Utilizing duct tape, cardboard, and an ocean’s worth of shipbuilding creativity, aspiring sailors took to the high seas of the Roosevelt Park Pool in the hopes of bringing home one of the many prizes for feats such as being first to the finish line, most dramatic sinking, and other fun-soaked accomplishments.

Before taking to the water for the 7 p.m. start, each team was required to check-in and submit their boat to judges for an inspection to ensure it adhered to the specified guidelines set forth for the event. As part of the rules, teams of two to four members were allowed, with only two team members maximum of the ages 12 and up allowed in the boat during the race.

Spearheading the event was Gerald Brown, the new Special Events Coordinator for Minot Parks. Crediting the Minot Park District’s Director of Marketing and Development Elly DesLauriers as the inspiration for Monday’s inaugural competition, Brown emphasized that the goal of the gathering was to hopefully build enough excitement to make it an annual event.

“You look on YouTube and see this same event happening all over the nation and it is huge. It can be an event that really brings the community together and a really fun thing that everyone looks forward to and they can work on building a boat year-round,” elaborated Brown.

When asked about what would end up being a final turnout of 10 canoes Monday night, Brown stated, “It’s good, considering that with these free events you might get a lot of registrations that don’t show up, along with people who don’t register that show up. There’s a good diversity in age and boat build here, so we’re happy to see it.”

In just over the course of an hour, the enthusiastic crowd, many of which dangled there legs in the warm water or sat in the many lounge chairs framing the outline of the pool, were treated to a spectacle filled with plenty of laughs, splashes, and capsized cardboard cutters and crafts as they attempted to finish the course in the fastest time without sinking. One of the only two ships to finish the course even proudly took on the mantle of “Redneck Yacht Club.”

After the rough seas subsided, the canoe of Minot natives Codey Irwin, McKinnley Kragh, and Athena Buseth sailed to victory as they claimed the grand champions trophy. Dressed in costumes inspired by characters from the movie “Despicable Me”, Irwin shared that their inspiration for entering the contest came from her mom sharing a post with her from the Minot Park’s official Facebook page.

Taking just two hours to build, Irwin stated when asked how well they expected to do that they “covered the cardboard in tape and hoped for the best.”

More than anything, Irwin emphasized to anyone thinking about being a part of the event in the future, “Just go out and try stuff. You shouldn’t have any expectations for yourself. The whole experience was fun, including the dressing up and looking stupid.”