Plumber Dan Soap Box Derby a zipping success to end Whanganui Vintage Weekend

Two keen racers fly down Drews Ave in the Plumber Dan Soap Box Derby. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui’s Vintage Weekend finished with a high-speed thrill, as daring racers took on the Drews Ave hill in homemade carts.

Plumber Dan Soap Box Derby event administrator Wendy Johns said there were just over 50 entrants in the race.

“We’ve got drivers and carts that have come from Tauranga and Lower Hutt, so people have come from everywhere.

“Some things don’t go to plan, the carts are always running repairs and so sometimes we have to juggle races, but it always works out.”

The oldest competitor at the Soap Box Derby was in her mid to late 60s, and the youngest was just 3 years old.

“It’s not as scary as it looks. We have 3-year-olds who go flying down that hill and they love it, it’s fun.”

Johns said numbers were lower than in previous years but that might have been due to the weather and Saturday’s downpour.

Vintage Weekend event manager Fergus Reid said the weather didn’t play its part on Saturday afternoon of the Vintage Weekend.

“We got a heavy torrential downpour at 2pm but people managed to find shelter to brave it out.”

But despite some bad weather, Reid said the turnout over the whole weekend had been “pretty impressive”. The Mainstreet Caboodle drew the biggest crowd due to the scale of the event.

PHOTO GALLERY

Image 1 of 9: Plumber Dan Soap Box Derby on Whanganui Vintage Weekend. Photo / Bevan Conley

“It was absolutely heaving on Saturday night for the Caboodle.”

Reid said the Aero Club Open Day was a success, as well as the Viking setup which had old-school sawmilling and allowed children to try out sword-fighting.

“I’ve had a few conversations with people from out of town and they seem to have really enjoyed it.

“I think everyone’s pretty happy, it’s a good crowd down at the Soap Box Derby today.”

JJ Roofing raised $15,000 for Wanganui Surf Life Guard Service with its annual Running of the Balls during the lunch break of the Soap Box Derby. The first ball across the line won a prize of $1000.

There was even a spontaneous circus performance at the Soap Box Derby that Reid said he only organised the night before after receiving an email from a keen performer.

For next year’s Vintage Weekend, the plan was to create more variation and bring in some events locals were not used to, Reid said.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.