Derby day is drawing near with breakneck velocity. The 10th annual Kingston Artists' Soapbox Derby day, that is. This quirky and curious race-where speed doesn't matter and where finishing last is akin to finishing first-is set to roll into zany action later this month.
The phrase "on a soapbox" means to pontificate, to speak one's views passionately, to spread the word, or just to show off. The Kingston derby, though named after the boxes used to construct competitors' cars, has taken that phrase to heart. After all, in Kingston exhibition matters much more than competition, and each entry gets its 15 minutes (or seconds) of fame as it lurches, careens, slides, bumps, flies, or inches down the steep Broadway slope in the city's Rondout waterfront district. The only rules are that entries must be gravity powered, with brakes and steering ability; safe to drivers and spectators; within certain size limits; and have no more than three co-pilots. And as this is the Artists' Soapbox Derby, contestants are encouraged to "think outside the box."
Some make political statements, some profess their love of certain films or books, some create beautiful and intricate engineering feats, some show off their cleverness, and some just pull things together at the last minute. Entirely personal, eagerly anticipated, and always entertaining, the Artists' Soapbox Derby "is like Christmas in August," according to long-time volunteer Lu Ann Bielawa.
A lively example of Kingston's continued renaissance, the derby has grown exponentially in popularity and participation. This is due in no small part to organizer Nancy Donskoj, a Kingston artist who owns and runs the Donskoj & Company art gallery on Broadway. Her husband envisioned the event over a decade ago as the combination of a traditional soapbox race and a kinetic sculpture competition. Before the derby's maiden descent, Donskoj was concerned that no one would enter the competition or even come to see it. She needn't have worried: nine entries sped down the hill to the delight of nearly 200 people that first year.
This year the derby is expected to draw over 5,000 spectators and will award over $2,000 in cash prizes. The competition is so keen that pre-race photos and interviews tend to be granted only with promises of confidentiality, lest there be leaks regarding works in progress.
It became clear during the event's early years that encouraging participants to go fast might not be the best plan, especially as crowds grew and made potential accidents that much more of a worry. "We stopped awarding prizes for speed after the second year," Donskoj says. This decision may actually have transformed what was a silly and fun show of bravado among a handful of neighborhood residents into the kind of challenge that now inspires months of effort to imagine, design, create, and construct pieces of art. And what a great transformation it has been. As Donskoj says, "Art is fun. It's not just something you put on the walls. This makes it accessible to people."
The derby doesn't only inspire mechanical or artistic creativity. From public relations to public safety and from creative guidance to "gravity control," a vast crew of volunteers play important roles. Lu Ann Bielawa, who began as a curious newcomer and then acted as the motivating mother of a regular contestant, is now the derby's chief promoter. "It's all worth it on the day when you get to see the kids' smiling faces out in the street."
Another key supporter lives on in fond memory. Kingston's former mayor, the late T.R. Gallo, practically pestered Nancy and George Donskoj into putting on what had been just a flight of fancy. "We ran into Mayor Gallo back then and mentioned the idea of the derby to him, and then after that it seemed like every time we saw him he said, 'you gonna do that derby thing?'" The mayor backed up his good-natured teasing with tangible support. "He was willing to close the street for it," Donskoj remembers, "and so we decided to go ahead with it."
Gallo's infectious enthusiasm even extended beyond city limits. Five years ago he set out a challenge among local leaders to prove themselves outside their political circles and compete against each other. For a few years the Mayor's Cup, as it became known, was a two-way battle between Tivoli and Kingston. Now, however, mayors from around the area come to compete.
"It's important for people who may only get to talk business with one another to have a nice day together where they let loose in a casual way," frequent participant Tivoli Mayor Marcus Molinaro says. "Our families get to meet one another and we all have fun." Despite the mayor's insistence that the spirit of fun prevails, he will not comment on any plans for this year's entry. "It's top secret," he says, sounding very competitive indeed.
