All Hands on Deck: Creativity Floats at the 9th Long-View Cardboard Boat Regatta

Every spring, there’s a singular energy that builds in our community—a blend of anticipation, nervous excitement, and the unmistakable rustle of cardboard. On May 2, the Loop 360 Boat Ramp Park came alive as we held our ninth annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. Seventeen boats, each thoughtfully crafted by our learners, took to the waters of Lake Austin in a spirited event that highlights creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration.

We’re especially grateful to Travis County Parks for providing this beautiful park as the perfect setting—open space and sparkling water—for our event. This treasured community resource created an inspiring backdrop for our students to put their ideas to the test.

But the regatta is about much more than launching boats on the water. It’s a hands-on exploration of physics, problem-solving, and resilience. Over several weeks, teams worked together to design, build, and refine their boats, learning firsthand about buoyancy, balance, and resilience….

2019 Long-View Cardboard Boat Regatta

It’s a quirky and fun annual tradition for us…the Long-View Cardboard Regatta. This tradition started as a Build Week but moved to a community activity that is jointly run by the kids and staff of Long-View. The challenge? Design and build a human-powered boat that can carry one crew member (“the captain”) to the middle of Lake Austin and back, navigating the regatta course along the way. The boat may only be made of cardboard and duct tape…

The 2nd Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta

Phosphorax, The Puffin, The Cat’s Meow, Titanic 2.0, The Pajama Defenders and USS Lexington: these were just a few of the “seaworthy” crafts that launched one bright, sunny morning in May for the second annual Long-View Cardboard Boat Regatta. A crowd gathered at the Loop 360 Boat Ramp and cheered on as 14 boats, well 13 boats, successfully completed the course, paddling out into Lake Austin and back to shore….

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