I had a very exciting weekend. I stayed in Austin, saw my friends, and got to attend my first-ever Demolition Derby.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with this rural southern US tradition, I’ll give a quick explanation. Men in helmets climb in to older, wildly painted cars and crash into each other. The end.
It was a BLAST.
The title of the post refers to something my friend Meg overheard a mother say to her toddler at the Derby (in a baby-talk voice), “Do you want to see the crash-crash?”
Hell ya!
 |
This photo isn’t great, but it is worth the effort to try to make it out.
This is a baby, on his dad’s shoulders, with a full-on shaved mohawk. Maybe he’ll get a tattoo for kindergarten graduation. |
 |
Here I am with Meg, between matches. (Rounds? Bouts? I’m really not sure what they’re called. All I know is the time between matches is a good time to open the cooler for another beer.)
It was really hot outside. |
 |
Here’s a little movie of the actual crash-crashing.
I am not sure why parents let their kids stand so close to the fence. Exciting, isn’t it?!? |
 |
This is another little movie. Meg didn’t know I was recording, but we laughed pretty hard when she found out.
That’s Meg’s adorable, very cool fiancé next to her. |
 |
This is the kid Meg asked about in the last video.
We watched him sharpen a stick, then poke the other kids with it. He was totally violent and headed for preschool juvvie. |
 |
Car fire!
I tell ya, it was an exciting time. Meg and I have decided to never miss a demolition derby ever. |
 |
I didn’t get to spend the weekend with my dogs, but I have a feeling this is mostly what they did. |
Um, Staci?
I think what you meant to say was rural southern US AMERICAN tradition.
According to Miss South Carolina.
And we should help The Iraq.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII
🙂
Whoa! What a change from being at home w/the boys andknitting–did you take your knitting to shock the crowd? That would’ve been a good one. Baby w/mohawk is too damn hilarious. Sounds like you’ve got the derby bug!
Yeah……gotta love these southern US “traditions”. Reminds me of when I went to a mud run (lol) and obviously I was a newby since I wore nice white shorts. Everyone asked me…..”Ain’t you ever been to a mud run?” with a very twangy drawl. What I remember most about the “event” were the tattoos…..oh my the tattoos. Glad you had a fun weekend, up here in Oklahoma we have mud runs but I think I track down a demolition derby.
Sounds like a good weekend! I had a boyfriend who entered one of these smash up derbies… and I got to spend the day in the Pits! Wasn’t I lucky?
Today’s kiddie mohawk is the same as all the 80’s kids with mullets!
Sounds like a good time was had by all, yay you!
The derby looks so fun, lots of excitement there I am sure. And my kid would be no where near the fence and diffidently not with a Mohawk. LOL
I am glad you had a good weekend. Is this anywhere close to where you will be moving?
Awesome! We are definitely making that a regular tradition
We go to the county demo derby every year…it’s always a good time, but I worry about fitting in so well with the Walmart crowd. 🙂
I’m working on the RSS thing…it just doesn’t want to figure itself out.
I’m so glad you came with us. I had such a freaking blast.
We’re so going to the crash-crash every year.
I can’t wait for you to get moved up here but in the mean time the guest bedroom is officially yours. Eventually, it’s going to look like a real guest bedroom and not a storage room with tape all over the walls.
Dude! I haven’t been to a crash-crash since I was small enough to sit on my dad’s shoulders sporting my own Mohawk and chasing boys with sticks I’d sharpened! This must be a Texan thang.
Ha haaaaa! “Where’s that little shitty kid?” That’s AWESOME. That’s what little kids with mohawks grow into–just ask my mom, the 20-year teaching veteran.
Now you need to go see a different kind of crash-crash: the roller derby! They’re coming back, you know.
Can you believe we have demolition derbies in the north too? I saw one when I was in Montana for the summer. It was interesting to say the least! BTW I love that video about the “shitty kid”!
They also have those in the rural midwest too, not just a Southern thing! I went to one in college. Fun date!
Adding my voice from the northeast US: we have demolition derbies here, too. Always a big draw at the county fair. This year was especially exciting, as this item shows: http://www.mpnnow.com/towns/palmyra/x1376440496
Glad you had a fun time!
in relation to a much more previous post, I just wanted to let you know that I drive without shoes on ALL THE TIME now. I am enjoying it. However, what exactly am I supposed to do in December??? sigh. My feet will be rendered useless due to complete frostbite.Thanks for getting me hooked. lol!
There is nothing like a good ole fashion southern outing. 🙂 I grew up on a farm , and I have been to many organized and impromptu demo derbies. Hahahahaha….it’s something everyone should experience.
My husband and I set a webcam when our youngest dog was diagnosed with epilepsy so that we could monitor her seizures. Trust me, dogs sleep most of the day. When they aren’t sleeping they are looking for a new place to sleep. 🙂
toddlers with mohawks are kinda awesome. the tattoo for kindergarden graduation cracked me up.
haha that baby’s hair is so cute! he should be wearing the tshirt I saw in a baby store the other day. It said “lock up your daughters” LOL
I’ve never been to a demolition derby but after your review, I’ll have to find one and go. It looks awesome! Maybe one of those ones, where they have those 4 wheel drives that crush the smaller cars? nothing like a bit of wanton violent destruction to calm the nerves and soothe the soul I always say 🙂
They are not just a Southern thing – they happened every summer all over Illinois & Indiana, and I’m sure plenty of other mid-western states. Matter of fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of a demolition derby happening here in Texas, just like there aren’t stock car races all over the place either. (I hated going to those when I was forced to as a kid, but the crash-crash part was always fun.)
I’m not sure which is more amusing, the kid with the mohawk or the kid heading for preschool juvvie! Are you sure they didn’t have tattoos already? 😉
Hey –
I don’t know what is wrong with the mohawk – I let my 1st grader get his ear pierced. It was the same day that he learned to tie his shoes!! (He has turned out ok – he’s 18 and never been to juvie) What better time to get a wild haircut – better than a Mid(dle School) Life Crisis!
I love love love that “come on feel the noise” was playing in the background of that clip. Reminds me of high school…when mohawks were actually slightly normal ….