Top Shanty Contest -- Classic Wisconsin

This team of anglers’ first shack, purchased for $30, was something less than a “Dream Shanty.” Maybe the sticker price -- “Cheap, Cheap, Really Cheap” -- was a clue. Maybe the color -- red -- was a telltale sign that this was the Shanty from Hell

“The first ‘building’ was better suited as a chicken coop than an ice fishing shanty. Just about everything you could do wrong in a building was employed here. The rooftop was sagging and doubled as a birdbath. The hinges were mounted on the outside and it was built out of particle board which acts like a huge moisture tampon. When we put it on ice it weighed 700 lbs. And by the end of the season she was closer to a half a ton. This, coupled with the fact that they used galvanized sheet metal runners for skis, getting the old place off the lake was a serious pain in the ass since no automobile traffic is allowed. After two years of coughing up pieces of lung due to the moving and removal of the lead sled, it was time for the Dream Shanty.”

The Dream Shanty was constructed with a CAD (computer aided design) program on Hangartner’s computer. State-of-the-art. No detail was left undone. Rubberized roof coating to keep the weight down. Alpine skis for easy transport. Foam insulation. Wall-to-wall carpeting. Four jigging holes. Picture windows. Propane stove. Ultra-quiet generator. Six beer holders.

An early morning phone call alerted Lisheron that the Dream Shanty was in peril.

“Pete frantically reached for his trusty ice fishing trousers when the phone rang once again. It was more bad news, it seemed that the icy waters had claimed another shanty.

“Pete jumped in his truck and hurtled up Highway 41 and met me at Reef Point,” Hangartner explained, “only to find our structural engineering had been rewarded. To our surprise the 3 inches of foam insulation that we installed in the floor for our toasty comfort kept our shanty afloat.”

“With the help of world class Headerman, Raymondo, a plan was devised to pluck our beloved shanty from the grips of Davy Jones Locker. Other than wet carpet (and who doesn’t like wet carpet) our lady of the lake was there to shelter us for the rest of the season and till the day we die.”

Judges’ Comments
(Meet the Judges)

Classic Wisconsin
The first shanty is junk, weighs 700 pounds, and does not fall through the ice. The second shanty is constructed by computer-aided design and sinks. Hmmm.
But this is a good-looking shanty, and like the owner asks, who doesn’t like wet carpet? Hmmm? Anyone?

Driver
Very high quality of construction through and through. I like his windows and the faux-brick wall.

Jacobson
Anyone who builds a shanty with wall-to-wall carpet that floats, gets my vote. Great looking shanty. Can I come visit?

McCann
Extra points for remembering to permanently install holes for their beer glasses. But the bottom line is they drew this baby up on the computer and she still sank, telling us everything we need to know about computers. Or, more likely, ice fishermen.

Misako Rocks
I can see they try to make an awesome house!