Sink and swim: Cardboard Duct Tape Regatta continues to delight crowds
Liz Quesenberry,8, of Salem, paddles her boat during Salem Days Cardboard Duct Tape Regatta at Knoll Park on Tuesday, August 5, 2014.
A crowd of people gather to watch the Salem Days Cardboard Duct Tape Regatta at Knoll Park on Tuesday, August 5, 2014. IAN MAULE, Daily Herald
Shellie Olsen and her family got involved with cardboard and duct tape boats about 14 years ago, when Salem held its first Cardboard Duct Tape Regatta.
“My boys entered. There were seven boats, and we were three of them,” she said, of that first year. “But it was so much fun. They had a ball.”
The next year the person who’d been in charge asked Olsen and her husband, Randon, if they’d take over. And they’ve been in charge of the annual Cardboard Duct Tape Regatta ever since.
The regatta, held on Salem Pond, grew and grew, until finally the city had to cap the number of participants at 60 boats, Olsen said. People who want to participate need to fill out an application and get it in before the day of the event — Tuesday, Aug. 9. The event will fill up, so if residents show up expecting to participate, they’ll end up just watching.
The entry fee per boat is $15. Each team gets corrugated cardboard, a 1-by-2-by-8-foot board and two rolls of duct tape. Sponsors cover most of the cost of materials, Olsen said.
Teams show up to the beach at Knoll Park at 4 p.m., get their materials and have two hours to build before the races begin.
The categories are Youth (two riders up to 14 years old), Adult (two riders 14 years and older), Family (two riders, one adult and one youth) and Freestyle (one or two riders).
For the Freestyle category, teams can start working on their boats anytime, Olsen said. They’re not limited on the amount of cardboard or duct tape, but no structural materials are allowed. These boats can be decorated, too.
Participants need to bring their own utility knives, life vests, markers or spray paint for decorating and paddles.
Once all the boats are built, the races begin, with four boats at a time. Members of the Search and Rescue team staff the race, to keep everyone safe. At the end of the regatta, there’s a grudge match between all the boats that are still floatable. There’s a traveling trophy for winners, bragging rights and T-shirts, Olsen said.
“I would say that 95 percent of them float to some degree,” she said. “They may go about halfway out and start taking on water. Probably a good 60 percent stay above water the whole time.”
There are regulars every year, but a lot of new people, too, Olsen said. And participation isn’t limited to Salem residents.
“Just come and watch,” she said. “It is entertainment like nothing else. It’ll make you want to put it on your calendar and build one for the following year. … It is fun.”
Find the application at http://www.salemcity.org/salem-days-cardboard-duct-tape-regatta.htm.