On Sunday, hundreds of residents gathered on a street in southeast Portland to watch an unusual parallel-parking competition. A line of cars stretched for roughly five blocks as drivers waited for their chance to park between two vehicles already at the curb. Spectators arrived with their families, dogs and folding chairs, while some even wore traffic cones on their heads.
Parallel parking is especially common in Portland and other cities in the Pacific Northwest, where residential streets often have narrow roadways, dense development and little private parking. Curbside spaces make it possible to use limited space more efficiently without blocking traffic.
The tournament took place outside Daniel Lyman’s home near the intersection of Southeast Pine Street and Southeast 29th Avenue. The idea emerged a year earlier during a casual conversation between Lyman and his friend Stephanie Lynch. The first contest, organized in just a few days, unexpectedly attracted attention from local and national media, and its creators even appeared on “Good Morning America.” This year, Portland’s transportation bureau supported the event by providing prizes and vouchers for the Parking Kitty app.
Parking Kitty allows users to pay for and extend parking from a smartphone, check rates and manage their parking session. The app is particularly common in paid curbside parking zones — downtown, in business districts and in popular shopping and tourist areas, where spaces are scarce and time limits apply.
About 80 participants competed for roughly five hours. Backup cameras were prohibited, and the bumpers of the parked cars were protected with soft pool noodles. Touching either vehicle meant disqualification, which happened fairly often. A wide variety of vehicles took part, from old compact pickups to a small British roadster; even a motorcyclist made an attempt. A father who pushed a child in a stroller through the course received a perfect score.
Judges considered not only whether the driver successfully parked, but also the speed, the vehicle’s length, the distance from the curb and the flair of the maneuver. Longer vehicles earned participants more points, while shorter ones earned fewer. Spectators watched one driver with a baby in the car in complete silence so as not to wake the child. The competition was emceed by Portland drag performer Nicole Onoscopi, while the judges included KOIN meteorologist Josh Kozart and a transportation bureau employee.
The five top-scoring participants advanced to the final, known as the “Tournament of Champions.” Kyle Kaufman won after parking in 16 seconds and scoring 85.72 points. He received the grand prize: a miniature Subaru painted gold. Organizer Daniel Lyman said the contest will return next year only if it can be made even more absurd and fun.
Based on: Hundreds pack Portland street to watch people parallel park