Concrete Canoe
Every year we design and build a canoe made of concrete. We then compete and race our canoe at regional and national conferences. We start in Fall Quarter by creating our hull design, mix design, and construction of the canoe mold. Once we have our final mix design and mold, we cast the canoe in less than a day. In Winter Quarter, we sand, patch, stain and seal the canoe before competing in PSWC (Pacific Southwest Conference). In addition to constructing the canoe, we create and submit a design paper prior to the conference. We also prepare for an oral presentation and make stands, a final display, and a representative cutaway section of the canoe for display day. And of course, we hold weekly paddling practices throughout the year to train for the exciting all-day racing event at the conference!
Scoring in the competitions is based on four equally-weighted parts: canoe design and construction quality, design report, oral presentation, and race performance. Our goal is to excel in these four areas, so we take great effort to prepare for the competitions. There is a need for students (or “project engineers”) to help out in one or several aspects. From mix design to paddling, there is a way for students from all majors to contribute to the project. Whether it is painting the canoe, paddling the canoe, or even just designing the shape of the canoe, each aspect is intertwined with each other, making this project a very fun, collaborative effort.
Scoring in the competitions is based on four equally-weighted parts: canoe design and construction quality, design report, oral presentation, and race performance. Our goal is to excel in these four areas, so we take great effort to prepare for the competitions. There is a need for students (or “project engineers”) to help out in one or several aspects. From mix design to paddling, there is a way for students from all majors to contribute to the project. Whether it is painting the canoe, paddling the canoe, or even just designing the shape of the canoe, each aspect is intertwined with each other, making this project a very fun, collaborative effort.
UCLA Concrete Canoe Team at PSWC 2019.
We have competed in the regional Concrete Canoe competition since 1990. Our first canoe was cleverly named P.D.S. 90, which stood for “Please Don’t Sink”. Since then, our Concrete Canoe team has qualified for nationals eight times following exceptional performances at regional competitions. In fact, our most recent invitation to the national competition was in 2019, when we were chosen as a Wildcard team!
2020 proved to be yet another successful year for us. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic preventing us from going out on the water to show off our canoeing skills, we placed 2nd at PSWC 2020 based off of our design report! We hope that next year, when PSWC 2021 comes to UCLA, we will be able to come back stronger than ever right on our own soil (or water).
For more information, visit bruinsconcretecanoe.org!
2020 proved to be yet another successful year for us. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic preventing us from going out on the water to show off our canoeing skills, we placed 2nd at PSWC 2020 based off of our design report! We hope that next year, when PSWC 2021 comes to UCLA, we will be able to come back stronger than ever right on our own soil (or water).
For more information, visit bruinsconcretecanoe.org!
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Contact
Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions. We are also open to sponsorship. The materials and equipment that we use in this project are expensive, so any financial help for getting those resources is appreciated. Please check out our Concrete Canoe Team's donation page or send an email to the entire project team for more information.
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