Slideshow: Kinetic Sculpture Race

WYPR - 88.1 FM Baltimore | By Maureen Harvie

Published May 5, 2014 at 12:02 PM EDT

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Volunteer Amy Harlan collected votes for the favorite float.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Teams start at the American Visionary Art Museum and trek to Canton Waterfront Park, where they get in the water. Here, Toyboxers took the plunge.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Good Dog, a 13-foot golden retriever, did the doggy-paddle.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Two of Homecoming Queen Fifi’s pilots catch their breath. It’s Theresa Sigreti’s 16th year participating and Abby Bayer’s first.";s:3:"u

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Baltimore’s St. Paul’s School for Boys raced a flame-red Phoenix. ";s:

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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A huge crowd gathered at Patterson Park to watch vehicles face the mud and sand obstacles.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Race organizers cleared the way for sculptures approaching the mud pit.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Pit crews travelled by bicycle. Pictured is Swan Song of Betsy Patterson's pit crew.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Back at AVAM, onlookers waited for teams to cross the finish line.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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Max's Rat Patrol, sponsored by Max’s Taphouse on Broadway, speeds toward the finish.";

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

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There were no sore losers with awards like Best Pit Crew, Worst Honorable Mention, and the Next to the Last Award.

Maureen Harvie / WYPR

Happy Sweet 16!

Saturday marked the 16^th Annual East Coast Championship Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race. Human-powered sculptures traveled a 14-mile course around the city. The event could be described as a kitschy Tour de France, where the bicycles must also be able to set sail, traverse mud pits and navigate Baltimore traffic.