Behind the closed doors of the Polymer and Fiber engineering building is one of Auburn's best kept secrets, and it's ready to usher in a new era of collegiate rivalry.
Yes, there is a Hovercraft division to the War Eagle Motor Sports program, and on Saturday, April 27 they will face off against none other than the University of Alabama in the first-ever Hoverclub of America-sanctioned SEC competition.
The team has slowly been gaining recognition for more than a decade, and during their 2008 run the Auburn team placed second overall in the Formula S and Formula II engine competitions, as well as winning the Most Innovative Design award for their carbon fiber Hovercraft.
"Theres just a handful of colleges doing this," said Polymer and Fiber engineering technician Jeff Thompson. "Most are the ones that specialize in composites, but the (Hover)club is huge, there's a lot of old guys with lots of money that show up and look like nascar haulers, we compete with all of 'em."
"The club took off at first, and floundered for a couple years, but the boys this year have really been enthusiastic and made a lot of progress."
For the hovercraft team, their work is an intensely personal one, fueled by a desire to not only design the best machine possible, but win competitions under the Auburn banner.
The contest is an endurance race at Lake Lurleen against Alabama's newly formed hovercraft club.
Teams race on a single tank of gas, and can change riders, but not refuel for the length of an hour.
The team has two hovercrafts they've been developing for the event, one a heavier but more reliable orange fiberglass craft that has been the a mainstay of the club since the beginning, and a newer, lighter carbon fiber in black that they plan on unveiling at the race.
"I aim to see it finished before I graduate," said Garret Blackburn, senior in polymer and fiber engineering. "We're getting close, and if we can get it to the race it'll be even better."
To drive the hovercraft you must put in at least two-three hours of work a week, but for all those involved, that's the fun part.
They implement their own designs, repair and autograph the damages to the craft they caused and personally tweak its features by hand to ensure everything is shipshape.
"This is really just a fun thing to get hands on with, get some experience with, and understanding the more complex things in machinery," said Nick Johnson, senior in mechanical engineering.
"People come into the club and don't really know what to do, or how things work, and you just kind of lean over the shoulder of somebody doing something until you figure it out. Im at the stage now where I can come in by myself and get some serious work done."
Students interested in mechanical engineering are welcome to join the hovercraft club.
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