CONTACT: Samantha Thompson, (608) 445-9780, slthompson@wisc.edu
MADISON – Twelve schools, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will see if their canoes, made entirely of concrete, sink or swim at the Great Lakes Regional Concrete Canoe Conference on Friday, April 28.
The concrete canoe competition challenges participating schools to create a canoe entirely out of concrete that is able to not only float in water but also able to compete and win two concrete canoe races.
The UW-Madison team is the defending champion and has won the past three consecutive competitions, a concrete canoe record.
The team’s canoe, named “Forward,” is 21 feet long, 30 inches wide and weighs about 155 pounds. The 25-person team has been working on the canoe since August and has made several improvements to the canoe, including a new hull design and use of a different type of concrete.
“We hope to win regionals this year and get a chance to go onto nationals and defend our three consecutive national championships,” says concrete canoe co-chair Samantha Thompson. “But there is always tough competition out there.”
The races, both endurance and sprint combined, count for 25 percent of the teams’ overall scores. The remaining 75 percent is comprised of an academic paper, an oral presentation detailing their design and the product of the final racing canoe.
Before the races, the canoes also have to pass a “swamp” test where the canoes are completely submerged in water to show they are still able to float horizontally when filled with water.
The canoe races will be located at Brittingham Park in Madison and will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 28. Spectators and fans are welcome to attend. For more information, visit http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~asce/Regionals2006/Regionals.htm.
