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An unusual canoe competition in Madison, Wisconsin, floats the notion that concrete waives the rules
It’s barely daybreak in Madison, Wisconsin, but John Gilbert has already worked up a sweat. The 54-year-old, self-described concrete connoisseur is pacing the southern shore of Lake Mendota, which borders the sprawling University of Wisconsin campus. On this summer weekend, the university is hosting the 15th Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, a collegiate event Gilbert hasn’t missed since 1990. At the moment, he’s inspecting 25 slender canoes—one from each contending school—neatly aligned at the water’s edge. Continue reading