‘Plowabunga!’ The winners are in for the 5th annual Name a Snowplow contest

Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Department of Transportation officials on Wednesday unveiled the eight winners of the fifth annual Name a Snowplow contest.

MnDOT got more than 7,300 name ideas for this year’s contest and narrowed the list down to 50 finalists.

The new monikers include nods to Minnesota’s local culture and references to hip-hop, film and basketball icons:

• We’re Off To See the Blizzard: Riding the popularity of the “Wicked” screen adaptation, this name is a nod to “Wizard of Oz” star Judy Garland, a native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
• Snowtorious B.I.G.: The Brooklyn rapper Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, only performed in Minnesota once, in 1995.
• Plowabunga!: This one brings a little surfer slang to the plow naming game. You can imagine the snow curling off one of those orange plow blades as a beautiful barrel wave primed for a sweet session. “Cowabunga” is also a well-known phrase from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
• Anthony Sledwards: Named for Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, who has led the team in scoring each of the last three seasons.
• You’re Welcome: Much like Maui in “Moana,” this plow knows what it’s done for a grateful populace and is returning the sentiment.
• Don’tcha Snow: Minnesotans have a certain way of speaking, don’tcha know? This one joins 2021 winner Ope! Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya in honoring our regional dialect.
• Sköl Plow: Derived from a Scandinavian toast and the chant bellowing from legions of Vikings fans each fall.
• I Came, I Thaw, I Conquered: If all roads lead to Rome, this is the plow in charge of clearing them.

Before announcing the 2025 honorees, Walz thanked the state’s nearly 1,600 plow operators for the work they do each winter.

“I think anyone who’s lived or traveled anywhere else, one thing we’re known for is our roads are clean immediately afterwards,” Walz said.