People are being encouraged to start designing and building their trolley for CHB's first Fast 'N' Furious trolley derby taking place in October.
People are being encouraged to start designing and building their trolley for CHB's first Fast 'N' Furious trolley derby taking place in October.
This October, Central Hawke's Bay's inaugural Fast 'N' Furious Trolley Derby is being held on Pukeora Scenic Rd in Waipukurau, offering thrill seekers a chance to take part in Hawke's Bay's longest and fastest gravity race.
The initiative of St Andrew's Church, the not-for-profit race is a fundraiser for EpicYouth Ministries' ongoing mission work overseas, including efforts to improve life for people living in impoverished villages in Thailand, said event manager Kevin Davidson.
"We're always looking for ways to fundraise, and wanted an annual event to boost the income," he said.
Having seen successful annual community trolley derbies run in Nelson and Mangere, a committee was formed to look into running something similar in Waipukurau, and planning started about a year ago.
"About six months ago the work really started and it's been a big process getting all the T's crossed and the I's dotted."
Part of that process had involved engaging Ongaonga-based Simon Osborne, who through his company Racesafe New Zealand has created a safety plan for the event that will see competitors navigating the twists and turns on the downhill run, measuring about 1.3km.
Both experienced drivers and amateurs are invited to get creative and build their trolley dream machines and there will be a corporate section for businesses as well, with those trolleys constructed by the organisers.
"We will be leasing out 20 trolleys for that, and this section has been very popular in other events.
"We're hoping businesses will grab this opportunity to vie for the title of King of the Mountain for a year," Mr Davidson said.
Entries are open for anyone over the age of 7, and places are limited to 100 entrants, so people are advised to book their spot early.
Design specifications to build the trolleys to ensure they are able to navigate the corners safely are available on the CHB Trolley Derby website.
"It's quite a steep hill, we have been down it and you can reach speeds of up to 60km/h which is quite typical for trolley races - it's not for the faint-hearted."
There is also a video of the racetrack that is recommended viewing for competitors to give them a feel of what they will be up against.
The event will be held on Saturday, October 29, with a rain-out date of Saturday, November 5.
- For all event information go to the website www.chbtrolleyderby.com
