DeKALB | Students walking past the East Lagoon Tuesday afternoon may have noticed something more unique than the usual geese and fallen leaves that sit in the water. 

The Student Activities Board sponsored the annual Recycled Boat Race, in which students traverse the lagoon in homemade boats made of recycled material. The race was divided into two rounds, with the best time taking first place.

“I had no idea it was going to float, but we paddled as hard as we possibly could,” said race champion Steven Zimmerman, sophomore business major and Sigma Alpha Mu racer.

Sigma Alpha Mu won the race for the third straight year. Keeping the boat straight, dealing with fatigue and keeping balanced were the three biggest obstacles, Zimmerman said.

Racing in the second round helped the duo succeed, said Sigma Alpha Mu copilot John Motley.

“We could see the right path to take so we wouldn’t get stuck like some of the other boats,” Zimmerman said.

Nine organizations participated in the race, which has been a Homecoming staple for decades. Results contribute to overall points for Homecoming competition, and the race is a fun way to show what can be done with recycling, said Latasha Bennett, Campus Activities Board administrative vice president.

Boats had to be made of at least 70 percent recycled material and were raced by teams of two, four or six. Common building materials included PVC piping, plastic buckets, cardboard, duct tape, and trash bags, and all boats had to human or sail-powered. Entry into the event was free, and most boats were built for between $20 and $35.

The race started on the south end of the lagoon and made a lap around an island. Wearing life vests was mandatory for racers.

“[The race] was pretty tough because of unknowns,” said Rodrigo Ocon, senior mechanical engineering major and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers racer.

One of those unknowns was the group of geese that dotted the lagoon.  Racers took different approaches to deal with the birds. Some chose to yell at the geese, while others splashed water at them.

“We want other people to wade through the geese first. We’re going to float right by when the geese are mad at them,” said Alex Davidson, sophomore history education major and racer for the Sigma Sigma Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon team.

After the race was over, exhausted racers and supporters alike gathered to hear the results. With a time of 4:04, Sigma Alpha Mu was declared the winner for the third straight year. Sigma Nu (5:57) finished in second place, and Sigma Lambda Sigma (6:26) finished third.