FOR THE GLORY! That’s the cry of the hundreds of whacko
contestants, their support staffs, organizers and a Plaza-full of
celebrants of the umpteenth annual Kinetic Sculpture Race in Arcata,
Calif. The high-brow social high point of the season, presided over by
the Rutabaga Queen and scores of costumed and bribe-able race
“officials,” is a cultural, artistic and athletic extravaganza of chaos
and insanity that perfectly reflects Humboldt County culture. After this
blast-off at the noon whistle from the Plaza in Arcata, dozens of
hand-crafted, human-powered wheeled sculptures head off on a three-day, 22-plus-mile
trek over country roads, wallowing sand dunes, Humboldt Bay and other
obstacles—mechanical, natural and, in some cases, chemical—to celebrate
the insanity and creativity of the human spirit.
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| The pilot of the Blue Oyster Cult’s entry. |
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| The Kinetic Band adds a little class to the event. |
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| Fans of all species look on... | |
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| Ready to bug out. |
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| The class of the class—Cinderella’s Steam Pump. |
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| Nanno nanno? |
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| Blue Oyster Cult’s pilot checks strategy via shell phone... |
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| Do pigs fly? And how will it traverse dunes at Manila and the chill waters of Humboldt Bay? |
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| Rat Bastard. |
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| Riveted. |
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| Kinetic law enforcement conduct rigorous pre-race safety and bribery checks. |
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| Tut tut. |
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| Forecasting winners. |
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