STOP!
He who would cross the Bridge of Death
Must answer me
These questions three
Ere the other side he see.
- What… is Kinetics?
- When… is the next Kinetics event?
- What… is your favorite color?
- How… can I join this group of merry men?
- Who… are you guys anyway?
What… is Kinetics?
Many people want to know:
What exactly is the Boulder Kinetics Race?
Many people also want to know if light is a wave or a particle, and well, we still aren’t sure what the heck that’s all about either.
Kinetics is to the world as The Mirror of Erised is to Harry Potter. For everyone who failed their SAT tests or doesn’t follow youth oriented popular culture, here are a few ways to describe the Kinetics experience.
- A race across land, mud, and water with teams using human powered vehicles.
- An excuse for groups of people (many of whom have questionable mental states) to dress in strange costumes and adopt corresponding personas in Boulder, Colorado.
- “The Burning Man” for people whose comfort zone is largely in Boulder County and doesn’t extend to the remote Nevada dessert.
- A reason to party at Boulder Reservoir in the springtime.
[and FYI… The Mirror of Erised has magic powers and the motto: “I show not your face but your hearts desire.” I’m not sure why a mirror needs a motto, and if you are like me and only watched the first movie and didn’t bother to read any of the books, you just might be realizing that Erised is “desire” spelled backwards. But I digress….]
When… is the next Kinetic event?
Not so much of an event, but a meeting. It could be eventful, who knows? The next planning meeting for Boulder Kinetics is at Tuesday May 13, at 6:oo P.M. at the Twisted Pine Brewery in Boulder, CO. Check out Kineticist.org for more details.
In general the Boulder Kinetics experience consists of two events. The Parade is held on a Saturday on the last weekend in April at the Twenty-Ninth Street Mall and the race itself is held the first Saturday in May at Boulder Reservoir.
The latest Boulder Kinetics Trials, Exhibit, and Parade was held on May 3, 2008 and was a rousing success. All of the pictures on this page were taken before and during the parade. Fifteen teams came by to run their crafts through the obstacle course, show off their vehicles on the 29th Street Mall in Boulder, and win the hearts of the judges with an entertaining skit at the start of the parade.
Due to sponsorship and funding issues, there will not be an official Boulder Kinetics race in 2008. We plan to have these issues resolved in 2009. Any changes to the schedule will be announced here as soon as they become official.
What… is your favorite color?
Blue, no…, Yellow…
How… can I join this group of merry men?
Boulder Kinetics is always looking for new people to join in the fun. While many of the team have competed for several years, new teams are always welcome. And if building a kinetics contraption isn’t your cup of tea, we are always looking for volunteers for the parade and race. A special website has been set up especially for everyone involved in the race at Kineticists.org. Also, for a comprehensive guide to building a craft, check out the advice at Kinetic Kingdom.
Who… are you guys anyway?
It takes a lot of hard work to make Boulder Kinetics a reality. Each team is responsible for building a craft and creating the elaborate costumes. And trust me– that is no small task. Here are some of the teams who have graced us with their presence:
The Dork Lord aka Team Shark
Team TDA
Team TRI-CYCLE
(If you have a website related to Boulder Kinetics you would like listed here, or would like to have one setup under this domain name, send an email message to omar at boulderkinetics dot com)
Of course it takes a lot of “behind the scenes” work to make Boulder Kinetics a success each year. Even in Boulder you don’t usually see a man dressed up as a dog peeing on another man dressed up as a fire hydrant– at least not for free and not in broad daylight.
Sandy Sorenson is the keystone of the Kinetics organization. She has overseen everything that is Boulder Kinetics for many, many years. How many, exactly? Well she won’t say, and the Wizard has put a spell of secrecy on the subject that even the most generous quantities of white russians cannot unlock. The buck stops with Sandy. Everything from parade permits to course layouts ultimately get resolved through Sandy.
The Wizard, along with his own personal harem, has many responsibilities. His personal favorite aspect of the race is to accept bribes from each team in the form of food, tasty beverages, and, on occasion, various shiny objects. Second on his list is to go around and visit with each of the teams, and explaining to the virgin teams why their crafts aren’t going to make it through the race. In between all of this, he introduces each team during the parade and explains to the audience the inevitable logistical hiccups that seem to be a part of the entire experience.
Paul Bailey was instrumental in keeping Boulder Kinetics alive in 2008. After losing the longtime sponsorship of KBCO, Paul made sure that the event didn’t die out. Despite the difficulties, Paul managed to get everything in place for the Trials, Exhibition, and Parade for 2008.
Omar Lutfey maintains the website here at BoulderKinetics.com in addition to maintaining a team that has competed in the race since 2006. When not working on Kinetics, Omar works as a driver at UPS in northern Colorado and runs another website at Newfunny.com.
