Sleek racers overtake humble trolley

By WAYNE THOMPSON

The days when a plank, old pram wheels and a box were all that was needed for a downhill trolley race are ending in Glenfield.

The latest craze to grip youngsters in the North Shore suburb is the American-style soapbox derby racer.

There is nothing about these machines to even slightly suggest soapbox origins. Their pencil-like, moulded-glass bodies and wafer-thin wheels are the product of 70 years of research and refinement.

They can reach 80 km/h and cost $2000 to import as kitsets from the United States, where the fiercely competitive All American Soap Box Derby has been held since 1934.

Pupils of 18 schools on the North Shore and one in Hamilton are about the join that fast set.

The Glenfield and Birkenhead Community Boards have obtained the New Zealand franchise and have sponsorship to manage the first annual derby in Glenfield on March 2.

Services manager Paul O'Brien said 21 machines would be imported for schools to assemble and race. The winner of the Glenfield event would be eligible to enter the world derby championships, held on a permanent track in Akron, Ohio.

Mr O'Brien said the American organisation had included New Zealand on its website and this had brought enough inquiries to make the derby a two-day event.

North Shore city councillor Paula Gillon said making and racing trolleys was suggested at a youth forum as a way to give 9 to 16-year-old girls and boys something to do.

"They are involved in the building of these and have the chance to compete in America."

The Kaipatiki Rd hill, which has been chosen for the inaugural derby, is expected to give speeds of up to 70km/h.

The American organisation says its goals are to teach youngsters some of the basic skills of workmanship, the spirit of competition, and the perseverance to complete a project.