
Volunteers
Photo by Matt Filar
Kinetic Grand Championship 2025
May 24th - 26th, 2025
Contact
volunteers@kineticuniverse.org
Welcome to Kinetic Universe!
There are many ways for you to be involved in all the fun we're having.
The Kinetic Grand Championship, our premier event, needs over a hundred glorious volunteers to run. Our youth race, the Kinetic Classic, happens every September and needs a solid group of kid-wranglers. We also have year-round community events that we ask volunteers to help out with, such as tabling at Arts! Alive, pouring beer at OysterFest, spreading glory at TacoFest, or representing at Rutabaga Queen Olivia Gambino's kinetic mixers. If you're skilled at event organizing, nonprofit management, fundraising, or marketing, we have committee and board of director positions open, too, and are always looking for new members.
We are currently recruiting volunteers for the Kinetic Grand Championship. If you’ve never volunteered for the race before, or if you’re interested in a low-commitment position, we have a couple entry level roles that you can sign up for, such as:
Innocent Bystander - (1-3 hours per day your choice of days all three is great) New to the race, want to see what it is all about before you jump all in? THIS IS PERFECT FOR YOU! Help with spectators at the Plaza, Water Entry on the bay, or Finish Line in Ferndale.
Human Sign Posts - (1-2 hours per day, 2 days) Do you have a friend that you want to sit in chairs with and cheer on sculptures while they race past you as you give them directions? Then, both of you sign up! We have multiple locations on the course where we need to point racers in the proper direction. Come and set up, make it a mini party for you and your friend, bring your glory out!! You get the best view of each team as they cruise by!
Essential Straggler - (6-8 hours per day) A position of love. You make sure we leave each site the same as we left it. You must be able to lift and carry. You will be working with our Trash Rat to make sure all garbage and recycling is taken out. You will be working with Site Leads to make sure equipment is brought back to its home. You will also be working with the Course Coordinator in anything they might need.
Ground Pounder - (6-8 hours per day all 3 days) This is for the most hardcore volunteer, the biggest of glory hogs! A diversity of jobs that can include lifting, standing, walking distance, dealing with spectators, and maintaining positive attitude. You are the backbone of the race and will be getting all the glory! New training meetings are a must which will include de-escalation.
Other roles, such as Judge, Timer, or Medic require approval from the Committee. To review all job descriptions, and their Leads, click here.
If you would like to get in touch with our Volunteer Director directly, email Aaron at aaronweshnak@kineticgrandchampionship.org.
Thank you checking out our recorded KGC volunteer training sessions. Each video details important information about the race and volunteering in general, as well as a start to finish overview of the race course over all three days.
Part 1 is a general overview overview of the race
Part 2 kicks off day 1 at The Plaza
Part 3 struggles through day 1 on the Dunes
Part 4 limps across the day 3 Finish Line in Ferndale
If you only watch one video, please make sure that you watch the video containing the location for where you are most interested in working.
These videos are for new and old volunteers alike, because things have changed (and will continue to do so, as is the nature of the ever-shifting universe in which we live).
Thank you so much again for volunteering and FOR THE GLORY!!
Part 1
Most Things, All Over the Place, Right About Now(ish)
A primer on the Kinetic Grand Championship, and volunteering in general.
Part 2
We Love the Smell of Glory in the Morning
From pre-dawn Team Hardcore setup of the plaza, all the way through the noon whistle, this video covers day 1 of the KGC on the Arcata Plaza.