You put 27 five-person teams into hot competition pushing bathtubs full of water down a main drag and a certain amount of good-natured mayhem is guaranteed to erupt.
That’s why some hard-hitting roller derby competitors have signed on to be referees for the 19th edition of the World Championship Running of the Tubs bathtub races on Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs on Saturday (June 7).
Four members of the Rock Town Roller Derby League have volunteered to leap into the fray and seek to prevent grievous bodily harm among the 27 teams competing in the World’s Wettest Four-wheel Vehicle Competition starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Rock Town Roller Derby is the hard-hitting, community-focused Central Arkansas roller derby league known for their fierce competition on the track and their dedication to empowering athletes and supporting local initiatives.
“Rock Town Roller Derby is ready to make a splash, quite literally, in this unique and beloved Hot Springs tradition,” Visit Hot Springs Special Events Manager Alexis Hampo said in announcing the latest addition to the controlled chaos of the bathtub races. “The Running of the Tubs perfectly aligns with Rock Town Roller Derby’s spirit of fun, athleticism and community engagement. This year, the league is ready to roll (or rather, push) with a formidable group of skaters serving as referees.
“The World Championship Running of the Tubs now has bathtubs on wheels, judges in bathrobes, rubber ducks, suspected flamingos and, now, Roller Derby refs.
“I just don’t think it can get any more wild.
“The Roller Derby Refs are there to make sure we have a squeaky clean race, and I think it’s needed, considering the judges are allowed take bribes.”
Rock Town Roller Derby referees (using their roller derby names, of course) will be Salty Siren, Ally, Panama Crack and Dagger Dame
“We are incredibly excited to be a part of the World Championship Running of the Tubs,” said Jessica (Getcha Saum) Saum, co-captain of the Rock Town Roller Derby Diamond team. “Our league is all about pushing limits, having fun and connecting with our community, and this event embodies all of that.
“With our league hosting the Second Annual Arkan-Brawl Tournament again in Hot Springs on September 13, we are honored and excited to be a part of this celebrated Hot Springs tradition. Rock Town has members from all over Central Arkansas, and Hot Springs has welcomed our league with open arms. We love it.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Rock Town Roller Derby to showcase our camaraderie and competitive spirit in a whole new light. We’re not just here to referee this event; we’re here to embrace the Hot Springs spirit and make some unforgettable memories. Look out, Bathhouse Row, Rock Town Roller Derby is coming for you!”
Marianne Chartrand, a sales manager at Visit Hot Springs, Running of the Tubs Judge and former Roller Derby blocker of the Red Bird Rollers, said of the rowdy sport: “It’s like playing speed chess . . . with bricks being thrown at you.”
Rock Town Roller Derby is a Central Arkansas-based flat track roller derby league committed to promoting athleticism, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Composed of dedicated athletes from diverse backgrounds, the league provides a supportive environment for skaters to develop their skills and compete at various levels. Beyond the track, Rock Town Roller Derby is deeply invested in community outreach, regularly participating in local events and supporting charitable causes. They are actively recruiting skaters, skating and non-skating officials, sponsors and support staff. For more information: https://www.rocktownrollerderby.com/
Running of the Tubs teams compete in three divisions: Traditional, for actual cast-iron bathtubs; Modified for fiberglass tubs, and Stock, for nonprofit organizations which receive tubs supplied by the race organizers.
Each team must consist of five members: a captain, who must ride in the tub; a Bath Towel Attendant, a Bath Mat Attendant, a Soap Attendant and Loofah Mitt Attendant. The bath towel, bar of soap, loofah mitt and bath mat must still be in possession of the team members at the finish line. Added this year is a requirement that each tub must also carry a Hot Springs quartz crystal, a container of Hot Springs water, a stamp from Hot Springs National Park and some flamingo food.
The 19th edition of the Stueart Pennington World Championship Running of the Tubs is presented by Bathhouse Soapery and Caldarium, whose owner, Charlene Simon, will start each race with the starters pistol. Other sponsors are Wrapped Gift Boutique, Resort TV Cable, the Diamond Lakes Travel Association, Riser Ford and Bath Planet (obstacle sponsors).
The bathtub races bring thousands of fun-loving spectators to downtown Hot Springs to watch as costumed teams push customized bathtubs on wheels down Bathhouse Row in hopes of winning glory and a big ol’ trophy. Fans soak the racers — and often themselves — with water-soakers as the tubs go past. The races are free, family friendly and the cleanest fun in America, Hampo said.
The Running of the Tubs started in 2006, and this will be the 19th Running. (No races were held in 2020 because of the covid epidemic.)
The competing teams’ decorated tubs will be judged in downtown Hot Springs at 6 p.m. June 6, in the Judging of the Tubs celebration.
The races have drawn national attention as teams dress in wacky costumes to push regulation-sized bathtubs full of water and a driver through the historic downtown district of America’s Spa, which once had as its slogan “We Bathe The World.”
The Running of the Tubs is named in honor of the late Hot Springs businessman Stueart Pennington, who advocated tirelessly for the establishment of bathtub races to emphasize Hot Springs’ reputation as a thermal bathing mecca.
“The Running of the Tubs is another of the great family-friendly celebrations that are so popular with our residents and visitors,” Visit Hot Springs Marketing Director Bill Solleder said. “The crowds lining Bathhouse Row and joining in the wacky fun by shooting Super Soakers at the racers have been growing every year as word spreads about this super free event.”
Prizes are awarded in six categories: Traditional, Modified, Stock, Most Spirited, Most Original and Best Overall. The Traditional division is open to cast iron bathtubs. The Modified division is open to plastic or fiberglass tubs. The Stock division is open to nonprofits, religious and governmental organizations. Visit Hot Springs provides free tubs to those entrants.
Tubs must be at least 48 inches long and 24 inches wide. The wheels on the tub cannot exceed 30 inches in diameter mounted on axles and may not exceed 44 inches wide. Costumes are required.