CRESTVIEW — Boy Scouts are learning skills such as being creative, crafting things by hand, and sportsmanship.
And they're having fun doing it.
Wheels were humming and fans were cheering Jan. 31 during the annual Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby.
Each Scout assembles and decorates his car using kits approved by the Boy Scouts of America. Parents lend a hand in construction, but decorating the vehicles is completely up to the boys’ imaginations.
“We had some awesome-looking derby cars, trucks, buses, trains, tanks and more,” Pack 799 parent and Bear Den and Webelos II den leader Cathy Humphrey said.
Batmobiles remain a favorite decorating motif, but this year also saw camouflaged cars and at least one Super Mario Brothers racer.
After the boys add graphite to their cars’ wheels and axels to help them go even faster, several heats finished so close that only the high-tech timing systems now available at Pinewood Derby events could detect the winners.
Pack 530 volunteer Don Snyder, who photographs pack events, showed many photo-finishes.
As Pack 530 held its races at the Crestview Elks Lodge, Pack 799 raced in Bob Sikes Elementary School's multi-purpose room.
The pack added something new to the event, Humphrey said.
“This year, they decided to not only have the Cub Scouts race but also have the parents and siblings race,” she said. “Afterwards, they enjoyed a chili cook-off.”
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Pinewood Derby teach craftsmanship, sportsmanship