2025 Kinetic Grand Championship: Saturday’s Dash and Sunday’s Splash
Barbie barely makes it into the Bay. [All photos by Mark McKenna]
Saturday’s kickoff was as chaotic as ever—once the noon whistle blew, it was a mad dash through the streets to Manila, with fans cheering, chasing, and sometimes scrambling out of the way of incoming kinetic contraptions. With Dead Man’s Drop on sabbatical this year, teams careened down the sand to Samoa Beach, then made the long push across Samoa Bridge to Eureka’s Halvorsen Park.
Walking tour of the lineup by Ryan Hutson.
By Sunday morning, the mood turned aquatic as racers faced Humboldt Bay’s infamous water crossing. Some sculptures floated with grace, others belly-flopped in spectacular fashion—but all were met with cheers from the crowds lining Old Town’s waterfront. The bay crossing remains the ultimate test of ingenuity and luck, with each splash a mix of suspense, hilarity, and soggy determination.
The race continues into Monday, winding toward the Eel River and a final cruise down Ferndale’s Main Street. But before the grand finale, here’s a look back at some of the highlights from Saturday’s dash and Sunday’s splash, captured through the lens of photographer Mark McKenna.
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- The race started on Saturday at the Arcata Plaza. Malice in Wonderland speeds down the hill for their brake check.
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- Kinetic Black Spy blasts a fireball during their brake check.
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- The Reno Cowsino
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- Ziggy Starfish moves toward the brake check on the plaza.
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- Bounce For Glory rounds a corner at the plaza.
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- A glorious dsico ball dances during team mPROM2’s pagentry on the plaza.
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- Team mPROM2’s spectacular finish to their pagentery.
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- A Wisdom Tooth peon waits for the glory lap to start.
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- Queen Glitterina, left, and Queen Jermajesty demand applause.
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- Brown Chicken Brown Trout completes a lap on the plaza during the start of the race.
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- Team mPROM2 speeds around the plaza at the start of the race.
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- Team Wisdom Tooth heads towards the bottoms.
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- Royal Pain and the Rally Kat-cophony heads for the bottoms.
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- Dolly Spartan: Ambition spreads their wings.
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- Asstronomical Disasster hauls ass towards the Manila Community Center.
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- Power flex from a Fly Less peon.
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- Space Goat rolls into the Manila Community Center.
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- The Mutinous SPACE BUCKaneer roars into The Manila Community Center.
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- Members of Kinetic Black Spy race to attach their sand tires.
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- Fly Less pulls and peddles toward the exit at Power Poles in Samoa.
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- Slammin Salmon & the Caddisflies fight their way updune.
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- Plan B team memebers buzz around their sculpture as the ascend the dune.
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- The Reno Cowsino crosses the finish line at Halverson Park.
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- Sunday brought the dreaded water drop.
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- Pontoon problems force Cowabunga Chaos to return to shore.
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- Reno Cowsino doubles down on thier water entry.
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- Plan Bee went with plan a for thier water entery.
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- Bounce for Glory paddles for glory on the Bay.
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- Dolly Partonon blew the roof off as they entered the water.
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- Kinetic Black Spy blasts a little fire after getting back on track after their water entrance.
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- Ozbourne shoots fire as their sculpture and Alice in Chains Wonderland drifts into the dock.
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- Sparkle and Rhinesstones gallops over the water.
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- Hooker and Ladder splashes into the bay.
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- Fly Less crashes into the bay.
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- Barbie barely makes it into the Bay.
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- Clusterduck almosted clucked up thier entry into the bay.
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- Lucas Thorton from Dawn of the Stoke cannon balls into the bay.
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- Lucas Thorton makes a splash.
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- Royal Pain and the Rally Kat-cophony clearly has no fear of water.
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- Team nPROM2 hits the water.
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- Deep Sea Disco angles for a clear course on the water.
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- Grand Theft Otter tried to steal the show as they entered the water.
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- Brown Chicken Brown Trout bow chicka bow wowed the croud as the splashed into the bay.
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- Dolly Spartan: Ambition is paddling 9-5.
Can’t get enough Kinetic? See Ryan Hutson’s video recorded at the splashdown yesterday.
Earlier: The Kinetic Sculpture Race Rolls Out!
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There’s never any coverage of the Rutabaga Ball, hrmph.
Fly less? What kind of message is that? If you want to pursue peddle power so be it. But dont try to eliminate my mode of travel, with bias science and an agenda of market profit.
Your carbine footprint is showing.
https://www.redwoodautoxpo.com/
Here is an alternative to this foolishness.
Square!!
But you still had to read and comment on the article, just to say something ugly. That shows a lot about you.
You might say that was a special kind of stupid laugh out loud
Outstanding everyone!
I’m excited for next year’s race!
I will build a Trump train sculpture and show these other sculptures how the West was won!!!
You’re not allowed to kill the other competitors and take their stuff.
Unless an autopen is used, right?
I think Joe Biden would disagree
I’m not sure Biden would agree, that’s basically what the Democratic party did to him and his legacy
Hobart must be smiling somewhere! Great work folks and LOVE the captions!
The Neverending Glory
A photo op for a team Peon and team Mother-of-a-Teen-Pilot, also a Peon, sculpture artist, and sag wagon driver (left to right, giving love to Falkor the Luck Dragon). In the background are one Pit Crew and two Teen Pilots (left to right). Falkor was a bit dizzy and wonky-eyed from the first day but was right as rain the next day.
The machine is new this year from ground up. Built (including welding and mechanics) and piloted by teens.
Glorious! ✨