The crowd-pleasing demolition derby once again served as the final hurrah of the Westlock and District Agricultural Fair.
On Sunday, Aug. 23 thousands packed the grandstands to take in an evening of crashing and bashing. And as usual additional stands were brought in to accommodate all the derby goers.
Event organizer Byron Boutin said 29 participants braved the ring, which represented a significant increase compared to past years.
“It was a surprise to me. We’ve been getting about 20 for the last couple years,” Boutin said. “We’ve been getting people coming from different areas so it’s a good thing.”
While there are no official attendance figures, Boutin said he estimates between 4,000 and 5,000 packed the grandstands.
Boutin said thanks to the increased participation, the cooperative weather and the packed stands, this year’s derby was another showstopper.
“It was a heck of a show, a great time and we had a heck of a lot of fun,” he said.
“It worked out really well. We had some great cars, some hard hitting and banging. There were some big hits.
“I think the crowd was happy. We did have an issue at first setting up, but we got that straightened away and away we went.”
Kyle Nendze drove away with the first place prize, while the crowd selected Dylan Boutin as having the best-dressed car.
Boutin said while there were no major incidents during this year’s derby, one participant did suffer a broken wrist.
“He got hit in the tire and his wheel spun and he had his hand inside the wheel and it kind of caught his hand,” he said. “It was very minor. I’ve never had any injuries in the last five years I’ve been running the derby.”
Boutin said the show went on a little longer than usual thanks to the sheer number of participants.
“When you get that many cars it does go a long time,” he said. “It’s a little harder on the older people and they tend to leave before the derby is over.”
Boutin said he plans to organize next year’s event and is hoping it will be bigger and better than ever.
“Definitely next year is going to happen and there’s going to be more prize money involved,” he said. “If I can get 29 cars I can get some more money. The agricultural society will match the entry fees so hopefully I’ll have $6,000 worth of prize money.”
