All across the United States, gardeners from all walks of life are trading in straw hats and work gloves for helmets and elbow pads as the passion of extreme sports meets their favorite leisure activity. Excitement in the horticulture world has skyrocketed, thanks to a recent surge of free-thinkers whose methods are nothing short of revolutionary. Calling themselves "shredders," these renegade green thumbs are finding new ways to do old tricks.
Jim Flannigan, a 38-year-old mortgage broker from Cincinnati during the week, is just one of the many newcomers to the world of extreme lawn care. Once the weekend comes around, the usually placid Flannigan becomes a turf-patrolling shredder who's biggest bane is sawgrasss. Decked out in coveralls and five pounds of protective padding, Flannigan spends about eight hours each Saturday pushing his souped-up Lawn Chief mower through the neighborhood, popping wheelies and giving innovative mowing pattern demonstrations to local shredder wannabes.
"When I'm on the mower, it's like, 'go, go, go,'" Flannigan noted in the jargon of an experienced shredder. "I especially enjoy the fact that I started last week, and I'm already one of the top mowers around. Sure beats practicing basketball for ten years." Flannigan then astonished all those around by throwing back a whole glass of iced tea instead of his usual one-half.
In scenic Kearney, Nebraska, shredders gather every weekend for a contest pitting veteran lawn care providers against rookie mowers. Known as the "Father-Son Mow Off," the competition features simultaneous mowing, team-bagging and fuel relays. A father and son line up on their respective outer edges of the five- hundred yard long strip of land, and at the sound of a garage door opener, try to start their mowers. At that point they race to the other end of the range, where their mowers are handed to a new team member, who races back to the starting point. Both teams essentially aim for the middle of the practice range, and the first team to mow their half wins the competition. Although it has only been around for two years, the fathers have so far won handily.
While the contest seems to be a simple test of strength, agility, and endurance, contestants are quick to point out the emotional benefits as well. Hank Proctor, swingman for this year's "Father" team, thinks there is a lot more to this competition than just a good tan. "This contest gives a young boy good exercise and gets him out of the house," Proctor said before the match. "And it teaches him how to work, by God."
But in another part of the country, gardeners feel that these competitions have sacrificed acreage for aesthetics. Shredders in central Kentucky feel that the art of mowing has been lost, and have taken steps to preserve their heritage. Focusing on styles and patterns, these shredders celebrate the act of mowing itself, whether it's in the form of pushing an old manual or riding a twenty horsepower tractor.
"It doesn't matter if you're an old-timer who still shoots (mowing from one end of the lawn to the other in a straight line)," Jared Johnson said during a lunch break, "or if you do it Mexican Freestyle. If you're mowing and it's pretty, you'll get an award."