Portland's Adult Soap Box Derby: 27 Years of Downhill Joy

When 42 homemade vehicles lined up at Portland's Mt. Tabor Park last Saturday, speed was the last thing on most racers' minds.

The Portland Adult Soap Box Derby just celebrated its 27th year, and it's nothing like the streamlined childhood races that inspired it. Instead of sleek fiberglass bodies and titanium parts, these cars feature hula hoops, spray foam, and fake fur hot-glued into works of rolling art.

John Nurse spent weeks building a dragon based on his 10-year-old's drawing, using parts from a 1979 Honda Odyssey ATV. "How many times do you get to race a dragon down a volcano?" he asked, referring to Mt. Tabor's extinct volcanic origins.

This year's lineup included a giant sloth head, a Flintstones car replica, and a creation depicting Oregon's infamous exploded whale incident. One team showed up with an ice cream truck called the Rocky Roadster, while another built a complete Conestoga wagon.

The event started in 1997, when current president David Paulsen attended his first race. He described what he saw as "booger-welded garbage cars racing down a mountain" and immediately knew he'd found his people.

Beyond helmets, safety training, and brakes, the derby has almost no rules. Racers use wood, metal, plastic, mirror tiles, and whatever else sparks joy. Some cars reach impressive speeds, while others prioritize spectacle over velocity.

Sunny's Take

Several thousand Portlanders turned out with folding chairs and blankets to cheer on the creativity hurtling downhill. Organizers say the crowds grow every year, drawn by what racer Michael Orczyk calls "the zaniness, and the slight threat of danger."

Brittany England, creator of the Rocky Roadster, summed up the atmosphere perfectly: "There's so many people, the vibes are great, the energy's awesome."

The entire event runs on volunteers who clear brush beforehand and clean up trash after. Paulsen calls it "a party that Portland throws for itself every year." Even the fire department joins in, standing by in their own little red soap box derby car, just in case.

Twenty-seven years in, Portland has proven that sometimes the best races aren't about who crosses the finish line first, but who has the most fun getting there.