Northwoods Adventure: Moonlite Bay Hosts Eighth Annual Cardboard Boat Races

Paddle fast and hope your boat doesn’t sink – that was the strategy at Moonlite Bay’s eighth annual Cardboard Boat Races. It’s easy to build a boat and fun for the whole family.

“Either people build their own, or they come in here and pick up a kit boat, and build it from the kit boat,” Chad Genereux, Cardboard Boat Race Committee President, said. “Anyone can sign up; we have twelve and under for the kids, and thirteen and over for adults.”

“It turns into a family event,” Trevor Hoff, the race’s announcer, said. “From painting and naming the boats, it’s everything you can do as a family, and you get it all prepared and go.”

When the event started in 2011, there were just eight boats and, as Genereux said, “it’s blown up to be something pretty cool.” Now with over forty boats competing this year and nearly 1,000 people watching lakeside, it can be considered a staple in the Crosslake community.

“It’s so much fun, we did it last year, and it’s so much better this year, more boats, more people – it’s just awesome,” Mark Veldhuis, a race competitor, said.

Cash prizes were handed out for the top four places in the kids and adult races, and there is a people’s choice award for best boat and also a Titanic award if you can’t stay afloat.

“You can expect some fast racing; we got an X-Games gold medalist racing today, we have some bodybuilders that won it last year. We got it all, and you’re going to see some sinking as well,” Genereux said.

Most of the proceeds went to support the Whitefish Yacht Club, and there was a firefighter’s race where the winning department walked away with $500.

“That’s awesome, that’s the most important thing, money to be donated to fire departments that can put it to good use,” Jake Olinger, Monticello Fire Dept. Assistant Chief, said.

Thousands came out, some sank, and some paddled their way to victory. But best of all, money was raised for charity.

If you want to get in on the fun next year, stop into the Moonlite Bay Family Restaurant next summer and ask for a cardboard boat kit.