How did you celebrate New Years Day?

Some paddlers got an early start on the paddling season. Here is a sampling of some of this year’s events:

• Michigan:
  Michigan had a 1 and a half mile paddle down the Huron River. This paddling event which has been going on since 1975 was organized by the University of Michigan Raw Strength and Courage Kayaking Club. The temperature for New Years Day was 24 degrees.
• Minnesota:
  St Paul Minnesota had their annual New Year’s Day Paddle down the Mississippi River at Hidden Falls Park. Canoes and Kayaks have participated in this event for the last 15 years with temperature at 23 degrees for the day.
• Chicago:
  For 23 years paddlers have paddled the North Branch of the Chicago River. This year there was over 200 paddlers. The Forest Preserve of Cook County Sponsored this event providing shuttles and portable toilets.
• New Hampshire:
• The Merrimack Valley Paddlers and Friends of the Winnipesaukee River had their annual New Years Day Paddle on the Winnipesaukee River in Tilton, Northfield and Franklin, New Hampshire. Novice and intermediate boaters paddled the Upper Winnipesaukee river and expert boaters paddled the Lower Winnipesaukee river. Paddlers had class III and IV rapids.The purpose of the paddle was to draw attention to the proposal for scheduled water releases for white water paddling during the summer.

Did you paddle on New Year’s Day? Tell us about your New Year’s Day Kayak and Canoe event by leaving a comment on this post.

He’s the first paddler to complete the whole thing – 631 miles!

Ardie Olson first paddler to complete the Alabama Scenic River Trail (photo courtesy ASRT)

It took Ardie Olson from Cummings, Georgia just 12 days to kayak the entirety of the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT). The trail is 631 miles and Ardie also had to cross six tough portages.

ASRT members donated $1,000 as prize money, which Ardie accepted at the end of his trip and then immediately donated back to the trail association. Ardie sounds like not just a great paddler, but a great person as well.

The crew here at BornToPaddle.com would like to join with all paddlers in congratulating Ardie! Great job!

Click here to find out more about the Alabama Scenic River Trail

Click here to find more places to paddle in Alabama

Have a favorite place to paddle or a story of a record-breaking paddle? Comment on this article or Click Here to use our Handy Contact Form and tell us all about it!

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More about Ardie’s journey:
Courtesy, Press Register
Click here to read the original article or just keep reading:

Georgia kayaker finishes 631-mile journey down the Alabama Scenic River Trail
Georgia man first to complete Alabama Scenic River Trail
Thursday, October 23, 2008
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter

GULF SHORES - With a stiff wind at his back, Ardie Olson paddled south from Weeks Bay, across the mouth of Bon Secour Bay and west along the Fort Morgan peninsula on Wednesday to complete a 12-day, 631-mile journey in which he became the first person to kayak the Alabama Scenic River Trail.

A 47-year-old from Cumming, Ga., with an interest in endurance sports, Olson said he was merely seeking a challenge.

To reward his accomplishment, however, the Alabama Scenic River Trail Association gave Olson $1,000.

Olson told tourism officials, who met him at Fort Morgan with a foamboard check, that he’d decided to donate the money back to the trail.

Waiting for his wife, Sherry, a lawyer who is also his boss, to pick him up, Olson gave little sign that he had been paddling a kayak from sunup to sundown for nearly two weeks, let alone that he’d been spending nights in the woods most of that time.

“I had plenty of food and six to eight hours of sleep a night,” he said. “Other than not having a bath in a week, I’m good.”

The Alabama Scenic River Trail is the longest single-state river trail in the nation. It follows seven rivers and two creeks, crosses nine lakes, encounters nine dams, cuts through the second-largest delta in the nation, hugs the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay and winds up at historic Fort Morgan on the cusp of the Gulf of Mexico.

Olson began his journey amidst autumnal hues in the southern piedmont and ended it gliding beneath wisps of Spanish moss, around cypress knees and past alligators in the subtropical environs of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

“It was nice to see the landscape change,” he said. “Sometimes, in the car, you go by and don’t notice that.”

