Red Bull Soapbox Derby, Atlanta 09

I believe I was just writing some ridiculous post on racing only a week ago, and already there’s a racing event outside my house? Clearly I have a lot of sway with the powers that be.  I believe we should also have an epic science fiction and fantasy convention in this city. Maybe someone will hear me and make that happen, like, next week.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Derby itself, aside from some free cans of Red Bull. I wasn’t even planning to go, but on my way to Caribou at 10th and Piedmont for coffee I was sucked in with the rest of the crowd and ferried down 10th along Piedmont Park—where blonde girls in sunglasses and tight white tops did gymnastics and doled out cans of Red Bull. (No sugar-free, apparently, to the dismay of one grizzled old granddad who looked profoundly disappointed when he heard this.) A party bus, with lounge seating set up outside to promote Red Bull & Cola, swamped with people looking for handouts.  Daft Punk and Peter, Bjorn + Jon remixes blasting through the speakers lofted on twenty-foot poles. Lawn chairs lining the edge of the park.  And the huge stage platform where the cars would launch from.

And of course, there are the racers and the cars themselves.  Traffic slowed to a standstill around the pits, where competing teams dressed up to suit the theme of their uh, non-auto-mobile. An Oompa-Loompa team driving the tunnel boat from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,  an Avengers team dressed up as Marvel heroes, a zombie team driving a brain on wheels, a couple Greco-Roman chariots, a coffin on wheels representing the Clermont, some mad scientists driving a shopping cart(?), a Barbie-mobile… the whole cultural gamut, pretty well-represented.  Hopefully there will be some pictures posted later to represent the dedication and general awesomeness of these teams.

From what I saw, they’ve really pulled this off well- to the benefit of Atlanta and Red Bull.  So, mission accomplished, Red Bull marketing peoples. You’re making me reconsider my immediate skepticism of any corporate-sponsored event. And you taste so good.