If it floats, and you can fit in it, Max Lewis would like to see it. SATURDAY’S RACE will take the boats about 150 yards — from the starting line near shore to a buoy and back.
Lewis is the chief organizer of the inaugural Hillbilly Raft Race Saturday afternoon at Elks Lake.
The race is open to any type of homemade water craft, with a few important rules:
— No rafts bigger than 12 feet by 6 feet can enter.
— No electric or gas-powered motors. All devices must be man-powered. The watercraft can be made out of any type of material, from old inner tubes, Styrofoam, barrels, etc.
— Each entrant must have a life jacket. Elks members will have a few on hand, but ideally each competitor will bring his own.
Proceeds from the $20 entry fee will benefit the Elks’ annual Ed Hendrix Fishing Derby each July 4. Prizes will be awarded.
Lewis teamed with Jerry Mirante to build their homemade vessel, fabricated out of a pair of large-diameter PVC pipes affixed to plastic barrels welded together end-to-end.
The duo designed and built their modified catamaran in late July after hearing about a similar boat challenge in Chanute.
Lewis drew up the design, while Mirante did the grunt work, assembling the watercraft over the span of about 10 hours.
Not only did the vessel float, it allowed Mirante and a copilot to easily win the Chanute race in late August.
“We tried it out so we knew it would float,” Mirante said. “It really glides along the water, and it’s easy to steer.”
“It’s going to go quickly,” Lewis said. “It won’t take but a few minutes for some of those boats.”
Lewis is unsure how many participants will be on hand. Only four were entered in the Chanute races, and the Chanute Elks members have been invited to partake in the Iola race.
“I’ve heard of a couple of guys around town who want to build something,” Lewis said.
Mirante is assembling another boat, similar in design, but made of wood and capable of holding only the pilot.
“There were some clever designs in Chanute,” Mirante said. “A couple of kids made a paddle boat, powered by a bicycle. They did pretty well until the end when they got tired, so they just jumped off and started swimming.”
The community is invited to watch. No admission will be charged to the spectators.
“We really don’t know how many people will show up,” Lewis said. “We’re just trying to slowly build this thing into a fun event.”
For more information, contact Lewis at 365-9124.
Homemade rafts launch Saturday
