The Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Skulpture (with a “k”) Race, returned to town on Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5, with steady crowds and an increase in participation over last year.

Ric Peregrino, who has both chaired and competed in the annual event, estimated that between 500 to 1,000 onlookers turned out for the competitive festivities, with a few more folks on Saturday than on Sunday.

“The first day’s course is less spread out,” said Peregrino, who described Saturday’s course as slightly revised, due to shifts in the space that was available, but that nonetheless covered roughly the same amount of ground. “I took my own poll and about half the attendees knew or were informed about the event beforehand, while the other half arrived at random. They showed up from places like Seattle, and were surprised to stumble across the festivities.”

The second-day course, which extends out far enough to include territory in Fort Worden State Park, was also slightly revised, shifting from gate entry to the main entrance, according to Peregrino, since the Kinetic Skulpture Race didn’t have certified flaggers available.

Peregrino reported that 14 teams took part in the race, up from 12 last year, with an average of three members per team, for a total of roughly 50 race participants this year, as they crashed into the sea in downtown Port Townsend, slogged through sand at Fort Worden and trudged through a mud pit at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

In the end, the coveted Mediocrity Award — which goes to the sculpture that finishes with their time most in the middle — went to Reed Lacey and “A Bike That’s Magic,” hailing from Corvallis, Oregon.”.

Meanwhile, the Rosehips Kween Kontest crowned a familiar face as its royalty.

“Anne Marie was crowned kween in 2024, and had her reign extended this year,” Peregrino said. “She had a strong entourage, so it was phenomenal. She’s definitely a professional performer.”