By Anna Real
Staff Writer
It is that time of year when leaves begin to fall, the air gets cooler and pumpkins appear on porches. In additiion, Manhattan Beach hosted its 23rd annual Pumpkin Races on Oct. 27 at the Manhattan Beach Pier.
Residents of Manhattan Beach as well as other local cities built, decorated and raced originally designed pumpkins for prizes and awards. This year the Pumpkin Race winner was Collin Tourant.
“It’s really fun to participate in,” Manhattan Beach Recreational Manager Idris Al-Oboudi said. “Families show up to practice teamwork and create their own pumpkins. Last year, we had over a thousand pumpkin entries to race.”
The pumpkin races were introduced in 1990 in order to celebrate Karl Roger’s birthday, a Manhattan Beach resident. Soon, the event grew to a local tradition in the streets of downtown Manhattan Beach.
“I was asked in 2007 to make this an event, and now it’s a tradition in downtown Manhattan Beach,” Al-Oboudi said. “All families now come and bond and have a good time.”
The race is open to all willing participants, and pumpkin racecar kits were available for $20 at the Live Oak Park Tennis Office. The pumpkin racecars speed down Manhattan Beach Boulevard in an effort to reach the finish line first. In order to have the participants compete fairly, there are several heats to determine the winner.
“You have the pumpkin race run straight, aligned and stay away from pumpkins that you’re racing against,” Manhattan Beach resident and 2009 Pumpkin Race winner Oliver Calza said. “You can have the fastest pumpkin there, but if another pumpkin hits you then you’re out.”
Standards are set in place to keep the race fair. pumpkin racecars must only be comprised of a single pumpkin, axles with wheels must be inserted into the pumpkin, pumpkins must not be attached to a pre-fabricated chassis, no explosives or pyrotechnics can be associated with the pumpkin and people may not push or assist their pumpkin during the race.
“I like watching the pumpkins roll down the hill and see who comes in first,” Manhattan Beach resident Sandy Wales said. “The creativity of the pumpkin decorations is also very entertaining.”
The Pumpkin Race’s final winner earns the coveted Pumpkin Race Championship trophy as well as bragging rights.
“I like to win, personally,” Calza said. “The competition is super fun to take part in on the weekend every year. I come back every year to win.”
The local Pumpkin Race has won honors such as the National Recreation and Park Association Special Event of the Year and the California Park and Recreation Society Award of Distinction in 2007 for being an entertaining and original event in the community.
“It’s fun to watch and a competitive community event to take part in and enjoy competitively,” participant Tracy Chaney said. “It’s very fun and enjoyable to get together with friends and participate.”
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