Photos: Dawn Huddlestone and Cheyenne Wood
There are plenty of vessels that ply the waters of the Muskoka River, but only once a year will you see bathtubs a-plenty cruising along beside the Town Docks.
The bathtub derby is a crowd favourite for the annual Rotary Dockfest, drawing hundreds of spectators to watch first the parade of tubs on Main Street followed by the main attraction on the water.
-
- Cameron of Lochiel Pipes and Drums led the bathtub parade down Main Street (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Mayor Scott Aitchison and MP Tony Clement wave to spectators (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Drive Muskoka scrub-a-dub-dubs in their tub (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Team Aben of Harvey Kalles Real Estate brought a furry friend along for the ride (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Defending champions CORE Health show off the bling (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- A young CORE Health volunteer shares an apple with a spectator (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Arrrrgh! Float winner Briggs Pumps and Plumbing brought the pirates out to play (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Main Street Dental is super excited for the race to start (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Kalei Huddlestone (right, with dad Matt) didn’t waste the opportunity to douse Doppler photographer and mom (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Team Burke deployed sharks against the competition (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- The Mill on Main gives a happy wave to spectators (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)`
-
- Hidden Valley Resort claims #1 before the derby even begins (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- JJ Dance rocked Main Street (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- The Kayley Spalding tub wants to bring ‘home’ the win (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- The Downtown Huntsville BIA and Huntsville Festival of the Arts tubs are friendly now…but wait ’til the race begins! (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Dockfest sponsor NyDock took up the rear to lead spectators down to the docks (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
And then it was time to race. The competition was fierce and tub captains pushed their tubs to their 2.5 hp limits through an obstacle course that began with a slalom, followed by placing a hoola-hoop on a floating picnic table and then a spin around the NyDock coffee bar where they had to honk a horn while dodging a bucket of water thrown by volunteers. If a captain missed any part of the obstacles, they had to circle around to try again.
The bathtub derby always draws a huge crowd to the Town Docks (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Tubs line up at the start line for their heat (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- And they’re off! (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Defending champs CORE health have an eye on the prize (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Tub captains had to navigate the wall of water (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Smith Rogers Financial stays in the lead through the slalom course (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- The Topiary tries to avoid a bucket of water (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Doppler races ahead, only to be thwarted by engine trouble that would take the tub out of the derby (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- MBRP races through the course (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Hidden Valley Resort cruised through the slalom (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- SI Construction gets wet (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Dan Watson from Huntsville Festival of the Arts is determined to win (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Hutcheson Reynolds and Caswell rounds the end of the slalom (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- On the Docks Pub reaches for the horn (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Pipefusion is in the lead (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
The captains did have a few mishaps (have you ever tried driving a bathtub?) much to the delight of the crowd. There were crashes and spills but the NyDock and Pride Marine crews were there to help out and tow disabled tubs back to shore.
-
- Canoe Dental and Main Street Dental collide (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Affogato overtakes East Side Mario’s (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- HBR goes for a swim as Doppler cruises past (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Jungle Gyms gets hung up on the floating picnic table (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- The Doppler tub is towed to shore (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
-
- Briggs gets some help from the NyDock rescue team while Up North Adventure Sports entertains the crowd in the background (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
Between heats and as floundering tubs were rescued, Up North Adventure Sports entertained the crowd with some hydro-flight acrobatics.
In the end, and after a video review that knocked Pipefusion out of first place for missing a turn around the finish line buoy, Pride Marine was declared the 2018 bathtub derby winner.
Pride Marine wins! (Photo: @RotaryHuntsville7010 / Instagram)
Following the derby, spectators could enjoy a variety of vendors and entertainment in River Mill Park including a concert by The Suspects at the bandshell courtesy of Huntsville Festival of the Arts.
-
- (From left) Jeff Ebh, Alycia Simmons and Darcy Bullock of Bullock’s Independent served up hot dogs and peameal on a bun for charity (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- The Mobile Cafe served up some wheelie good coffee and iced beverages (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- Fran Coleman (left) and Sheri Renaud chat up volunteer opportunities for the upcoming Huntsville 2019 Ontario 55+ Winter Games (Photo: Dawn Huddlestone)
-
- The Suspects took to the Rotary Bandshell in River Mill Park after the bathtub derby (Photo: Cheyenne Wood)
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free newsletter here.
Damn fine Pipes & Drums leading the congregation…Fun Day.….Well done Rotary !