Red Bull Soapbox Race — promoted as "the world's wildest downhill” competition — is coming to Des Moines on June 18, organizers told Axios.
Why it matters: The races have attracted tens of thousands of spectators in places like Los Angeles and Hong Kong. This will be Red Bull's first competition in Iowa.
- At least 25,000 people are expected to attend the Des Moines races, with an economic impact of $1 million, Greg Edwards, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, told Axios.
Details: The competition involves amateur teams of five people who navigate through obstacles using homemade carts.
- Judges will rank the teams based on creativity, speed and showmanship.
The intrigue: Hy-Vee and Casey's are sponsoring the event and adding special features or prizes, based on things like speed and how well a cart reflects its community.
- One of the prizes will be free Casey's pizza for a year.