Kinetic Race Mixes Art, Engineering Creativity and Fun

VENTURA —  Clad in a shimmering sorcerer costume, the self-named Great Kinetic Wizard walked up to two bikes decorated to resemble an oversized clam, sprinkled confetti and loudly proclaimed a blessing.

An odd sight for a sporting event, but this was no ordinary race.

The seriousness of day-to-day life was forgotten Saturday morning as the entrants in the Kinetic Sculpture Race--advertised as an event “where art and engineering collide”--showed off their creativity, acted silly and just had fun.

“For two days, a lot of adults are going to be playing,” said Clyde Reynolds, director of Ventura’s Turning Point Foundation, which hosted the event. “They’re going to be laughing, having a good time and forgetting their troubles.”

Participants build people-powered vehicles--also called sculptures--that should have both aesthetic and practical value, with judges grading the vehicles on creativity and ability to negotiate the rugged two-day terrain.

The race, one of a handful of such events held around the world, started late Saturday morning as the 21 vehicles headed west on Main Street, onto a bike trail near the Ventura River and then onto the Ventura Beach Promenade.

Laughter turned to momentary anxiety as most entries, whether propelled by one person or 15, had a tough time making it over a sand mound on the beach near the pier.

After that obstacle was overcome, racers made their way down two miles of beaches before they were allowed to get back onto the road at New Bedford Street. Winding their way to Ventura Harbor Village, they finished up the first of two days of kinetic racing.

Before the race began, the usual nervous excitement that marks a sports event was replaced by a carnival atmosphere, as participants, spectators and judges gathered on Main and California streets in downtown Ventura.

The Great Kinetic Wizard, who serves as the head judge and who declined to identify himself any further, walked from entry to entry, sprinkling confetti and bestowing blessings.

Wearing a long satin robe, the Colorado resident has been involved with kinetic racing for two decades. The races are the most fun he has all year, he says.

“All kinds of supposedly normal people come out and see this craziness,” he said. “And maybe some will be inspired to be crazy.”

Some local participants said they had been working months on their entries.

A youth group from First Christian Church in Newbury Park welded together 18 bikes, which earned them the honor of having the biggest entry. Adults said the project got kids excited about coming to church, while the youngsters said they were happy to have a new adventure.

“It’s kind of like a dream,” said Julie Jackson, 11.

R.J. Henchy of Ventura and a team of his co-workers from Meissner Filtration Products of Camarillo pulled together an entry they christened The Tritanic--a jumbo tricycle with a Titanic theme.

Two regular bike frames were used as a base, but the group then welded on oversized plastic blue tires before gluing on scores of silver stars. As a finishing touch and to poke fun at the now famous scene from last year’s hit movie, Ken and Barbie dolls were affixed to the front, with their arms outstretched.

Henchy’s team invested hundreds of hours building and testing the sculpture, but he says they didn’t enter to win.

“It’s going to be fun no matter what,” he said.

That’s also why Lauren Canario and her husband, Jim Johnson, entered their fifth kinetic race Saturday. The Redwood City couple take a lot of pride in their entry, called Clam I Am--a two-person round machine with a red-and-white striped clam top.

“Your smiling muscles get tired,” Canario said. “That’s part of the rules--you have to be happy all the time. Even if you don’t win, you have a good time.”

Started in 1969 in Humboldt County by Ferndale artist Hobart Brown, kinetic races are now held annually in several American cities and overseas. Saturday’s event was the first kinetic race in Southern California, organizers said.

Brown, who was on hand for the race Saturday, says he wants entrants to build a sculpture that expresses who they are.

“We’ve had people stretch in this race and discover themselves,” said Brown, clad in a black top hat and tuxedo jacket with tails. “Then they fall in love with themselves.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

FYI

Kinetic Sculpture Race vehicles will begin launching at 10 a.m. today at Ventura Harbor, and the race will continue at various locations through 5 p.m. The awards and closing ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at O’Brian’s Celtic Gathering Place on the corner of Oak and Main streets. Dinner tickets can be purchased for $10. For more information, call the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau at (800) 333-2989.