DaVinci Days Festival - Kinetic Sculpture Races

By: © Nelson Taylor 2008

Festival Location: Corvalis, OR, USA

Festival State: Oregon Festivals

Festival Type(s): Inventors Conventions , Bizarre Sports Events, Bizarre Festivals

As a part of Corvalis' annual DaVinci Days Festival, which is a three-day July event that showcases the best in art, science and technology (in the spirit of Leonardo, of course), they have hosted the Kinetic Sculpture Races since 1992. Raan Young approached the festival organizers with the race after meeting two men who started the first race in Eureka, CA, in the late 60s.

The vehicles are human-powered all-terrain vehicles. Racers combine artistry and engineering to create vehicles that can equally travel over 10 miles of city streets, 100 feet of thick mud, down 2 miles of the Willamette River, across 3,000 feet of sundried clay and finally over 100 feet of sand. In the past, vehicles have run the spectrum from functional mountain bike with a rubber floatation device attached to the back to full-blown sculptures on wheels. "99% of them are peddled," Young says. Frames have included elaborate renditions of dragons, warthogs, fish as well as abstract works of art. Young's continued involvement with kinetic sculpture racing rests on the notion that it brings together disciplines that normally do not interact, such as art and engineering. "It's also important for kids to see that adults can be crazy and have fun too," he says.

Anyone with a mind to build a vehicle can enter. The cost is $70 for a team of two to enter, which also includes a weekend pass to the festival. Weekend admission for adults is $9, and it's $5 for children; spectators are encouraged to wear costumes to enhance the racing experience for all. Other attractions include a film and video festival, music, theater, trash can art, science lectures and a world class kite exhibit.