|
|
 |
• Subscribe to the Tribune • Advertise with us |
 |
 |
|
| ||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
   
|
|
|
Search results
March 21, 2004 JIM SLOANjsloan@tampatrib.com By JIM SLOAN jsloan@tampatrib.com TAMPA — The Chippewa used birchbark. Today, fiberglass or aluminum is favored. But to hundreds of college students crowded along the banks of the Hillsborough River on Saturday, a canoe just isn't a canoe unless it's made out of ... concrete. "It's definitely not the most cost-effective method," joked Edward Kalajian, a professor at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, one of about 25 schools here to race the ungainly vessels. Every spring, engineering students from the Southeast gather to showcase their ingenuity in a weekend of friendly competition, racing concrete canoes for three days. The challenge: build a canoe out of concrete that's strong, stable and light enough to float. It's not easy. Concrete canoes typically weigh 150 to 200 pounds, compared with 40 to 60 pounds for fiberglass models. One race requires cramming four people into each canoe. "If you've ever been in a canoe with four people, you know it gets a little more exciting," Kalajian said. Jenna Lanis, 19, an Institute of Technology sophomore, said she got involved after her teacher told her she "looked like I wanted to paddle." "I've been paddling for two years, and it's a lot of fun," she said. Winners go on to national competition in Washington.
Send comments or questions to newslibrary@krmediastream.com |
|
| | ||
|
|
.gif)
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small}
.gif){kind=small} |
|
Breaking News | Nation/World | Metro | Sports | Business | Baylife Friday Extra | Classified | Recent Editions | Archive | Home TBO.com IS Tampa Bay Online ? 2001, Media General Inc. All rights reserved Member agreement and privacy statement 
|
