The 2010 Beaver Mountain Bash: Cardboard Boxcar Derby & Pond Skim
Zooming down a snow covered hill in a cardboard box may seem like a bad idea to some people, but to those who piloted the “cardboard box derby cars,” it was a hilarious adrenaline rush.
Matt Logan, Hycomp Marketing and cardboard box derby car team captain was very pleased with their run, “We were screaming down that hill, the crowd was cheering… there was no stopping us. We crossed the finish line, went up and over an embankment [that was supposed to stop us], crashed through a few photographers and kept sliding down the hill.”
On March 27, 2010, a three-man Hycomp employee team entered and raced in the “First Annual Beaver Mountain Bash Cardboard Box Derby.” Beaver Mountain is a local ski resort that is only about 45 minutes away from Hycomp’s front doors. The “Beaver Bash” is held at the end of the ski season and all are welcomed to have fun as either competitors or spectators.
A cardboard box derby is an event in which 1 to 4 person teams construct “sleds” made out of only three things: cardboard, tape and string. The teams then line up at the top of a football field length (100 yards) hill and attempt to cross the finish line at the bottom with the fastest time. Teams are sent down one at a time, and hilarity ensues as teams crash or their cardboard sleds disintegrate before they can reach the end.
“My favorite part of the day was when we crashed though those photographers at the end of the run. We couldn’t stop and they weren’t moving,” commented Matt Baldwin, Hycomp Machinist and team rider, “We were all laughing so hard, and I’m glad that no one got hurt.”
Matt Logan also participated in the “Pond Skim,” which is basically snowboarding or skiing down a short run, trying to get up enough speed, and then skimming across a 50-60 foot body of water without stopping or falling in. He made it twice, and then inevitably, couldn’t make it all the way across the third time and sprayed the crowd with an icy sheet of water as he went down.
Team Hycomp came in second place in the cardboard box derby, which is not bad for a first attempt. However, Hycomp will be back next year with an improved design to claim the title of fastest cardboard box derby car on the hill!
“Hycomp Inc.” Cardboard Boxcar Derby Team:
| Team Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Robert James | “The Boss” & Team Sponsor |
| Larry Howard | “Pit Boss” & Duct Tape Expert |
| Logan Howard | “Pit Crew” & Duct Tape Apprentice |
| Matt Logan | “Team Captain” & Front Boxcar Pilot |
| Andy Hansen | “Design Specialist” & Center Boxcar Pilot |
| Matt Baldwin | “Momentum Engineer” & Rear Boxcar Pilot |