Olson pushed off into Weiss Lake near the Georgia state line on Oct. 10. After a mere five days he had made it to Montgomery, about halfway through his journey. All told, he traveled at a clip of better than 52cm HALF miles a day.

Made of Kevlar, Olson’s 20-foot kayak weighs about 28 pounds and accommodated about 30 pounds of food, water and camping gear, he said.

And what sort of snacks does one pack for a 631-mile kayak trip?

“I’ve been eating Little Debbies, Rice Krispie treats and honey buns,” he said. “It seems odd, but they’ve got lots of calories, and that’s what I’m looking for.”

Aside from the blustery last day on the bay, Olson said his roughest moments came early on, when he had to carry his gear around one dam after another.

Highlights, he said, included passing through the three U.S. Corps of Engineers lock systems along the way, being immersed in total wilderness for days at a time, and a Delta stretch about 10 miles north of the bay that he found particularly accommodating to paddlers and rich with alligators, deer, hogs and bald eagles.

Have a favorite place to paddle or a story of a record-breaking paddle? Comment on this article or Click Here to use our Handy Contact Form and tell us all about it!

Here is more information and race perspective from the top finishers of last weekend’s Phatwater Challenge Kayak Race.

Reprinted here courtesy of the Natchez Democrat, originally published Sunday, October 12, 2008 and written by Krysten Oliphant

Woods Wins Phatwater Challenge - story and image courtesy of the Natchez Democrat

Woods wins Phatwater Challenge in record time

NATCHEZ — The Mighty Mississippi is one big river.

But it wasn’t big enough to stop nearly 150 people from racing 42.5 miles down the river in tiny boats.

Steve Woods of Durban, South Africa, finished the trip from Claiborne County Port Facility at Grand Gulf to the boat ramp at Natchez Under-the-Hill in 3:54:00, smashing the previous record of 4:16:55 set by Mike Herbert.

Herbert, of Rogers, Ark., finished third, besting his previous time with a mark of 3:55:50.

“When I started off from last year, I’d kind of seen what I had to do to beat (my time), and I put a lot of training in to achieve that,� Herbert said. “Even though I didn’t win the race, I was very happy to get in under four hours because that was one of my personal goals.�

Woods and his South African kayaking partner, Bevan Manson, finished within one second of each other after training together for two years.

The two flew neck-and-neck down the river for the duration of the race.

“We talk about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it, how we’re doing time wise and how things are going,� Manson said. “Also, we watch out for the other guys.�

Woods said he knew after about the first hour that he and his partner would finish at the four-hour mark, something that has never before been done in the seven years of the race.

He said it got difficult during the midpoint, when the sun came overhead, and he and Manson struggled a bit at the end of the race.

They misjudged the current, which nearly pushed them past the buoys marking the finish.

“That side was kind of strong,� Woods said. “I was trying to keep up, but at the end I ended up knocking the buoy. But I was also not all there. I had helium going out my ears. It was a bit of a tactical error, but it worked out.�

The two had another miscue early in the race that they thought might cost them precious time.

“There was an island, and it looked like all the good water was on the left,� Manson said. “But the local guy, Mike Herbert, he kept going right. It was quite late when we decided to go left. That probably cost us a couple minutes.�

Herbert and fourth-place finisher Erik Borgnes (3:56:00) saw the leaders pair up and decided to do the same, even though the two had never met.

The tactic worked well, as all four finished under the four-hour mark.

“It was kind of like tag-team kayaking out there,� Herbert said. “They were pecking their way and he was pecking his, and I kind of stuck with him.�

The South Africans have been training in Natchez for two weeks for the race and will now travel to New York City for a race around Manhattan Island.

They bought a 15-passenger van and have driven cross-country, from San Francisco to Natchez and now to the Northeast.

“It’s been awesome,� Woods said of his time in Mississippi. “We’ve been playing golf and tennis and 10-pin bowling. I just haven’t been fishing yet — next year.�

Herbert said he expects to be back next year. After 30 years of kayaking and three Olympic appearances, Phatwater is the only endurance race he does.

