3 days ago
20,000 people to watch Red Bull Soapbox Race in Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa — Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the Red Bull Soapbox Races in downtown Des Moines on Saturday.
There are 50 teams competing for trophies which will be awarded to the top three finishers. Contestants can also win awards for people's choice, a cart theme award gifted by Casey's, and longest jump.
Each team designed their own non-motorized cart that will race down a custom course which consists of turns, jumps, and obstacles. The carts travel at speeds of 25 to 30 miles per hour on average.
Apart from being judged for course navigation and race time, a team of judges will also critique each team's creativity and card design, and the showmanship of a 30-second skit the group performs.
The last time Des Moines hosted this event was in 2022, where over 25,000 people attended.
One of the teams this year is the Eager Beavers Shreddin' Ash, a local team from Central Iowa. Their character names are Bucky, Chief Chipper, and Twiggy Smalls.
In 2022, they competed in the race, but their props got in the way. As a result, this year they say they made their design simpler. However, to spectators, their design is anything but 'simple.'
They have a two-piece truck and woodchipper concept that they will be driving in reverse down the course. Their cart also chips wood, leaving behind a trail of woodchips.
Starting at 10 a.m., the pit lane will open for families to get a closer look at each of the carts. The Eager Beavers have an axe-throwing game and will give out woodchips and stickers to attendees.
For the Eager Beavers' 30-second skit, the judges will critique their axe juggling skills.
If spectators don't see this team coming, they might just be able to hear them yell, 'Timber!'
Another team competing this year is the Revenge Against the Corn. This year, they are seeking redemption from their first experience in 2022, where they crashed close to the start line.
Their cart in 2022 was a corn bobsled, so this year's design is a combine. Their ultimate goal is to get to the finish line this year.
Even though they crashed in 2022, they didn't leave empty-handed. Their team won the 'It's Not Crazy It's Casey's' cart theme integration award for having a cart theme rooted in Iowa representation.
Other teams are racing for the first time, including the Mystery Machine that was inspired by Scooby Doo. The team consists of five DMACC students studying engineering. The group is part of the college's STEM club and are applying skills they learned in school to this race.
Landon Toom said, 'This has been an awesome opportunity for us to learn and grow.'
The race begins at noon right next to the Iowa State Capitol and it is free to attend.
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