Auckland Domain transformed into a carnival of chaos, creativity, and controlled (mostly) carnage as the Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix made its triumphant return on February 15, 2025.
With 52 teams vying for gravity-powered glory, the event proved once again that Kiwi ingenuity and a total disregard for self-preservation go hand in hand.
This wasn’t just a race it was a spectacle. The Auckland Domain course was a punishing playground of tight corners, hair-raising drops, and obstacles designed to separate the serious speedsters from those destined to become cautionary tales.
Some trolleys soared, some skidded, and some crumbled into beautifully orchestrated wreckage before even crossing the finish line.
If there’s one thing Auckland loves, it’s a high-octane spectacle, and the Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix 2025 delivered just that. A riotous mix of engineering prowess, borderline insanity, and Kiwi ingenuity.
On a scorching sometimes rainy Saturday at the Auckland Domain, dozens of fearless teams took to the track, hurtling down the winding course in handcrafted, pedal-free marvels, all in pursuit of speed, style, and a shot at gravity-powered glory.
This year’s team of judges was a powerhouse lineup of Kiwi pop culture icons. Jess Blewitt, Kita Mean, Kim Crossman, William Waiirua, and Brook MacDonald. Together, they had the ultimate say, not just in crowning champions based on speed, but also on creativity, showmanship, and the fine art of controlled destruction.
I was lucky enough to spend some time with Kim Crossman and sit down for an interview. Here’s what she had to say.
Known for her infectious energy and razor-sharp wit, Crossman brought a refreshingly no-nonsense approach to the mayhem. When asked what she valued most in the competition, her answer was simple:
100% energy. Even if their choreography was a little average, as long as they gave full energy, then I gave them a ten. A true woman of the people.
Crossman’s connection with Red Bull has been years in the making. While she doesn’t claim to be a professional athlete, her love for motorsport runs deep.
I never got into karting, she admits, but I’ve spent many weekends at Hampton Downs, so I know a lot about racing. None of which applied today.
Honesty at its finest. Is an F1 trip on the horizon?
I wish! If someone takes me, I’ll go! Let me put it out into the universe. Kim Crossman wants to go to the F1. It’s on my bucket list!
And for any potential sponsors keen to make it happen, she’s all ears.
First up to the race start, team Laser Kiwi, spearheaded by Tom Newton-Smith, came in hot, literally shedding weight to make the cut.
We were a little overweight, so we had to cut our cart down from 109kg to 79.4kg, Tom revealed.
With a crew hailing from diverse backgrounds, a police helicopter operator, a charity worker, a radio host, and a church community leader, the team embodied the event’s eclectic spirit. Their entry? A lean, mean, recycled machine in the form of a giant Kiwi.
Over at Team Piha Rescue Crew, engineering met audacity. Tim Zouch, their in-house CAD wizard, meticulously designed their ride, ensuring it could withstand the brutal jumps and sharp turns.
We pushed it pretty hard off the weigh station, he admitted. I’ve jumped on it a few times, it’s steady. With rack-and-pinion steering and reinforced flooring, their cart looked like a serious contender, at least on paper.
Then there was Uni Units with their cart called The Flopper. The wildcard entry that was all about speed over style.
She may not be creative, but she’s fast, the team confessed. Their secret weapon? A Frankensteined Amazon go-kart setup, engineered to hit speeds of 70km/h behind a ute. Health and safety? Barely an afterthought.
From the first cart over the ramp, it was clear that safety was a concept, not a rule. The track, a treacherous descent lined with hay bales and questionable decisions, claimed its first victims early, sending carts airborne and drivers scrambling to regain control.
Team Rice To Meet You cart in the shape of a Sushi Roll with pitman-arm steering proved to be a double-edged sword, with control taking a backseat to sheer willpower.
Our goal is just to make it to the bottom, they laughed. Their homemade, completely-from-scratch sushi-shaped contraption rolled into battle with a 50/50 shot of finishing upright.
And then came The Goonies, a team so committed to their bit that they built a Goonies-inspired giant mince pie on wheels.
We did a test run, and it hit 88 miles per hour, Maverick the driver claimed. We might just disappear over the first jump and reappear at the finish line. Back to the Future meets backyard engineering. What could go wrong?
Team Yaba Daba Do in a nostalgic twist, the winners from a decade ago, creators of the legendary Wedding Cart, returned to reclaim their crown.
We made it down in one piece last time, so we know what we’re doing, they assured me. But confidence isn’t always enough. With competition fiercer than ever and a rogue team reportedly breaking the space-time continuum, they faced an uphill battle, well technically a downhill one.
They did however 10 years on once again take home the ultimate bragging rights (and an all-expenses-paid World of Red Bull experience at the Melbourne F1 GP).
Yaba Daba Do proved that lightning, or in this case, a rock-powered Flintstones-inspired trolley, can indeed strike twice. A full ten years after their last win, the defending champions roared back onto the scene with an unstoppable mix of speed, style, and pure showmanship.
“We’re beyond stoked to be back a decade after our last victory, and even more stoked to win again! Nerves hit before dropping in, but crossing that finish line and hearing we were the fastest? Pure victory. Every ounce of effort, every second of preparation. It all paid off, beamed team captain Brad Johns.
Winning the coveted People’s Choice Award, InTents Rovering charmed their way into the hearts of the audience with an over-the-top performance that blended humour, heart, and just enough recklessness to keep things interesting.
Fastest Run: Yaba Daba Do set a new track record with a blistering 00:55:948.
By the time the dust settled and the last cart either crossed the finish line or lay in ruins halfway down the course, one thing was clear. This wasn’t just a race. It was an ode to human ingenuity, reckless abandon, and the pursuit of the perfect downhill run.
There were winners (technically), there were losers (spectacular ones), but at the end of the day, the true champion was chaos itself.
Here’s to the fearless, the foolhardy, and the fast. Long may they roll.
Results:
1st Place – Yaba Daba Do
2nd Place – Sombrero Brother’s
3rd Place – Skinnies
Paul Marshall
Check out this gallery of images from the day!
