By ANDREW WILKINS
Post-pandemic, one of my favorite Portland events is back!
Who wouldn’t want to hang out on a forested dormant volcano and watch yahoos ride their hand-built cars to glory?
Here’s this year’s flyer… (don’t look directly at it, unless you have 3-D glasses… kinda like an eclipse).
I made videos for most of the derbies when I’m in Portland. 2019 and 2014 are probably the rowdiest, where 2018 has got a lot of behind the scenes interviews with the builders and pilots.
2019 also has an interview with one of the organizers… it’s amazing how much time and energy goes on behind-the-scenes to make this madness real.
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It’s very important to clear the track when asked. Can you imagine loitering on the track, then looking up to see a couple of people in a giant set of teeth bearing down on you like a freight train?
The cart builders spend a lot of time working on these cars, and the organizers work year-round to fundraise and make this event a good time for y’all.
I didn’t go back and watch all of these, so I’m not sure what’s going on with these next two.
But for one of ’em, I got dinged on r/portland for “wooing” too much as the cars raced by. Fair criticism, well received.
The 2014 video guest stars Sandy V., the tech bro we all love to hate. He’s never done interviews before, but in the spirit of adventure he stepped up to help. God bless the all amateurs reporters.
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I burned a fair amount of dignity in some of these videos to highlight a really cool event, and a lot of cool people having fun and being creative… hope you enjoy it.
Village Portland 