He may need that competitive edge to bring the Cup back to the east side of the Hudson. Last year, in an upset victory, new entry New Paltz Mayor Jason West walked away with the "very heavy" trophy and is set to return this year to defend his title.
Although top spots carry cash prizes, the spirit of the derby is less about winning than about showing off. The coveted "Rondout Reject Award," also nicknamed the "Horse's Ass Award" due to the trophy's featured equine anatomy, is given to the "worst" entry and is usually the most hotly contested award. In years past it has gone to constructions that failed to work properly, those that elicited groans from the crowd, and even to those contestants who demanded the dubious honor of coming in last.
Arguably the most popular entry in derby history is the oft-modified and twice-Horse's Ass-honored entry by Hendrik Dijk entitled "Frozass," which debuted in 1996. If brevity is the soul of wit, simplicity must pave the way to Reject status on derby day. "Frozass" in its three incarnations over the years has been a variation on a theme of simple science: Dijk's vehicle is nothing beyond a block of ice, a sheet of plastic and a belief that August will bring the kind of temperatures needed to power his numb butt into derby glory.
The judges have the unenviable task of determining the top prizes in a field packed with fantastic and funny entries. This year the five-person panel is nearly all past winners. One of this year's adjudicators, five-time top finisher and artist/"motorhead" Steve Heller, has a few ideas about how he'll be awarding prizes this year. "It'll be fast. I'll know right away what I do and don't like." His tips for aspiring winners: "I dig special effects and things that move and flap."
Heller has seen his fair share of stupendous entries. "I keep saying we gotta have a winner's circle with some of the great past years' entries on display."
He cites fellow judge John Kahn's "Inchworm"-one of the slowest entries in Kingston's derby history-as well as Jamie Smith's "It Came from the Hudson" huge fish creation that came complete with a hinged jaw and flipping fins, and Todd Bernier's "Crazy Legs" which created an illusion of many bodiless legs simultaneously pedaling a many wheeled bicycle, as three of his favorite entries.
Heller's own creations deserve a place in derby history. His intricate "Wrenchosaurus II" from last year's competition, with its fire breathing capabilities injected a bit of excitement into what is always a pretty thrilling day. Constructed from over 400 wrenches, a tractor seat and used car parts, the monster is featured on the Donskoj's Web site and has become emblematic of the event itself.
This year, a new youth group category has been added to encourage local youth organizations to get involved. "Kids can learn a lot of skills through this: fundraising, geometry, design, engineering, and the execution of their designs-this is all part of the creative process," explains Donskoj.
A show at Donskoj's gallery adds another new dimension to the derby. "Usually we close the gallery for the month of August, but this year we decided to have a group show." Entitled Derby 10, the show will include works from past winners and participants as well as from previous years' poster artists, all centered around the derby theme.
Local radio station WKZE will help keep the party going with music and will host the annual "Loud T-Shirt" contest for spectators. The traditional Gypsy Procession, a piece of interactive performance art pioneered by local artist Marilyn Stablein, will yet again wind its way down the hill.
On this tenth anniversary year, Donskoj has been pondering the history and trajectory of the event and is amazed how the idea has evolved. "Sometimes I'm so busy doing it, I don't think about how big it all is. On derby day I'll look up from the registration table and just see this huge line of people and think, 'what have I done!?'"
And what will be the next step in the derby's evolution? "Oh," Donskoj laughs, "I think the Olympics will pick up the event sometime in the future."
The Kingston Artists' Soapbox Derby will be held on Sunday, August 22. Registration and Safety Check runs from 10:30AM-12:45PM, and the competition begins at 1PM. There is a $25 entry fee. Contestants may enter on the day of the derby, but pre-registration is preferred. Participants begin their descent from the corner of Spring Street and Broadway in Kingston's Rondout District. For more information or to receive the official entry form, call or stop by Donskoj & Company, 93 Broadway, Kingston. (845) 338-8473. www.donskoj.com.
