Have you ever thought about racing a bathtub? You likely haven’t since they’re not exactly known as vehicles, but bathtub racing does exist and it’s happening this month in Vancouver. Participants are known as “tubbers” and they race on the water in hopes of becoming the winner in what’s known as the “bathtub racing capital of the world”.
The 2014 Nanaimo Marine Festival and International World Bathtub Race is happening Friday July 25 to Sunday July 27. The very first bathtub race in 1967 was held in Nanaimo and the tradition is still going strong.
But these aren’t traditional bathtubs being raced. These are essentially boats made to look like bathtubs (the hulls are fibreglass copies of an old bathtub), with an eight horsepower two or four stroke engine. Many of these boats are crafted by the driver who has to be a minimum of 14 years of age, and needs to have a Safe Boating Certificate or the Power Squadron course to ensure safety. The very first year of the quirky completion, 200 tubbers took part, but less than 50 finished. Now, the tubs are much better built and can move a lot faster and more efficiently.
The course begins in Nanaimo Harbor, and covers a lot of ground including Entrance Island, Winchelsea Islands, Schooner Cove and then back to Departure Bay beach in Nanaimo. The fun starts at 11 a.m. on Sunday July 27, and depending on how fast your bathtub goes, the 58-kilometre course takes about 90 minutes on average to complete.
The festival also includes many other fun activities over the three days, including an arts and crafts fair, food vendors, a parade, informative displays on boat safety, military, water sports, a fireworks display and more.
It might sound strange, but the event draws more and more spectators and participants each year, and it’s a unique Canadian experience that you should definitely check out this summer.
Lead photo: Kam Abbott
