Farrow

The clatter of robots bouncing off polycarbonate and the whir of spinning blades echoed through the former 15th Ave QFC space as the clunky, charming, and fiercely friendly world of amateur robot combat made its debut in the neighborhood of a Capitol Hill robot maker.

For the robot crews and dedicated fans, it was an event they have been preparing for since summer. For others like Muhammad Ali and his kids, it was a Saturday morning surprise found on their regular walk.

“Every Saturday is my special day with the kids,” Ali said. “We go stroll around. I get my coffee, she gets her drink. And this is on our normal route. So we saw the door open, popped on in, and lo and behold, we got BattleBots going. What a great thing to find.”

Organized by Western Allied Robotics, Saturday’s event drew dozens of builders and spectators to Quality Flea Center at 420 15th Ave E, transforming the vast, street-art-decorated space destined for eventual demolition and redevelopment into a battleground for three, twelve, and thirty-pound machines.

“So we’re Western Allied Robotics. Local nonprofit, been around since 2000,” said organizer Rob Farrow, a veteran of the scene. “I lived here since ‘94, so I’ve been in the neighborhood for a long time.”

Farrow said WAR chose the venue for its practicality and proximity. “I live close. I just saw the space when I walked by… We need a big space where they’re not worried about the floors.” He noted the group usually holds events in towns like Monroe and Puyallup. The events are usually streamed so you can also enjoy the action from anywhere. You can watch the weekend’s WAR at the Market here though it lacks without some play by play. CHS recommends adding your own heavy metal soundtrack in the background for optimized viewing.

The heart of the action was a 12-by-16-foot arena with four-foot-tall walls made of thick polycarbonate, or “bulletproof plastic” and a roof of three layers of plywood to contain the flying shrapnel.

Despite the violent objective, Farrow emphasized the event’s safety record and supportive culture.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and the biggest injury is somebody cuts their finger while they’re putting it together,” he said. “Even though it’s kind of violent with the robots blowing each other up, it’s one of the most competitor-friendly events you’ll ever go to. Everyone here wants to help… they’re helping each other out, solving problems, lending parts.”

The pits, a series of tables where builders made frantic, last-minute repairs, buzzed with a collaborative energy that defied the seemingly competitive nature of the sport.

June Krizo, who drove up from Corvallis, has been building for three years. “Getting to destroy robots is really fun,” Krizo said. “But I really like how it’s not a super competitive environment. A lot of times I’ll be helping someone fix their robot right before we’re about to fight, just because I want to make sure that we’re gonna have a good fight and not just like pushing a brick around for three minutes.”

This sentiment was echoed by Shawn Sergev from Lynnwood, a builder for a decade. “I just really like designing, building, and then also the community is really awesome,” he said, showing off a new three-pound robot finished just the day before. “If somebody needs something, you shout it out and you find somebody who has it… everyone’s always trying to help out.”

The appeal spans generations and backgrounds. Adam Conus, a 20-year veteran builder from Seattle, got into it after watching BattleBots on TV. “I’m an art school [grad], and I don’t do engineering. I’m not an engineer,” he said. “It’s fun to be able to compete with these guys who actually know what they’re doing… Between rounds, you got to fix the thing. That’s just unique. There’s nothing else like that where you got to repair your machine almost guaranteed, every fight.”

For Eric, who drove up from Olympia with his sons, the event was a hands-on homeschool lesson. “We’re learning about the sport to try to get into it ourselves,” he said, as his son Owen recounted getting to drive a bot. “We homeschool, so it’s a way of tying school to a project… Actually learning, because they have to learn about materials. And we got out of the house. Video games don’t get you out of the house.”

For some, the journey into robot combat is a quick plunge. Diego Maldonado, 22, from North Central Washington, built his first robot in a month after a friend sent him an Instagram video.

“A few Google searches later, there’s an event an hour away from me in a month,” he said. “It really came together like the three days before, of course… it did not go well, but it was fun, and it got me hooked.” His current robot, a bright orange machine named “Salsa,” was poised for battle.

The event also drew curious first-time spectators like John Jensen, who found the event on CHS. He brought his 22-month-old son, Leo. “He loves cars. I wanted to see the robots,” Jensen said. “And then, you know, it brings back to that old Comedy Central show… BattleBots.”

With a solid turnout and a unique urban venue, robot fighting could have a future on 15th Ave E as part of the random — and pretty fun — mix of pop-ups and businesses filling the area in wait of the QFC’s blocks eventual demolition and mixed-use development.

As the event wrapped up, the arena bore the scars of a day well-fought, scratches on the walls, bits of debris, and the faint smell of ozone. But for the builders packing up their robots and tools, the mission was accomplished: a day of clashing metal, shared knowledge, and community.

Learn more about Western Allied Robotics and events at westernalliedrobotics.com.

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