Photo: Soap Box Derby org
From 1929 to 1939, America was arguably enduring its most difficult period as a developing nation. Known as The Great Depression, the period exacted a devastating toll on the vast majority of the population, with the exception of the elite, of course.
During the decades-long collapse of America's economy, those in poverty represented approximately 78% of the population, while those in the middle class made up another 15-20%. However, the collapse of the stock market plunged the middle class into the poverty level. Therefore, up to 98% of Americans were living in poverty, without work or any other means to feed themselves or their families.
The period still stands as unquestionably the greatest test of American will, fortitude, and perseverance to this day.
You see, back then, Americans had incredibly strong family values, much like you see in today's SE Asian countries. Family came first at all costs, unlike modern America where people treat their dogs better than their own children. The fabric of the American family today resembles a pair of 100-year-old Levi's with holes in both knees and no denim to cover one's bum. Much of that has to do with a divorce that irreparably splinters a family.
Some estimates suggest over 50% of marriages will result in divorce for one reason or another. Divorces were so prevalent when I was in high school that I did not know anyone or anyone who knew anyone who did not have divorced parents. It was so rampant that my school would hand out free lunch tickets to those with divorced parents.
I discovered my first side hustle by buying lunch tickets from students who didn't use them for $1.00. I would then take those tickets and sell them to my neighbor for $3. She went to a different school in a different district that used the same style of lunch tickets but did not give them away. She then turned around and sold them to friends for $5; a $2 discount from face value. It was quite an enterprise, I must say.
The pressure on depression-era families to keep their households alive and as happy as they could be must have been tremendous-but they did it. Simply by coming up with diversions to keep their kids as far away from the daily struggles as possible.
One such diversion activity became known as the Soap Box Derby. The concept began in 1933 when a photographer spotted boys racing carts down a hill in Dayton , Ohio. He decided that he would organize a race with 19 boys. The high-level interest in that gathering led to a bigger event later that summer that included prize money.
Over 350 kids showed up with homemade cars fashioned out of orange crates and baby buggy wheels (remember, money was scarce).
The following year, an All-American race was held, with the winner having made his car from the wood of a barstool.
In 1935, the event was moved from Dayton to the hilly terrain of Akron, Ohio. An accident that year that took out NBC's top sportscaster was a boon for the event's popularity.
Chevrolet got in on the action of the All-American Derby in a sponsorship capacity in the 1950s and 1960s, when the event would attract up to 70,000 fans and was in the top five of sporting events in terms of attendance.
Famed automaker John DeLorean ended Chevrolet's sponsorship of the event after 35 years, claiming it was too expensive to hold.
The sport continued to grow, and in 1993, the All-American Soap Box Derby started the Rally World Championships in grand prix-style with contestants from several countries. The derby has also grown with the number of entrants, creating different categories based on age with established specifications for the cars.
Since 1933, the derby has been held annually, with the exception of 1942 to 1945 during World War II and 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. The 2021 return of the derby was highlighted by a young man establishing himself as the youngest winner in the 83-year history of the very event that helped insulate America's youth from the impact of The Great Depression. He was just 8 years old.
It just goes to show that, out of tragedy, there is an opportunity for triumph depending on one's perception and motivation.
The period still stands as unquestionably the greatest test of American will, fortitude, and perseverance to this day.
You see, back then, Americans had incredibly strong family values, much like you see in today's SE Asian countries. Family came first at all costs, unlike modern America where people treat their dogs better than their own children. The fabric of the American family today resembles a pair of 100-year-old Levi's with holes in both knees and no denim to cover one's bum. Much of that has to do with a divorce that irreparably splinters a family.
Some estimates suggest over 50% of marriages will result in divorce for one reason or another. Divorces were so prevalent when I was in high school that I did not know anyone or anyone who knew anyone who did not have divorced parents. It was so rampant that my school would hand out free lunch tickets to those with divorced parents.
I discovered my first side hustle by buying lunch tickets from students who didn't use them for $1.00. I would then take those tickets and sell them to my neighbor for $3. She went to a different school in a different district that used the same style of lunch tickets but did not give them away. She then turned around and sold them to friends for $5; a $2 discount from face value. It was quite an enterprise, I must say.
The pressure on depression-era families to keep their households alive and as happy as they could be must have been tremendous-but they did it. Simply by coming up with diversions to keep their kids as far away from the daily struggles as possible.
One such diversion activity became known as the Soap Box Derby. The concept began in 1933 when a photographer spotted boys racing carts down a hill in Dayton , Ohio. He decided that he would organize a race with 19 boys. The high-level interest in that gathering led to a bigger event later that summer that included prize money.
Over 350 kids showed up with homemade cars fashioned out of orange crates and baby buggy wheels (remember, money was scarce).
The following year, an All-American race was held, with the winner having made his car from the wood of a barstool.
In 1935, the event was moved from Dayton to the hilly terrain of Akron, Ohio. An accident that year that took out NBC's top sportscaster was a boon for the event's popularity.
Chevrolet got in on the action of the All-American Derby in a sponsorship capacity in the 1950s and 1960s, when the event would attract up to 70,000 fans and was in the top five of sporting events in terms of attendance.
Famed automaker John DeLorean ended Chevrolet's sponsorship of the event after 35 years, claiming it was too expensive to hold.
The sport continued to grow, and in 1993, the All-American Soap Box Derby started the Rally World Championships in grand prix-style with contestants from several countries. The derby has also grown with the number of entrants, creating different categories based on age with established specifications for the cars.
Since 1933, the derby has been held annually, with the exception of 1942 to 1945 during World War II and 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. The 2021 return of the derby was highlighted by a young man establishing himself as the youngest winner in the 83-year history of the very event that helped insulate America's youth from the impact of The Great Depression. He was just 8 years old.
It just goes to show that, out of tragedy, there is an opportunity for triumph depending on one's perception and motivation.
Google News