Wanna Race?
Parents and their children show up in March to start constructing their Soap Box racer, which they use to compete at the annual Soap Box Derby at Arrowhead Ranch on Camano Island. Children ages 7-19 have the opportunity to build and race an official soap box car.
This Sport is Different!
Unlike other sports where parents or mentors sit on the sidelines, Soap Box Racing involves everyone. Drivers and their Car Handler work closely together to get their car ready to race, strategize the best lines to drive, make car adjustments, and work on driving ability.
Ranch owner Randy Heagle said building the racers gives kids an opportunity to work with tools and “to see that light come on.”
Arrowhead Ranch has a 1,000-foot, paved Soapbox Derby course. Winners get to compete at the World Soap Box Derby World Championships in Akron, Ohio.
Heagle has been organizing soap box derby races since 2008. Back then, the races took place in Stanwood.
He bought the 50-acre ranch in 2016, constructed the paved course and the first soapbox derby race took place in 2017. Prior to that, the property was a horse ranch over the years. Arrowhead also maintains its heritage as a ranch. A small number of cattle are being raised on the land.
Arrowhead offers a couple of workshops, constructing birdhouses or a charcuterie board, for folks interested in woodworking.
Still More Plans
The ranch’s large red barn will soon house metal shop and a wood shop that will serve as a makers’ space for people to work on their personal projects.
“Instead of joining the gym, you join the shop,” Heagle, who always had a shop, said. “I was always into working with my hands.”
Arrowhead Ranch also offers a couple lodging options.
The Arlene Farmhouse, constructed in 1914, has been fully restored and includes hardwood floors and renovated bathrooms. The Bunkhouse at Arrowhead Ranch is a one-bedroom, one bathroom hideaway with full kitchen, high-speed internet, and television.
For more information about Arrowhead Ranch, go to arrowheadranchcamano.com
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