Cardboard Boats | Student Leadership and Involvement

Participants

Design Rules & Requirements

Points will be earned for utilizing the Homecoming theme, creativity, and ingenuity.
Decorated boats promoting irresponsible use of alcohol, reference to alcohol or alcohol consumption, using profanity, or implying sexual or racial discrimination are not permitted. The Homecoming Committee will disqualify any boats that are in violation of this rule. Disqualified organizations will be suspended from the Cardboard Boats through 2025 (two-year suspension from participation).

The boat may only be made of cardboard. Glue, duct tape, epoxy, and caulking may be used for seams. Only duct tape and cardboard may also be used for decorating. Boats may not have any sharp points or edges. All glue and caulking must be completely dry to compete, with no exceptions. It is recommended you give your boat two days for the glue and caulk to dry. For environmental purposes, no paint is allowed (in past years paint separated from duct tape and cardboard and later washed up on the beach).

All participants are encouraged to have a stated theme in good taste. Remember what the Cardboard Boat theme is Amazing Race and Husky Survivor. The Homecoming football game is against Wayne State.

Race Rules & Requirements

A minimum of eight people and a maximum of twelve must be in the boat the entire race.
Class C must have genders represented equally.
Anytime a team member is on/in the water, a PFD must be worn. A violation of this will result in a disqualification for the event, earning no points, at the discretion of the Judges and Homecoming Committee.
All team members who start the race must finish the race without leaving the interior of the boat in order to complete it. If a team member exits the boat for any reason during the race, the team will be disqualified and will not receive points for the race portion of Cardboard Boat Races.

Decorated boats promoting irresponsible use of alcohol, using profanity, or implying sexual or racial discrimination are not permitted. The Homecoming Committee will disqualify any boats that are in violation of this rule.

Teams may only power their boats by the team members inside using the paddles provided.
Boats may not be enclosed above the shoulder of any team members participating. Boat occupants must be visible at all times.

The boat may only be made of cardboard. Glue, duct tape, epoxy, and caulking may be used for seams. Boats may not have any sharp points or edges. All glue and caulking must be completely dry to compete, with no exceptions. It is recommended you give your boat two days for the glue/epoxy/caulking to dry. For environmental purposes, no paint is allowed.

All members participating in the race must take a preliminary breath test (PBT) given by Public Safety to determine blood alcohol content. A reading of 0.00 is required in order to participate in the race. Once a participant has taken a PBT, they must remain in the participant’s area only. If a participant leaves the participant’s area before the race, they will not be allowed in the boat.

Only participants who are paddling and have taken a PBT will be on the beachfront. Spectators or organization members who are not participating in the Cardboard Boat Races must stay in the designated spectator’s area of the beach.

All Cardboard Boats must stay on the course laid out by the Homecoming Committee and Student Leadership & Involvement. Any attempt to cross the water will result in an immediate disqualification from Cardboard Boat Races.

Objects are not permitted to be thrown or launched from the boat during the race. Teams that are found to be breaking this rule will earn a MAX foul and lose 20 points.

Race Policies

Once a group is finished with the race, participants must remove leftover cardboard debris from the water and beach area and take it to the designated trash area. Participants who fail to do so will earn a MAX foul and lose 20 points.
Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) and paddles will be provided by OAP.

All members participating must sign and adhere to the Assumption of Risk/Release of Liability Waiver.

Bring water and dress for the weather! Water will not be supplied by the host committee.

Check-In

Boats will be judged as they move through the check-in line to compete in the race.
Please make sure you have arrived by 2:45 PM to line up. Judging will start around 3:00 PM.

Michigan Tech is partnering with the City of Houghton Public Works and Police.
All race participants and observers should use downtown roads to reach the race location at Chutes and Ladders Park. It is advised to turn right at the Krist gas station from MTU campus and drive Westbound Lakeshore Drive to reach the race location.
Avoid driving on Highway 26 with cardboard boats and as much of Highway 41 as possible.
Lakeshore Drive will be turned into a one-way road starting at 2:00 p.m. And there will be no access to the race location at Chutes and Ladders Park from Highway 26.
Participants and observers may walk through the tunnel under M-26 to access the race.
Avoid parking in neighborhood cul de sac, Roy’s parking lot, Copper Depot parking lot, grass areas, and RV parking lot

Cardboard Boat Parking Map