The great race doesn’t go all the way over to Vancouver anymore, but the sport of bathtub racing is heading back there.
Two races on the mainland are part of the sanctioned circuit this year, including KitsFest this Saturday, Aug. 11.
The annual event at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver has all kinds of activities planned, one of which is bathtub racing.
“Ever since we walked out of the parks board meeting where we had to secure the permit and the licence, the support and interest has been extremely high…” said Howard Kelsey, chairman of the Canada One Athletic Foundation and KitsFest. “We’re excited and we’re very happy and it’s our pleasure to help make this happen.”
Kelsey said he enjoyed, as a kid, watching the bathtub racers make it to that side of the Strait of Georgia.
“I grew up on the Kits Beach basketball courts and the bell was rung right behind the courts,” he said.
The circuit race there Aug. 11 will be set up between Kits Beach and Jericho Beach, Kelsey said, close enough to shore so that there will be good vantage points for those wishing to watch the fun.
Bathtubbing will have a great showcase that weekend, as KitsFest draws thousands to the park.
“We’re putting all kinds of things together with sponsors,” Kelsey said. “Other spinoffs that are beach-related and active living, healthy-lifestyle related, so that the public of all ages and abilities are a part of the mix.”
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The sanctioned bathtub racing circuit started in Oak Bay in June with the 50th race in that community. That was followed by a Canada Day race at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay that Greg Peacock, Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society commodore, said was one of the best circuit races ever.
“It was packed the whole day. It was a huge success,” he said. “One of the most successful sanctioned races we’ve had and we’re going to do that on Canada Day from now on.”
There was another race at Port Alberni’s Sproat Lake in July, the Great International World Championship Bathtub Race, of course, on July 22, KitsFest this weekend, then a race in Tsawwassen on Aug. 18.
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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