Six months until the First Annual Kansas City Trashboat Regatta. Put that on you calendar.
Sometime in mid-June, you will, if you are lucky, be floating down the Big Muddy in a home-built contraption based on salvage, bicycles, and cuss words. And maybe a little duct tape, a few zip-ties, and some hope.
Crews are already beginning to plan and scavenge to build a proud and noble fleet…the Kansas City Trashboat Navy.
Theoretically, we’ll have our first hopefully-sorta-semi-annual Trashboat Regatta in mid-Juneish. More details will follow as they become available. Keep an eye on franktuesdaykc.blogspot.com, Team Sexypants, and here. There’ll be notifications here, there, MySpace, Facebook, and probably shouted through your dryer vent, too.
Building trashboats will help bolster our spirits through the long, cold winter months, whenever the weather ain’t right for ski-biking, and through the damp and soggy springtime months, when the trails are too muddy and so are the streets.
I know some of your nutters are good for building impressive and semi-functional contraptions. This will be a great opportunity to show us what you’re made of! Or what you can make out of trash. Your call!
The main rules are:
* You cannot spend more than $100 on materials. Ideally, most of your creation should be made out of re-used refuse.
*You MUST have a life-vest
* Pack out everything you packed in…please try to build something that won’t fall apart in the water and leave rubbish all over in the river.
* human or wind power only….no motors, no matter how nifty. Pedal-powered-paddlewheels, oars, or sails are the way to go
*You need to be able to ride it to or tow it by bike to the launch and ride/tow it back from the end point
* No drinking beforehand – after the Regatta you can get as liquored-up as you want (heck, you’re encouraged to), but let’s not make an already foolish and risky activity into a potentially deadly one.
* The standard FT disclaimer applies: somebody’s bike will break, somebody will get hurt, no whining.
We’re shamelessly inspired by and ripping off two of the most illustrious groups of frankenbike builders in the Country: ChVnk666 and the Rat Patrol. The world needs more mad tinkerers and completely ridiculous bicycles in it. We here in KC should pitch in and help make the world a weirder place. You should check out the other exploits of both Chunk666 and the Rat Patrol from their main websites.
Stay tuned, because this could prove entertaining for all.
“…and probably shouted through your dryer vent, too.”
Hahahahahahaha!
Heh…I guess I was getting a little carried away in the gonzo up there.
Ooo, please tell me you’ll be photographing this fine event for those of us too far from KC to see it firsthand.
I will do what I can. I was thinking about that this morning. I think I’ll take my old camera, and whenever it is not in use, double-bag it in ziplocks. There’ll be loads of pre-and post-event photos, too. I may leave my good camera at the finish point so I can get some better quality pics of the after-party.