The Golden Spud has found new home in Brooklyn Park

Searchers find the prize near Coon Rapids Dam

At 2 p.m. July 2, Tricia Swesey, Jennifer Blinkman and Tonya Olsen were on their way to go shopping when the eighth clue was posted on Twitter.

The three of them were near the Coon Rapids Dam and knew the general location of the Golden Spud. They decided to take a couple minutes to try and find the potato prize. Out of shock and chance of luck, the three women found the potato and became the new winners of the Golden Spud Hunt.

“On clue three, my family went out there to try and find the Golden Spud because we knew it was at the dam near the archery range,” Blinkman said. “It was a battle, but I’m glad we found it after looking for this long.”

Blinkman, a resident of Brooklyn Park, looked for the Golden Spud last year and couldn’t find the exact location of the potato in fear of wood ticks and bees. This year, Blinkman didn’t let anything stop her from finding the Golden Spud.

Blinkman was stung by four underground wasps and had to go through parts of the woods in search for the potato. With Swesey and Olsen coming into town from other parts of the country, Blinkman thought it would be fun and easier to find the Golden Spud with two more adults.

Before searching, the three women knew it was around the dog park in the Coon Rapids Dam. Clues seven and eight were the final pieces needed to solve the mystery.

Swesey said clue seven said it was under or by electrical lines or poles by saying “It’s electric when the wind whispers mischievously through waving branches and leaves.” Clue eight allowed them to make an “X” with the power lines and a trail by the dog park by the clue saying “Then finally, McTater zeroes in on the missing Golden Spud near Exmark and Spot!” Once the three of them reached the “X”, they found the Golden Spud.

“Once we found the ‘X’ by the dog park, I took off running to find the Golden Spud,” Swesey said. “It was great to have finally found it after a few minutes of searching in the park.”

The Golden Spud was located right next to the fence of the dog park on the Brooklyn Park side of the Coon Rapids Dam. It was underneath the power lines and in line with the trail right next to the dog park.

The three of them won the $400 dollar cash prize and are splitting it three ways. Swesey will return to Arizona in the next few days and Olsen will travel back home to Salt Lake City. Blinkman will spend the money with her children at home and is looking forward to finding next year’s Golden Spud.

“It’s a fun activity to do as a family, and it allows you to check out different areas of the city that I wouldn’t have found,” Blinkman said. “It’s a fun challenge, and I can’t wait for the next scavenger hunt in Brooklyn Park next summer.”

Contact Brian Mozey at brian.mozey@ecm-inc.com

Copyright 2015 ECM Publishers.