Swing entertains riders and spectators

Cartersville, Ia. — What do all RAGBRAI riders want on a hot day? Water.

So Nick Hanig decided to provide some.

Actually, he just didn’t think he’d be able to keep people off of the 43 foot high swing into a small pond. So he at least tried to control it.

By 1 p.m. about 650 people had paid $5, signed a waiver, and swung off the 12 foot high platform.

“It’s people like this, who just open up — I mean this is someone’s home — that make RAGBRAI,” said Colin Grafft after swinging.

It’s Grafft’s 13th RAGBRAI, and he enjoyed the cool water. Spectators enjoyed it too, cheering and applauding flips, and groanceing and laughing after particularly unsuccessful swings.

He was a little nervous watching everyone in his pond today Hanig has ene sjoyed having the swing.

Five years ago, he created the pond when he dug out the earth to level a building across the street. A crane was left by the side of the water, and he started swinging off of it.

When that broke, they decided to install a permanent swing — much to the enjoyment of both riders and observers.

Authorities shut down the festivities at Hanig’s pond at about 2:30 p.m. after swimmers started taking off their clothes, the Mason City Globe-Gazette reported.

Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals said “one out of every 10” of the thousands of people estimated to be at the pond Wednesday were either not wearing shorts or were topless.

Pals said many partyers were “alcohol-­impaired,” but there were no arrests, according to the Globe-Gazette.

Nick’s father, Frank Hanig, said “no more than a handful of people” showed something indecent. Roughly 1,800 people signed waivers to swing into the water, he said.

“We were disappointed (it got shut down) because because it was gathering so many people,” Frank Hanig said. “But we were kind of glad because the crowd was enormous.”
— Regina Zilbermints

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