuju Amaterasu,Lobbie Riggles,

"Giant Racing Snail Pros, Tindallia Soothsayer, Alden Cortes,Catten Carter, Whispering Wind,

"Giant Racing Snails, Cally Kane, Queenie promise, Abel,Lobbie Riggles,lulee Babenco,"

In the first race, Fable Jupiter won with Lobbie Riggles second and QueeniePromise third. In the pro race, Tindallia Soothsayer was the winner with Catten Carter second and Fable Jupiter third. Cally Kane won the costume contest, getting a small prize. You can probably also see a certain fox reporter in the stands watching.

This Snail Race was the last of it's season, and probably the last until after Christmas that RacerX will be able to attend, due to his real-life Santa Claus job. But the races will continue to go on every Saturday at 11 AM at Gullwing Coast Racers (152/78/777).

SL Video: "Giant Snail Race #417 - 16 April 9 Video Games 01"

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From RacerX Gullwing, the video of the latest Giant Snail Races on Saturday April 9, "Today's Giant snail race was in Videogame land. What a wonderful tribute to all the many video games of past and present. Thanks Tindallia Soothsayer, You really went all out. "

SL Video: "Giant Snail Race #416, April 2 2016 - Pinball"

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From RacerX Gullwing, the video of the Giant Snail Races on Saturday April 2.

Announcers RacerX Gullwing, Mae Best, Oodlemi Noodle, Shayna Paine, Tindallia Soothsayer Ran Dal

Giant Racing Snail Pros, Whispering Wind, Tindallia Soothsayer, Oodlemi Noodle, Alden Cortes, Catten Carter

Giant Racing Snails, Queeniepromise, LittleAbs (Abby Black), Lobbie riggles, Babypea, Lulee Babenco

SL Video: "Giant Snail Race 415 - 2016 Mar 26 Easter"

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RacerX Gullwing's recording of last Saturday's Giant Snail Races. As the next day was Easter Sunday, the theme was of course Easter.

SL Video: "Giant Snail Race 369 Mar 21 Relay For Life Giant Snail Cross Country Race"

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On March 21, the first of this year's cross-country Giant Snail Races took place in Second Life's mainland. This is the video of the competition, "This is probably the best footage of one of these Giant snail races we've ever made. This is the first Giant Snail Cross country race of the Relay For Life season in second life. Though we don't attract as many Snails as we used to to these events it makes for better footage of the ones that do race . So maybe we've finally reached the optimum amount of snails. We raised 36,000 L. Big thanks to Mae Best for her generous donation that brought all the snails to the top tier starting position."

Caiten Carter was the winner, with Snurky Snoodle coming in Second.

The Giant Snail Races run every Saturday in Second Life. Usually the race is on an obstacle course in a single sim, but once a month during the Relay season, they hold a cross-country event to raise money for the Relay for Life. RacerX Gullwing is the one who organizes the races, with the help of his team.

Press Release: Ten Years of Snail Racing

It is a happy TENcenial of Giant Snail Racing, and we have the party hats to pass out, the candles to light and the cake TO BLOW AWAY THE SIM! We have been doing the Giant Snail races for 10 whole years now and Were having a party after the race this week And your all invited come see how far the races have advanced in ten years and then party with our own DjXanadu and a special guest Singer too. http://maps.secondlife.com/Gullwing%20Coast%2/155/100/777

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at the RFL Activitiy sims, RacerX did hold a special snail race this year. The cloud is actually fireworks, but it does look like it's rising up from the snail racer.

By Bixyl Shuftan

SL Video: "Giant Snail Racing Made Easy"

Narrated by RacerX Gullwing, "This is the simple version of how to race on the giant snail race course in Second Life, at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Devon%20Dream/150/97/777  You can see the Giant Snail Races at http://treet.tv/shows/snailraces"

(Click Here) if the video doesn't show.

Cross-Country Giant Snail Race Takes Place

On Saturday April 27th, this month's Cross-Country Giant Snail Race was held on the Second Life Mainland. Taking place on the continent sometimes called Heterocera or Hererocera Atol, the race began in the Fillip sim in the north at a little after 11AM SL time, the course going west along the coast, and then south and east crossing a few dozen sims. It ended after about 40 minutes in Calleta, near the Hobo Railroad Infohub. Tindallia Soothsayer won, with Alden Cortes described as close behind.

