WARNING!!!
CRAB RACES ARE REALLY FUN

Seeing is believing, click on the photos to enlarge.

Tito and Sue Rounding up the Crabs for their next race.

A bucket, some chalk, a few friendly sponsors, a few dozen hermit crabs, that's right, HERMIT CRABS. Sound Interesting?

The people of St. Croix understand better than most that the perfect work week begins and ends with a few laughs. From this understanding, the ritualistic Monday and Friday evening Soldier Crab Races were born (of course, a few beers or rum and cokes never prevented laughter either).

The tradition of Soldier Crab Racing is an old one, starting as a form of entertainment centuries ago. An example of this (for you movie buffs) can be seen in an old black and white film from 1976, called Smile Orange.

For seventeen years now, Tito, a lifelong resident of St. Croix, has been carrying on this tradition. With the help of his wife, Sue, Tito continues to entertain us all and help the week start and end with a few laughs and some fun prizes.

On Mondays you can find these Soldier Crab Races at the Marina Bar in King's Alley and Fridays at the upstairs terrace of Stixx on the Waterfront. Both venues are right off the Christiansted boardwalk, attracting those passing by to join in the fun, or at least to see what the laughing and cheering is all about.

This is fun for the whole family and here, the kids can be as loud as they want to, and nobody will mind.

Pick your lucky crab carefully - the winner gets some terrific prizes, thanks to some local businesses. You could win tickets on the Seaplane to St. Thomas or San Juan, dinner at a few different restaurants, gift certificates for shopping, a trip to Buck Island, Caribbean Jewelry-- all kinds of good stuff. The best part is, none of the kids leave feeling as though they lost. When all the prizes have been given out to the "actual winners", Tito and Sue round up the little ones and hand-out surprises. I guess you could say, it's a win-win situation.

Photos and text by Leslie Hillyer for www.gotostcroix.com. All rights reserved.