History

The challenge

In late 1969, Professor Clyde Kesler from Illinois University suggested to students in his properties and Behavior of Concrete class that they might try to build a canoe out of concrete. Word of these doings soon reached Professor John McLaughlin, head of civil engineering at nearby Purdue University. In the true spirit of campus rivalry, students working under the direction of Professors Charles Scholer and Robert Lee carefully guarded the doors of Purdue’s Concrete Laboratory while the team hatched plans to build a similar craft.

The first world champions

The two schools met on May 16, 1971 to hold what is believed to be the world’s first concrete canoe competition on the Inland Sea, a tiny lake in east-central Illinois. Illusion won the coveted trophy, a slender shaft of exposed aggregate concrete, mounted on a sawed concrete base and topped by a plaster-of-paris canoe model. Purdue won the consolation prize, a concrete “life preserver” made of normal weight concrete so heavy that two men were required to lift it.

Concrete Canoeing quickly spreads

The concrete canoeing began to spread over USA. There were rumors of similar goings on out in California and Oklahoma. But the true extent of the infection was not evident until the following year. Twenty-six schools turned up again at Eagle Creek Park in 1973 and three other canoe races were held across USA. In 1974, twenty-six schools assembled again, this time at Notre Dame, and five other races were held. By 1976, the year a race was again hosted by Illinois, there were at least ten races nationwide and the following year at least fourteen races were held. In April 1981, Professor Francis Young at the University of Illinois commemorated the 10th anniversary of the first concrete canoe race and compiled a summary of the races that had taken place. By that time, concrete canoe racing had spread around the world with races being held in Holland, England, and New Zealand. Concrete canoeing has now spread to Germany, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.


Now it comes to Singapore!