All images are my own unless referenced
Last Saturday (25th September) was Eastbourne's first ever Soapbox race and being fortunate enough to live within walking distance of the seafront, we decided to take the-toddler-gorilla and the-baby-gorilla down to take a look (but mostly because I wanted to see it). The event was supposed to take place last year but due to the same issues that the entire world has been facing, it was postponed.
The course was fairly short (1/4 mile) and contained 2 chicanes, 2 jumps and a couple of corners - since it was the first time the event was run, it wasn't too busy and we were able to position ourselves in a few different spots.
When we got there (the event lasted all day so we arrived about half way through), we found ourselves at the start which was as good a place as any to begin.
The first soapbox we saw was being driven by Bowzer (who had removed his shell) and it appeared that he was kidnapping Princess Peach...
Initially, Mario and Luigi didn't seem too bothered by this but they were soon in hot pursuit...
Our next stopping point was the 1st jump, quietly hoping I might see a total wipeout but it wasn't to be - in searching for some highlights on YouTube, I did find one along with a few highlights...
My favourite was by the Eastbourne Bonfire Society which was the smoke filled soapbox in the video above - leaving a trail of smelly smoke and with an impressive jump, they were a highlight of our day.
At the end of the course, in the "Pits", you could go and see the soapboxes and sit in them if you wanted to.
We were only there for a couple of hours which the-toddler-gorilla absolutely loved and was left wanting to see more "race cars" so if there's a soapbox race coming to a town near you, I'd highly recommend paying it a visit. If this article isn't enough to convince you, then check out some of these greatest soapboxes...
Having watched this video with the-toddler-gorilla, we got sucked in to watching more and more (probably for at least an hour) and laughed so much that I cried. I could've included half a dozen or more videos here and I hope that the same happens to you 😂