World Championship Cardboard Boat Races...

A Brief History of the World Championship Cardboard Boat Races...

In 1987 Peggy Reeder, then vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce and Pat Zellmer, owner of the local newspaper began to look for ideas to create an event for the Greers Ferry Lake area.  The idea grew out of the need to bring more tourism to the area. Pat Zellmer had come upon the idea of a Cardboard Boat Regatta.  A boat, literally, made out of cardboard and not much more.  The challenge was to design and build a person powered boat made of corrugated cardboard which was capable of completing four heats around a 200-yard semicircle course.  The idea went over well in Heber Springs, Arkansas that spring and the two ladies put together a Special Events Team. An event on the lake was the “Natural Choice” since Greers Ferry Lake is over 40,000 acres and nestled in the beautiful Ozark Foothills.  Harold Reeder, the husband of Peggy Reeder conducted seminars on how to build a cardboard boat.  The event became very competitive as local industry and the businesses of Heber Springs began to build their boats.

Even after 21 years the event has generated year round excitement with the anticipation of building the “Pride of the Fleet” or perhaps the recipient of the dreaded “Titanic Award”. Boat builders and racers come from all over the United States.  The festival has always promoted having fun, creativity, and outrageous inventions. It has received national coverage through magazines, newspapers, ESPN, ESPN II, Over the Edge, the Outdoor Channel, the Discovery Channel, Fox Sports Network and German TV. The World Championship Cardboard Boat Race is the recipient of the 2001 Henry Award for community development through tourism.  This award is the most prestigious to be given for tourism in the State of Arkansas by Parks and Tourism. . In 2005 the Cardboard Boat Races were filmed live by ESPN and aired over 21 times in a 36-hour period on the ESPN channel reaching as much as 88,000,000 viewers.  It was the 50 events in 50 days on ESPN.  Every year many independent tv shows film the races as well.  In 2006 Dave Price, weatherman from CBS the Early Show came to Little Rock to air the show.  Jo Price with three boats from Kimberly Clark was interviewed for the first time being nationally televised.  This year the Smithsonian Institute has asked Big Fish Entertainment to film the races for a documentary they are making regarding festivals in the United States.

The race day begins at 10:00 AM and involves many other activities (adult and youth) besides the boat race.  Tug-a-war, treasure dig, and sand sculpting contests are just a few of the activities in addition to the Beach volleyball.  The Demolition Derby is also something you won't want to miss, it is a hoot.  Another world Championship event happens that day, the Watermelon Eating Contest.  A local boy, Chris Meyer has won the event several times and has been featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MTV and other national television.  It all happens at Sandy Beach in the quaint little town of Heber Springs, Arkansas.  Heber Springs is located 60 miles north of Little Rock, Arkansas on the shores of Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River (home of the record brown trout).

For more information, please call the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-77-HEBER.