History of Carrinho de Rolimã
Carrinho de rolimã is a Brazilian game of unknown origin. Most people claim it was invented by the son of a car mechanic who liked to play with his father’s scrapped parts. One day, the mechanic’s son built a skate from the scraps. When he took his invention outside, however, he struggled to maintain a standing position. So, the boy decided to climb to the top of a hill, sit on the skate and move down the pavement. This is what most Brazilians consider the origin of the game, and it was from this rustic skate that the ball bearings car was born.
What we do know is that São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte were the firsts cities to witness groups of children racing down the road in this type of vehicle. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, kids spent much more time playing outside in the streets. The ball bearings cars were all handmade, built locally by the Brazilians. The children played carrinho de rolimã in order to get the ball bearings — which were used as wheels — to complete small tasks. They would fix the wheels into the wooden body of the car, and the vehicle would be ready for racing.
What is Carrinho de Rolimã?
Originally a recreational activity for children to enjoy in their spare time, carrinho de rolimã has since become quite competitive. The outdoor game can be played year-round, and is currently popular among children and adults of both sexes. It is a major part of Brazilian culture, and consequently, carrinho de rolimã has become a part of informal education throughout Brazil.
In the 1960s and 1970s, when the game first began to spread across the nation, the road traffic in the big cities decreased significantly, and the children could play more safely on the roads. This is one of the main reasons why carrinho de rolimã initially appeared in big cities such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte. These cities featured significantly more paved roads than smaller Brazilian towns. With the growing traffic nowadays, the game has almost disappeared entirely in the big cities, although it is still typically found in inner cities.
The construction of the cars is an important task for the players, as well as a major component of the game. The wheels of the vehicle, as mentioned above, are made from a specific part of old cars called ball bearings. Players get the wheels at the mechanic’s and build the body of the car with wood. The two front wheels are fixed into a mobile piece of wood, which allows the car to make swift turns. In turn, the brake is a small piece of wood that simply touches the ground when needed.
How to play?
Once the car is built, the player is ready to participate in a race. All the participants line up to begin the race, and the winner is the first person to cross the finish line. The most important rule in carrinho de rolimã is that players are not allowed to touch the ground in order to speed up their vehicle.
Nowadays, there are a number of institutions throughout Brazil that promote carrinho de rolimã races — some even divide the cars into different categories. In these cases, the participants pay a registration fee, and the winners are given prizes such as brand new cars and money. Safety is a priority in carrinho de rolimã races, and most sponsored competitions require that players wear protective gear such as helmets, elbow pads and gloves.
What began as a popular game among children in the late 1960s is now a major part of Brazilian culture. To this day, carrinho de rolimã races remain popular in Brazil.
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