Ken Mierzwa’s Pictures
from the 2005 race

Petchhouse Blog Pictures
2005 race – Samoa Bridge

Peter has been involved in the race from its inception (almost … we think). He’s used the same machine year after year, with improvements gleaned from each race. This man is pretty incredible! I can’t think of anything more fun than watching him go up and down, and up and down, propelling his puffy wheeled machine, sometimes winning, sometimes not. FOR THE GLORY Peter! You’ve got the right stuff!

It is mandatory that all Sculpture Pilots, Pit Crew, Officials, Spectators, Law Enforcers, Communicators, Volunteers, Merchants, and even Innocent Bystanders put great effort into having great fun for it is such Craziness as this that keeps us all Sane! If you insist on being a grumpy racer and not having fun, you may declare “diplomatic immunity” (since you are surely from another planet) and not be cited by overly excited officials for that infraction, but we reserve the right to adjudicate any such declaration.

There are a number of quirky race rules. The personal security rule requires that each sculpture carry a comforting item of psychological luxury, namely a homemade sock creature made from a not-too-recently washed sock. Another stipulates that each vehicle must be totally human powered, with no pulling, pushing or paddling allowed, although the natural power of water, wind, sun and gravity can be used. The sculptures must also fit on public roads and follow the rules of the open road. Mom’s high anxiety clause dictates a quick exit strategy. The honk and pass politeness rule requires yielding the right of way to another sculpture that wants to pass. A one-finger salute is encouraged. Time penalties are incurred for rule infractions, while time bonuses are given for carrying a passenger, called a barnacle, along the entire course. The Mediocre Award is given for finishing exactly in the middle. The Next to Last Award is highly coveted, making the end of the race particularly exciting. Awards are also given for best costume, the most memorable breakdown and the most interesting water entry. The winner of the Speed Award gets to be addressed as ‘Most Visionary Professor.’ (The above paragraph is an excerpt from Jan Friedman’s wonderful, Eccentric America.)

There are about a scazillion rules and regulations for entering this race (10?) … way too many to be putting in this post. Instead, here’s a link to the .pdf file that contains them all. Fact is, it’s a lot of fun to just read the rules! Whoever wrote them all down had a great sense of humor, but then that’s part of what this race is about … isn’t it? (See Rule #1 above) So, click on the link for the .pdf to download it. It’s six pages of fun and frolic, but the rules are there and you’d better follow them else you’ll be generously disgraced, maligned and possibly booted out!

Race Rules & Regulations (PDF File/60KB)

photos by Elliott Nicholson

A Tribute to Grandpa

Grandpa, the oldest of the Kinetic Sculpture Racers, was honored at last year’s kinetic banquet with the Hobart Brown Lifetime Achievement Award, where he received a heart-felt standing ovation for his many years of personifying the kinetic way.

Grandpa passed away this year and his team raced his machine, Grandpa’s Flying Machine, as a tribute to him. The machine is now retired and has been donated to the Kinetic Sculpture Race Museum. Race officials have also retired his number.

We all honor his memory … for the glory!

In 1969, Hobart started the Kinetic Sculpture Race, almost by accident, when he modified his son’s tricycle to a five-wheeled, decorated “Pentacycle” and another local artist and gallery owner, Jack Mays, challenged him to a race down Main Street on Mother’s Day. Race day came, and so did ten other challengers. Neither Hobart nor Jack won the race, that honor goes to Bob Brown (no relation) piloting his Kinetic Turtle.

In their kinetic contraptions they started a 40-year Humboldt tradition that has spread to Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Baltimore, Maryland and all the way to Perth, Australia. But it all began here among the majestic redwood groves of Humboldt County.

Kinetic Sculptures are all-terrain human-powered art sculptures that are engineered to race over road, water, mud and sand. Kinetic sculptures are amazing works of art; many are animated with moving parts like blinking eyes, opening mouths, heads that move side to side and up and down.

Kinetic sculptures are usually made from what some people consider “junk,” but one man’s junk is another racer’s raw material. Each Kinetic Sculpture is a work of art and each racing team has its own theme.

The teams consist of pilots, pit crew and workers. Kinetic pilots pedal the sculpture and steer, the pit crew assists the pilots in transforming the vehicle for the various elements and fixing mechanical issues, and the workers, well, they do whatever is needed for the team to get glory. The teams give out “bribes” to their adoring spectators, judges and the Rutabaga Royalty.

Spectators are encouraged to follow the race on their bikes (obeying all traffic laws that apply please). Seeing these marvels of art and engineering turns many people on to bike culture and reminds people how much fun riding your bike can be … especially if you’re dressed up like a bee or a chicken or a fly! Who knew?

Quite a few of the sculptures are created in The Kinetic Sculpture Lab … not sure where it’s located. That’s probably because it all needs to be a closely guarded secret while the machines are being constructed. We’ve pulled a couple of pictures from the Lab’s website to give an idea of how much fun they have, and there are a whole lot more on their website, which is way cool and a lot of fun on its own. You don’t see the construction from start to finish, but you do see some of the shop and a few of the machines at various stages of development. This website is definitely worth a visit, if only for the jumpin’ homepage and the cleverness of the design. These people are warped … and that’s what qualifies them to be part of The Lab!

Day 1 of the Kinetic Grand Championship starts on the Plaza in Arcata, California at the noon whistle every Memorial Day weekend. The racers take off to the Manila dunes, where they race through miles of sand to the great and inevitable “Deadman’s Drop.” If they survive, they head on to Eureka’s downtown gazebo.

Day 2 starts in Eureka at the waterfront on the Humboldt Bay, where brave Kinetic Pilots race their crafts through the water (most float). Then back on land where kinetic sculptures go up Hookton Hill, a 1 mile-7% incline and decline. Day 2 ends with a private campout for racers and volunteers only.

Day 3 starts from the mouth of the Eel River, through Morgan slough and onto dry land. Racers cross the finish line on Ferndale’s historic Main Street, where racers park and head up to the Final Awards Dinner at Ferndale’s Fireman’s Hall.

Map taken from the Official Kinetic Grand Championship website

Other Kinetic Sculpture Races around the U.S.

Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race, Baltimore, MD
The Great Port Townsend Kinetic Sculpture Race, Port Townsend, WA
Grand Kinetic Challenge, Corvallis, OR
Klamath Kinetic Challenge, Klamath Falls, OR
Kinetic Sculpture Race, Ventura, CA
Prescott Valley Kinetic Sculpture Race, Prescott Valley, AZ