Community Corner

Pumpkin Racers Compete for Bragging Rights

City staffers and officials race a heat against each other. Only the best racer's pumpkin wins.

City Council member Wayne Powell rolled the winning pumpkin down Manhattan Beach Boulevard Sunday to beat out pumpkin racers representing the city's fire, police and parks and recreation departments, as well as the Mayor's Youth Council.

For Powell, who used his new-found piloting knowledge to craft his pumpkin racer, moved up from last year's second place finish to claim victory at the 2013 World Famous Manhattan Beach Pumpkin Races. 

He told Patch this year's pumpkin racer was created to take advantage of aerodynamics and weight. "As a student pilot, I learned all about the aerodynamic forces of thrust, drag, lift and weight. My oblong, heavy pumpkin with a tail and wings did everything except fly (what a drag, no lift)."

Powell reports he is well on his way to securing a private pilot's license. "I have more flight hours to go, followed by a checkout flight and a solo flight," he told Patch.

Ever the joker, Powell said of the pumpkin race, "Next time, maybe I'll have functional flaps/ailerons in the wings, and an elevator/rudder in the tail (oh, and maybe an engine too)."


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