Philadelphia Counterpart Postponed : Mummers March to One-upmanship

Hundreds of San Diegans flocked to Balboa Park Tuesday to watch what turned out to be the “one and only” New Year’s Day Mummers Parade in the nation.

“We’re Number One!” crowed David Racan when the word spread that the granddaddy of them all, the Philadelphia Mummers Parade, had been canceled because of rain. “We’re the only Mummers Parade in the world!”

Actually, the Philadelphia event was only postponed until Saturday, making Racan’s boast inaccurate, according to Harry McClain, a Philadelphian who flew to San Diego this morning to participate in the parade after a 30-year stint in the Philly event. He’ll be back home in time for the delayed parade.

McClain’s critique of the San Diego parade was terse: “It’s pretty good for a 4-year-old event.” He did not add that the Philadelphia Mummers Parade began on New Year’s Day, 1901.

But, as disorganized and out of step as it was, the San Diego Mummers march was a hit. More than 1,000 spectators lined the five-block parade route, applauding every participant, even the police motorcycle escort. Then the audience joined the participants and marched to the Organ Pavilion, where costume prizes were awarded and everyone joined in to learn the traditional Mummers’ strut.

Among the crowd favorites was a 6-foot-tall spider with Martin Seifert inside. The many-tentacled arachnid entertained the audience by pouncing on other, smaller marchers during the parade.

Another insect marcher was Phil Hungate, who fashioned what he thought was a dragonfly costume from foam rubber, chicken wire and a backpack harness. But the crowd heralded Hungate for his remarkable likeness to a praying mantis. “Whatever,” said Hungate. “So long as they like it.”

One home-grown contingent of surf bums carrying beer cans and battered surfboards halted along the parade route to perform some “precision” drills with the exotic names of “roundhouse” and “wipeout.”

Cabbage Patch Entry

Among the ubiquitous clowns, Dolly stood out--an overstuffed, outsized version of a Cabbage Patch doll with a pink parasol. Underneath the frills was the Rev. Ken Gosselin, pastor of the Pacific Beach United Methodist Church.

Some of the mummers’ costumes were bejeweled, furred or feathered. An official explained that a few of the more ornate ones were hand-me-downs rented or purchased from Philadelphia costumers after they had been worn in that city’s historic New Year’s Day fete.

Official winners in the fancy original costume division were Seifert’s spider, first; Eric RunningPath’s Navajo Indian garb, second; and Hungate’s dragonfly/mantis, third. Commercial fancy costume awards went to John Strayer, Indian costume, first; Joe Coff, angel, second; and John Mitchell, King Padre, third.

In the comic costume category, George Varga as a benign schizophrenic won first; the “precision surfboard drill team,” second; and Chuck Mitcham’s hotdog garb, third. In the string band category, two groups--Banjovial and Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time German Band--tied.

Bob Hamill, president of the San Diego Mummers Assn., explained that the annual event is designed “just for the fun of it” and not to make fun of the other, more organized parades of the holiday season.

“Everyone will have their share of good and bad times in the year to come,” he said. “We just want to be sure we start the year off right, having fun.”