The sunny, warm weather played a positive role this year in the participation of the Veishea tournaments, as numerous people attended a variety of events.

Jaime Tierney, tournament committee co-chair, said participation increases every year, and she hopes it will keep improving.

“We aim most of the tournaments at Iowa State students,” said Tierney, junior in industrial engineering. “During the week, they can participate the most, and the alumni are with their families during the weekend.”

Tierney said she has heard only positive feedback from the tournaments this year, and participants liked the T-shirts winners received.

“Tournaments are a great way for people to get involved,” she said. “People have a lot of fun and meet a lot of people.”

Jessica Joyce, freshman in apparel merchandising, design and production, participated in the canoe races Saturday afternoon on Lake Laverne.

Joyce’s friend suggested she and another friend try the canoe race, and Joyce said she thought it sounded fun.

“I didn’t want to [canoe] at first,” she said, “but I would never have heard the end of it if I refused to try it.”

Joyce was the spotter for the group, and the other two girls were blindfolded and rowed.

The rowers were told what to do by the spotter, and Joyce’s group was tipped over by their competitors.

“I could have done better as a spotter, but I was laughing so hard,” she said. “Being on the lake was a fun experience. Getting tipped in the lake was fun, and I would do it again.”