Kinetic Sculpture Race is Weirdness on Wheels
40th Annual Kinetic Sculpture Race took place over Memorial Day weekend in Humboldt County. The Tin Pan Dragon was one of the nearly 40 human-powered machines that entered the 2009 race.
View GalleryKinetic Sculpture Race is Weirdness on Wheels
Kinetic Grand Championship gloriously goes over the hill in 2009. The Kinetic Sculpture Race started in 1969 in Ferndale, CA as a race down Main Street of hand-made, human-powered artistically glorified tricycles. Now the race is a 3-day, 42-mile "Triathlon of the Art World" including water crossings and beach traversing. 40th Annual Kinetic Sculpture Race took place over Memorial Day weekend in Humboldt County. The Tin Pan Dragon was one of the nearly 40 human-powered machines that entered the 2009 race. The Mechanical Chicken arrives to the Arcata Plaza before the start of the race with a team of support staff dressed as chickens singing songs to get the spectators pumped. Each team has to be prepared for sand dunes as well as water crossings. Here you can see the Octomom sculpture, a 4-person machine with a giant Nadia Sulaiman head with octopus tentacles grasping eight babies, taking to the sand. "There's bacon over there?" said the pilot of this machine as he tried to muster inspiration for the tough road, er, dunes ahead. Day 2 starts with a water crossing in Humboldt Bay along the Eureka waterfront. Here Grandpa's Flying Machine gets ready to get back to dry land. The race finishes in the Victorian town of Ferndale, CA on Memorial Day, 3 days and 42 miles after the start. Hippypotamus, winner of this year's Engineering award, rolls into town. June Moxon, designer, builder and pilot of the Kinetic Chicken, pulls strings inside the machine making the huge metal chicken animated while the throngs of people watch with smiles on their faces. Two brothers built "Uncatchable" a lantern fish that aced the course this year. In order to get an ACE, you can only go forward by pedaling your machine, no pushing, pulling or help from others. Rutabaga Queen Jermajesty rides at the start of the race. Doug McNeil, pilot of the Glory Hogs in red, slaps five to the spectators along the plaza. McNeil drove up to Humboldt from Los Gatos, CA with eight other people to participate in his 25th race. The Kinetic Grand Championship is a great event for the whole family. These kids were loving every minute of it. The race starts on Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend each year on the Arcata Plaza at noon after each machine is checked for proper breaks and other safety measures. They then circle the plaza a few times before heading out on the long, tough journey. Machines have to carry everything they will need on the course on board with them for the whole race, mainly sand tires and flotation devices. Between Arcata and Eureka on Day 1, the racers have to tackle the sand. Here in Manila, CA, most racers stop to change tires and enjoy the live music while taking a break and refueling with some food and beverages before hitting the dunes. Kinetic Teddy Bear Lady, left, puts a teddy bear sticker on June Moxon, veteran racer and this year's 1st Place Art winner for her Kinetic Chicken. "Ready, Set, Arrrrrrrrrrr," said Stinky Pete as he took a picture of a family in front of his Uncatchable sculpture. Bribing is big with Kinetic Racers. Here Major Etiquette offers me a choice of hand decorated lighters. Pilot Steve Leonoudakis, front right, pedals Dow Jones' Wild Ride up the dunes with a little help in back. "Come on you guys, we're all waiting for the Dow Jones to go up," says one of the hecklers standing on the sidelines. Spectators were out in droves this year. Here a smart group with seats watch as the Kinetic Chicken takes to the sand. Big Top won 1st Place Pageantry this year as well as the Golden Flipper award (more on that in a few...). Me: What's your name? Super Cool Mohawk Kid: Biggie. Pandamonium Rules, an obvious choice for the winner of this year's Teddy Bear Award.
Please wait. Your gallery will be ready in 5 seconds.
