I don't know what it was all about, but this morning I witnessed several heats of a bed race in the playground of Marina Middle School. Three teams raced at a time, pushing large beds down a straight track. Teams were judged on speed, costumes & decor. It was a lot more competitive than one might think, since the racers did not need to keep to their lanes, so cutting off opponents & grand-standing were permitted. Pushing a wide bed at high speed obviously had steering challenges of its own, as evinced by near-collisions with spectators lining the track. Passengers included pirates, scantily clad models, college wrestling teams, a contortionist, & a random man plucked from the crowd of on-lookers. My favorite team was a group of Jamaican Rastahs. Their bed had palm trees & a rider dressed as a banana. When the starting horn sounded, they did not move from the starting line, but waited for the other teams to pass the finish line before leisurely making their way down the track, singing & dancing all the way.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Bed Race
I don't know what it was all about, but this morning I witnessed several heats of a bed race in the playground of Marina Middle School. Three teams raced at a time, pushing large beds down a straight track. Teams were judged on speed, costumes & decor. It was a lot more competitive than one might think, since the racers did not need to keep to their lanes, so cutting off opponents & grand-standing were permitted. Pushing a wide bed at high speed obviously had steering challenges of its own, as evinced by near-collisions with spectators lining the track. Passengers included pirates, scantily clad models, college wrestling teams, a contortionist, & a random man plucked from the crowd of on-lookers. My favorite team was a group of Jamaican Rastahs. Their bed had palm trees & a rider dressed as a banana. When the starting horn sounded, they did not move from the starting line, but waited for the other teams to pass the finish line before leisurely making their way down the track, singing & dancing all the way.
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2 comments:
That's my favorite team too, even though I didn't go to the races. Let those other people run, interfere, and bang away at each other. We will enjoy the promenade instead.
Speaking of which, I joined the end of the Cherry Blossom Parade today, going up Polk Street from the Civic Center, in between a taiko drum float and some ancient dancers. It was heaven.
It was such a beautiful day for the parade too! I was at the Cherry Blossom festival today, but after the parade & while on a mission, so I did not have the opportunity to promenade in leisurely fashion.
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