Kinetic Sculpture Adventure Race

It is a race that brings artists, engineers, and physical competitors together to create wacky sculptures that move across land and water – and it is finally coming to Connecticut. The state’s first-ever “Kinetic Sculpture Adventure Race” will take place in Farmington on Sunday, September 21 at 10 a.m., and is open to any person or group that is inspired to create an all-terrain “sculpture” and race. The eight-mile course begins and ends at Winding Trails in Farmington and promises to be the most unique fundraiser that has ever benefited the Winding Trails Campership Fund. Racers, sponsors and volunteers can find details and registration information (along with advice on building a sculpture) at www.ctkineticsculpturerace.com.

The race is modeled after the popular annual event that has been taking place in Northern California since the 1960s. Individuals or teams build a man-powered, amphibious kinetic sculpture which can be as simple as a bicycle with pontoons or as outrageous as a float-style dinosaur eating cupcakes. Spectators are a huge part of the event and are encouraged to dress in Halloween or Carnival-style costumes and cheer on the racers and their pit crews.

Like any organized race, this one comes with a few rules. All sculptures (vehicles) must be human powered, meet safety standards, be clearly identified with race number, and must (absolutely must) have the Pooh Bear character prominently represented (can be a stuffed animal, painting, photograph, etc.). Additionally each entry is required to display a badge of some type (such as law enforcement, firefighter, Girl Scouts, or a creative original). The Farmington Police Department and race organizers will inspect each sculpture on race day. During the race, riders must follow “rules of the road,” keep all equipment on board, stay on designated course, and use life jackets. 

Then, there are the “unwritten rules.” Racers can attempt to bribe course judges using covert information found in the online judge profiles. Doing so can mean the difference between losing everything or winning the “best bribe” trophy that is awarded at the end of the race. Other trophies area given to winners of the “Middle of the Race,” “First Breakdown,” “DaVinci Award for Best Engineering,” and “Michelangelo Award for Most Creative.”