Kinetic Grand Championship

A local tradition since 1969, the Kinetic Race is no parade!  In the Kinetic Grand Championship bodies of art and artist's bodies are put to the test.  There's 50 miles to go, over land, sand, water, and mud.  These intrepid Kinetinauts are a unique breed of human.  With a heart full of joy and a bucket full of tools, they face innumerable obstacles for just one reason ... For the GLORY!

Founded by metal sculptor Hobart Brown in 1969, this North Coast tradition has grown from a two block dash down Main Street Ferndale to a 3 day marathon spanning over 40 miles of Humboldt County California’s towns, beaches, trails, and Rivers every Memorial Day Weekend.

There will be failures, and successes, and above all, a community celebrating each other as we strive to model Hobart Brown’s vision that we are “Adults having fun so children desire to grow older.”

Day 1 of the KGC starts on the Arcata Plaza, at the noon siren. The racers take off to the Manila dunes, where they race through miles of sand to the imposing and inevitable "Deadman's Drop". Then on to Eureka's Halvorsen Park for the Finish Line party where spectators can see the sculptures up close after their harrowing day.

Day 2 starts in Eureka at the waterfront on the Humboldt Bay, where brave Kinetic Pilots race their crafts through the water (hopefully floating). Then back on land where they’ll trudge up and over Table Bluff, a grueling 1 mile up, and a white knuckle 7% grade down.

Day 3 Memorial Day Teams start from the private racers’ campout at Crab Park where they will head over land to cross the Eel River under Fernbridge. The last leg of the KGC takes teams through the cow pastures of the Eel River Valley, and on to the Finish line on Ferndale's quaint and historic Main Street, where they will celebrate for a while before heading to the Final Awards Dinner.