Cal-Berkeley Coasts To National Concrete Canoe Competition Victory

Among engineering students from across the U.S. and Canada participating in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) National Concrete Canoe Competition

Among engineering students from across the U.S. and Canada participating in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) National Concrete Canoe Competition in Tuscaloosa, Ala., University of California-Berkeley contestants captured ÎAmerica’s Cup of Civil EngineeringÌ. This year’s event, hosted by the University of Alabama, marked the 22nd Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition and Berkeley’s first championship since 1992. Bear Area Û the 230-lb., 20-ft.-long winning canoe Û defeated entries from 21 other engineering schools.

Berkeley’s closest competitors were second-place Ecole de Technologie Superieure (ETS), manning its 190-lb., 20-ft.-long Vintage vessel; and, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, finishing a close third with its 246-lb., 20-ft.-long canoe, also named Vintage. For their top finishes, the Berkeley, ETS and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo teams earned $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500 in scholarship money, respectively.

Canoe races counted for 25 percent of the teams’ overall score. The remaining 75 percent was based on a technical design paper; formal presentation; and, as end product, the final racing canoe and project display, scored on aesthetics and visual presentation. The event was made possible by the support of the American Concrete Institute, Baker Concrete Construction, World of Concrete, and Holcim (US) Inc.