Raan Young:
The Founder & Graand Wizard
The Founder
Raan Young
Engineer. Instigator. Graand Wizard.
Every great story starts with a spark.
For the Graand Kinetic Challenge, that spark came from Raan Young—an engineer, problem-solver, and self-described “young nerd” who believed that imagination and engineering should live in the same space.
The Moment
That Started It All
Long before the first kinetic sculpture rolled through Corvallis, Raan had his own moment of inspiration.
In 1972, while working at the University of Washington, he encountered one of the first handheld scientific calculators, the HP-35. It wasn’t just a tool. It was a revelation. Powerful computing, small enough to hold in your hand.
That moment set him on a path.
Raan taught himself programming, immersed himself in early computing culture, and eventually joined Hewlett-Packard’s Corvallis division, which at that time was a hub of innovation for handheld and portable computing. As a software engineer, he helped develop early portable systems, always drawn to the idea of small, powerful, imaginative machines.
Years later, that same idea would take on a very different form.
The Idea
"Let's Do This Here!"
In 1992, Raan was introduced to the world of kinetic sculpture racing through a series of chance connections. An adventurous cyclist, a photographer named Maggie, and a New Year’s trip to Arcata, California, home of the original kinetic races founded by Hobart Brown.
There, he met builders and racers creating outrageously ingenious, pedal-pushed machines that were part engineering, part art, part absurdity.
He came back to Corvallis with a simple thought:
This belongs at da Vinci Days.
Building a Race
Out of Thin Air
In 1993, Raan pitched the idea to the da Vinci Days board using photographs of California’s kinetic sculptures.
From there, he built the race from the ground up:
Recruited Three Teams from Hewlett-Packard
Gathered 25 to 30 volunteers to help run the event
Convinced Experienced Racers from California to Come North and Compete
Secured prizes, materials, and support from local businesses
Designed a course with the key mud, sand, road, and river elements
All this, and He Had Never Actually Seen a Race in Person.
The first Corvallis Kinetic Sculpture Race took place as a one-day event. It worked. It was chaotic, creative, and unforgettable.
“We learned a whole bunch of things you don’t do,” Raan later said. “And we changed a lot of the rules after the first year.”
More Than a Founder
Raan didn’t just start the race, he nurtured it.
His impact went far beyond the race itself. Over the years, he:
Directed the Race for 6 Years
growing it into an iconic festival event
Served on the da Vinci Days Board
and as Treasurer
Mentored Future Organizers
and helped guide leadership transitions
A Top Donor
of the da Vinci Days Festival and Chief fundraiser and donor for the kinetic sculpture race.
Stayed Involved
long after stepping down as director
He wasn’t just building an event, he was integral to building a culture.
The Graand Wizard
The second year, Raan became more than a founder. He added magic.
With the help of friends who made his cape and helped with his enchanted staff, plus his home made hat, Raan became the Graand Wizard. This was a role that captured the spirit of the event itself: theatrical, a little mysterious, and deeply rooted in joy. It’s a reminder that while the machines may be engineered, the experience is a spectacle and pure wonder.
A Legacy in Motion
In 2008, the race was renamed the Graand Kinetic Challenge in honor of its founder.
What began as a small experiment with limited funding has grown into a long-standing Corvallis tradition. The course still challenges teams to navigate road, sand, mud, and river while powered entirely by human effort and fueled by creativity. In Corvallis, the event is a beloved tradition.
And at its core, it still reflects Raan’s original vision:
- Build something improbable.
- Figure It Out as You Go.
- Invite Others Along for the Ride.