Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Chesterfiled Inlet, NU (Sep 25/02) - Residents of Chesterfield Inlet gathered on the banks of the Police River earlier this month to watch an extraordinary race.

Emiline Inukshuk and her partner, Fernado Sammurtok, paddled their cardboard kayak to victory in the Victor Sammurtok school's kayak challenge in Chesterfield Inlet. - photo courtesy of Glen Brocklebank

The crowd was there to cheer on the efforts of senior students from Victor Sammurtok school as they tried to navigate the river in cardboard kayaks.

The students built the kayaks as part of a school project, using only cardboard, tape and aluminum foil.

Teacher Glen Brocklebank says the students ranged from Grade 7 to Grade 12 and worked on their vessels for two weeks before race day.

The students, working in groups of two or three, were given six classroom periods of 40 minutes each to work on their projects.

"That was the class time I gave them for the project, but a number of the groups worked on it quite a bit more than the time I gave them in class," says Brocklebank.

"The designs they came up with were spectacular."

The event came about as the result of a model kayak course Brocklebank is teaching at the school this semester.

The students were studying the kayaks and decided to have a race with cardboard ones while they awaited the arrival of course materials.

"The students used the knowledge they had learned about the various shapes and designs of traditional kayaks to try and make a cardboard one to race," says Brocklebank

"The mission was to cross Police Lake and back, switching partners halfway, for a total distance of about 150 metres."

Only one of the 10 kayaks managed to cross the finish line.

The other nine either sank at the start of the race or near its halfway point.

When all was said and done, Fernado Sammurtok and Emiline Inukshuk were crowned cardboard kayak masters for 2002.

"The whole school was able to watch the race and vote on the kayak they thought would win. Emiline and Fernado received the popular vote and, in addition to winning a prize for themselves, everyone who voted for them won a prize too."

Brocklebank says the students loved the event, even those who sank right away.

"Next year's event promises to be bigger and better because the students in Grades 7 and 8 want to participate, as well."