Boalsburg Cub Scouts hold Space Derby

BOALSBURG — Rockets were flying in Boalsburg on May 19, but NASA was not involved. Instead, it was 20 members of Boalsburg Cub Scout Pack 380 competing in a Space Derby in the Boalsburg Lions Club building.

In a Space Derby, the Cubs race small balsa wood rockets powered by propellers and rubber bands. The rockets are suspended on two parallel lines of 50-pound test monofilament fishing line tightly strung between supports located about 30 feet apart. When released, the rockets scoot down the wire, and the winner is the one that travels the farthest.

Cubmaster Marvin Sanders paired up the boys for two-man heats, keeping track of wins and losses in the double-elimination contest. Cub leaders and adult volunteers were kept busy all evening winding the rubber motors with 100 turns each to guarantee that each one had the same amount of power.

The rockets come in kit form, and consist of two hollowed-out blocks of soft balsa wood, which the Scouts glue together to form the rocket’s body. The square block is then sanded down to whatever shape the Cub wants, typically a circular shape with a tapered nose to resemble a real rocket. A propeller connected to rubber bands is inserted in the nose, with a small piece of dowel rod at the rear to anchor the rubber. Plastic fins and a hanger fitting are glued on the body. The boys can paint and decorate the rockets however they want.

Much creativity was seen in the rockets’ paint schemes. One was painted orange with black stripes, resembling a tiger tail, and another was gray with teeth painted on the front to look like a shark. Several used multicolored finishes, and some used a sinister-looking black scheme.

As the evening progressed, one by one, contestants were eliminated and tension built in the room. The contest finally boiled down to two boys — Brady Sanders and Ben Ricker. Since neither boy had lost any prior heats, they had to run against each other twice to determine a winner. In the first heat, Sanders’ shark rocket easily beat Ricker, but in the second run, Sanders’ rocket stalled out early and Ricker’s red-and-gold machine shot past for the first-place win, eliciting cheers and applause from the audience of about 60 people. Sanders was awarded second place, and Zalan Miko took third. The boys received gold, silver and bronze medals for prizes.

Sanders said the pack had tried to organize a Space Derby a few years ago, but this was the first time they succeeded. He expects the derby to become an annual event.