and a Special Award

Széchenyi István University’s concrete canoe team achieved outstanding results at the Krakow Concrete Canoe Challenge, recently held in Poland. Both the women’s and the men’s pairs from SZEnavis secured second place, while the mixed pair completed the race despite a broken paddle. Demonstrating the strength of the Széchenyi community spirit, the team from Győr also visited the Shell Eco-marathon, also held in Poland, to personally congratulate the members of the SZEnergy Team, who once again broke a world record.

Founded in 2012, the concrete canoe team of Széchenyi István University, SZEnavis, provides students of the institution with the opportunity to put their engineering knowledge in practice, work as a team, and gain valuable experience in real-world competitions. Over the past decade, the team has come a long way – from their first boat which weighed 380 kilograms, to their 2024 regatta entry in Germany, which weighed just over 12 kilograms, making it one of the lightest vessels in the field. 

Széchenyi István University’s concrete canoe team at the Krakow competition (Photo: Krakow Concrete Canoe Challenge)

SZEnavis recently celebrated another international success at the Krakow competition, which featured 15 teams from 10 universities across five countries. “Our women’s pair – Brenda László and Vanda László – delivered an excellent performance to claim second place, just as our men’s pair – Ákos Molnár and Máté Gerencsér – also won silver. The mixed pair – Petra Gutta and Albert Kamil – had a rather eventful race. In their first run, they recorded the fastest time in the field, but in the following round, one of their paddles broke. Despite this setback, they refused to give up. Using one paddle and their hands, they finished in sixth place, missing out on the next round by just a few seconds. It’s no wonder they were awarded the ‘Best Fighting Spirit’ prize,” reported András Pollák, founder and current mentor of SZEnavis and head of the University’s Building Materials and Structure Testing Laboratory.

The mixed pair from Győr, Petra Gutta and Albert Kamil, before…

…and after the paddle broke. (Photo: Krakow Concrete Canoe Challenge)

Albert Kamil, team leader and male member of the heroic mixed pair, explained that they build a new boat each year, and this year’s vessel was specifically designed to suit the unique conditions of the Krakow competition. They created a 76.5-kilogram hull, entirely the result of the team’s work—from design to execution. “In all three events, we had to complete a 150-metre course with a turnaround, and our concrete canoe performed excellently. In the men's competition, a seasoned pair competed, while in the women’s event, a newly formed duo rose to the challenge. The two silver medals speak for themselves,” the team leader reflected

He added that the mixed pair also had strong prospects for a top result, which was thwarted by the broken paddle in the semi-final. “Fortunately, my teammate Petra Gutta reacted quickly and handed me her paddle. I continued paddling while she rowed with her hands. Not only did we reach the finish line, but we almost made it to the final despite everything,” he recalled.

The concrete canoe team’s journey didn’t end with the competition. They travelled on to visit the Shell Eco-marathon at the Silesia Ring, where they surprised their fellow students—the SZEnergy Team, defending champions of Europe’s largest energy efficiency competition. The meeting was a great success, and the electric vehicle development team triumphed with another world record, meaning both student teams from Győr could return home from Poland in high spirits.

Members of the SZEnergy Team and SZEnavis celebrated together.