Demolition derby a family affair
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MARSHALL -- Like father like son, and sometimes like daughter.
The demolition derby at the Lyon County Fair has been a generational activity for numerous families -- even for the first responders.
Banks West, 5, wore his fireman's helmet and coat just like his dad, Matthew, on the edge of the dirt berm off the demolition track. He stood several feet behind his dad as the vehicles zoomed around on the dirt track and banged into each other.
Matthew West is a volunteer with the Ghent Fire Department.
"He usually comes with me and sits on the truck with me about every year," Matthew West said in between the action.
Bank's outfit was made from a Halloween costume with help from his grandma doing the sewing.
West said they like to go to demolition derbies in White, South Dakota and Tyler.
"We try to get to a couple of them," he said.
Just a few yards from the Wests, a row of family members wore "Team Velde T-shirts.
"My brother (Mike Velde) doing the demolition derby this year. He's actually making a comeback after 10 years, Kim Marczak said. "We always did T-shirts when the kids were little when he (Mike) used to do it. We call came out to cheer him on. It's kind of been a family tradition for a long time. Our uncles did it too back in the '80s."
Val Breczinski was sitting on a flat-bed trailer stationed along the track that was crowded with spectators. She was watching her son, Derick, who ended up finishing fourth and is third-generation of demolition derby drivers at the Lyon County fair.
"My dad started and then us kids started," Breczinski said.
After his heat finished, Dereck Breczinski said this was only his second derby.
"It's fun. Go out have fun, put on a show," Dereck Breczinski said. "My first time I didn't know what I was doing."
The vehicles in his heat ended up getting all locked up and there wasn't much movement.
"That's the way it goes. Couldn't do much," he said.
Ryan Viaene was also up in the stands sitting next to his dad, Bob. Both competed in Lyon County Fair demolition derbies in the past. His last one was in 2024.
The 2021 derby honored his son, Parker, who died in an ATV accident that year at age 20.
Like his son, Ryan Viaene grew up watching is dad in the fair demolition derbies.
"When I was a little kid growing up, I helped all the time. And then I started doing it all the time. I first did it when I was 15. And it’ll be my 36th year this year. I’ve done it for that many years, and my son Parker had done it for two years until he passed away."