Sink and swim, baby. That's how best to describe a young professionals competition that tests the crafty prowess of the entrants, an Inspector Gadget meets MacGyver feud of sorts with plenty of water to keep things afloat — or not.
The third annual "Anything That Floats" event, hosted by the Rice Design Alliance young professionals, the rdAGENTS, had to be rescheduled after bad weather rained on the buoyant parade that was originally slated for May to coincide with the Kentucky Derby. A water release from the Addicks Dam into the Buffalo Bayou rendered the urban waterway too high and too risky for materials that were intended to defy gravity on that date, forcing a move to this past weekend.
Yet the drift of the horse race carried on when seven teams marched on to Sesquicentennial Park, many with members who donned kooky hats for the occasion.
In three hours, their mission was to transform another-man's-trash stuff donated by JE Dunn Construction Company, Gilbane Inc. and Chamberlin Roofing and Waterproofing — including plywood, water-proofing membranes, foam board and 5-gallon buckets with lids — into contraptions that would travel on water for the longest period of time. To do so, the squads were permitted to bring hand tools, one roll of duct tape, rubber bands, nails, screws, string, zip ties and staples — a jigger of luck and dash of prayer. A few towels on hand didn't hurt, either.
Nothing could be pre-built, all the action had to take place onsite while two judges, KHOU Ch. 11's Katherine Whaley and Chamberlin's Doug Combes, scrutinized the proceedings.
Ahoy to the captains of Audubon Engineering for earning the Triple Crown Award for Best Overall Time. At one minute and 22 seconds, the crew that included Nathan McCormick, Roni Garrett, Claire Janak, John Graca and Patrick Noble tied with three-time competition veterans Mark Danna and Mark Smith, whom the judges crowned with the Amphibious Award.
Awash with al fresco fun with assistant director of programs Mary Beth Woiccak were Mark Hoffman, Kristy Grizzle, Charlie Holliday, Lisa Combes, Omar Garcia, Will Nelson, Trevor Best, Jason Slater, Eric Heumann, Steve Zemski, Charles Jacobs, Ann Parker, Shannon Hanson, Amy Hufnagel, Sarah Evans and Elizabeth Parker.
Ann Parker, left, and Elizabeth Parker at Rice Design Alliance's Third Annual Anything That Floats.
