Duct tape boat races a big hit again this year!

Ken Johnston

Ready! Set! Splash!
Eighteen teams of four registered for the fourth annual Great Beaver Duct Tape Boat Races in Rainy River on Sunday.
Teams spent three hours designing, folding, decorating and duct taping their cardboard boats together to enter in the races at 3 p.m.
Depending on weather conditions the races are sometimes run from the Second St. launch to the Government Dock launch. However, this year the wind was strong and from the west so organizers decided to have the boats paddle upstream from the Government Dock to Second St.
Dillon Harbart, 14, of Baudette, had people wondering how his boat, The Pride of Baudette, would stay upright. It resembled Noah’s Ark with a tall design in which he had to stand up to work the oars that came out of the side. Race coordinator Jack Elliott said, “That kid deserves honorable mention for his design and not giving up!” Harbart’s boat left dry dock and almost immediately capsized to the west. But he did not give up... he struggled, paddling out to the end of the dock before succumbing to the sinking of his boat. He did receive two rounds of applause for his effort and determination.
In the first heat, experience proved to be valuable. The Big Dock Boyz team of Danny St. Pierre, Dean St. Pierre and Donald Russell put together a design that would prove to be the fastest time of the day. Piloted by Danny and Donald they paddled the distance in 3 mins. 10 sec. to win the Adult Class. Coming in second was Team Desrosier, comprised of former Rainy River residents, Pilots Mark and Colin Pich and engineers Ab and Ann Desrosier, came in second in the adult class with a time of 3:54.
In the Family Class it was Kirby and Alyce Ewald of Crozier who were the closest to the Big Dock Boyz time with a time of 3:20. 2nd place in the Family Class was the Onion Ministers, Donna and Jacey Ewald, also of Crozier, with a time of 4:02. 3rd went to “Sea Monsters” Pilots Zack and Robert Tolen and Engineers Abbey and Rebecca Tolen.
In the Child Class it was the Putt-Putt Pontooners, Kaylee and Andrea Oroboko of Winnipeg coming in 1st with a time of 3:47. Canadian Fighters, Pilots Lindsay Bourre and Saragh Fraser and Engineers Rick Bourre and Jeff Fraser and Jessie Bourre came in 2nd with a time of 5:25.
In the Open Class Puppy Up A Chow, Shaun Holmes of RR and Justin Dennison of Hudson, Ont., came in first with a time of 4:10. The Naked Batman, Daniel Salo of Hudson, and Paul Holmes of RR, were only seconds behind the winners with a time of 4:18.
Crowd favourite, Pirates of the Rainy River, Cassie and James Westover, were just behind them with a time of 4:42. In 4th it was Duct Tape Boat, Kenny and Ayla Holmes of RR (6:38) and in 5th was 4008, Andy Holmes of RR and Amanda Dennison of Hudson (6:58).
While several boats sunk right off the start, The Most Spectacular Sinking went to Team Colluci featuring Gino Colluci, Marj Schihl, June Holmes and Ayla Holmes of Hudson/Sioux Lookout.
The Best Theme Boat was the replica of the 4008 that had many seeing the first ever train on water!
The event was a huge success drawing about 400 people to the park to watch and cheer them on!