Zappos Pirate Fest Las Vegas

NEW DIVISION for 2016!! The SCHOONER CLASS is a group division for the non-business entry. Basically a family group!

Mattress Firm has graciously agreed to provide cardboard! Having the nice big mattress sized pieces made construction so much easier!! Once again we will store the cardboard at the Zappos Campus so that it is centrally located! We will offer a class at Zappos to help get you on the right path! Watch the web site or LIKE us in Facebook for updates and details!

What is a "Cardboard Regatta"? It is a boat race in hand constructed vessels made entirely out of cardboard!!    Click for Wikipedia Entry
In essence it is a competition to design and build a human-powered boat that will float and transport its occupants a predetermined distance through the water. (wow...technical!) What is missing in this description is the FUN!!! It is probably the defining reason to even attempt it!!!

Simply, the challenge to your design is to built a boat that will support its human cargo horizontally though the water as opposed to vertically through the water!! You are only to use specific materials, corrugated cardboard, duct tape, masking tape,  simple one part adhesives and paint. What you can use is a lot of imagination!

What should it look like?? As long as you can put a crew it in, it works!! Sort of like the whole pirate premise "...not really rules...more like guidelines!!" We will have an award for most creative but we will also have an award for the best reflection of your business. So it does not even have to LOOK like a boat! You're the fire department, float a fire truck! You are a music store, float a piano or a guitar!! You are a tax consultant you could float a... you could float a... well YOU have to get creative here!!  We have complied some basic "Guidelines" so everyone is on the same page. 

There is a space for everyone in our Regatta. You can get your company to sponsor construction of your boat. Get fellow employees together for a fun team building experience. Get your club or organization to sponsor construction. You build your boat to represent and promote your group (...hey these guys have FUN,  I want to join them!!)  How about a fun family project? Face it, since you were a little kid you have always wanted to be a "pirate" and captain your own ship, maybe not on the high seas, but your local river, lake or pond was always inviting you to create something to float on it!!! Now is your chance to build that nautical masterpiece, have fun and be creative!

How about using the Regatta for a little old fashioned competition?? We even have a Special PERSONAL CHALLENGE spot right on the entry form! You can challenge a friendly business associate, pit one of your locations against another, challenge another organization, even challenge a friend or family member!! It won't matter where you end up in the overall competition, you will receive the PERSONAL CHALLENGE win!! Now we have a friendly competition within the competition!

But what if this masterpiece doesn't float??? Not to worry. Like all good Cardboard Regattas, we have it covered with a Davy Jones Award! So if you are going down with the ship...make sure to do it in STYLE!! It's what "floats yer boat"!!


So get your construction crew together for this year, look over the guidelines, brainstorm and enter the Cardboard Regatta sponsored by Zappos.com! All in-boat contestants must be a minimum of 16 years of age.