Over here we call that a "Kaiju Pizza"
January 16, 2019 10:10 AM   Subscribe

Westbrook, Maine is a small city (not town! They're very particular about that) in Southern Maine heretofore known primarily as the location of the SD Warren Paper Mill, formerly the world's largest. This week, the town became nationally known as the location of another world's largest: perhaps the biggest rotating ice disk anyone's ever seen.
posted by selfnoise (23 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
I live three blocks from this thing so pray for me.
posted by selfnoise at 10:11 AM on January 16, 2019 [14 favorites]


It's a landing pad.
posted by goatdog at 10:28 AM on January 16, 2019


Are we forgetting a little thing called Antarctica?
posted by Space Coyote at 10:33 AM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]


In other Maine news: RIP Wall Bagel.
posted by bondcliff at 11:02 AM on January 16, 2019 [6 favorites]


pizzicle
posted by poffin boffin at 11:12 AM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]


In related news, Minnesota family makes world’s largest spinning ice carousel . 500 feet across, which makes it bigger than this one in Maine.

Apparently making these is now a thing, with people competing to break the world's record for spinning ice disks, or ice carousels.
posted by Lunaloon at 11:12 AM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]


That one was not made by the Almighty River God so it is disqualified!
posted by selfnoise at 11:21 AM on January 16, 2019 [7 favorites]


Although not recognized by Guinness World Records, ice carousel records are kept by the World Ice Carousel Association.
Everyone go home. The Internet has reached its peak.
posted by Etrigan at 11:27 AM on January 16, 2019 [6 favorites]


(not town! They're very particular about that)

This is seems like one of those Maine things. Eastport is also very particular about being the easternmost city in the continental United States. Not least because it gives them something to lord over Lubec, which is the easternmost township and also contains the easternmost point.

(There are some important differences in terms of governance between a city and a town, of course, but being able to lay claim to bragging rights seems to be the primary motivation for being so particular about the distinction.)
posted by tobascodagama at 11:57 AM on January 16, 2019 [3 favorites]


...heretofore known primarily as the location of the SD Warren Paper Mill...

Back in 2001 I was the MC at one of the music stages during Portland’s Old Port Festival, and got to introduce The Half Moon Jug Band, who sang “Moving Back To Westbrook,” a little ditty where the singer’s girlfriend tells him that she’s had enough, and is moving back to Westbrook where “the air might stink, but not half as much as living with you.”
posted by LeLiLo at 12:27 PM on January 16, 2019 [4 favorites]


It's a Les Miz turntable stage for GIANTS!
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:14 PM on January 16, 2019


That's no moon
posted by bendybendy at 2:21 PM on January 16, 2019


Glad to see this posted! I came across this hilariously written article about it yesterday, that's just pure, distilled essence of Maine. I can't quite tell if the writer was trying to channel The Onion, but if so, well done. An onlooker was quoted as saying, "I love that the ducks are just sitting on it, chilling". I agree, I love that too.
posted by gueneverey at 3:01 PM on January 16, 2019 [3 favorites]




I read about it in local news, then it was on BBC.com this morning. Stopped by to see it on my way home this evening. It isn't spinning, part of it has frozen solid to some shore ice, and there's some degradation to the circle due to current. Still, a nifty thing. Also, Maine is kind of a small town.
posted by theora55 at 5:07 PM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]


An onlooker was quoted as saying

Not just an onlooker, mind you, but a gawker.
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 9:03 PM on January 16, 2019


gueneverey: ""I love that the ducks are just sitting on it, chilling". I agree, I love that too."

There was one of these locally last year (much smaller, maybe 6m across) and the same thing happened. Especially fun were the ones facing directly out on a radial line.
posted by Mitheral at 9:45 PM on January 16, 2019




(For those unfamiliar, New Maine News is very much a Maine-flavoured version of The Onion. Or maybe more like a Maine-flavoured version of The Hard Times.)
posted by tobascodagama at 8:27 AM on January 17, 2019 [2 favorites]


Mildly interesting, in the photo linked in bondcliff's comment above, the disk is nestled against the north side of the river, but is now frozen to the south bank. It's a lively disk, obviously yearning to explore.
posted by theora55 at 8:52 AM on January 17, 2019


it's contagious.
posted by theora55 at 3:47 PM on January 17, 2019


24 hour into 1.5 minute time lapse video.
posted by theora55 at 3:31 PM on January 20, 2019


Local paper has a wrap-up article.
posted by theora55 at 9:45 AM on February 3, 2019 [1 favorite]


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