Red Bull Cardboard Boat Race Added Colour to the Fair Festivities

At the 95th İzmir International Fair, the Cardboard Boat Race, organised in collaboration with Red Bull, brought together young people’s creativity and design skills. As teams designed their own boats and prepared for the excitement of the race, the İZELTAŞ Usta İşi Arena also offered visitors enjoyable experiences with activities for different age groups.

One of the events showcasing young people’s creativity at the 95th İzmir International Fair, organised by İZFAŞ and hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, was the Cardboard Boat Race held in collaboration with Red Bull. Young participants gathered in the event area at Kültürpark and designed their own boats using a variety of materials. As the teams worked to complete their boats ahead of the race, they enjoyed both the creative process and spending time together.

Young People’s Designs Get Ready to Hit the Water

At workshops set up in the event area, teams consisting mostly of university students built their own boats using cardboard and various other materials. Participants had the opportunity to put their theoretical knowledge into practice while also experiencing teamwork.

Güney Kaytancı, a student in the Department of Industrial Design at İzmir Institute of Technology, said the main purpose of the event was to have fun and expressed his pleasure at seeing more design- and engineering-focused activities being organised. Kaytancı said, “I joined this competition with friends from the same department. Our goal is not so much to win, but to have fun. Everything has been going really well so far. Our team consists of three people. Young people really enjoy these kinds of events. Taking part in an organisation like this, where you can both aim for success and have fun, is truly enjoyable.”

“We Weighed Ourselves and Chose the Heaviest Member of the Team”

A team of İzmir University of Economics students also combined engineering and creativity in their project. Team member Atabey Aydın, a graduate of the Department of Graphic Design, said, “This is the first time we have taken part in a construction project like this. I hope similar events featuring go-karts and other land vehicles will also be organised in İzmir in the future.”

Atakan Erişmiş, a third-year Civil Engineering student from the same team, said they also made use of artificial intelligence during the design process and created an enjoyable project by combining their ideas.

Ayça Polat, a student in the Department of Industrial Design at İzmir University of Economics, said they would compete as a team of three and had designed their boat around a dragon concept. Her teammate Ece Özgöl explained one of the competition rules, saying, “We were measured and weighed, and since the pilot will receive drinks equal to their body weight as a prize, we chose the heaviest person in our group to steer the boat.” Özgöl also called for more dynamic projects aimed at young people to be organised in İzmir.

The Red Bull Cardboard Boat Race will take place at Kültürpark Lake at 5:00 p.m. on the final day of the fair.

Activities Win Praise from Visitors

While the İzmir International Fair continues to welcome İzmir residents with activities for different age groups, İZELTAŞ is also bringing visitors together through events organised across the fairgrounds. At the İZELTAŞ Usta İşi Arena, participants take part in various competitions and games, ranging from using power tools to target challenges. Visitors have the opportunity to both have fun and put their skills to the test. Activities for children are also organised in the area, while İZELTAŞ products are showcased to visitors.

Hale Yıldırım, who attended the fair with her daughter, said she appreciated the variety of activities. Zümriye Buket Karakuş, who visited the fair with her son, said the creative workshops were highly enjoyable for children and that they had a wonderful day thanks to both the food stops and the activity areas.