The rankings of those finishing are as follows:

1     Tindallia Soothsaye
2     Alden Cortes
3     Gareth8 Albatros
4     Snurky Snoodle
5     RavenClaws Resident
6     Obvious Schism
7     Oodlemi Noodle
8     Cinders Vale
9     Mudbug Cooperstone
10   Crash Soulstar
 

The recording of the race will be shown on Treet.tv in about "a week or two." But the one of last year's Fillip-Calleta event can be seen.

The Cross-Country Snail Races are held every month during the Relay For Life fundraising season by RacerX Gullwing and his team, in addition to residents participating in the event. Donations go the Giant Snail Racing Team, which has raised over 48,000 Lindens this year.


*Update* The video of the race is now up: Click Here.

Bixyl Shuftan

"President's Day" Snail Race

Some things that go on in the Grid are quite literally "only in Second Life." Among them are the Giant Snail Races, run by Racer X Gullwing every week. These whimsical events consist of huge snail avatars navigating an obstacle course that consists of bouncing on mushrooms, avoiding a giant frying pan, catapulted by springs, bouncing on balloons over a shark tank, etc.

Each event has a different theme, and on Saturday Feb 16, the race's theme was "President's Day," with the track and snail shells dressed up in red, white, and blue. One snail also sported a large copy of Abe Lincoln's stovepipe hat.

Four races took place that day. The first was won by Kirkland Coba. The second by Tindallia Soothsayer. The third by Oodlemi Noodle

The races take place every Saturday at 11 AM at Devon Dream (150, 102, 777), although you may want to arrive a little early for everything to load. You can also see past races on the Treet.tv archives at: http://treet.tv/shows/snailraces.

Treet TV: Giant Snail Races "Star Wars Tribute"

Last week's Giant Snail races had a "Star Wars" theme to them, complete with one sporting a shell in the shape of the Death Star. The Force, or rather the farce, was with the racing gastropods, Tindallia Soothsayer, Gareth8 Albatros, Crash Soulstar, Baldi McMillian, and Lukurgas Liebknech, as they slimed their way down the track filled with Imperial and Rebel memorabilia.

Treet TV: "Tiny Giant Snail Race" at RFL

Taken at the Relay for Life Weekend on July 14th, RacerX Gullwing's special "Tiny Giant Snail" race just off the main track.

The April 2012 Cross-Sim Snail Race

Snail Races are one of those "only in Second Life" phenomina unique to the grid. Organized by RacerX Gullwing, they usually take place on a track. But once a month during the Relay for Life fundraising season, there are cross-country, or cross-sim races, taking place across numerous sims. The April Cross-Sim race was held on April 28th on the mainland, going past noted locations such as "The Shelter," and ended a few sims away from Abbots Areodrome. And a certain fox reporter was there to cover it.

See the pictures in Events.

The Relay for Life Cross-Sim Snail Race

On Sunday April 17th, what was billed as the "Greatest RFL Giant Snail Race of all Time and Space" took place on the Second Life mainland. The action began at 11AM SL time at the Superior sim, and took place across about forty more. Along the track, spectators lined up (the organizers asked for no more than ten a sim). And of course there was Racer X in his macro-bunny, more recently joined by Sante Klees in his giant kangaroo rat, cheering them on.

Considering the enormous lag the race can produce, I went to one of the spots along the way, Canal and Castle at the Lakeville sim. There, I ran into one of the spectators, waving a Relay flag and cheering. It was Ariel Loonie of Luskwood. We chatted a little, watching what snails we could see through the lag go by. I myself checked on the Treet.tv broadcasts time to time.

Ariel and I were in front of a French restaraunt. Looking in the back was a surprise: a dead racing snail. Green mush leaked from the shell. Was this the fate of the loser of one of the races? No one was talking.

The race would go on for well over an hour. Finally, the first snail crossed the finish line just in front of the Noyo sim. Or was it really a snail? Winner Tindallra Soothsayer had a heavily modified racing snail with an Easter theme, notably a big bunny face. Instead of the bubbly froth most snails drooled, Easter eggs dropped from it's mouth.

Meeting up with Sante Klees later, he told me organizers behind the scenes joked it was a "snabbit." Did being part bunny give it an unfair advantage? Perhaps the next cross-sim race in May will tell.

*edit* The film of the event is now available



Bixyl Shuftan