Bicycle Buzkashi

On Sat, September 22, environmental activist and self-propelled daredevil dynamo Ifny Lachance threw CARcass, “a day of bicycle battlegames and buffoonery,” in the otherwise under-used and under-appreciated Strathcona Park.

The competitions included bicycle jousting, derbies, blindfold races (in which bike competitors had to cross the finish line blindfolded without touching the ground with their feet), panty races (with competitors speed-stripping while riding their bikes), and the marquee event, CARcass, a very fun variation on the Afghan national sport, buzkashi.

In the original version of buzkashi, rival horsemen clamber for a goat’s head, which they have to throw into a demarcated circle. In Ifny’s kinder, gentler version, bike competitors battle over the ‘CARcass’ of a hummer—a heavyish homemade SUV effigy.

It’s an ingenious combination of bike cultural promotion, environmental activism, and good clean fun.

While progressive activism often gets a bad rap for being too didactic and cliquey, Ifny hopes to sidestep such landmines by focusing on positivity and dynamism. “Struggling for change can be really draining,” she says. “It’s important to re-energize and celebrate the communities we create. If you’re going to be progressive, you’ve got to use different paradigms, make something you like instead of rejecting things all the time. And real communities have to be diverse. Being cool doesn’t really interest me. That revolves around exclusion. I’m much more interested in opening things up, building solidarity. It’s important to me that anyone, little kids or bike punks or accountants, can participate in CARcass games, or just come and hang out and be silly.”

And Ifny’s inclusive approach seems to be working, as bright-eyed bike enthusiasts of every stripe from across western Canada and the Pacific Northwest (with a particularly large contingent from Portland) showed up with bells on to tighten solidarity and prove their mettle.

In that spirit, the overall winner received a faux key to the city. “It’s a good will thing,” says Ifny. “The idea is to promote stewardship rather than ownership. We need to take care of each other and expand the boundaries of our respective communities.”

Given the original and spectacular nature of the event, it’s worth noting that, in keeping with her self-propelled ethos, Ifny orchestrated CARcass without a budget.

“It’s a totally grassroots event. There’s no funding, but it doesn’t really cost me anything, just time. People need more free fun. I organize CARcass because it’s the kind of event I want to attend. Somebody told me that this is the most fun they’ve ever had on a bicycle, and that to me is the biggest compliment.”

If you didn’t make it out to this year’s event, check out the highlights on YouTube, and hopefully we’ll catch you there next year. Bike on!