ROLLING EXHIBIT
Artist Soapbox Derby, now in its 23rd year, still delights crowds in Rondout district
Gravity-fueled fun returned to the city’s Rondout Historic District on Sunday as seven cars rolled downed lower Broadway in the 23rd Kingston Artist Soap Box Derby.
The homemade vehicles ranged from the aquatic-themed “Car Pool” to a soap box version of the Trolley Museum of New York’s trolley car that shuttles visitors from the Rondout waterfront to Kingston Point, to a Richard Scarry-inspired “Carrot Car” built by sculptor Bob Johnson.
This year’s derby marked the first year it was run by Possibility Studios owner Martin Elting. Elting took the reins from Sarah Olivieri and Sarah BissonnetteAdler, who had run it for the past several years.
Piloting a remote-controlled trike with a likeness of Kermit the Frog holding the handlebars around the foot of Broadway, Elting said he was happy everyone was having a good time and that the weather was nice, but he said he dreams of making the derby as big as it was in its heyday, when
it was run by George and Nancy Donskoj.
Next year, he said, Possibility Studios will rent out and sell premade chassis that fit the derby’s safety regulations for steering and braking, making it easier for artists to focus on the artistic side of their creations.
Meeting the regulations for steering and brakes was no problem for Romeo Legarda, of Queens, who entered Rocket Fire, a space ship soap box piloted by his 8-year-old twins, Jomi and Jasmine.
He showed off the homemade chassis featuring wheels taken from a warehouse hand truck, a steering mechanism made from several different found objects, including parts from an old taxi, and large rocket boosters on the side, repurposed from metal kegs.
Both Jomi and Jasmine could push a brake pedal that forced a large wooden brake block against the back tires.
Legarda said they first saw the derby in Kingston while they were visiting Jomi and Jasmine’s grandparents, who live in Woodstock, and now it’s become an annual tradition.
Miranda Connors was putting the final touches on the Kingston trolley entered by Hillside Nursery and Livingston Street Early Childhood Community.
Parents and children came down to Hillside for the last couple of weeks to put the trolley together, she noted.
Connors, one of many parents participating, said the nursery and preschool try to get to the derby each year.
“It’s a great event, a great community event,” Connors said.
The family effort of Eliza Wickman and Jarvis Hoag and their son Seth, of Rhinebeck, resulted in their taking home the People’s Choice award for their creation, “Dirigible Apothecary.”
Wickman said they’d spent about two months building, with her serving as the artist, Jarvis serving as engineer and Seth as the pilot.
Perry Creedon, of Woodstock, came to watch the soap boxes roll by with her son, Miller, and daughter, Lulu.
“We came last year and we loved it,” Creedon said. “We started doing it every year.
“I love the area around Kingston,” she said.