Children hit the water for annual cardboard boat races

Jinae West

Becca Lelles, 11, shows off her boat, “Mouse Trap,” which won second place in the funniest category at the ninth annual Cardboard Boat Races in Boulder City on Wednesday.

By Jinae West

Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Ninth annual Cardboard Boat Races

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In most boating competitions, there’s no trophy for the funniest- or most futuristic-looking ship.

But then again, it probably wouldn’t be made out of cardboard, either.

Sixteen entrants and their friends and family gathered at the Boulder City Pool and Racquetball Complex on Wednesday to compete in the ninth annual Cardboard Boat Races.

Children of all ages sat by the pool, awaiting the end of the judging and the beginning of the boat races.

The three categories were Most Original, Funniest and Most Futuristic.

Many of the boats were painted bright colors and had action figures, Barbie dolls or stuffed animals as their “captains.”

One resembled a wedge of cheese. One looked like a cat. Another looked like a peeled banana with a monkey at its helm.

Sheri O’Berta, aquatics coordinator and director of the event, said the boats can only be constructed from cardboard, tape and glue.

No water bottles are allowed to keep them afloat. She said she had to tell a few participants to remove them or be disqualified.

“We take that very seriously here,” O’Berta said.

Judges for the competition included Boulder City Council member Duncan McCoy, state Assemblyman Joe Hardy, Kris Thompson, owner of Boulder City Florists, and Cokie Booth, owner of BC Real Estate.

First place for Most Original went to Jana Williams, 13, whose boat was based on the Apostle Peter. First place for Funniest was awarded to Kevin Trygstad, 8. His creation was called “Flyer Boat” and was crafted out of a milk carton, feathers, aluminum foil and mustard containers.

Matthew Buford, 9, won first place for Most Futuristic. Buford’s boat was in the shape of a rocket ship.

A special Mayor’s Award was given to Devin Desmond, 12, for “World Tour,” a boat that featured a full rock band.

“I based it on a regular band: a guitarist, a bassist, a singer and a drummer,” Desmond said. “And I just made a bunch of instruments out of cardboard and put it together.”

He said this is his fifth time in the competition and has won a trophy almost every year.

Although Becca Lelles’ boat, “Mouse Trap,” didn’t win first, she snagged second place for funniest.

“I just kind of wanted to do something really funny and random,” she said.

Like many of the youngsters who competed, Lelles, 11, said she has been entering the race for some time. She said she has won in the funniest boat category three times.

“One was a purple pancake eater, another was a duck boat, and another was a smiley face riding on its tongue,” Lelles said.

O’Berta said entering the race is free. In past years, there have been as many as 42 entries and as few as 15. She said the event, which costs about $300 to fund, is sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department and local businesses.

The races began shortly after the awards ceremony.

The children swam on foam noodles and pushed their boats with a board so, O’Berta said, the race is more fair to participants who may not swim as well as others.

Halfway through the race in the category for 10-year-olds, two of the boats began to give way in the water. One of the Barbies on a boat fell overboard.

By the time they reached the finish line, the boats looked like soggy paper towels, which prompted someone to say that the best award not given that night was for the fastest-sinking ship.