Photo courtesy of Alex McCuaig - A driver at the Maple Creek Massacre looks for someone to smash into on Saturday Aug. 10, 2019.

By Alex McCuaig

Demolition derby

There’s nothing quite like a demolition derby

Aug 11, 2019 | 12:47 PM

MAPLE CREEK, SK – Humankind has split the atom, put a man on the moon and mapped the genome. But we still like seeing things smash into each other.

The drivers and fans who turned out to the Maple Creek Massacre demolition derby on Saturday might may have come from both sides of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border but it was pretty clear they all shared in the passion of watching cars slam into each other.

“It’s an adrenaline rush. It’s actually pretty fun,” said Sid Spinks with the smell of burning rubber wafting through the air. “Building a car for a few months and then coming out and having fun and smashing it up, meeting great people from all over the place – it’s fun.”

And it seems like once you have derby in the blood, there is no cure.

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Rod and Gerry Kultgen have been driving derby for decades and still can’t shake the bug.

Nor do they want to.

“Well, I’m a 30 year vet and it’s just pure adrenaline,” said Rod, barely audible with what sounded like a Chevy big block being floored in the background. “If you ever drive one, you’ll understand. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a blast out there. Gerry probably wreaked over 100 cars, I’ve probably wreaked 60 over the years.”

The infectious nature of derby isn’t limited to those who drive.

Todd Wensick says he’s been watching derby for years and, once someone has been inundated with the sensory experience, it’s hard not to come back for more.

“It’s the smash and crash and the noise and the smell of everything – all mixed together. It’s lots of fun,” he said.