HEBER SPRINGS — Before being able to hit the water, teams in the World Championship Cardboard Boat Races must first construct winning — or at least nonsinking — boats.
The 30th annual World Championship Cardboard Boat Races will take place at 10 a.m. July 30 at Sandy Beach on Greers Ferry Lake in Heber Springs. To help teams, the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a How to Build a Cardboard Boat workshop from 5:30-7:30 p.m. June 29 at Quality Floorz & Supply, 501 S. Seventh St.
Theresa Bobo, event manager, said the time to start building is now.
“That’s the reason we are conducting the workshops this year,” she said. “A lot of people would love to build a boat and just don’t know where to start.”
The workshop will guide teams on the permitted materials to use, how to waterproof them, and tips and techniques on how to make a long-lasting boat design. This year’s theme is Pixar, and teams are encouraged to decorate their boats with their favorite Pixar movie or character.
Gary Redd, a 14-year volunteer who announces the races each year, said a team should spend at least 40 hours preparing its boat for the 200-yard course.
“We probably have more finishes than sinks,” he said. “The sinkers are probably the ones that put their boats together in 24 hours. There’s some, it takes them all year to build a boat, and those are fun to watch.”
There will be two timed heats during the race for the categories of youth and adult.
Bobo said that Larry Jernigan, who has aided the local 4-H Club’s boat-making for years, will lead the workshop.
“Unless you come to the workshops, you’re not going to know those trade secrets,” she said.
Redd said the races have seen as many as 40 boats, but usually between 25 and 30 compete.
“The best ones are the ones that get halfway around and figure they aren’t going to make it,” he said.
He said workshops are beneficial because it makes boat-making a reality for those who might not have otherwise considered competing.
“A lot of people, they’ll come out and watch it, and they just don’t think they can make a boat,” he said. “At least it gives them the knowledge of how to put one together and how long it really takes to do it. I think we really just started those [workshops] in the last couple of years, and they’re valuable to know.”
The No. 1 mistake in crafting a boat is not covering seams with liquid nails, which will be provided at the workshop, Bobo said.
“If your seams aren’t covered, the tiniest little bit of water can get in there and cause damage,” she said.
A winning boat doesn’t even have to be that big, she noted.
“You’d be surprised how much weight you can put on a 2-by-6 boat,” she said.
Redd said many boats that race are in the style of a pirogue or kayak, and they have been creative with the theme.
“In the past, when ESPN was here, we had a cardboard boat that looked like the ESPN desk,” he said. “We’ve had boats that look like the USS Enterprise from Star Trek. One of them looked like an old shack from the pioneer days. You just don’t know what you’re going to get.”
Bobo said she would like to see boats relating to Finding Nemo and Toy Story, but designs can also promote a team’s business, she said.
“For example, if you’re promoting a real estate company, you can use Up,” she said, noting that the film focuses on a floating house. “There’s a niche for everybody.”
Along with a trophy for the winner of the races, three other awards will be given away. The Pride of the Fleet Prize is awarded to the boat with the best design — a “sturdy, good-looking boat,” Bobo said.
The Captain’s Award is given to those with the most crowd engagement. “It’s not just about decorating your boat, but coming in costume — really working the crowd,” she said.
The Titanic Award is awarded to the team with the most dramatic sinking.
This year’s races also will have a run-off with the winning teams from both the youth and adult categories.
Redd said when it gets windy, larger boats typically slow down, making smaller boats a better choice for speed. Even if people choose not to race, viewing the boats is just as fun, he said.
“I’m up on the party barge, so we can see all the people. So for us, it’s a blast just watching people,” he said.
Until July 22, the registration fee for a team of one or two people is $45, and the fee for a team of three to eight is $50. After July 22, registration fees are $10 more. For more information, visit www.heber-springs.com.
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.