Kinsmen Coaster Classic
Competing in two separate classes, boys raced hand-made cars on various streets throughout the city until a permanent site was chosen in Montreal's east end.
Rules for the race followed those of its US counterpart, with eligibility for boys set at ages 9–15, and a car construction allowance of no more than ten dollars in its inaugural year.
In the Seventies public interest in the Soap Box Derby began to fade, brought on by an unforeseen loss of its national sponsor and a cheating scandal that damaged its credibility as a trusted American institution.
[2] For the first two years it hosted the All-American Soap Box Derby National Championship for boys from all across America, but in 1936 competitors from outside the US began competing as well.
[c] Canada remained active in Soap Box Derby, having sent Champions to Akron for decades, its best showing at the All-American being Andy Vasko from St. Catharines, ON, who won third place in 1957.
An ophthalmological ward at a hospital was required, with the intention of offering free eye exams for the kids, and the idea was to raise funds from various groups and individuals that would be willing to sponsor contestants in the race.
Before a crowd of an estimated four- to five-thousand, eleven-year-old Bill Telfer, driving his stout-built "Thunderbolt," defeated class A winner Leonard Applebaum, 14, in the final, becoming the first Kinsmen Coaster Classic champion.
Bill Telfer returned in his "Thunderbolt" and was cheered on by the crowd as he clocked an excellent time while testing the track, but after the rain began his car became hampered, and he lost to Mell in the semi-final round.
Because it was also called the All Canada[14] or All-Canadian Coaster Classic in the media,[15] racers came not only from all over Montreal, but elsewhere in Quebec, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Ontario.
[21] From out of province, champs winning in 1950 and 1952 were (in order) Mervyn Roberts from Perth, ON, who won the Standard Trophy for best constructed car in 1949,[22] and Bob Jackson from Oshawa, ON.
The 1969 champion, Peter Miller, who raced the year prior but damaged his car, hailed from Montreal's West Island community of Pointe Claire, QC.
Not following suit, Kinsmen organizers felt that the successful fundraising benefits of the race to help Montreal's needy far outweighed the minute amount of rubber used by the boys needed for the war effort, and held off for two more years.
The Kinsmen Coaster Classic was ostensibly a Soap Box Derby race, just not in name, and thus followed the rules set forth by its American counterpart so that, in the event that a boy was invited to compete at the All-American, he would pass inspection and thus qualify,[11][8] In the end no champ ever attended officially.
This was seldom the case, as most boys did require some help simply because they lacked the skills to perform such a feat, acquiring them eventually as the car was constructed while under the tutelage of an adult.
[28] In 1960 Don Norberg of Pointe Claire, QC was injured slightly and taken to Maisonneuve Hospital after his car rolled over when struck by another vehicle.
[31] The next two years, races took place on an 1,100 foot track on Aird Avenue[g][28] in Montreal's east end neighborhood of Maisonneuve (pictured), between Sherbrooke St. E. and Boyce Street (now Pierre-de Coubertin Ave).
Boys that participated in the Kinsmen Coaster Class habitually gave their cars interesting names, plays on word like "Jake's Crate",[19] an assonance, "Butch's Bullet",[19] an alliteration, "Will E. Win,"[40] and "Slo-Mo-Shun.
