Splendid Teapot Racing
How do you take your tea? Maybe with a smidgen of sugar or a splash of milk? Or perhaps you prefer your tea to be delivered to you on top of a racecar? Well, the creators of Splendid Teapot Racing have you covered.
Splendid Teapot racing is said to have been conceived by Simone Montgomery in Dunedin, New Zealand. The story goes that she was looking for a sport that was completely inclusive. Something that everyone could participate in. She had a friend, Donna Rose aka “Amelia Dangerfield” who was in a wheelchair that had a joystick controller and came up with the idea of a remote-controlled teapot. Thus, Splendid Teapot Racing was born. The first public race was at the 2014 Steampunk NZ Festival in Oamaru and it’s been a favorite of the Steampunk community ever since. Now that probably sounds like we’re skipping quite a bit of nuance, but who are we to question lore?
RoShamBo caught some Splendid Teapot Racing over Labor Day weekend as part of Dragon Con – Atlanta’s massive celebration of all things pop culture. Like many cons, there are different tracks that you follow and one of them is the Steam Punk Track… AND…. This year, those fantastical steampunkers put on a fantastically crazy competition filled with ramps of doom, teter-totters of terror, and a heck of a lot of good sportsmanship. Take a listen and join us in celebrating all things steamy.
All photos courtesy of Jimmy Stapp Photography
Zander Kohl - Winner of the “Judges’ Favorite” award.
Zander Kohl’s award winning teapot racer.
Judges gonna judge. Professor Upsidasium, long-time judge for Splendid Teapot Racing at Dragon Con.