Our concrete canoe is constructed from scratch every year for competition in the Rocky Mountain Regional Conference and possibly the National Competition at the various locations that are selected by the Committee on National Concrete Canoe Competitions.
The concrete canoe at the School of Mines is known for its domination at the Rocky Mountain Regional Conference each year. We have made it to the National Concrete Canoe Competition 13 of the last 16 years. The concrete canoe is also very competitive at the national level, with a national championship in 1995 and many top ten finishes at the national competition.
For the canoe to be competitive at the national level many hours are spent preparing a mold to the perfection of the design that was created. While the mold is being constructed, various mix designs are tested for maximum strength and minimum density with the purpose of floatation in water given a maximum cargo of four paddlers.
Many hours are put into sanding the mold as well as the concrete after it is applied to the mold. The project must also be described in a presentation accompanied by a design paper, both of which are scored at each competition. A tremendous amount of heart and soul goes into each year's concrete canoe.
National Concrete Canoe Competition Website
