Whether they blazed in with loud whistles and horns or rolled in whatever parts of their sculptures remained after the three-day all terrain race, the pilots in the Kinetic Grand Championship crossed the finish line in Ferndale on Monday to the cheers of the crowds lining the final stretch.
Why the pilots choose to pedal through sand, dirt, mud and water across 42 miles could be heard throughout all three days of the race from spectators and racers alike — “For the glory!”
Having raced in the Kinetic Grand Championship and similar races along the west coast since 2000, Davis resident Peter Wagner said the race is also just about the simple fun of it and the people.
“We’re all in the brotherhood and sisterhood of lunatics,” he said, laughing.
After the race, Wagner decided on calling his colorful contraption its original name of “Bounce for Glory” rather than the “Buggy for Glory” and for good reason. Having to use his feet to manually push forward the large Batmobile-like wheels of his contraption and bouncing in order to revolve forward, Wagner counted a grand total of 680 bounces needed to push him up the Hookton Road hill on Sunday — all for the glory.
Team Moonshine Banditos led the influx of the many assorted kinetic sculptures that crossed the finish line on Main Street in Ferndale. The 50 or so sculptures had began at Crab Park near Fernbridge after a night of camping. While many sculptures had braved the float on the cold waters of Humboldt Bay on Sunday, the crossing of the Eel River on Sunday proved to be a obstacle that some creations could not pass unscathed thus leading to some sculptures losing their eligibility for the prestigious title of “ACE.”
About nine teams were eligible for the ACE title, which is achieved if a number of requirements are met such as having the same pilots race the entire way and having the sculpture get through the entire race without losing any pieces.
Fieldbrook resident Travis Bullock and his “Disgoat Inferno” had received an ACE last year, but said that the sand dunes broke the machine he and his friends had pieced together a few days earlier.
“It’s a challenge in that you don’t know what to expect and you don’t know what’s going to break,” he said. “You know you’re going to have to struggle through things and fix things. It’s fun to see what you can make that can do these incredible feats.”
The sculpture “Meri the Butterfly” had sustained a bit of wing damage and experienced the loss of its left antennae, but one of its piloting team members, Marilyn Kurka of Port Townsend, Washington, said Meri will back in action for three races along the West Coast including her home town. Racing for the last 20 years, Kurka said she races for more than the glory itself.
“It reminds me to be a kid and to have fun as opposed to just being an adult and always staying with the drudgery of a job and family,” she said. “This gives me an outlet. I get to build art and show it off.”
Port Townsend residents Clifton Wiley and Laura Snodgrass of Team Why Not had flown through the first two days as their sailed contraption “The Flying Spaghetti Monster” was aided by the wind on both land and sea. On the river, though, they almost flipped backwards into the river they were crossing.
“I have no idea why I do it, I just love it,” Wiley laughed.
“It is the best way to tour California,” Snodgrass said.
After the race, the pilots headed off to the Final Awards Dinner, where teams awaited awards for categories such as having the best time or the best art.
Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504.
