PORT ANGELES — Building a boat out of cardboard doesn’t seem like an idea that would hold water, but the hilarity that ensues as a result is well worth the trouble, according to James Schultz, William Shore Memorial Pool assistant aquatics manager.
The pool at 225 E. Fifth St. is hosting the third annual Cardboard Boat Races on Saturday.
The race will begin at 3 p.m. Registration will be accepted until about 2 p.m.
The cost is $8 for a team of two who will build a cardboard boat on site and race in tandem.
“It is a fun activity for people in the community to do — to get creative and design and build cardboard boats and get them in the water and race them,” Schultz said.
The fun is “trying to build a boat that will float and then stay together,” Schultz said.
“It is just physics. It will float, but cardboard being a paper product, it will soak up water and will start sinking. You are to race it and get [it] across the water before it sinks.”
Open to public
The event is open to the public. Participants need not be pool members, Schultz said.
“We supply the cardboard and one roll of duct tape,” he said.
However, no cutting utensils are supplied, so participants “have to tear the cardboard to make the boat,” he added.
“We give [participants] an hour to build a boat.”
Once completed, the teams head into the water to compete for prizes such as a $10 gift certificate to the pool and trophies made of cardboard.
Categories include most creative design and “Titanic” — given to the team whose boat sinks the fastest.
Schultz said the event is held each year as a way to promote the pool.
“It is a fun event,” he said.
“It brings in new people to the pool. We are a community pool and are always looking for new and creative ways to bring people in to utilize our pool. It is not just for lap swimming but for other activities as well.”
For more information, call 360-417-9767 or visit www.williamshorepool.org.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
