In June, 2014, the Pittsburgh Younger Member Forum (YMF) sent a team of engineers to volunteer at the National Concrete Canoe Competition hosted by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ). The event, now in its 26th year, centers around designing, constructing, presenting and racing canoes made of - you guessed it--concrete. This year’s competition took place June 19-21, 2014 on the UPJ Campus and nearby Quemahoning Reservoir.
23 teams participated, traveling from as far as Canada, Puerto Rico, and China. The three day affair included technical presentations, a career fair, canoe displays, and an awards ceremony. Designs were judged based on technical paper submissions, oral presentations, overall final product, and culminating in a race against the clock and one another.
YMF Members Mike Zerby, Stephanie Buncich, Jesse Fresch, Lauren Dziagwa, Karen Mueser, Linda Kaplan, Sara Mullaney, Sonya Flournoy, Bill Confair, and Jim Radion helped out with everything from keeping time during the races, scoring, set-up/breakdown, organizing students, and cheering on the teams. YMF Past-President Angela Mayer also served as a judge.
The UPJ Team finished in 15th place, while the University of Nevada Reno paddled their hardest to win the overall competition.
For more information on the National Concrete Canoe Competition, go to http://www.asce.org/concretecanoe/.
