Cardboard boat race

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Cardboard Boat Race is a common school-spirit competition for students of high school and college age.

A typical competition format allows competitors a fixed build time, using only a predetermined number of cardboard sheets, glue, adding machine tape, and paint. Duct tape is also often a key ingredient. Once completed, teams must race their boats across a shallow pond or river, using similarly constructed oars. The boats will almost always flood, sink, or shred under the weight and violence of the crews, mostly due to the difficulties of waterproofing cardboard. Awards are often given out for effort and spirit, instead of victory.

Sample race photos and news articles:

• Great Cardboard Boat Regatta(R) is the original event. started in 1974 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois. The founder was Richard Archer, a professor of art and design, whose Design 102 class was exploring one of R. Buckminster Fuller's principles: "Doing the most with the least." Archer's class had examined the properties of corrugated cardboard that term, and the idea of building boats of cardboard developed from that initial glimmer of an idea. Today, the focus of the event remains creative problem-solving, not competition. The Circuit of sanctioned events has grown to include dozens of cities and towns since the first site in Illinois more than 30 years ago.
• Cardboard Boat Race at McDonogh School
• Cardboard Boat race in Medford, Oregon