The CU Book Store sponsored its first-ever paper airplane race on Wednesday, giving away a free iPod shuffle to the competition’s winners and prompting a field of nearly 30 students to enter.
Mike Opland, a sophomore aerospace engineering major, won first place in the distance race by flying his plane 61 feet. In a heated competition, Opland outdistanced second-place finisher Robert Gregg, a sophomore business and marketing major, to seal his victory.
“It feels good to know that I can throw a paper airplane farther than most people,” Opland said after his victory.
Gregg had his revenge in the accuracy competition as he outlasted Opland and freshman psychology major Beth Knorek in a nine-round marathon to steal the first-place victory.
“(The win) feels a little musical, if you will,” Gregg said as he pointed to his brand-new iPod shuffle.
Competitors in the accuracy competition had to throw their planes through a placard with a hole cut in the middle. In the first round, which featured 16 competitors, the hole was about 18 inches in diameter and 15 feet away. Only Knorek, Gregg, Opland and sophomore evolutionary biology major Alex Lin managed to throw their planes through the hole and advance to the second round, where the hole was decreased to about 12 inches in diameter.
The decrease in hole size made things tough for the four remaining competitors, who could not pierce the smaller hole until Gregg broke through after several rounds.
“I came in as an underdog and came out on top, so it feels pretty good,” Gregg said after the competition.
Gregg’s plane had a narrow, straight design that made it better for accuracy than distance, while Opland relied on a plane he called “The Dart” to win the distance competition.
“I learned (the design) when I was a little kid,” Opland said. “It throws really well, just straight and narrow.”
The second- and third-place winners in both events took home $50 and $25 gift cards, respectively, for the CU Book Store.
Students arrived at the competition as early as 11:30 a.m. to begin working on their planes. Normal activity in the basement of the Book Store was put on hold as the area became an airport, complete with pieces of folded paper flying into bookshelves, ceilings, tables and even the occasional student.
Allison Hartel, marketing director for the CU Book Store, said she got the idea for the airplane race from Brigham Young University, which sponsored a similar competition last year that was met with great enthusiasm from students.
“Their event was pretty successful, so we tried to do the same thing over here,” Hartel said. “These events just help bring people into the Book Store.”
Contact Staff Writer Brian Beer at brian.beer@thecampuspress.com.
