They were just a few of the more than 115 crazy crafts and crews entered in this year's Great Cardboard Boat Regatta. An annual rite of spring, the race tests the design skills of students at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. All boats are made of cardboard. Boats make a single pass around a 200-yard course. Racers plunged into SIUC's Campus Lake Saturday, April 26.
Most people are amazed when one makes it.
The public joins in, too. Some folks build instant boats on race day. And high schoolers in the region hold a grudge match. Team members were Capt. Carterville High School.