PORT TOWNSEND — The Jazz, Blues, Wooden Boat and Film festivals here demonstrate that Port Townsend isn’t your average small town, but all are surpassed for uniqueness by this weekend’s Kinetic SkulPTure Race.
“People like to get silly,” said Janet Emery, who is organizing the race for the 16th time.
“They like to get dressed up, and build these machines.”
“These machines” are human-powered, all-terrain vehicles built to forge through mud, sand and water.
Emery said Thursday that this Sunday’s race “could be the biggest ever” with 23 entries so far.
“We have all kinds of participants,” she said.
“There are guys who build their sculptures in their garages with Styrofoam and duct tape, and retired engineers who don’t have a life who spend thousands of dollars and build complicated machines.”
The weekend has three major events and a minor one — an “Early K-Bird” Hospitality Party from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at the Undertown, 211 Taylor St.
Parade Saturday
The parade will begin at noon Saturday at the US Bank parking lot, 1239 Water St., and proceed through downtown to Monroe Street.
There is no sign-up sheet for the parade, although all racers are expected to participate.
Other than that, anyone with a costume or a desire to march can be part of the madness, although they need to arrive at the parking lot by 11:45 a.m. to check in.
This year’s parade and race has a “circus” theme, which leaves a lot of latitude for participants.
After the parade, racers will participate in a flotation test for their homemade vehicles at Union Wharf.
Kostume Ball
The Koronation Kostume Ball — which will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St. — will peak with the crowning of the annual Rose Hips Queen.
Admission will be $15 at the door, with no advance tickets available.
“We don’t sell tickets before the ball because we can only let in 500 people,” Emery said.
“If we sold tickets beforehand, there is a chance that some people might not get in, since we don’t let anyone else inside once we have reached capacity,” she explained.
‘Low noon’
The race itself starts at “low noon” Sunday in front of Port Townsend City Hall at the corner of Madison and Water streets and ends at about 5 p.m. in the same location.
In between, the racers travel to the Point Wilson Lighthouse, back through Fort Worden State Park to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, down San Juan Avenue and Kearny Street and down Water Street to Union Wharf, where they enter the water for the final stretch.
For a detailed map of the route go to http://tinyurl.com/28wxhkz.
Although the weekend is characterized as “kontrolled khaos”   – the letter “K” is konsistently korrupted in Kinetic SkulPTure Race materials — there are a few rules.
Race rules
Participants in the races must build their machines from scratch, and the vehicles must be people-powered. Sails and nonpropulsive energy are allowed.
The vehicles must be built for all terrains and be amphibious, as mud and water are part of the course.
The vehicles are driven by teams, which can be as small as one person or as many as it requires to move through the mud.
Each participant must pay a registration fee of $20.10 (which Emery said will go up a penny next year) with each additional team member charged $10.10.
All participants get a free T-shirt and a ticket to the Kostume Ball.
Emery said the event costs about $5,000 to put on and is — both legally and otherwise — a nonprofit, as the money generated by the Koronation Kostume Ball and entry fees covers expenses for the next year.
There is also a Kinetic SkulPTure legacy, demonstrated this year by Sara Rowse, 16, a racer from Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Rowse is the daughter of the 1993 Rosehips Queen Joan Wheeler, who was pregnant with her when she was crowned, Emery said.
“We say that Sara is a truly kinetic kid,” Emery said of the connection.
For more information, see www.ptkineticrace.org or phone 360-379-4792.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
