"South Dakota School of Mines & Technology"
(5th place overall)

Product (3rd):

Name of Canoe: Storm Chaser
Length: 20.25 ft
Weight: 74 lb
Color: dark blue exterior; light blue interior

 Vital Stats:

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, located in Rapid City, South Dakota, was the representative from the Rocky Mountain Region.  The team has been at nationals twelve times and this was their eighth consecutive appearance.  They have nine top ten finishes to their credit including five in the top five.  They won the national title in 1995.

Display (6th):

Canoe/Materials/Facts:

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's (SD Tech's) 2001 concrete canoe, Storm Chaser, was a lightweight, carbon fiber-reinforced concrete canoe.  The concrete used to construct the canoe was lighter than water.  The approximate weight of the concrete was such that a one-inch cube of the concrete weighed less than 10.3 grams (39 lbs/ft³).

The carbon fiber used to reinforce the hull was so strong it was less elastic than steel.  The use of the carbon fiber in conjunction with lightweight concrete made building a lightweight concrete canoe with a hull thickness of 0.25 inches possible.