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| Border Battle Bucky at Wisconsin Brewing, Verona 5/26/2018 dwm photo |
Buckingham U. Badger is the embodiment of the state's flagship university and an anthropomorphized version of Wisconsin's state animal.
He is extremely versatile - leading cheers at a ballgame, working for charity, and a willing model. Which is why this year Bucky is all around Madison and Dane County.
There are 85 Buckys on Parade.
Bucky arrived May 7 and will be on display until September 12. After that, these interesting works of art will support various area charities.
When I heard about it and saw the map - it looked like the perfect bike ride.
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| The Slab of Bacon and Axe are trophies for 2 UW Football rivalries. (dwm) |
Border Battle Bucky - Artist Stephanie Smiley
Wisconsin's primary border rivals in football are Minnesota and Iowa. The annual grudge match with the Golden Gophers is the most-played rivalry in Division One football. The winner claims Paul Bunyan's Axe - something Bucky won the last 14 times.
The Slab of Bacon has belonged to Bucky in five of the last six games.
I like the touch with Bucky wearing a flannel shirt, suspenders, and carrying the two trophies.
His wry smile shows a sense of accomplishment with an understanding of the effort required to prevail.
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| Bucky is a big hitter. University Ridge Golf Course, Verona 5/26/18 (dwm) |
Long Drive Dominator Bucky - Artist Danica Harrier
This guy looks like a player with a sporty sweater vest and tie, plaid socks, and a sharp Cardinal red hat.
He is striding to the first tee just outside the clubhouse looking ready to play.
This Bucky statue required a climb to the top of the ridge which gives the course its name. From there, I continued north to Middleton.
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| Funky Buckingham Greenway Crossing Middleton. 5/26/18 dwm photo |
Funky is standing guard in one of the pedestrian walkways in the outdoor shopping mall known as Greenway Crossing in Middleton.
Bucky must be cutting edge, because it certainly seems that he is determined to be fashion-forward.
Under the glamour though you still see the heart of a Badger.
It took 90 minutes to visit the first three Buckys on Parade. I headed to downtown Middleton looking for the next one, only to find an empty pedestal and a small sign indicating Bucky was in the hospital, but expected back soon! I hope he feels better.
I pointed my bike to the next stop in Middleton and from there found a four more Buckys on the west side of the university campus and south in Fitchburg. It was enough for my first ride of the season and whetted my appetite for more - 43 miles total. It was 60 when I left at 6:30 that morning, 81 when I got home.
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| Hilldale Mall is a fashionable place and red does look good on this Badger. 5/26/18 (dwm) |
The Bucky statue doesn't change, but the imagination brought to the parade by each artist reveals a new side of our favorite Badger.
Bucky in Red went an extra step in coloring his dark brown hair red for a dramatic effect in the fashionable Hilldale Mall.
It might not work on the gridiron, but if you are a 24/7 Bucky you need to be comfortable showing your fashionable side.
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| Bucky is ready for his close-up. 5/26/18 dwm photo |
There are 81 more out there.
On my first "Bike to Bucky" I reached nine locations and found eight versions of the many faces of Bucky.
The farthest Buckys are in Sun Prairie.
Most of them are on campus or in downtown Madison. One, Golden Bucky, is on the move never staying in one place for very long.
Judging from my first bike to Bucky this seems like a fun way to see the city, take in some public art, and get better acquainted with the capital city and the enigmatic Buckingham U. Badger.
The U, by the way doesn't stand for anything according to the official alumni website. We should all have such quirks!
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