Services – 3D Sculpting, CNC
Location – UK
On the English south coast, a tight-knit community gathers each year for an eagerly awaited wooden duck race. Participants hand-carve and decorate their own wooden ducks, showcasing creativity and craftsmanship in each unique entry.
The event is both fun and fiercely competitive, with strict rules in place—some contestants have even faced disqualification for bending the rules to gain an edge. Ducks are awarded points for both decoration and speed, with a coveted prize for the best-looking duck and, of course, for the overall winner.
All proceeds, including entry fees and funds raised on race day, benefit a local charity.
The beloved annual wooden duck race faced possible closure when the supply of hand-carved ducks dwindled, leaving organisers without enough entries for the event. This cherished community tradition was at risk, as skilled carvers had become scarce and participants struggled to create their own.
The potential end of this charity driven race saddened locals who cherished both the fun and the funds raised for a good cause. Without a reliable source of wooden ducks, the future of the event looked uncertain, sparking calls for a solution to keep this unique community event afloat.
Studio Sowow stepped in to save the event, offering a solution by designing and producing high-quality wooden ducks to keep the tradition alive. Using advanced 3D sculpting software, they digitally modelled a duck design that honoured the original hand-carved aesthetic while ensuring consistent quality.
Each duck was then CNC cut from a single piece of timber, preserving the natural wood grain and strength needed for racing. This process allowed Studio Sowow to produce the ducks efficiently while maintaining the craftsmanship that made them special, breathing new life into the event and ensuring its legacy continued.
