Pinewood Derby

(Colin is helping me write this post.) This past week our Cub Scout pack held its Pinewood Derby. In preparation for this event, Colin and I did several things. First, we got the block of wood. Then we watched the movie "Down & Derby" to learn what not to do (as well as to see what the Pinewood Derby event was like.) The movie inspired Colin to write down his own plans for the design of his own Pinewood Derby car.

Two weeks before the derby, we went to a Pack-sponsored workshop where Michael Carter from our ward (who was the father of probably several championship derby car-winning Cub Scouts) taught us about how to build a good derby car. There we shaped the car based on Colin's designs, and cut new holes for the tire axles and for the weights.

Then Colin spent several days sanding the wood to make everything smooth and shaped just right. After that, we painted the car over several days. I was too cheap to spend the outrageous cost of some flame decals, so I promised Colin I would paint flames for him myself. Then we added the weights, and the wheels and had our finished vehicle.
Last Thursday was the Pinewood Derby event. We were the first to check in our vehicle and we made it car #02. After about 19 more cars were checked in, the races began. Colin's car won his first race, his second race, his third race, and on. In the end his was the only vehicle that never lost a race.

I was quite shocked that Colin's car ended up 1st place overall. We spent quite a lot of time telling him how to be a good sport when his car didn't win and we spent extra time painting the car really nicely so that maybe we could win an award for the paint job. But according to Colin, the paint didn't even matter at the end, because somehow his design ended up the best one.

But regardless of winning or losing, we all had a lot of fun watching the races and cheering each other on and seeing all the other great vehicle designs that the other Cub Scouts brought.