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Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the junkyard-wars dept.

YetAnotherName writes "Both Wired Magazine and Tom Jones have coverage of the East Coast Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race 2003. Contestants plant tongue firmly into cheek, construct, and race bizarre human-powered vehicles across a variety of terrains. Notable vehicles included a 13-foot high pink poodle and a giant eyeball. Special rules this year required contestants to carry a sock-puppet on board. The winner this year? RTFA."

5 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. No discussion of Kinetics is complete... by Gopher · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...without mention of the Boulder Kinetics race, which has been run every year since 1979. While not the original according to this page, it still predates Baltimore's by 19 years.

    1. Re:No discussion of Kinetics is complete... by imnoteddy · · Score: 4, Informative
      I've been to "The Greater Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race" a few times - it dates back to 1983.

      Part of what makes this one so cool is that the sculptures race on both land and water. This requires some creative engineering.

      But the race is mostly an excuse for a two day party.

      --
      No electrons were harmed creating this post, though some may have been subjected to electrical and/or magnetic fields.
  2. I was there.. by ArtEnvironment · · Score: 5, Informative
    Yeah... uhm.. a group I am involved in... "The Philadelphia Dumpster Divers" participates.. and has, for at least 4 out of the 5 that the baltimore race has been running... this year... we had a vehicle that I'm surprised wired didn't cover.... we had a VIRTUAL VEHICLE. We even won awards for it.

    BTW, the sock puppet is NOT a new rule. Infact we have won for best sock puppet I believe 3 of the years.. (don't quote me on that.)

    For more information on the Dumpster Divers, and related project(s) you can check http://www.pleasetake.org/

    Infact I'm going down there in May for a party with some of the other kinetic racers and friends.

  3. original KSR by Graymalkn · · Score: 4, Informative

    Others have mentioned Arcata, Eureka, and Ferndale as all being home to the original KSR. It should be noted for those not familiar with California geography that these are all the same race. As mentioned above, it started in Ferndale in 1969 but eventually the starting line moved north, so that now the three-day race starts in Arcata, crosses Eureka Bay, and eventually ends (after climbing the Slippery Slimy Slope) in the Victorian/hillbilly town of Ferndale.

    It really is an amazing sight to see (especially the Sculptures trying to get up the Slope in the rain!) and I highly recommend that anyone who can manage to be six hours from the nearest major airport over Memorial Day weekend make an effort to attend.

    For a good laugh, the rules are available online.

    --

    *******
    "What good is science if no one gets hurt?!" - Professor Chromedome

  4. First time I saw it was this year. by Tronster · · Score: 2, Informative
    I have lived in Baltimore for many years, and this was the first year I attended. A cousin of mine is "Dr. Mud" and was part of the team who makes the mud pit each year.

    The race rocked, because:
    • It had huge sculptures
    • The sculptures all moved (some better than others)
    • The degree of silliness was quite high


    On the last point, they had a "blessing of the feet" for the drivers of the sculptures...which involved a person dressed a like Obi-Wan pretending to talk through his mind while a pre-recorded CD played what he was saying, and sometimes throw in music and efx. There was much other silliness. The pictures people took do a pretty good of depicting it.

    Just seeing it once is inspiration to want to build one of these things and participate next year.