HARTA, Hungary (Reuters) – Rafts built from cardboard, plastic bottles, empty barrels and bicycle parts took to the Danube on Saturday, with the zany vessels drawing inspiration from pubs, pizzas and cartoon characters.
Under the rules, the 16 vessels piloted by the Hungarian teams could not be made using boats, kayaks or canoes, or using any materials that could damage the environment.
Local winemaker Norbert Ivanyi and his team built a bar terrace and had a bottle of wine on board for spritzers as they peddled downstream using bicycle parts attached to a table.
Another team built a round wooden raft with pizza topping decorations to tackle the 400-metre course. Another craft resembled a Minion.
“There are quite a lot of crazy people around this area, and therefore a lot of people like to build such boats and take part in this race. They often tell me that during the race they feel like rock stars on stage,” said race organiser Rafael Szollosi.
(Reporting by Krisztina Fenyo; Editing by Alison Williams)
