Cub Scouts start their engines

WASSAIC — From sleek to stout, solid colored to tie-dyed explosion, ninja-driver equipped to pencil-shaped, this year’s Pinewood Derby for Amenia’s Cub Scouts of Pack 29 was an opportunity to see just how creative one can get with a small block of wood and 5 ounces of wiggle room.

Four dens — Tiger, Bear, Wolf and Webelos — have spent the last few weeks putting the finishing touches on their cars in time for the big race, held last Friday, March 26, at the Wassaic firehouse. Even the track got a shiny new finish for the event, sending the fastest vehicles careening toward the finish line, sometimes at speeds fast enough to derail the car.

Dens raced against each other, with the winners advancing to the next round and facing the winners from other dens. Even parents and Scoutmasters entered in the fun, and despite birthday luck on her side, parent Dawn Marie Klingner couldn’t compete with the aerodynamics of Cubmaster Christine Ford’s pencil-shaped torpedo, which made it to the final round but had to settle for second place.

The first-place trophy, an impressive hunk of metal nearly as large as some of the contestants, was the prize derby participants dreamed of. As an added bonus, the winner gets to keep the trophy for the year, with the promise that it will be returned in time for next year’s competition.

When the smoke cleared, 8-year-old Dylan Johnson emerged victorious, although it was unclear whether it was his lucky day or if he was playing his cards close to the chest.

“I made my car look like an El Camino,� he explained, clarifying that the choice wasn’t because that particular car is his favorite. “It’s just a cool shape.