Opening ceremonies for what has been called the wackiest race in Maryland begin at 8 a.m., Saturday May 7th at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) in Baltimore.  This marks the 13th anniversary for AVAM's East Coast National Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race and promises to be a fun filled day for participants and spectators alike.

This eclectic group of racers combine genius, physical strength, engineering skills, art and a flair for the theatrical as they travel in groups or alone through the streets of Baltimore to the Canton Waterfront , Patterson Park and back to the starting point at the American Visionary Art Museum located at 800 Key Highway

This year the event will add a bit more craziness when, for the first time, the kinetic race will be held the same time the Baltimore Orioles are playing at Camden Yards.  While the game starts at 1 p.m., several hours after the race begins, parking will be at a premium with parking restrictions in effect.  One more bit of advice, don't park in the Digital Harbor High School parking lot this year, unless you are taking the SAT's at the school.  Parking is for students only on May 7th. The Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race website will have parking recommendations just before race day. 

Individuals or teams enter the race with original themed vehicles made from bicycles and other wheeled conveyances.  To win the race the Kinetinauts, vehicle pilots, use human power to race through the streets  to key way-points where they have to perform well in a series of tests.  The first test, after being able to move quickly from Key Highway to the Canton waterfront, is riding down the boat ramp to prove the amphibian capabilities of their movable art vehicles.  This test of aquatic prowess creates an opportunity for great pictures, shouts of encouragement from the spectators and the occasional outburst of laughter as conveyances, and creators, get wet.

Following the water test the pilots drive to Patterson Park where a sand pit and mud pit are set up for them to traverse.  Another opportunity for crowd participation to cheer these strange vehicles, with strange names on to victory.

The idea of a Kinetic Sculpture race started with Hobart Brown in 1969 in Ferndale, California.  An artist and gallery owner, Hobart reportedly started the Kinetic Sculpture race when he modified his son's tricycle to a five-wheeled decorated  "Pentacycle."  He was challenged by another artist to race down Main street on Mother's Day, during the town's annual festival.  Other artists joined in the race and each year it grew a little more.  Soon the race was the longest human powered sculpture race in the world with a course covering 42 miles from Arcata to Ferndale, California.

Hobart didn't win his first race but his organizing went on to help set up Kinetic Sculpture races throughout the United States and Australia.  There are about ten races annually, including the Baltimore race that Hobart help setup in 1999. 

For up to date information and directions to the race check out the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race website.