KidWind State Finals will be held in Salina on Saturday featuring a unique shark wind tunnel making its way to Kansas now

TOPEKA - Thirty-six teams representing 25 Kansas schools will travel to Salina on Saturday with their sights set on winning a state title in the Kansas KidWind Challenge and an opportunity to advance to the World KidWind Challenge in Madison, WI in May. Each team qualified for the state finals based on their performance in regional challenges, which drew a record number of 106 participating teams.

This year's state competition will also feature a unique attraction that may catch the eye of travelers on Kansas roads and highways over the next few days. A shark, which is actually a large high speed wind tunnel with speeds of 10 meters/second or 22 miles per hour, will begin the journey from Madison, Wisconsin to Salina on Thursday morning. Interactive stops at schools and attractions along the way are planned in Kansas City, Topeka, and Manhattan to promote the Kansas KidWind Challenge. Links to the schedule and a photo appear below.

On Saturday, the KidWind state finals will be held at Tony's Pizza Event Center (800 The Midway) in Salina beginning at 8 a.m. Teams compete by age groups: 4th-5th grade, 6th-8th grade and 9th-12th grade. Scoring for the event is based on turbine performance in a wind tunnel, a knowledge quiz, an instant challenge, and a presentation to judges where the team explains its turbine design and construction process. The event is open to the public and free to attend.

Links:
Shark Wind Tunnel photo
The Shark Wind tunnel schedule
State finalist teams participating in Saturday's event