10/5/2005 9:56:00 AM Kinetic weather forces kourse korrection
The team Wet Paint had little difficulty in the DIsmal Bog, where many a Great Port Townsend Gay Kinetic Skulpture Race kontraption was konfounded. – Photo by Barney Burke
For the first time in its 23-year history, a kourse korrection was required at the Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Skulpture Race.
The white kaps in the bay were so foreboding Sunday morning that a konference of kourse and city officials was kwickly konvened. All konkurred to move the water segment of the kourse to the protected area at the Fort Worden State Park pier, next to the kwicksand kourse.
The stiff, chilly winds failed to deter anyone from the pre-race ceremonies, not even the BBC crew filming the event for its children’s TV series, “Only in America.”
After surviving the beach and water at Fort Worden, the 16 entrants endured an especially windy and More-Dismal-Than-Usual Bog churned up at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.
A stalwart krowd cheered and hooted as some teams slogged through the mud the hard way while others bribed their way down the sidelines. “Look the other way everyone, the judges are cheating!” Efra announced as Supreme Kourt reversed its motion and was lifted out of what had appeared to be a permanent restraining order of knee-deep mud.
At the end of the day, Half-Baked Kinetic Kookie won the coveted Mediocrity Award, finishing halfway between all kontestants. Scott David, along with sons Luc and Cal, rolled it through the bog with ease.
Among perennial favorites at the traditional pre-race performances was Port Townsend’s Ray Grier, who reprised Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady” with lyrics that only a lovable old guy can get away with singing. Later, the pilots amazed everyone with their ability to tap dance to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” at the race start. Queen Ritzy Bitz beamed as her anthem was played.
Kelly Bell Force was krowned Rose Hips Kween at the Saturday night ball, charming everyone with the Hokey-pokey dance. “That’s what it’s all about,” she explained.
Kinetic President Janet Emery said that the Saturday night event was a huge success for the volunteer organization, although there are still quite a few T-shirts leftover. Marked down to $10, the shirts are available at Kinetic Koffee Kompany, 520 Kearney St.
Emery thanks Port Townsend Police and Jefferson Transit for making the last-minute waterfront kourse korrection a success.
Hobart Brown of Perth, Australia, started the tradition in Ferndale, Calif., in 1967, said Steve Emery. Port Townsend’s race is the third oldest, he said.
Photos of this year’s race can be viewed as well as uploaded at www.kineticrace.info.
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