Gravity is an inescapable force. It's why Earth has its atmosphere and orbits the sun. It can bring us to our knees. And it makes the race known as the soap box derby possible. This gravity-powered American tradition is usually a speed race for kids. But not in Portland, Oregon – home of the Portland Adult Soap Box Derby, which just celebrated its 27th annual run.
A practice from early car history
The use of aerodynamic, gravity-driven cars has been around for a long time – though it wasn't always known as a soap box derby. One of Charlie Chaplin's first screen appearances was 1914's Kid Auto Races in Venice. The event was also sometimes called a "pushmobile" race.
But the soap box derby became an American institution in the 1930s, when a national race launched in Ohio (which still hosts the Soap Box Derby World Championships). It also showed up in midcentury TV shows – everything from Dennis the Menace to Bewitched to The Danny Thomas Show.
The classic design of the soapbox derby car is sleek and streamlined, to minimize drag. And as time went on, it got even more technical – with fiberglass bodies and titanium bushings, for example – to reach truly impressive speeds.
But other derby events emerged with a different focus.
"How many times do you get to race a dragon down a volcano?"
The Portland event is less about speed and more about joy and pageantry – it's part race, part art installation, and part block party.
On Saturday, 42 cars of all shapes and sizes gathered in Mt. Tabor Park for the race. While a few cars are designed for speed, most focus on maximizing creativity. This year's cars included a giant sloth head, a Heated Rivalry-themed zamboni called "The Ice Melter," a replica of the Flintstones car, and a car depicting Oregon's famous exploded dead whale.
The derby has a few rules relating to helmets, safety training, and brakes. But beyond that, it's a free-for-all. Cars are constructed from wood, metal and plastic, and are sometimes covered in fake fur or hot-glued mirror tiles.
John Nurse used hula hoops, spray insulation foam, and the chassis of a 1979 Honda Odyssey ATV to build a dragon based on his 10-year-old's direction.
"My kid drew a picture, and then it was up to me to figure out how to build it," Nurse explained. "How many times do you get to race a dragon down a volcano?" (Mt. Tabor is technically an extinct volcano.)
An event for more than just racers
Several thousand Portlanders turned out to watch and cheer. They brought folding chairs, set up blankets with friends, and spent hours watching the creativity come hurtling down the hill. Organizers say the crowds have grown every year.
"It's always so much fun," said Brittany England, a creator of the Rocky Roadster ice cream truck. "There's so many people, the vibes are great, the energy's awesome."
David Paulsen, president of the Portland Adult Soap Box Derby, says that it's basically a party that Portland throws for itself every year. Paulsen himself fell in love after attending his very first derby in 1997. He described the event as "booger-welded garbage cars racing down a mountain."
"I saw it, and I knew that they were my kindred spirits," he said.
The derby operates as a nonprofit, and Paulsen stresses that it's all volunteer run – from clearing the brush before the event, to cleaning up the trash after.
While these cars may be shaped like a giant athletic sock, or a deep-sea anglerfish, they can actually reach some pretty impressive speeds. The derby has all contestants sign a waiver before they take the wheel, because there is definitely an element of danger.
But as Michael Orczyk, who hurtled down the hill in a Conestoga wagon, pointed out, that's part of what draws people in. "The zaniness, and the slight threat of danger." And just in case, the fire department is on hand – in a little red soap box derby car, of course.
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