Kon-Tiki (Scouting Event)
Encyclopedia
Kon-Tiki refers to one of two annual Scout
raft-building competitions, held in Cape Town
and Gauteng in South Africa
.
Named after Thor Heyrdahl's Kon-tiki
expedition of 1947, teams compete to build and live on a raft for a weekend. Support crew or "Fringe" teams compete in other, ground-based competitions.
The Cape Town competition is held at the Sea Scout Base on the banks of Sandvlei. The weekend starts on the Friday afternoon with teams arriving and starting construction of the raft. The building criteria are very strict and judging takes place continuously until the raft launch on the Saturday at 2 pm. Much of the judging is related to the aspect of safety to ensure that the Scouts and Guides (ages 11 to 17) have a safe adventure. The theme of the Cape Town competition in 2007 celebrates the centennial of Scouting as well as the 60th anniversary of the Kon-Tiki expedition.
The Gauteng competition is held at Murray Park in Springs, Johannesburg. The competition is run in a very similar fashion to the Cape Town one, with the exception that the rafts launch at noon on the Saturday. There are also numerous other activities and competitions for the support crew to partake in, such as the Beaver Challenge, Spare Time Activities, Dress-up competition and others.
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
raft-building competitions, held in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and Gauteng in South Africa
South African Scout Association
The South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognized Scouting association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, with the first Scout troops appearing in...
.
Named after Thor Heyrdahl's Kon-tiki
Kon-Tiki
Kon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name...
expedition of 1947, teams compete to build and live on a raft for a weekend. Support crew or "Fringe" teams compete in other, ground-based competitions.
The Cape Town competition is held at the Sea Scout Base on the banks of Sandvlei. The weekend starts on the Friday afternoon with teams arriving and starting construction of the raft. The building criteria are very strict and judging takes place continuously until the raft launch on the Saturday at 2 pm. Much of the judging is related to the aspect of safety to ensure that the Scouts and Guides (ages 11 to 17) have a safe adventure. The theme of the Cape Town competition in 2007 celebrates the centennial of Scouting as well as the 60th anniversary of the Kon-Tiki expedition.
The Gauteng competition is held at Murray Park in Springs, Johannesburg. The competition is run in a very similar fashion to the Cape Town one, with the exception that the rafts launch at noon on the Saturday. There are also numerous other activities and competitions for the support crew to partake in, such as the Beaver Challenge, Spare Time Activities, Dress-up competition and others.
See also
- South African Scout AssociationSouth African Scout AssociationThe South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognized Scouting association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, with the first Scout troops appearing in...
- Girl Guides Association of South AfricaGirl Guides Association of South AfricaThe Girl Guides Association of South Africa is a girls-only organisation and is recognised by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts...