SEMO District Fair contests bring out competitive spirit

For many, the SEMO District Fair is for indulging in fried foods and getting an adrenaline rush from carnival rides.

For others, it's about showing off talents in the more than 10 contests and tournaments held during the eight-day festival at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.

Most of the competitions, like the washer tournament or the baby girl and boy contests, are seen as friendly and an opportunity to socialize with friends, while others draw more serious participants.

Tuesday night's demolition derby was among the latter.

A majority of the drivers participate in more than one derby per summer, and some spend weeks perfecting their derby car.

"They take it more serious than life itself," said Gavin Kemper of Altenburg, Mo. "Everyone talks about the best way to beat some other person."

During inspections before the start of the derby, the talk around the track was about a few drivers who were disqualified for putting too much reinforcement on the body of their car.

Kemper said it's not uncommon for a few fistfights to break out on track grounds.

Bobby Burrows, a driver from Jackson, said a lot of participants know each other and seek out their best competition each heat. Burrows spent many hours and around $800 on his derby car this year.

"It's to the limits," he said about his car.

On Wednesday, six youths and 12 adults performed on the fair stage, competing in the Heartland Idol competition. Most participants felt there was good competition in the contest, and many of them have competed together before.

"It's really friendly," said Brittany Reutzel of Fredericktown, Mo. "It's more of a fun thing, and it's not cutthroat competition."

Still, Anna Catherine DeHart, 16, of Sikeston, Mo., said tensions were a bit high minutes before the competition because everyone wants to win.

DeHart, who auditioned for "American Idol" once, was the teen division winner.

"I love entertaining people," she said. "I see how people react to the music and try to feel what they're feeling."

The annual crosscut saw contest Friday drew competitors of all ages, including Gene Maevers, 70, of Egypt Mills and Jim Sinn, 70, of Cape Girardeau. Maevers said he has 18 trophies from crosscut saw competitions.

"You've got to have rhythm," he said.

For Sinn, crosscut sawing is a family affair. He competed with his grandson, Gavin Brown, a 12-year-old student at Nell Holcomb. Maevers and Sinn won the contest with a time of 9.95 seconds.

Larry Brockmire of Egypt Mills and nephew Jimmy McCormack of Jackson placed third with 12.45 seconds.

"It's usually a family deal most of the time," Brockmire said. "The trick to crosscut sawing is all in how you pull. You don't push it. When you do, that's when you goof."

At a washer tournament Saturday, Jason Weaver and his son, Kade, were excited to compete. The father and son play locally often and knew many teams would be traveling just to throw in the tournament Saturday.

Twenty-eight people competed Saturday and 26 people competed Sept. 11, the first day of the fair.

"They come from north, from Perryville, but also from places like Metropolis, Ill.," Jason Weaver said. "A lot of them are very serious. Most of them are. We just come out to have a good time together."

Although they packed the activities tent two nights last week, parents who entered their children in the baby girl or baby contest said much of the competition is civil and friendly. The competition draws a lot of the same families each year, including Jackson mom Tiffany Munroe. She's entered two daughters in previous years, but on Wednesday participated in the baby boy contest with 11-month-old son Ryan.

"It's just a fun thing to do with my little guy," she said.

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