The Story of KSiP
In 2020, confronted by global pandemic, the Kinetic Sculpture Race’s Glorious Chicken retreated into its egg. Inspired by this courageous act of self-imposed isolation, Kinetic Universe produced the “Shelter in Place” E.G.G. Challenge: The Grand Exalted Golden Gallus Egg Drop competition. Live streamed on Youtube to over 3,000 viewers on Memorial Day Weekend, 100 artists, engineers and performers helped an entire community transition to what became a year of sheltering, demonstrating that even in adversity, adults can set an example of having fun with each other so that children desire to grow older.
In hindsight it seems obvious that 2020 would spark a complete turnover of the Kinetic Universe board. The new board is thrilled to step up and serve, and its members are eager to promote kinetics, not only in Humboldt and with our usual suspects, but also to the great world beyond the redwoods. We’re committed to making kinetics accessible for people who hunger for real-world experiences. We believe people are discovering the joy of overcoming invented challenges using their minds, muscles and collective skills.
Our 2021 Kinetic Sculpture in Place competition builds on (and extends upon!) last year’s success. We’re all a little cracked after the last year and it’s not quite time to gather like we used to—perhaps we can demonstrate even more powerfully now how to have fun while caring for each other and for our planet. This year’s event will be streamlined to a single afternoon, filled with more challenges than ever before.
Broadcast on All Access Humboldt starting at noon on Saturday May 29th the Kinetic Sculpture in Place event will be simultaneously live streamed on Youtube for our global audience. Over two dozen challenges will test the skills and ingenuity of the teams as they compete for prizes and bragging rights. From music videos featuring muscle powered contraptions to displays of the power of unleashing kinetic energy in a single instant, we’re bound to be inspired, to laugh, and to cheer for human endeavor.
A few challenges to watch for: for the first time in the history of Humboldt kinetics, a sanctioned projectile competition! Teams will build catapults, water rockets, rotating throwing arms, and who knows what else in an effort to create the Ultimate Social Distancer. We’re sure to see a couple of highly entertaining dance videos, informative build videos, and adorable youth-built Rube Goldberg machines. Also: ridiculous fake commercials as well as deep dives into a team’s garage or art making. There will be failures, and successes, and above all, a community celebrating each other as we strive to model Hobart Brown’s vision that we are “Adults having fun so children desire to grow older.”