Build Your Own Boat

Build Your Own Boat returns to the U.S. National Whitewater Center on Saturday, October 10, from 12 PM to 4 PM. It's the annual race down the rafting river, and the whole thing is free to watch from the riverbank.

The boats don't come from a store. They're built by students at The Talent School's Talent Lounge, who work across three separate build sessions to design and construct a craft strong enough to carry a full-sized human. The catch is that they can't use a single piece of metal—no nails, no wire, nothing. That means they have to get creative with their materials, their construction techniques, and how they waterproof the whole thing, drawing on materials science and engineering design to keep it afloat. Once the boats are finished, they enter the race down the Whitewater Center's rafting river, where the participants navigate the whitewater channel in something they built themselves.

There are strict rules about what makes the cut. Manufactured watercraft, metal objects, large sections of tarp or plastic, pyrotechnics, and pneumatics are all prohibited. The race draws spectators along the riverbank to watch the boats tackle the rapids, and the day doesn't end when the racing does: live music runs from 4 PM to 5:30 PM. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is at 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway in Charlotte, and while watching the competition is free, parking is $13 per car.