Teams who will show off their homemade crafts at this weekend's revamped Kinetics Sculpture Challenge are being asked to hold onto their creations until June -- when a second, more traditional event might occur at the Boulder Reservoir or a private lake.
Grassroots organizers said Thursday that although they're "throwing everything" into this weekend's daylong event at the Twenty Ninth Street mall, they're working to get approval for water races at a reservoir sometime next month.
"We're trying to see what we can figure out as a way of getting some of the vehicles on the water," said Paul Bailey, one of the new organizers.
No dates have been set for the potential second, water-centered Kinetics event because the group must get city approval to do it at the Boulder Reservoir. If the reservoir is already booked for the summer -- which city officials said it might be -- Kinetics organizers said they'll look for another location, such as a private lake.
Kinetics, which began in Boulder in 1980, traditionally starts with a parade of homemade sculptures and culminates with zany water races and competitions at the Boulder Reservoir.
For this weekend's modified Kinetics event -- which will take place entirely on solid ground near the outdoor mall and include a series of competitions, a parade and afternoon bands -- organizers have signed up 15 teams of craft builders.
That's down from the 43 teams that entered last year, the 37 sculptures at the 2006 event and the 52 crafts in 2005.
This year's changes, including the drop in participation, come after a KBCO announcement in November that it would suspend sponsorship for this year. The radio station, which started Kinetics and has backed it every year until now, dropped support for financial reasons, said KBCO program director Scott Arbough.
"When we postponed it for this year, we did so because we didn't see it as a viable option for 2008," Arbough said. "But we will be, and still are, looking at the options for next year."
The Boulder Jaycees is sponsoring this year's event -- which will serve as a fundraiser for Boulder County foster children programs. So far, about $1,000 has been raised through entry fees.
Kinetics organizers initially discussed having afternoon water events Saturday, possibly at Boulder Creek or on another city property. But, because permitting is required for large gatherings, the group is sticking to the mall property this weekend.
Paul Bousquet, spokesman for Boulder's Parks and Recreation Department, said Thursday that neither he nor reservoir officials have been approached about the possibility of a second Kinetics event in June.
"We didn't have any inkling that anything is being planned or contemplated," Bousquet said. "But my sense of our summers is that they are pretty well booked up."