The 56th Kinetic Grand Championship kicked off from the Arcata Plaza on Saturday under a beautiful sky with 50 unique sculptures participating. People flowed into the Arcata Plaza and its surrounding areas to take in the fun and excitement to kick off the action for the 50-mile venture across Humboldt County, with all but one float successfully making its way out of the plaza square. Between the balloons, pyrotechnics, and community joy there was something, and likely a float, for everyone, with the teams competing for 31 different awards, none greater than the Grand Champion that will be chosen following the conclusion of the race on Monday.
The Grand Champion is awarded to the team with the highest combined score based on the art, engineering, speed, and pageantry that completes the race. The final requirement is that the team who wins the Grand Finale must be ruled an ACE. The ACE teams are allowed only one pit crew per pilot and that pilot must complete each portion of the course while riding their sculpture.
ACE teams aren’t allowed to push their sculpture except in designated “Legal Push Zones” and while in the water, only the pilots are allowed to propel the sculptures into the bay. “The whole concept of all this is amazing. It restores my faith in humanity every year,” Aaron Graff said, a member of the Plaid Maxx team.
“I’ve never seen camaraderie, teamwork, just broadband support for everyone like this. It’s inspiring, it’s glorious.” On Saturday,.
