Pianos and Piñatas on Wheels

This past Saturday downtown Los Angeles went from ghost town to race town as the Red Bull Soap Box Derby hit the streets. Trying to get an unobstructed view, more than 110,000 people climbed speakers and light poles and lined the barriers twenty deep from the starting line on Grand Avenue to the finish line on 5th Street.

I don’t think this was what he had in mind when Myron Scott started the first official All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio in 1934. Throughout it’s early years the derby was marketed as patriotic and idealistic stressing team work, sportsmanship, courage, individuality and the pursuit of dreams. People were so scandalized in 1973 when a participant at Derby Downs was caught cheating that his guardian was indicted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

This modern day derby held in Los Angeles retains the individuality, creativity and team work but in an entertaining world of twisted and amusing grown up visions and dreams. With names like America’s Economy; Banana Hammock; Big Pianists; Crash & Burn; Ludicrous Speed!!!; Pole Position; Shaken, Not Stirred; Team Wild Things; Buccaneer Biddys; The Human Factor and Rehab Projects these weren’t your average soap box racers. From pianos to piñatas, heavy metal to country and rock, pole dancers to firemen, 40 teams came over the rainbow and from galaxy’s far, far away to compete. The winning team Ironheade hit 46 miles per hour to take the lead.

Since the Model T first came off the assembly line in 1908 people have been fascinated with how fast they could get gravity driven vehicles to go. So embedded in American culture is the soap box derby that even the Smithsonian has a racer in its collection and there is a Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame. Events nationwide go through a sanctioning process to qualify, conforming to uniform rules and racing conditions. From it’s beginning during the great depression it was billed as an all American pastime for fathers and sons to participate in. Although not quite a He-Man Women Haters Club the first girl did not compete at Derby Downs until 1975.

What ever country or state you build your racer and compete in, from Japan to Germany, from New Zealand to the United States be sure and bring the family along to watch the race. Soap Box Derby cars are as fun to watch as they are to build, bringing out that often forgotten inner child in all of us.