Anchors aweigh for annual Cardboard Boat Challenge

Canyon Lake’s Cardboard Boat Challenge is entertaining for participants and spectators alike as boats constructed of cardboard and duct tape race on the lake for bragging rights and prizes.

This year’s Cardboard Boat Challenge will take place during the annual Mermaid Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 11:30 a.m. at Indian Beach. All ages are welcome to enter. The $10 entry fee is waived for those who register on or before Sept. 19. The registration form and rules are posted on the Woman’s Club website at canyonlakewomansclub.com. Participants under the age of 18 must have parental consent to participate.

Only duct tape and cardboard may be used to construct boats. No other materials, including paint, wax finish and printed materials, may be used. Boats may only be propelled by utilizing arms, hands, paddles, or oars. Legs and feet must be contained inside the boat at all times.

A $100 prize will be awarded to the first place adult finisher (age 16 and older). The first place youth finisher (under the age of 16) will receive $75. A $50 prize will be awarded to the winners of the Judges’ Choice and Best-Dressed Vessel.

Check-in time on the day of the race is between 9 and 10 a.m. Participants must attend a  pre-race meeting at 11 a.m. at the judges’ table. The race starts at 11:30 a.m.; the lineup will be determined at check-in.

Back in the 80s, the Cardboard Boat Challenge was referred to as the Milk Carton Boat Race. In recent years, the POA changed the name to Cardboard Boat Challenge and hosted it at Sunset Beach during Fiesta Day. When the POA canceled the event in 2015 due to a lack of volunteers, the Woman’s Club offered to take over the event the following year and host it during its annual Mermaid Festival. The Cardboard Boat Challenge is just one of the many activities featured at the Mermaid Festival. The schedule is as follows:

11 a.m.: Dance party on the stage

11:30 a.m.: Cardboard Boat Challenge

12 p.m.: King Neptune in the Grotto

12:30 p.m.: Little Pirate Contest

1 p.m.: Pirate Ship Battle

1:30: Pirate Cove and Most Glamorous Mermaid Contest

2 p.m.: Little Mermaid Contest

2:30 p.m.: Opportunity Drawing

3 p.m.: Knobbly Knees Contest and Grand Prize Drawing

For more information about the Mermaid Festival, visit canyonlakewomansclub.com.