Scenes from Lowell: The Great Cardboard Canoe Race of 2023 Edition

It’s been an exciting year for the Lowell Area Schools robotics program. They added a middle school team, saw their high school team finish in the top third statewide and have a new practice space to look forward to next year.

And what could possibly be a better way to wrap up the year than with a cardboard canoe race?

Yes, on Saturday, members of both the middle school and high school robotics teams took a low-tech swing around Stoney Lake. It’s an annual event that requires participants to construct a canoe and oars out of precisely two materials: cardboard and adhesive tape.

Then,  everyone gathers at the park to race their creations with awards given for the first and second places as well as the “fastest to the bottom.”

Here’s a look at how this year’s event went down:

Stoney Lakeside Park was the scene of the races with intrepid sailors lining up their boats while a small crowd looked on.

There were three middle school participants…

…and three high school students.

Some made it look easy…

…while others found themselves getting a little wet.

As with any race, there is the thrill of victory and the agony of the defeat…unless you were fastest to the bottom and then you got a little bit of both.

In addition to the student races, one high school student went up against two mentors in a race for the Philo Cup, which is named for a past mentor. The adults had what is perhaps the world’s largest cardboard canoe. This particular vessel has been around since before the pandemic and seats two or more people. It has never lost. Hmmm…..

At the end of the races, awards were given out including certificates and a gift card and candy to the top two finishers at each level, respectively. The Fastest to the Bottom winners were presented with a roll of tape.

Are you all about this type of summertime shenanigans? Then you should check out the Robotics Team! Middle school teams will start-up in the fall while the high school program begins in January. Visit the team website for more information.

 

All photos courtesy of Amanda Schrauben.