When you hear the term concrete canoe, it is only natural to ask, "Concrete floats?!"  This is mainly because concrete is conventionally used in large structures (such as dams), bridges, and buildings.  In addition, the typical weight for reinforced concrete is reported as 150 lbs/ft³, which is much heavier than water's 62.1 lbs/ft³.  Despite these facts, concrete has been used for over 150 years as construction material for vessels. 
 
The first recorded concrete ship (in fact a ferro-cement dingy) was built in France in 1848 by Joseph Louis Lambot.  Over the next fifty years, several other European engineers constructed ships, barges, and boats using the same material.  Then, in 1917, Norway launched the first ferro-cement ship into the ocean, and the 84-foot giant was a success.  Shortly after, the U.S. constructed their own concrete boat named the SS Faith, which was used to carry cargo.  Finally, Woodrow Wilson commissioned the constuction and testing of a fleet of 24 concrete war ships.  Unfortunatley (or perhaps fortunately), the war ended before any of the 24 vessels were constructed, and the ships were never used in combat.  The most famous ship, the SS Atlantus, was finished one month after the war was over and was used to transport troops home.  However, it was soon after deemed "impractical after several trans-Atlantic trips because of weight."  Although concrete ships were used during WWI and were tested again during WWII, they've never been very practical due to high weight and low durability. 

 

However, in the early 1970s, several civil engineering students decided to test their abilities by constructing a durable, stable, hydrodynamic concrete canoe.  According to an article published in Civil Engineering Magazine in 1972 entitled "C.E. Students Stage World's First Concrete Canoe Race", the concrete canoe competition originated in east-central Illinois.  This first challenge took place between Purdue University (who constructed a 125 lb canoe) and the University of Illinois - Urbana (competing with a 360 lb boat) on the Inland Sea.  Both teams raced five heats on a 317 m course, and the Univeristy of Illinois came out on top.  Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, universities across the nation began hosting regional competitions. 

   

Finally, in 1988, the first National Concrete Canoe Competition was held once Master Builders, Inc. paired with ASCE to sponsor the event.  Since then, 105 different teams from across the U.S. have been represented at the national level.  To read more about the complete history of the concrete canoe, please read "Concrete Fever: A Brief History of Concrete Canoe Racing", an article published on the University of Alabama Huntsville's website.