Photography by Jake Nelson
On Saturday, August 1, the Dead Baby Bike Club marked three decades of their infamous Dead Baby Downhill race. That’s 30 years of bombing down Seattle’s hills, from White Center to Georgetown, and celebrating survival with music, jousting, drinking, bike throwing, and general revelry.
The Stranger‘s own Nathalie Graham, who joined the Dead Babies for her Play Date column in 2023, summed it up nicely: “There are no rules, and there’s no route—just get to the bottom.”
Photographer Jake Nelson was there to capture it all, from the starting line to the bruised and bloody finish.
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A Dead Baby Bikes Crew member wears a leather vest bearing the name, chapter location, and notorious iconography of Dead Baby Bikes. -
Racers line up outside Tim’s Tavern, the start point for Dead Baby Downhill’s “Durty Thurty” 2026. -
Mounted racers wait shoulder to shoulder in the street for the lone firework that signals the start of the race. -
Racers head from Tim’s Tavern in White Center toward Georgetown, bombing down the massive hill on Olson Place Southwest. -
Vanessa Littrell with her large penny-farthing. -
A crowd gathers as Distest plays on the main stage. -
Jean-Paul Jarreau receives medical attention at the first aid tent. Despite an early crash with a tandem bike, he made it to the end celebration. -
Participants line up to throw a small bike as far as they can in the Huffy Heave. -
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Jesse Harris is knocked from his bike by his opponent’s lance. -
Adam Ruthless, Renton Skatepark’s local Four Loko rep, chugs a Four Loko. -
Chaotic Noise Marching Corps performs, incorporating megaphones and power tools into brass band compositions. -
In the middle of the celebration, Andrew plays a BMX video game in the back of a pickup truck while his dog, Huna, lays on the tailgate.
