Water cannons, beer, smoke bombs, rotten bananas and a whole lot of mayhem.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The 13th annual Mini Bike Winter Ben Hurt Chariot Wars had all the mayhem and merriment we’ve come to expect from this uniquely Portland spectacle.[Read more…]

Charioteers attempt to disable battlecars and bikes amid firecrackers and rowdy onlookers.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

This past weekend was the annual Mini Bike Winter hosted by Zoobomb.

One of the many events participants competed in was the Ben Hurt Chariot Wars. The Chariot Wars have a long and glorious legacy and are the showcase event of the three-day Olympics. The winners get an iconic trophy and major bragging rights. They also get to make up the rules.

Speaking of which, here are the official 2018 rules:[Read more…]

Friends, fun, and folly await at Mini Bike Winter.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Are you ready for Mini Bike Winter?

ZooBomb’s annual event kicks off tomorrow night and continues through the weekend. If you can only make it out one day, I’d highly recommend Saturday. The MBW Olympics are sure to please and everyone’s welcome to join in the fun. The finale will be the infamous Ben Hurt Chariot Wars which pit teams against each other for an all-out duel. Last chariot standing takes home the trophy.

But of course that’s not all there is to do this weekend. Our calendar is full of great ideas and we’ve picked out a few highlights to share below…

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Ben Hur would not have lasted five minutes with these modern-day gladiators.

The Ben Hurt Chariot Wars have once again staked their claim as one of the toughest bike events of the year.
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A scene from the 2012 edition.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

One of our city’s most time-honored traditions is prepping for its big annual bash. Yes folks, it’s time for Mini Bike Winter! Put on by our friendly local Zoobombers, this annual extravanganza of unique skills challenges performed on highly-modified, child-sized bicycles is now in its 13th year.
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Competitors at Mini Bike Winter’s Chariot Wars Saturday.
(Photos by M.Andersen/BikePortland)

The charioteers never saw the rainbow arching over their heads. They would have been crazy to let their guard down that long.

About 100 soggy competitors and spectators came together in one to three inches of standing water in a crumbling Clay Street warehouse Saturday afternoon for the seventh annual edition of a Portland institution: a Ben-Hur style gladiator battle conducted on homemade chariots drawn by minibikes.

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The Chariot Wars are this Saturday.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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Competitors in the Chariot Wars — including the eventual champions on the left — making their way around the course.

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These guys could only be headed to
one thing… Mini Bike Winter!
(Photo © J. Maus)

Zoobomb’s big annual event, Mini Bike Winter, starts tonight. Now in its ninth year, the four-day event promises a mix of performances, parties, and pure fun that is sure to help ease your winter doldrums.

This year, in addition to usual favorites like the “Ben Hurt Chariot Wars” (just what they sound like, only crazier and with more smoke and blood), the “Mini Bike Winter Olympics” (which includes “bike bowling” (see below) a launch into the Willamette known as the “Cupcake Challenge” and more) and the “Badass Challenge” (a race to climb up the hill to Washington Park on a 16-inch bike), the event includes a special screening of “Bike Smut,” a collection of short bike movies.[Read more…]

Sprockettes wowed the crowd with some awesome new material

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