Rotary South donning helmets for the Lego 5000mm

Lego contest this year to feature a car race

On track. That’s how Lego Olympics organiser Stuart Croft describes this year’s contest soon to be held at Bluestone School Hall in Timaru – and it’s a fitting comment.

As well as a race against time to build Lego models, and the usual static displays, the July 28, 29 and 30 event will this year feature a new event, the Lego 5000mm, a race between Lego cars built for the purpose by young and old alike throughout the district.

Powered by gravity, the miniature machines will line up at the top of specially-designed laned chute and after a gate start will race each other to the bottom of a five-metre ramp in the same manner as BMX cyclists and snowboarders launch themselves into the record books.

Sponsor Mitre 10 Mega is offering prizes for the first car across the line at the bottom of the track as well as the car that travels furtherest out into a fenced-off track area at the retailer’s Bank Street premises.

Rotary Timaru South’s event organiser Stuart Croft says the cars will need to be well-designed, true in the steering and meet weight and size restrictions. The specifications have been posted on primary school websites where budding Scott Dixons can begin their design process.

The race-off on July 30 will follow “friendly practice” sessions on the actual track at the Lego building contest on July 28 and 29.

The Lego Olympics have become an eagerly-awaited event in South Canterbury after first being held in 2008.

Pioneered then as a New Zealand first by Rotary Timaru South, the family fun event has captured the imagination of hundreds of young people pitting their skills against each other in building models to a pre-determined design and in anything-goes sections.

Chief judge Don George said Rotary was excited about bringing the Lego contest back to South Canterbury again this year.

“Rotary South has done an excellent job of launching and running this mind-teasing and rewarding contest and I commend all of our young people to use their imaginations and have a go,” Mr George said.

Mr Croft said the rules would be the same as last year.

Schools could enter teams of three in each age group – junior, Year 3 and 4; middle, Year 5 and 6; and senior, Year 7 and 8. The maximum number of teams in each level would be 32. Schools could have more than one team in each level but total numbers were limited to 32. Details and entry forms were on school computers and could be accessed on request at the school office, he said.

And there could be no cheating with pre-built structures or intricate pieces of the plastic blocks smuggled into the Bluestone Hall in pockets or lunch boxes.

“Each team would have a separate bucket of Lego to work with and each heat would have a different topic or theme,” Mr Croft said.

An individual static display competition would also be held.

Readers interested in finding out more about the Lego Olympics can contact Mr Croft on (03) 688 4250.

ENDS

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