Cardboard boats sink and soar in Engineers Week tradition

Cardboard and duct tape took center stage as students packed the HPER lap pool for Utah State University’s annual cardboard boat race, a longstanding Engineers Week tradition organized by the USU Engineering Student Council. 

On Feb. 25, 12 teams launched handmade boats built entirely from cardboard and tape into the water, competing first for crowd approval and then for speed. The event began with a design competition where teams presented their boats poolside and the winner was determined by the loudest cheer from spectators. 

After the crowd-selected champion was crowned, the races began. 

Each boat had to carry at least two participants. Paddlers were not allowed to use oars or props — only their hands. Teams started at one end of the lap pool and raced to the other side in timed heats. 

Jackson McKenna, a senior majoring in biological engineering and one of the event’s co-directors, said the race has been part of Engineers Week for years. 

“It’s just a competition where multiple organizations or groups of people can sign up,” McKenna said. “They build a cardboard boat under certain stipulations, and we have a race to see who can win. It’s a super fun tradition that we have.” 

Engineers Week is a nationally-observed celebration for colleges of engineering, typically held around Presidents’ Day. McKenna said the goal is to give engineering students a break from their demanding coursework while also spotlighting the engineering council. 

“Engineers are so busy all the time with all their schoolwork,” McKenna said. “We just want to get students to know there is such a thing as engineering council and that the College of Engineering does do a lot of fun activities.” 

Boats ranged from carefully measured rectangular builds to more experimental shapes. One team even dressed as “The Lord of the Rings” characters as they raced. Some teams prioritized structure. Others gambled on speed. 

Many of them sank. 

Cardboard, even reinforced with generous layers of duct tape, eventually gives in to water. Several boats made it only partway across the pool before softening and folding inward. Others held together long enough to post competitive times. 

Nathan Flake, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, returned to the race this year after nearly winning last year with a boat he described as “really bad.” 

“It almost fell apart, but despite that, we actually did really well in the race,” Flake said. “We took second, just by a few seconds.” 

Flake and his teammates spent about five hours building their boat on the Friday evening before the race. Learning from last year, Flake said they kept the design simple. 

“We decided on a basic design,” Flake said. “I mean, it works with real boats, so it should work with a cardboard one.” 

Last year’s race focused largely on bragging rights, but this year’s competition added small prizes, raising the stakes. 

Beyond prizes, Flake said events like the cardboard boat race help change perceptions about engineering. 

“Helping people realize engineering isn’t just about science and numbers — it’s about real-world applications and building some stuff just for the heck of it,” Flake said.  

The engineering council opened participation this year to organizations outside of the College of Engineering, expanding the event’s reach. Teams typically had up to four participants in a boat, though only two were required to race. 

McKenna said the council works as a bridge between engineering students and faculty, aiming to improve the student experience. He said planning large-scale activities like the cardboard boat race is one way they accomplish that. 

“It’s mostly just a group of students working with faculty to make a better experience for students,” McKenna said. 

By the end of the night, soaked cardboard littered the pool deck, and participants climbed out of the water laughing.