To celebrate the start of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, join POWYC members and GPSA residents in a water-themed, Olypmics-inspired party.
As the rest of the world focuses on the Paris Olympics, POWYC will be holding its own version of the Olympics right here on the Potomac!
We've got different games throughout the day, with a mix of silly and skillful so everyone can participate! We'll have some water-based events where people can show off their small craft skills, but we'll also have dock-based games and some kid-friendly activities. And of course POWYC will provide drinks and hydration for competitors, judges, and spectators alike. Please bring food or additional drinks to share.
Schedule of Events
- 12:00 pm
- Competitors - come make your "Flag" on the Events Barge!
- Viewers gather on Z-Beach
- 12:15 pm
- Opening Ceremony: Parade from Events Barge to Z
- 12:30 pm
- Dinghy ‘capture the flag’ race
- Kayak tug-of-war
- 1:30 pm
- Watermelon-eating contest
- Beer/soda can racing
- Octopus ring toss
- 3:00 pm
- Artistic SUP performance contest
- Duck-to-dock obstacle course race (non-motorized)
- Team relay race
- All afternoon
- Food & drinks (including community contributions)
- Dockside hopscotch
- Fishing game
Event Details
Competitors gather @ Events Barge
12:00 pm
Come to the Events Barge to make yourself a flag to carry in the Opening Ceremony!
Opening Ceremony
12:15 pm
Join the parade from the Events Barge to Z-Beach for the opening of the POWYC Summer Olympics.
Dinghy 'capture the flag' race
12:30 pm
For the opening event of these games, we will race from Z dock to a buoy and see who can untie a Port of Washington Yacht Club flag and get away with it before everyone else. Like a true pirate, the winner gets to keep their booty - a full-sized POWYC flag of their very own!
Wanna-be pirates should bring their dinghies and any crew they want with them (to help untie the flag while you pilot for instance) to Z dock before the Opening Ceremony begins at 12:15 pm.
Kayak tug-of-war
following capture the flag
Just like traditional tug-of-war, you win by pulling your opponent over the line. But in this version you "pull" your opponent by kayaking in opposite directions, trying to pull them backward while they do the same to you.
Would-be contestants should be on Z-beach by 12:45 pm at the latest. POWYC will have two kayaks set up and ready for whomever wants to compete.
Watermelon-eating contest
1:30 pm
First one to finish the POWYC-provided chunk of watermelon - no hands! - wins. Enthusiastic eaters should arrive before 1:30 pm.
Beer/soda can racing
following watermelon-eating
Use a watergun to push a beer or soda can in a drink-floaty across a kiddie-pool faster than your competitors. Aspiring racers should arrive by 1:30 pm.
Octopus ring toss
following can racing
Show off your aim and arm in this ring toss. Hopefuls should arrive on Z beach by 1:45 pm or earlier.
Artistic SUP performance contest
3:00 pm
Hop on a paddle board, show off your best moves for 60 seconds, and hope you've impressed the judges enough to win!
What do we mean by performance? Think interpretative dance, rhythmic gymnastics, dancing, yoga, hula-hooping, handstands, paddle-spinning, or more, all on a SUP - be as creative as you want!
Here's a few inspiring videos to get you thinking about what your paddleboard talent could be:
Whatever contestants do with their 60 seconds of time, they will be scored up to a 10.0 by volunteer judges we'll get from the crowd in the moment.
Competitors just need to be there by 3:00 pm at the latest; POWYC will provide the SUP, so you don't need to have one to compete. Would-be judges also need to be there by 3:00 pm; POWYC will provide score boards, you just bring your discerning eye!
Duck-to-dock obstacle course race (non-motorized)
following SUP performances
Only human-powered craft can compete in this test of speed and agility! Competitors will participate in a mass start and pilot their craft on a course around a floating obstacle. As you go around, you must retrieve a rubber duck and then race to return it to Z dock. You've got to weave between and around competitors and the obstacle while trying to maintain your speed and keep your duck safe. Failure to go around the obstacle or failure to deliver a duck will get you disqualified.
First person to put their duck on Z dock wins ... but there's a twist! You can get a head start from the competition based on how wacky, wild, or decked out and decorated your craft or contraption is!
Why race in a standard kayak when you could race in a flamingo floaty and earn extra seconds out ahead of everyone else? Why race in an ordinary SUP when you could build yourself a floating raft of fenders and line? The wilder your idea of what a human-powered-craft is - or the more wild you and your craft are decorated - the more of a head start you can earn.
Contestants should arrive with their craft at Z-beach by 3 pm. Remember, only human-powered craft allowed! Don't have a craft but still want to compete? POWYC will have some ordinary SUPs and kayaks on hand, but you won't be eligible for a head start bonus.
Want the best job in the Olympics? Volunteer day-of to be the obstacle in the water, handing out ducks to the competitors as they circle you. You'll be in the very heart of the action! POWYC will provide you a craft to float on out there, and all the ducks you'll need.
Team relay race
following duck-to-dock race
Our final event of the games will be a team relay race.
Teams of 3 will compete to pass a Paris-inspired snack from SUP to kayak to dinghy in a race around The Wharf Marina. First to return their snack intact to the judges and properly tie their craft up with a cleat hitch will win the final gold medal of the Olympics!
Come as a team with 2 friends, or just bring your craft and we will create teams on-the-spot! Don't have a boat but want to participate? POWYC will have a few kayaks and SUPS so you can be part of the fun if you want.