More Lawn-mower Competitions pt2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello listeners, It's time again for everybody's favorite podcast, the
Lawnmower Versus sports Car Podcast, a show dedicated well to
sometimes just sheer absurdity. I was walking through my local
home and gardens store not too long ago. I walked

(00:23):
past the lawnmowers and realized how Gosha darned expensive they are.
And then I got to the really expensive ones and thought, shocks,
I could almost buy a sports car for that, albeit used,
probably from the eighties and probably not very good condition.
But albeit the sports car, and instead of moullin' my lawn,

(00:46):
I'd be tearing around some country road tearing it up.
You should be aware that to day's episode is a
continuation from last week's episode. It turns out we got
into a topic too big for a single episode. Rightfully,

(01:10):
so humans can't put wheels on anything without having to
race it, and if it exists, we can compete over it.
We started an episode on lawnmower competitions and races. We
covered racing and speed events. We talked about other technical

(01:34):
customization competitions. Today we're going to continue that list with
the themed mower builds competition. This is a full costume
the entire mower is styled like a different machine or character.

(01:56):
Some examples include the Star Wars speeder, the Mad Max vehicle,
and of course the Batmobile, and there's even a Pirate ship.
Judging is based on theme, execution, creativity, and crowd reaction.

(02:23):
You get bonus points if the mower and driver outfits
match and are scored together. There's a competition based on
eco more innovations. Entrants for this category are usually electric conversions,

(02:45):
hybrid setups, and biofuel burners. These are usually judged by
clean energy experts or engineers, and scoring is based on
in viron mental benefit, innovation and feasibility. Optionally, carbon footprint

(03:07):
estimate may be part of the entry. The mower to
other vehicle conversion is based on transformation, either functionally or
purely artistic conversion to another vehicle type. Some scene builds

(03:29):
include hotocrafts, boats, snowmobiles, and tractors. The mower must still
run and move, and the rules are that the original
mower frame must be kept mostly intact. At these lawnmower

(03:51):
racing and competitions, of course, there are usually fun and
novelty as well as community events such as the Slow
Mow drag. The objective is to cross the finish line
last without stopping. The rules are simple, mowers must remain

(04:16):
in constant motion and the engine can't stall. The strategy
is a feather throttle and break balance. Prize taking home
for this one is the Turtle Trophy, and all Good

(04:37):
Mower competitions either start or end with a good Mower parade.
These set up includes decorated mowers driven through a public
area or fair ground. Optionally, live music and themed groups
are included, and the audience usually participates with a voting

(04:58):
for a best in parade. One of my personal favorites
is the lawn Art Carving Challenge. The setup a simple
a grass plot is assigned to each artist I mean mower.

(05:18):
The objective is to mower pattern, star, spiral, logo, or portrait.
The judging is based on artistic difficulty, symmetry, and originality.
Only tools allowed are string guides, stencils, and chalk lines.

(05:42):
My other personal favorite is the costume contest both driver
and mower. It's an evaluation of thematic match between driver
and their mower. Bonus points are given for sound effects, music,
and interactive props. Some examples in the past include night

(06:04):
and Steed, and an alien and UFO mower, the Unforgettable
Lumberjack and log Chopper, the fan favorite mower Karaoke lap.
The winner chosen driver wears a mic and sings during

(06:25):
a track loop. Judging is based on song choice, confidence,
and entertainment. Add Ons include audience voting or using scorecards.
The lawn limbo on Mower's rules are simple ride under
an adjustable limbo stick without touching it. Skills needed are

(06:48):
usually low posture, precision steering in good weight balance. Fun
Variants of this competition include added obstacles or effects. How
about musical mowers. It's kind of like, you know, musical chairs.
When the music stops, drivers must park in designated zones.

(07:13):
You can use tires or cones as spots, and the
last one without a spot is eliminated. There's nothing like
a good mower. Tug of war a robe tied to
two mowers in opposite directions. The first pull the opponent
of the line wins. Mods allowed are weighted tires and

(07:38):
other traction enhancements. Skill challenges include precision barking that's right.
The goal is to fit a mower into the tightest
space possible, usually with inches to spare on either side.
Techniques include parallel, backward, and angle parking variants. The tight

(08:04):
turn challenge features a circular layout that narrows inward. The
objective is to navigate without backing up or touching lines.
Scoring is based on the smallest successful diameter turn. The
grass catcher accuracy test is a trail of colored grass,

(08:28):
leaves or petals. The goal is to collect as much
as possible in the catcher with no spillage. Scoring is
done by weight or volume catcher versus spilled. The fuel
efficiency course is distance traveled on a fixed amount of
charge or fuel. The track type is usually looped, flat circuit,

(08:55):
and variants for this included gas, diesel, and electric. Bonus
points for environmental back sheets, they're encouraged. The mo the
line test is a task of mowing a perfectly straight
line over a set distance. During scoring, a judge assesses

(09:16):
from an error or mart perspective. You are allowed no
tools for guidance, simply raw skill. Specialty awards given are
oldest operating mower. This requires that the mower must still
start and move under its own power. Judging is based

(09:39):
on age, originality, condition, and historical notes. The best Backstory
Award is usually presented for an oral or written mower biography.
Scoring is based on humor, emotional value, and history. Examples
include passed down to three generations and found in a

(10:01):
barn restored. Unfortunately, folks, that's all the time that we've
got for today's episode of Lawnmower Versus sports Car. I
hope you've enjoyed this episode. If you had twenty thousand dollars,
which would you rather buy a lawnmower or a sports car?
Until next time,