The Ex Race

Parkour-Style Obstacle Course

The EX Race was an exciting parkour-style obstacle course for The CNE Summer 2019 season. This adrenaline-fueled course was massive, spanning 200 ft wide and rising over 20 ft in the air.

Each obstacle was crafted to push competitors to their limits while thousands of onlookers cheered them on daily. Created as a touring show, the course was constructed using trusses and plated steel tubing bracketed together with industrial clamps and pins for easy assembly and disassembly. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the tour was canceled, and the project's future is uncertain.

My Role

Industrial Designer, Event Design, Marketing, Construction, Site Planning, Fabrication, Course Layout Design

Client

CNE through Rick Davis Promotions

Project Details

Duration: May - July 2019

As the Principal Designer, I was responsible for the course layout and designing custom obstacles.

I also supported the site manager by overseeing material ordering and shipping during fabrication. On-site, I provided creative direction and solved any issues that arose. Additionally, I led the online marketing efforts to attract contestants.

Anyone at the CNE could compete if they pass our Qualifier Course.

Participants competed for daily prizes, and the top three winners advanced to the final week's qualification rounds, where they faced off against our professional parkour competitors. We had athletes from across North America come to compete for the grand prize of $5,000.

One of the main challenges we faced was creating a course that could challenge professional athletes, while still being accessible to the general public who would be competing each day.

We worked with local parkour schools to understand the challenges and identify accessible elements for different skill levels. The qualification round showcased skills with easier elements, while the main course increased in difficulty with each section. The course provided an adrenaline rush for the general public who could typically complete the first two sections, while still challenging professional competitors.

The Ex RaceMain Course

The main course consisted of eight obstacles, starting with the Quintuple Steps on the left-hand side and finishing with a Warp Wall and a timer stop button.

1st Obstacle: Quintuple Steppers

We designed this obstacle as an easy warm-up to provide encouragement to all qualifying participants to keep going.

2nd Obstacle: Ring Slide

This obstacle seemed particularly challenging and often resulted in comical failures, but it was designed to be accessible to the largest number of people.

3rd Obstacle: Salmon Ladder

The Salmon Ladder is a classic and challenging obstacle that tests upper body strength. Completing it is a good indicator of having the power and endurance to tackle the rest of the course.

4th Obstacle: Cargo Ladder

The Cargo Ladder was a particularly tricky obstacle for many people as it was placed immediately after the Salmon Ladder without any break in between, making it even more challenging to complete.

5th Obstacle: Edge Grips

The Ex Sign was a custom-built element designed to test the limits of racers by relying solely on their finger grip strength. This obstacle was created to be the next level up, setting apart the general public from the professionals.

6th Obstacle: Sea of Poles

The Sea of Poles was particularly challenging because participants needed to use all their strength to grip onto the slippery poles and carefully choose their path to avoid adding too much time to the clock. This required strategic thinking and careful navigation of the obstacle.

7th Obstacle: Monkey Pegs

Monkey Peg was an obstacle that could be completed by slotting the pegs into the holes or by holding them from the top and moving them across. However, the simpler method would add an additional 30 seconds to the racer's time.

8th ObstacleWarped Wall

Our 8ft Warp was the final challenge that required a high level of explosive and upper body strength, which many contestants did not possess towards the end of the course.

"The course was a huge success, attracting over 40,000 viewers and an estimated 400 participants.

We were scheduled to be a recurring attraction at the CNE for four years and even had the potential to become a TV series. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those plans were abandoned.

Work in Progress Pics

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The Ex Race