National concrete canoe races come to Seattle

WHAT: 20th Annual American Society of Civil Engineers National Concrete Canoe Competition


WHO: 700 civil engineering students from 22 of the nation’s top schools whose teams won their regional championships


WHEN: Thursday, June 14, and Saturday, June 16


WHERE: University of Washington Seattle campus and Lake Sammamish


DETAILS: On Thursday the teams will display their canoes, weigh the boats and “swamp” them underwater in a tank to prove their buoyancy in the UW’s Red Square. The events will run from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. The best time for photos or TV footage will be anytime between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.


The concrete canoe races will take place Saturday on Sunset Beach at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah. A Concrete Carnival where kids and families can learn how concrete is made through hands-on activities will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The canoe sprint finals will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. All of Saturday’s events are open to the public. To reach Sunset Beach from I-90, drive east to Exit 15 and then follow the signs.