for the Ouray Ice Park, achieving icon status in the ice-climbing community.
Earlier this month, as the annual Ouray Ice Festival drew to a close, the celebrated “Got Stump?” shirt brought $8,000 in the traditional auction. That money, as always, will go to fund maintenance and expansion of the ice park.
The “Got Stump?” shirt is a wrinkled traveling trophy that goes home with a different custodian each year. In 2005, climbers pooled their cash to raise $3,000 and sent the shirt home with mountaineer Jeff Lowe.
This year, Chad Jukes, a wounded veteran and volunteer for Paradox Sports and Amped Sports, was awarded the shirt.
The “Got Stump?” shirt originally was made as a fundraiser for the Disabled Olympic Triathlon project. It became a coveted commodity during the 2003 Ouray Ice Festival auction, a fundraiser for the ice park. Auctioneer Malcolm Daly was wearing the shirt when rowdy audience members urged him to sell it.
“Will anybody give me $20 for it?” Daly asked.
Hands shot up. So did the price. Four bidders were still competing when the bid got up to $100. Chris Folsom, a climber nicknamed “Stump” after he lost a finger, finally won it for $140.
The next year, halfway through the annual auction, Folsom gave the shirt back to Daly and urged him to sell it again. Within two minutes, the price was up to $1,400.
A tradition was born.
Custody of the “Got Stump?” shirt includes two rules: The caretaker may not wash the shirt and must agree to personally deliver it to the festival auction in 12 months.
“Dude!” Daly said after the 2010 auction. “That shirt is worth more than Michael Jackson’s panties! Seriously, we need to keep this thing going.” Claire Martin, The Denver Post
