Cardboard boat regatta resurfaces

Randal Falker, a 6-foot 7-inch, 210-pound power forward on the SIUC men's basketball team, raced in a paper boat at Saturday's 32nd annual Great Cardboard Boat Regatta that was less than six feet long and light enough for him to lift with one arm.

"I'm going to need the rescue boats to follow me," Falker said before paddling into the murky green waters of Campus Lake. Falker wore a life jacket and carried a white cardboard flag, which he planned to use in the likely event his boat went under.

"Go Randal!" and "Hang on to your life jacket!" the crowd yelled as his boat made it out about 20 feet. Falker's boat went under shortly after. As the cardboard vessel lost its battle with buoyancy, Falker raised his paddle in triumph and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

"Did the sinking look good?" Falker asked after a rescue boat pulled him from the water. "I was trying to raise the white flag. I think I was sitting on it."

Falker, who came out to get some extra credit for his industrial design class, said he had such a good time he's considering coming back next year. If he does come back, he'll join a long line of students who built a boat for class and got hooked on the experience.

Mike Fleming teaches principals of technology at Carterville High School, and for the thirteenth year, his students built a boat as part of a class project.

"The purpose of the class project is to see how fast we can get the boat to go," Fleming said. "I'm hoping for about seven miles per hour."

Regatta racers have two options: they can either build their boat ahead of time or build a boat the day of the event. Builders electing to do the latter got a piece of cardboard, a cutting knife, duct tape, twisty ties, a nail, and about two hours to construct a boat.

While Fleming's students were busy doing their best to ace their project, he decided to compete in the instant boat race. Fleming built his boat in 25 minutes.

A group of SIUC students, who raced with Fleming years ago while they were in his class, joined the instant boat race as well. They were so determined to beat their former teacher they named their boat the "de-fleminator", but the students couldn't surpass their mentor.

"They were talking a lot of smack," Fleming said. "I threw it back in their faces. I showed them what's what."

Derek Naylor, a junior from Carterville studying Mechanical Engineering, wasn't too upset over the loss.

"He got me into it," Naylor said, "so I know how to build boats."

The instant boat race drew a lot of interest, but the main event involved the boats prepared ahead of time.

Brandon Briggs, a 19 year old who has been racing since he was nine, spoke with a raspy voice because two late nights of boat building left him a little under the weather. However, Briggs boat wasn't under anything as he easily paddled his way to his sixth first place trophy.

"Winning is a really good feeling, but the best part is just having fun," Briggs said. "There was great competition this year. I loved it."

The shores of Campus Lake were packed with spectators. They were there to support the racers, take pictures and watch the sinkings.

The first sinking of the day came from an appropriately named boat called "The Water Coffin," which was built by the Future Farmers of America at Carmine High School.

Moses Scott, a sophomore at Carmine, said this was his group's first taste of paper boat racing-and they liked it.

"Next year, it'll be The Water Coffin returns," Scott said. "We'll be back next year."

Last year, the regatta came close to sinking like the Water Coffin, but organizers said this year marks a resurgence. Larry Busch and Brandon's father, Larry Briggs, the long time overseers of the event, were pleased with this year's turnout.

"This is bigger than the past three combined," Busch said. "It exceeded my expectations by at least a factor of two. Both with the number of boats and the audience turn out."

Saturday's unexpected turnout is just the beginning, Larry Briggs said.

"This is the rebirth right here," Briggs said. "This is the rebirth of the cardboard boat regatta. It should never have almost died."

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