Pinewood Derby Day

Young Adventurer and Danjo's hard work over the last couple of weeks---designing, carving a block of wood, polishing little plastic wheels, painting, graphiting, running to the post office to use the "official" scale--it all culminated today at the Pinewood Derby. Young Adventurer designed a beast of a car-simple, sophisticated, powerful lines, with a cheerful smile-the WHALE. At the first official weigh in, it was .03 oz over, after modifications, it was within the limit by the same .03 oz, which is pretty good when weight is so important. Don't want to be running the skinny car here!

I told him to look ready to fight and this is what I got.

Just imagine a youthful, carefree Moby Dick.

Each car got one heat in each lane and their times were added. The top 12 of 25 advanced to the semifinals. The pink car on the right ended up winning the champion's trophy. The blue car on the left is a Wii remote.

Young Adventurer didn't win any heats in the first round, but he advanced to the semifinals in 8th place. Quite respectable!

In the semifinals he won one of his heats.

(I snapped this just before the finish--his face broke out in a huge grin immediately after. :-D )

That race was also Whale's fastest, finishing in just under 3 seconds.

Young Adventurer found the experience somewhat trying, for a perfectionist. Understandable.

I think whales are cool,

and so did a couple of random kids chanting,

"Go Whale! Go Whale!"

during one of the heats.

You don't have to win to be cool.

Making all those trips to borrow the post office scale with Dad is more valuable than a trophy.

When you look at the whole picture, the pinewood derby experience can't be measured by a trophy or a speed in MPH, but Young Adventurer had a headache and no trophy, and needs some time to develop perspective.