Meet this year’s concrete canoe team!
Concrete Canoe at Michigan Tech designs, builds, and tests a canoe made entirely of concrete, prioritizing speed, agility, and aesthetic value. The team looks for ways to keep the process sustainable, innovative, cheap, lightweight, and efficient.
Every year, they hold a vote to select the aesthetic theme for the boat’s name, design, and display. This year, the team chose Norse Mythology as their theme.
The fabrication process entails procuring a mold, casting the boat, and curing it at 100% humidity. Final touches include sanding and adding the theme-focused paint.
Throughout the year, special training for both the paddlers and presenters ensures the team is prepared to compete against other teams from across Michigan and Ohio in the Eastern Great Lakes ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition.
Team Results
The MTU Concrete Canoe team has created a final project that has taken 1st overall at the 2026 ASCE Eastern Great Lakes Regional competition. After casting the canoe in January, the team has worked countless hours in the lab to make the boat come to life in many aspects. From the finishing of the canoe through sanding, staining, and sealing. To the stands & display team that made a full display showcasing the overall project, this final prototype made its way to regionals last week to show off what the team has accomplished over the 2025-2026 year.
Taking 1st place in both women’s slalom and sprint races, 2nd place in men’s slalom, sprint, coed races, and 2nd place in paper and final product. This team will now make the journey to Fairmont State University at the end of June to compete in the national competition.
Past Years
The 2024-2025 MTU Concrete Canoe team did a fantastic job representing BWE with all they accomplished.
The team took 1st place overall at the 2025 EGL ASCE Student Symposium. Their canoe had exceptional turn speed, and their theme was based on the mining operations in copper country. They placed 1st in the subcategories Technical Proposal and Technical Presentation, and 2nd in Final Product.
The team’s outstanding job at the regional symposium earned them a spot in the national competition! This took place in July 2025 in California. They had an outstanding race, design, and presentation from their hard work throughout the last school year. This hard work earned them 9th place overall, an impressive feat for their first attendance at finals in several years.
