Floating, Sinking, and Boat-Loads of Fun
rdAGENTS hosted its first annual Anything That Floats competition April 9, drawing seven teams consisting of architects, engineers, graduate students, and even high school students. The event, which challenged participants to build floating devices from discarded materials, took place along Buffalo Bayou at downtown’s Sesquicentennial Park.
Competing teams gathered at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, unaware of what materials they would receive to build their respective floats. Each team was allotted two 10’ lengths of 3-4” PVC pipe, two 4’ lengths of 3-4” PVC pipe, one 4’x8’ sheet of 2” foam insulation, two 3’x4’ sheets of ½” plywood, and one 6’x8’ sheet of waterproofing sheeting, all generously donated by J.E. Dunn, Gowan, Inc., and Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing. Teams, which each consisted of a maximum of five people, could bring hammers, nails, duct tape, battery-operated power tools, and any other “connecting” materials to construct their floating devices within a three-hour time frame.
Once the three-hour time was up, teams brought their floats down to the banks of the bayou where they chose two team members to paddle 100 feet to the finish line. With adrenaline racing, each team excitedly took their turn, paddling as quickly as they could amid minimal bouts of water-logging and high-energy crowd-cheering.
After the judges (rdAGENTS’ steering committee) deliberated and lunch was served by the Good Dog Hot Dogs truck, awards were distributed. Each team received a “Certificate of Buoyancy” and certain teams were recognized based on other criteria. The “Bayou Beauty” award was given to Jeff Talbott, Jose Aguilar, Jeanette Dicorcia, Hugh Yildrim, and Giang Phan for having the most aesthetically pleasing float. As the only team whose boat flipped, Rainard High School’s Alex Beck, Ellen Vaughan, Devan Mendez, and David Johnson were given the “Best Sinker” award along with floaties, as homage to their valiant effort of swimming their boat across the finish line. Rainard High’s other team, which included John Cramerus, Leighton Moreland, Micah McClimans, Daniel Rasi, and Robert Mendez took home the Grand Prize for speed with their unique aero-dynamic design.
