Photos: Sculptures get an 'Extreme Makeover'

Duane Flatmo's "Extreme Makeover" is a kinetic sculpture he and several teammates built in the Arcata Kinetic Lab in the coastal college town of Arcata, Calif.

A full side view of the Picasso-esque "Extreme Makeover."

Flatmo's "Surf 'n' Turf," another kinetic sculpture in the Arcata Kinetic Lab in Arcata, on June 15, 2006.

Flatmo is one of the pre-eminent practitioners of kinetic sculpture racing, a pastime that started informally in Arcata in 1969 and now is celebrated with a giant three-day event involving dozens of entrants each Memorial Day weekend.

Flatmo shows off a grand-prize trophy from a previous Kinetic Sculpture Race in Arcata.

Riding "Extreme Makeover" means being inside the giant abstact head and looking out through its gnarled teeth.

Flatmo points to the complex engineering of a kinetic sculpture in Arcata, Calif.

"Extreme Makeover" looks like something Picasso would have designed if he'd been tasked with creating a human-powered ride for four people.

Flatmo rides one of his "spinner" bikes, which can dart around deftly and turn on a dime.

The Arcata Kinetic Lab is filled to the rafters with machines from years past. This dragon is one of the most beautiful.