The Thoona Wheelie Bin Championships

The Thoona Wheelie Bin Championships

Just when we thought wheelie bins couldn’t get any more awesome, we only go and stumble across the Thoona Wheelie Bin Championships!

Taking place in Thoona, a town in Australia that has a population of less than 500, the championships have been going since 2000 and even had a documentary made about them the following year (although sadly we can’t seem to find it anywhere). There’s really not much more to say on the matter, but you’ve come here to read an article so here goes…

People take a wheelie bin and turn it into a racing vehicle. From the looks of it none of them have engines, so it’s basically a good old-fashioned soapbox derby except that every vehicle is made from… you guessed it… a wheelie bin. Obviously they all need extra wheels fitting, but the size and style of wheels always differs. Some use bike wheels, some use pram wheels, some have four wheels, some have three wheels, and I’m sure that I’ve seen one that looks like the result of a wheelchair and a tractor having a baby. Oh, and the individual design and decoration is amazing – these people sure are proud of their bin races, to the extent that they’ll happily sit in one on a hot day despite the risk of smelling like mouldy bread and used nappies.

Check it out for yourself. The championships have a Facebook page and there’s great footage on Vimeo, which shows the eccentric townsfolk having the time of their lives at what must surely be the biggest event in their calendar, and one that we sincerely hope eventually goes worldwide. (Perhaps we should look into it.)

Thinking of making a vehicle out of a wheelie bin? If you do, remember the following order: Safety first, fun second, and most probably finish last.