The Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race Starting Line

A judge/casting directior yells "Lights! Camera! Action!" to begin the 2006 Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race


Daniel Bryant, Port Townsend ICE Program, wore a Kinetic TV Set at the starting line.


Daniel's close-up


A female Port Angeles pilot moments before heading down Water Street to race across Port Townsend Bay in her big balled bike

Seattle Times: Kinetic sculptures: the art of people power

By Kathryn True
Special to The Seattle Times


2006 Parade. Banner introduces the esteem Judges.

PORT TOWNSEND — Think Mardi Gras on wheels. Toss in a little Boeing ingenuity, mix well with modern sculpture and sprinkle liberally with Shakespearean wit, and you've got yourself a kinetic-sculpture race.

Early each October — this year's race is Sunday — the salty streets of this bayside town erupt in displays of creative madness: a colorful combination of art, engineering and theater with an edge of friendly competition. After constructing human-powered road-, sand-, mud- and sea-worthy sculptures, the self-proclaimed "kineticnauts" test their contraptions' mettle on an eight-mile obstacle course. Everything they need for the race (from pontoons to repair kits to Power Bars) must be contained within the sculpture.


2006 Parade. Three understudies looking marvelous seeking a bit part in a big production.

"The unique thing about this race is that it's a blending of engineering and art," said race archivist Louis Hightower. "These are frustrated engineers who want to be artists, or artists who feel like they need to expand their engineering prowess — it's a right brain/left brain thing, and teams usually consist of both." (Read More)


2006 Parade. Kinetic skulpture makes its way down the Victorian seaport strip. All Photos were taken by Lena Sharpe

Kinetic is kontageous in Port Townsend this weekend

peninsula daily news

PORT TOWNSEND -- Racers, get ready to peddle, push, row or otherwise humanly power those kinetic contraptions to the finish line for the 24th annual Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race beginning this weekend.

Events start Friday with a slew of activities taking place through Sunday.

So far, 15 racers have signed up to see what their mobile sculptures have got.

Some racers have spent all year fine tuning their engineering works of art.

The sculptures must be able to go through mud, also known as the ``dismal bog,'' float on water and transverse hilly neighborhoods.

This year's theme is Follywood, so racers and spectators alike are encouraged to dress as their favorite movie stars.

One twist on the typical, run-of-the-mill race that the Kinetic Sculpture Race provides is that the top prize is known as the Mediocrity Award.

It goes to the sculpture that finishes in the very middle of the pack.

One might wonder how to strategize to win such an award, and that is anybody's guess.

But the point is it's not whether you win or lose, but whether you have fun while doing it and make a true spectacle of yourself.

Throughout the race, kinetic kops will be roaming around ready to bust any racer for improper activities and issue a citation.

But, unlike real cops, the kinetic kops encourage bribes and are quick to accept them.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, an early ``K-Bird'' hospitality party will take place at Port Townsend Brewing Co., 330 10th St..

On Saturday at 10:30 a.m., racers, their sculptures and Wanna-Be Parade participants will assemble for the parade that begins at noon at U.S. Bank, 1239 Water St., and ends at Monroe Street.

Break and floating tests for the registered sculptures happens at 1 p.m. at the corner of Monroe and Water streets.

The big koronation and kostume ball will take place at 8 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St.

Sunday is the big race, where participating sculptures line up at Port Townsend City Hall, 250 Madison St., at 10:30 a.m.

The race begins at noon, with the route including Fort Worden State Park, the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and Kinetic Koffee Kompany, 520 Kearney St.

The race will conclude back at City Hall at about 5 p.m.

Awards will be given at American Legion Hall at about 5:30 p.m.

To wrap up the weekend's events, a ``Survivor's Post-Party'' will get under way following the award ceremony at the American Legion Hall at about 6 p.m.

An annual event since 1983, the race is sponsored by the Port Townsend Kinetic Konsortium.

For more information, go online to http://www.ptkineticrace.org

PT Leader: Kinetics playtime has 'Follywood' theme

Glamorous, trendy and chic people (with a klever Kinetic twist, naturally) are encouraged to attend and participate in this weekend's 24th annual Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Skulpture Race. The kostumed theme is "Follywood."

For newcomers to Port Townsend and Jefferson County, the Kinetic festival is unlike most anything you've ever seen. Imagine Halloween on steroids.

For those folks who have been around for past events, you know what is expected: kolorful kostumes, bribes for Kinetic Kops, and plenty of frivolity with the ultimate goal of mediocrity.

"It's a time to play," says Janet Emery, Kinetic High Priestess for Life. "We don't take ourselves too seriously."

Anywhere from 15 to 20 skulptures of varying sizes and professionalism are expected for the race. They range from hometown favorite Ray Grier's duct tape special to actual engineering marvels. (Read More)