Keep your eye on the ball

WALLACE — Like phases of the moon, there are some things that you can take for granted. A local example of this certainty being that the Gyro ball will make its watery trek from Mullan to Wallace during the Lead Creek Derby.

Even if a group of Gyro members have to poke and prod it all the way down the river with a stick — that ball will cross the finish line. So was the case yet again this year when Wallace and (partially) Mullan celebrated the 79th Annual Wallace Gyro Days and Lead Creek Derby last week.

The derby began at its traditional location from the Last Chance Bridge in Mullan, where participants gathered to see the Gyro ball dropped into the chilly waters of the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. This year, the honor of dropping the ball in at noon went to former Mullan mayor Mike Dunnigan.

"It was a particular honor to have Mike Dunnigan…throw the ball in," said Wallace Gyros President John Jordan. "Mike has done a lot of civil service for the Silver Valley as the mayor of Mullan and the driving force behind the senior center in Wallace. There's a host of things that Mike has done for the community…so having him as the guest of honor made the derby a little more special for me."

With a loud thud similar to the sound of someone doing a belly flop in a pool, the derby was on! Spectators took to their bikes and vehicles to begin the more than four-hour journey west down the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

While Mother Nature didn't necessarily make it easy for the ball to make it down the river this year, those following along were treated to warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies.

Like every year, the Gyro ball did get hung up on surrounding branches and foliage from time to time, but leading the parade of bicyclists and followers from a Humvee driven flat-bed trailer was a collection of Wallace Gyro Club members. These members (or “runners”) were tasked with knocking the ball loose whenever the need arose.

Exactly 4 hours, 13 minutes and 20 seconds after it was plopped into the river, the Gyro ball passed below its traditional finish line at the Sixth Street Bridge in Wallace to a chorus of cheers. As with every year, the finishing of the derby also signaled the convergence of those that had been following the ball with the many that have been waiting in Wallace.

This year’s time was significantly longer than 2019's derby time of 3 hours, 29 minutes and 5 seconds, but still not anywhere near the longest recorded time in 2015 of 5 hours, 36 minutes and 54 seconds. Jordan chalked up the slower finishing time to lower water levels on the river.

The Lead Creek Derby is just one part of the larger event that is Gyro Days.

From Thursday afternoon to Sunday morning, carnival rides and games were set up along Sixth and Cedar streets in Wallace for attendees young and old to partake in. The Wallace Elks Drum and Bugle Choir were also on hand to bring the excitement up Friday night.

"After the hiatus of the pandemic year, it was really great to be able to put Gyro Days on this year," Jordan said. "I thought it was great! We had fabulous weather and solid participation. Everything went along pretty smoothly.

With this year’s Lead Creek Derby finishing time set in stone, the Gyros have released the names of the derby’s winners.

Winners are chosen by the final time corresponding with whoever holds the ticket with the closest time. The tickets, purchased through the Gyros, each have a precise finishing time associated with them that is chosen randomly by a computer program. The sale of tickets funds Gyro scholarships and various other youth activities every year, as well as provides financial support for the carnival.

This year’s winners are as follows:

1) Ken Lynn — 50 Real Silver Dollars

2) Sue Johnson — Spokane — $100

3) Julie Magnuson — Wallace — $100

4) Julie Magnuson — Wallace — $100

5) Ted Hunter — Reno — $100

6) HMH Engineering — Coeur d'Alene — $100

7) Tracey and Dean — Pinehurst — $50

8) DG&S — Osburn — $50

9) Tom Flohr — Brier, Wash. — $50

10) Corby Anderson — Montana — $50

11) Anita Cameron — Wallace — $50

12) Chris Wilburn — Wallace — $25

13) St. Alphonsus (God Bless) — Wallace — $25

14) Joe Lavigne — Denver — $25