Derby Talk

This year, I am planning to add a Design Award trophy to Pinewood in addition to the speed trophies. We have always given out award certificates for various categories (Best paint, coolest car, most stripes, etc) so that virtually every boy comes away with something.

However, this year I want to add a true Design Award and to promote that aspect of the Derby in addition to speed. I have two questions for those that have done this in their packs:

1) Do you have a formal set of criteria, and if so, could I borrow them??

2) Who do you have judging the competition? I would like to get someone a) neutral, and b) knowledgeable about design.

Any information/experience you can provide would be most appreciated. Thanks!

PWTom wrote:1) Do you have a formal set of criteria, and if so, could I borrow them??

We've tried formalizing the judging (dividing points into categories like workmanship, creativity, etc., and defining criteria for each category), but the judges tended to pick the cars they liked the best and then juggle the category scores to make the totals come out right. Now we take a KISS approach and just ask each judge to rank his or her top n choices. We take the independent rankings, crunch the numbers, and award the trophy for the top ranked car. Other highly ranked cars get honorable mention medals. We have separate judging for "automobile designs" and "unusual designs".

PWTom wrote:2) Who do you have judging the competition? I would like to get someone a) neutral, and b) knowledgeable about design.

We pick an assortment of neutral people. Some may know something about woodworking, design, art, cars, or other related topics, but that isn't as important as their neutrality and interest in kids.

Darin, thanks for the info. I looked at WIRL's criteria and their design competition crieria sound like what you used to do. Much to be said for KISS. I'm warming up to the idea of two categories (cars and unusual). I'll need to start lining up some neutral judges.

PWTom wrote:I'm warming up to the idea of two categories (cars and unusual).

Our Awana club had the design competition divided up into Design and Novelty. Where Design was for the cars and Novelty was the non-cars.

While some criteria are useful to use a guidelines, I think the judges should just go for the "gut feeling." "That's a cool looking car" is probably as accurate as it can get!

I agree with the KISS idea. Our judging is done by 3 or 4 parents or other volunteers and we don't have any formal rules except that anyone who wins a speed award isn't eligible for the design competition.

We have multiple categories to try to have as many boys as possible winning something on race day (though usually the design awards are given out at blue and gold the next month). We also give out participation certificates and patches at the race.

Our categories:
Best Paint Job
Most Colorful
Most Realistic
Most Original
Best Workmanship
Best Funny Car
Coolest Design
Most Unusual

kmefford wrote:I agree with the KISS idea. Our judging is done by 3 or 4 parents or other volunteers and we don't have any formal rules except that anyone who wins a speed award isn't eligible for the design competition.

If a kid has built a car that is both beautiful and fast, then what's wrong with awarding him both a design award and a speed award? Giving design awards only to the cars that didn't win the race makes them a consolation prize, not a real award.

I'd rather keep the design awards independent of the speed awards.

In our pack the kids judge the best design contest. Sometimes they make good choices and sometimes they choose some pretty horrendous-looking cars. Adults would do a better job, but as they say, the derby is for the kids. Any thoughts on kids vs. adults judging design?

We had our Boy Scouts do the judging. They also helped officate the racing. We asked some of the older scouts, and they did a great job!! Plus most of them are experienced car builders.

We always try to have the Boy Scouts of the affiliated troops help out on race day. They serve as judges, etc. and the Cubs get to see and interact with them.