Destination Imagination team qualifies for worlds

By ALEX STRICKLAND / Bigfork Eagle

This year's challenge theme for Bigfork Elementary's Destination Imagination team is "Obstacles of Course," requiring them in part to build a remote control car capable of navigating a series of snags.

But the biggest obstacle the team may face is finding the money to travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to compete in a worldwide competition they qualified for by competing well at state.

Coach Melaina Crabtree said that for the team of six, it will cost about $1,400 per child.

The team recently competed in the state competition, where it placed second overall. A Destination Imagination competition contains three parts, a challenge prepared for ahead of time, a skit and an instant challenge, where the team is given a task that could range from construction to communication, and only a few minutes to figure out how to accomplish it.

For this year's prepared challenge, the team had to build or modify a remote controlled car and then build a series of obstacles that conform to the standards set for the competition. For instance, the team must find a way to have the car clear a seven inch gap. Another obstacle was a series of steps, each one an inch higher than the last.

Paper mache, plywood and plenty of other building materials were employed to create ramps and terrain for the car. The kids used sand paper surfacing on some of the obstacles to gain traction.

At the world competition, Crabtree said the entire University of Tennessee campus is taken over by Destination Imagination teams from all over, ranging in category from kindergarten to university-level.

Montana has a history of strong showing at the world competition, Bigfork has won before and last year a team from Manhattan, Mont. took the title in the elementary division, according to Crabtree.

In fact, the hallway outside the main office of the school is covered in plaques from past years' teams success in competitions. Crabtree said the last team she took from Bigfork also had a car theme. That year, though, the group had to consturct a vehicle capable of carrying two kids.

"That one was a lot more expensive to ship," she said.

But even though this year's gear — stored in the music room for now — won't be too difficult to send to the world competition, getting the participants there might be.

The group of six kids from Bigfork are working on ways to raise money for the trip, Crabtree said she met with parents last week to brainstorm ideas.

Until then, though, the team will keep practicing negotiating obstacles, sprucing up their work to ensure that it complies with the rules and, as one member stressed, getting ready for the big competition.

"It's us against the whole world."