FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Fort Leonard Wood’s Cardboard Boat Race took place Aug. 10 at Training Area 250, organized by the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
According to Eli Wilson, FMWR Community Activities manager, 10 two-person teams competed this year, and the teams each competed in one of two divisions — adult and family — for four award categories:
- The High Seas Award, for the most spirited team;
- The Admiral’s Pride Award, for the best creativity and design;
- The Torpedo Award, for the fastest finish; and
- The Titanic Award, for the most-epic sinking.
This year’s adult division winners included:
- “Red Boat,” consisting of Madeline Kondritz and Alexzandria Figueroa, who took home the High Seas Award;
- “E Boat,” consisting of Paul Duncanson and David McLane, who took home the Admiral’s Pride Award;
- “Alpha Armada,” consisting of Ace Schnacke and Matthew Smithey who, with a time of one minute, 57 seconds, took home the Torpedo Award; and
- “31st Engineer Battalion Spartans,” consisting of Michael Kaiser and Ian McBride, who took home the Titanic Award.
This year’s family division winners included:
- “Purple Flower,” consisting of Jesse Gilliam and his daughter, Sylvia, who took home the High Seas Award;
- “Spirit of Adventure,” consisting of Anthony Byers and his daughter, Ava, who took home the Admiral’s Pride Award;
- “Shark Bait’s Revenge,” consisting of Aidan and Nora Robinette, who, with a time of one minute, 59 seconds, took home the Torpedo Award; and
- “USS Sea Turtle,” consisting of Lee Sweeney and his son, Leonidas, who took home the Titanic Award.
The Sweeneys, whose aircraft carrier-based boat capsized right at the start of their heat, came out to the event, “just to have a good time,” Lee said.
“And be the coolest,” Leonidas added.
After spending about three days on their build, Lee said the problem was their craft was, “too buoyant.”
“We didn’t calculate our weight good enough, so we were too buoyant, and we tipped over,” he said.
This year’s race was the Sweeneys’ first and, unfortunately last, as they move on to Kentucky before the next event.
“This is a great event,” Lee said. “I wish we would’ve known about it the last two years we’ve been living here.”
Like the Sweeneys, this was the first time participating in the race for Kondritz and Figueroa, whose boat was designed by Brandon Davis, another member of their unit, the 35th Engineer Battalion, on the principle of, “less is more.”
“(Davis) decided to take a simple strategy of less is more for the boat, with a simple design,” Kondritz said, “with his main effort focused on sealing the sides of the boat to prevent leaks.”
While the boat’s smaller size helped the racers focus on structural integrity, the shallow sides made it easier for water to enter.
“Towards the end of the race, we started to take in water from the top,” Kondritz said.
Overall, Kondritz said they loved the boat race.
“I didn't realize how big of a tradition it was and how hard people would go on boat design,” she said. “It was awesome to see the different units out there having fun.”
Kondritz also had some advice for future competitors.
“Our advice for future competitors is sometimes less is more,” Kondritz said. “And to have fun!”
At the awards ceremony, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala thanked the organizers, competitors and spectators on behalf of himself and Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general.
“Every year that we come out here, we see the creativity and ingenuity of everybody getting after the spirit of winning,” Arzabala said, adding he recognized some of the boats from years past. “And every year, we see some of the same boats – do we have a historic category?”
Arzabala summed up the event as, “a tradition for Fort Leonard Wood.”
“We all look forward to this,” he said.
Photos from the event are available to view and download on the Fort Leonard Wood Flickr page.
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