Arcata’s creative community comes alive every Memorial Day weekend for the world-famous Kinetic Sculpture Race, in which participants pedal, paddle, and otherwise move themselves and their handmade vehicles on a multiple marathon across land and sea. Part art, part engineering, and part athletic competition, the kinetic sculpture race is like nothing you’ve seen before. Beginning midday Saturday and running around the clock until Monday afternoon, a mind-boggling array of mobile contraptions—past winners have included everything from dragons and floating flying saucers to Egyptian pyramids (named “Queen of Denial”) and a Cadillac Coupe de Ville—make their way over land, sand, and sea from the town square of Arcata to the main street of Ferndale, twice crossing chilly Humboldt Bay.
Rule Number One of the Kinetic Sculpture Race is that all of the “sculptures” must be people-powered; beyond that, imagination is the primary guide. Many “rules” have developed over the years since the race was first run in 1969, including such pearls as: “In the Event of Rain, the Race Is Run in the Rain,” but most of these emphasize the idea that maintaining style and a sense of humor are at least as important as finishing the fastest. Since the Grand Prizes are valued at somewhere around $14.98, racers take part solely “for the glory,” but prizes are awarded in many categories: First- and last-place finishers are winners, and the racer who finishes in the exact middle of the pack gets the coveted Medio-Car Award—a broken-down old banger.
Spectators are expected to be active participants, too, so be prepared to shout and scream and applaud the competitors, or even jog or bike or kayak alongside them. There are many great vantage points along the route, but you have to be in the right place on the right day. The Kinetic Sculpture Race begins at noon on Saturday with a pre-race line-up around Arcata’s Town Square, from where racers wind along country roads to the sandy Samoa Peninsula before spending the first night in downtown Eureka. Sunday morning the racers head across Humboldt Bay from Field’s Landing, then camp out overnight along the ocean. Monday’s trials include another water crossing and the muddy mess of the Slimey Slope, culminating in a mad dash down the Main Street of Ferndale surrounded by cheering multitudes. It’s all good fun, and a great focus for a visit to this remarkable corner of the world.
For further information, call the Eureka visitors bureau at 800/346-3482.
