Midwest American Idols

American Idols....continued

North Dakota also houses a slew of fabulous oversized creatures. One of these unique models of North Dakotan life is Tommy the Turtle in Bottineau, N.D. Tommy is a 32-feet-tall greeter at the gateway to the Turtle Mountains. Tommy careens over them joyfully on his 32-feet-long snowmobile. As well as he should. Who in Bottineau hasn't enjoyed a trip over the snow-covered plains on their own motorized steed?
Another unforgettable idol of the North Dakota farmlands is of New Salem, N.D. Salem Sue. The 38-feet-tall creature is the world's largest bovine and a proud symbol for the small dairy-farming community. Salem Sue even has her own ballad:

Her presence shows that New Salem grows
With milk-producers' yields;
We've got the cow, world's largest cow
That looks across our fields.

Every small town in Minnesota and North Dakota has their own claim to fame. But for those towns who want the whole world to see what they're made of, sometimes the resurrection of idols can be a lot of work.

If They Build It, Tourists Will Come

     One of the leading entrepreneurs in creative idols is Fiberglass, Animals, Shapes, and Trademarks (F.A.S.T) in Sparta, Wis. F.A.S.T. began in March 1983 to take the place of a small company called Sculptured Advertising from Minneapolis, which went out of business in 1974. At first the sole purpose of the company was to create large fiberglass trademark mascots for various companies. Within the period of a year, the company changed its vision to include more fun items for its customers, such as recreational creations for water parks. Although theme water park creations make up nearly 80% of F.A.S.T.’s business, many of America’s roadside idols were born at the Wisconsin company.
     F.A.S.T owner, Jim Schauf, says that each of their fiberglass creations take one week to five months to build, depending on how large or detailed the idol is.
     “Our staff designed the 500 molds available to choose from, but much of the time customers give us their ideas and our staff creates the item from there,” said Schauf.
The staff of 14 is always busy putting together approximately 125 fiberglass creations per year.
     Every year tourists flock to small towns all over Minnesota and North Dakota to witness the splendor of the idols. Whether it be the Jolly green giant or the world's largest holstein, each of these creations is a representative for small town values and pride--the ultimate American idols.