Summer

Portland Milk Drinkers Float Boats At Annual Milk Carton Boat Race

By Bryan M. Vance (OPB)
Portland, Oregon June 26, 2016 9:28 p.m.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in Southeast Portland, hundreds of people gathered to drink milk, eat cheese and watch boats race around a city pond.

It was all a part of the annual Portland Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Race held at the Westmoreland Park casting pond. More than 20 teams entered the completion, with boats assembled from recycled milk containers.

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Competing in a variety of classes, ranging from mechanically advantaged to showboat, the races brought families and the greater community together for a wholesome, milk-fueled day of fun on the water.

“It’s a great community event,” said Rick Saturn, prime minister of the Royal Rosarians which put on this year’s Milk Carton Boat Race. “It gives kids an opportunity to work with their families in building boats. It’s a great event that needs to be sustained and go on.”

But it almost didn’t happen this year.

According to Rich Jarvis of the Portland Rose Festival, the Royal Rosarians stepped up to save this year’s races after the event’s longtime backer, the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council, dropped out.

Rick and Marie Saturn, prime minister and first lady of the Royal Rosarians, hosted the Milk Carton Boat Races at Westmoreland Park Sunday, June 26, 2016. The races date back to the 1973 Portland Rose Festival, but this year's events marked the first time that the Portland civic group ran the show.

Rick and Marie Saturn, prime minister and first lady of the Royal Rosarians, hosted the Milk Carton Boat Races at Westmoreland Park Sunday, June 26, 2016. The races date back to the 1973 Portland Rose Festival, but this year's events marked the first time that the Portland civic group ran the show.

Bryan M. Vance / OPB

“We were so grateful that the Rosarians stepped up and said that they were ready and able to take something like this on,” Jarvis said. “The Rosarians have always been involved with the milk carton race historically, so when they said yes to it we just said ‘OK, the future is back. This race is going to stay good.’”

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The civic group and its members serve as the official greeters for the city of Portland and have long been involved with the Portland Rose Festival. Sunday, donning green sport coats and white pants, they oversaw the races and awarded the trophies and ribbons to participants, including the metal milk jug trophy which goes to the winner of the showboat class.

This year, the team taking home the milk jug was behind the cleverly-named boat “Give A Hoot, Don’t Pollute.” Constructed out of wood, empty plastic milk jugs and with a paper mache owl perched proudly upon the boat’s prow, the “Give A Hoot” boat wasn’t the fastest of the bunch but did embody the spirit of the event: fun, family and community.

Teams spent nearly two hours racing their boats — some just trying to avoid sinking — around the pond as a crowd looked on and enjoyed the show. While some boats, like the prizewinner of the adult class, SOS Darigold, were sleek, smooth sailing machines, others, like Kon Tiki, were more about creativity and just having a good time together as a family.

The boat "Give A Hoot, Don't Pollute" took home the metal milk jug trophy for Best In Show at the 2016 Milk Carton Boat Races. More than 20 teams competed in a variety of classes, including "showboat," which was more about style than seaworthiness.

The boat "Give A Hoot, Don't Pollute" took home the metal milk jug trophy for Best In Show at the 2016 Milk Carton Boat Races. More than 20 teams competed in a variety of classes, including "showboat," which was more about style than seaworthiness.

Bryan M. Vance / OPB

Assembled from a mix of plastic milk jugs, heavy two-by-fours, chicken wire and plywood, Kon Tiki struggled to keep up in the family/multi-rider heat, but that didn’t discourage the boat's pilots, Carole Gayley and Ryan Dash.

"When we first started I said that my goal was to not fall into the water completely and to make it to the end,” Gayley said. They achieved both of their goals in their tiki-torch themed boat.

For Gayley, spending time with the community was more important than winning.

Kon Tiki pilots Ryan Dash and Carole Gayley, didn't win the family/multi-rider heat but they did garner plenty of attention for the unique look of their boat.

Kon Tiki pilots Ryan Dash and Carole Gayley, didn't win the family/multi-rider heat but they did garner plenty of attention for the unique look of their boat.

Bryan M. Vance / OPB

“I think Portland is so special because of events like this, and I hope they never lose events like this.”

William Dash, Ryan’s father and the mastermind behind Kon Tiki, is already working upon improving his design for next year’s Milk Carton Boat Race. As he broke down his boat he strategized about improvements to the design. Thanks to the Royal Rosarians, Gayley and Dash will get another chance to show off their creation next year.

“Next year, it’s going to be even bigger than it’s been in the past,” a beaming Saturn said ahead of the trophy ceremony.

“Bigger and better!,” his wife, Marie, added.

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