Have boat, will travel
Bridgetown’s Ciderfest creates a splash with cardboard boat race
Kids and adults became pirates for the day Sept. 10 as they took to the Annapolis River to set sail as part of the infamous Cardboard Boat Race competition.
The Cardboard Boat Race is a staple at Bridgetown’s annual Ciderfest celebration, and something that always draws a large crowd of onlookers.
In an effort to encourage participation, the members of the Ciderfest committee built the majority of the boats, then handed the vessels out to employees of Bridgetown’s local businesses to decorate and captain in the race. As a result, this year there were upwards of 15 boats registered, and Bridgetown residents donned costumes and lifejackets to be represent their businesses or town.
“I love the town spirit, and I love the competitions every year,” says Maria Morrison from Team Pharmasave. “Our strategy is to try to work together, and if we go down, make it spectacular.”
Carly Floris, Miss Nova Scotia International 2016, also participated. Her grandfather, who is a member of the Ciderfest committee, encouraged Floris to try the boat race. Floris was enthusiastic about all the festival’s activities, but was misled about what the boat race entailed.
“When I signed up I thought I just had to decorate a boat and send it down the river, like the duck race. Then, two months after I signed up, I realized: I have to actually have to go in this boat,” she said. “But it’s all good, it’ll be fun.”
Caleb Chega, a ScotiaBank employee, paddled a boat with his teenage son. Chega felt it was important for ScotiaBank to come out to have fun and support the community. However, he wasn’t very optimistic about his boat’s chances.
“I think we might win the Titanic award,” he said when asked if he thought ScotiaBank would win.
Keaton Long and Gavin Va- chon had more confidence. The two young boys are veterans in this competition. They built their own boat last year and won first place with it. This year, they were back with the same boat and had a determined attitude. When asked how they thought they would do in the race, their response was immediate, and in unison.
“Win,” they replied.
And so, the race kicked off without a hitch. Some participants made it around the buoys and back perfectly dry, some accidentally went backwards, and many fell into the water, voluntarily or otherwise.
Cameron Johnson and Emma Clayton paddled a boat for Bridgetown Regional High School’s senior girls’ hockey team. Clayton flipped their boat on purpose to cool down from the hot weather, despite Johnson’s protests.
Regardless of how well they did, all the participants and audience members had one thing in common: they all had a blast.
When trying to explain why the boat race is so important, not only to Ciderfest but also to the community in general, Gerry Bezanson, who has been helping with registration of the race for five years now, says it best.
“It brings the community together, it brings families together, and it’s just fun to watch, because we’re all hoping that they’ll sink, right?”