Are you one of those who like to live life in the fast lane?  Are you into a wild ride?  Do you get an adrenaline rush when you see a colored can perched atop a stick?  If you answered "yes" to these questions, find yourself a partner who likes to juggle cans, hop into your rig, and take your four wheels over to the Can and Stick Race.

The Can and Stick Race is by far, the wildest Sunday game played at Hi Desert Round-Up.  It's played in the vehicle game area north of base camp, and is hosted by Rock Cat Racing and R.V.M.D.  It is definitely a race, and a wild one at that.

 

Left:  Can and Stick Race has a very mild beginning, but things change.  Right:  Getting ready to run the race.

The Can and Stick Race is a team affair, consisting of a driver and a passenger.  The driver drives, and the passenger grabs the cans, juggles them, and puts them back.  This year, the co-driver did all of the juggling of the cans, a departure from previous year's races.

Since this is a race, the object is to drive a twisted course while the co-driver grabs colored cans from colored stakes.  After the course has been driven, your turn around and put the cans back, in the proper order and the proper colored can on a like-colored stick.  You know, the blue can goes on the blue stick.  Rigs must end up where they began for a clear run.  There are four classes in this race:  Men's Long and Short Wheelbase, and Women's Long and Short Wheelbase.

 

Photos:  The first hole at requires you to back up to get yourself in posistion.  Most contestants told me that this was the hardest part of the race.

This isn't a walk in the park and it's a lot harder than it looks.  The driver has to maneuver the rig close to the can, so the passenger can reach out and grab the can.  What makes it even more difficult for the passenger is that seat belts must be worn at all times, as per California state law and CA4WDC protocol.  Open-sided, lifted vehicles without doors are at a distance advantage, as the co-driver doesn't have to contort themselves around the restrictive confines of a door, and a lifted vehicle provides a more convenient height in which to grab at a can.

 

Photos:  At the second hole, you must grab your can, which requires split-second timing, but then you must put it back on the return run.

The first can is the hardest, it's set up so the participants must back in.  For the driver, it takes some really tricky maneuvering and for the can grabber, a lot of stretching is involved.  Woe be it when a can is dropped, as the passenger must get out and retrieve the can, squandering precious seconds.

 

Photos:  Grab your can, as the action is hot and heavy at the Can and Stick Race.

After a can is picked up, it's a mad dash to the next one, about 30 to 40 yards distant.  The co-driver has almost enough time to juggle the can around before it's time to retrieve another one.  I didn't count, but it looks like there are about 8 sticks with cans perched on them to retrieve.

 

Left:  It's a long stretch to put the can back on the stick, and it requires a lot of coordination, as this is an action-packed race.  Right:  Victory is declared at the finish line!

Then, it's back to the start of the race and time to run the course again only with a twist:  Put the cans back. Blue can on blue stick, yellow can on yellow stick, and so on and so forth. All the time while you're rip-roaring down a dusty, twisty, rough four-wheel drive course juggling cans on your lap and trying to get the correct colored can on the same color stick.  The whole equation adds up to a lot of fun!  Since this is a race, the fastest time wins.

 

Left:  Let's see, the yellow can, the stick... I think I've almost got it...  Right:  One of the judges, from Rock Cat Racing, watches the action as he takes a well-deserved break.

As with the other games, the Can and Stick Race is a fund-raiser for CA4WDC to raise funds to help counter the constant assault on our trails by radical environmental groups.  It's a fun event to watch, it's a fun event to participate in, and all funds go to a good cause.  To my way of thinking, that's a winning combination.