HOW TO GO
WHAT: Crazy Cardboard Regatta
WHEN:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 19
WHERE: Voice of America MetroPark, 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester Twp.
COST: Free to enter, but a motor vehicle permit is required. They are available at the Regatta and are free to Butler County residents, or $5 for nonresidents.
MORE INFO: www.yourmetroparks.net
HEROES RACE ADDED TO EVENT
MetroParks’ 5th annual Crazy Cardboard Regatta had added a “Heroes Race” to its popular competition at Voice of America MetroPark.
The first ever Heroes Race will include representatives from branches of the military. The races are designed to showcase their skills and endurance as they race against one another on a course designed to present difficult water challenges, according to a MetroParks press release. From water guns, to paddle boats to four-man stand up paddle boards (SUP), these races will be a test for the country’s best.
The race begins with a water gun shoot out, where the teams must fill their bucket to move on to the next leg of the race. Then the four-person teams will jump into the paddle boats and must rotate seats every time the air horn blows. Once a team reaches the middle buoy, they ditch the paddle boat and climb aboard MetroParks’ new SUP’s, which are available for rental at VOA. All four team members must be completely out of the water, as they work their way around the last buoy without their paddles. The homestretch to team victory will be an all-out battle to be the first team back to the dock.
In the summer people find creative ways to beat the heat, and one would be hard-pressed to find an activity more wacky than the Crazy Cardboard Regatta.
The annual event’s fifth iteration will be held on Saturday, July 19.
As put on by the MetroParks of Butler County, the Regatta pits contestants against each other as they race homemade cardboard “yachts” on the 35-acre lake at Voice of America MetroPark.
Kelly Barkley, the senior manager of Community Relations at MetroParks, says that the idea was conceived when she and others looked to park districts across the country that had employed fun and unique ideas to get more people to visit the parks.
“The question is how do you get people to get excited about land management and conservation?” Barkley asked. “We do that here at MetroParks, being one of the more fun parks around, through events that pull them in. Once they’re there, they look around and think, ‘Wow, now I get it. Now I understand why its important to preserve land and conserve,’ It’s a fun, family-friendly place to be.”
In a few short years, the Regatta has grown from a few hundred curious observers to several thousand. Last year, just more than 30 boats registered. Volunteers, programming partners and sponsors also lend a much-needed helping hand to keep things running smoothly.
While the Regatta is still the focus of the event that will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Barkley insists that there will be something here for everyone.
“We have a lot of different demonstrations this year prior to the actual Regatta kicking off,” Barkley said. “At 11 o’clock, our new event that we’re excited about is our heroes race, featuring four different units of today’s military competing in four-man teams in a silly, water-challenge race.”
Other activities and demonstrations at the Regatta include kite flying, fly fishing, robotics teams, rowing, a student rock band from Mason, a kids area, food and drink, and more.
At the moment the weather looks to holding up great, so its not to late to register a boat for the big race.
Contact this contributing writer at gierinjr@miamioh.edu.
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