Registration for the 13th annual St. Albert Soap Box Derby held on June 13 and 14 is now open.
In 2024 the local club hosted 162 racers speeding down St. Vital Avenue’s steep hill. This year the capacity is set at 175 racers competing in three categories: 6-8 years, 9-11 years and 12-14 years.
A laid-back family event, it attracts about 1,500 onlookers of cheering parents and friends watching young drivers grip steering wheels as they rip down the hill.
“There’s a buzz on the ramp at the top of the hill. There’s a buzz on the hill as people cheer. And there’s a buzz at the bottom where the racers finish,” said Bob Fisher, race director and one of the event’s biggest boosters.
Each racer is required to drive a regulated cart built around soapbox derby rules designed to promote safety and fairness. Families can purchase three options for the gravity-powered carts: a do-it-yourself kit, a basic build for $200 and the build plus kit for $300.
On the surface, the least expensive option is a do-it-yourself cart. However, it requires buying all materials and supplies, parts and tools. An additional $35 registration fee per child is required.
A $200 basic build kit includes a Go-Kit (wheels, steering, template for car build and instructions), a half sheet of plywood, brake, tow hook, roll bar and registration fee. Racers must supply their own three-point harness, helmet and kit paint.
The most expensive but a great time-saver for the unskilled is the $300 Build Kit Plus. It includes a pre-cut half sheet of plywood with specs, brake, tow hook, roll bar and registration fee. Racers must also supply their own three-point harness, helmet and kit paint.
“We try to make it easy on the parents. You can buy a kit and do-it-yourself, or you can buy a kit with all the parts where you don’t need all the tools. We’ve got all the plans where you can put it together in a weekend,” Fisher said.
While rules specify every cart must have the same wheels, brakes and steering column, the cart shape is open to interpretation. This is most evident in the diverse paint jobs where no two carts are alike.
Fountain Tire, the derby’s major festival sponsor, sells kits at cost based on a first-come, first-serve basis. A few carts are available at the auto shop for viewing and families are encouraged to ask questions.
Kyle Coxen, Morinville Community High School construction/fabrication teacher, is once again using the school’s CNC machine to manufacture pieces for kits. By using computerized equipment, sturdy kit pieces cut from three-quarter inch plywood take 25 minutes to cut.
“Before Kyle came on board, it used to take a group of us months to cut the pieces.”
The St. Albert Soap Box Derby Association also maintains a supply of carts it loans to children and youth referred to them by the Resource Centre.
“We want to give every child an opportunity to race whether they can afford it or not or whether their parents have no skills to build a cart but would like their child to have the experience. On race day, the kids pick the cart they want to race in and every kid is the same.”
The derby website has a series of instructional build info and videos to assist parents during the assembly. Gary Poff, one of the strongest advocates for youth derby races, also hosts a video showing how to assemble a cart.
The club has also posted two online build assistance sessions for Feb. 1 and May 10. Registration at stalbertsoapboxderby.ca is required. There is an additional hands-on, in-person session on May 31. Anyone with technical questions are asked to contact [email protected].
Volunteers in various capacities are needed to make the event a success. To volunteer email [email protected]