“I’ve not normally done anything over about two hours so this four-hour race is a new ballgame,� he said. “It’s pretty intense.�

Send us your race report! We’d love to hear about your last kayak, canoe or paddling race. Click here to send us your race report.

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Check out some of the kayak and canoe races and events that are happening all over the U.S.

New York Mayors Cup Kayak Race

New York:

If you live in or around New York City you may want to attend or enter the Mayor’s Cup - New York City Kayak Championship, Sunday, October 19th.

This is an elite 26.7 mile kayaking race around Manhattan Island. This event will draw some of the world’s and the region’s most accomplished paddlers. The course will offer some of the most challenging water in the region.

This event has an elite class and sea kayak class.

• The elite class comprises of nationally ranked and /or highly competitive paddlers.
• Participants for the sea kayak class, need to qualify through regional training centers or meet race participation guidelines.

If your not an experienced racing competitor this race may not be for you, but it sounds like an exciting race to watch. Registration closes Monday, October 13th. There is no race day registration.

Florida:

The 3rd annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival will take place between October 25 and November 2nd in Lee County Florida, in the waterfront communities of Pine Island, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva islands, Bonita Springs and Estero, Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Alva and Buckingham.

This festival celebrates Southwest Florida’s 190 mile marked paddling trail, The Great Calusa Blueway. Festival goers and paddlers will be able to participate in a wide variety of events and activities countywide. There will be nine days of festivities, including competitive canoe, kayak races, a pro-am kayak fishing tournament, paddling clinics, family activities and more.

Click here to see our dedicated Great Calusa Blueway page.

California:

27th Annual Sea Trek Regatta and ETC Paddle-a-Thon, Saturday October 25, 2008 on San Francisco Bay, is the West Coast’s largest and most popular event of the year. The annual Sea Trek Regatta and Paddle-a-Thon is a challenging day of paddling on San Francisco Bay. The event raises money for Environmental Traveling Companions’ (ETC) accessible outdoor adventure programs. This event has race classes and courses for paddlers looking to race competitively and paddlers who are new to the sport.

Sea Trek Regatta - San Francisco Bay

The Paddle-a-Thon is much like a walk-a-Thon only on water. Paddlers of all abilities are encouraged to recruit family, friends and colleagues to sponsor their paddling miles and in turn support accessible adventures for people with disabilities and inner-city youth.

****REMEMBER*** If you can’t paddle these or any events for any reason, but would still like to participate, you can always volunteer! Many kayak, canoe and paddle events and races are run by small staffs and volunteers, most probably by volunteers alone. So be sure to inquire at any event and lend a hand. It will be appreciated, and its a great way to get family and friends involved too.

Click here to find more information on all these events and their links on our Kayak, Canoe Races and Events page.

Click here to find Places to Paddle in every US state.

Got an event or a great place to paddle that you’d like to promote? Send us the information by clicking here and using our easy Contact Form. We may post it right here on our kayak, canoe and paddle blog!

Kayak the Hudson at NYC Waterfest

Kayak, Canoe, Row and Raft New York City’s Hudson River! Event Date: October 12, 2008.

Riverkeeper, New York’s #1 water protector has put together this fantastic event on the Hudson River to raise awareness about New York City water - the water we play in, the water that surrounds us, and the water that we drink.

Be sure to read all about the events available, get registered and enjoy The Paddle Rally - a day of on the water activities for all kayakers, canoers, rowers, rafters and stand up paddlers.

***The organizers are offering a two for one special on registrations for most events!***

The Paddle Rally will have several events for advanced and beginner kayakers, some require you to bring your own gear, others offer gear if you’re a beginner:
(all information here is re-printed courtesy of NYWaterFest.org)

Poker Run

Play to Win! The Poker Run is a paddle rally that travels to five different locations to draw five different playing cards along the east shore of the Hudson River in the NY Harbor.  At the end of the event your poker run hand is turned in and cash prizes are awarded for the highest and the lowest five card draw poker hands. This is not a race.  Participants travel at their own speed. There is no benefit to being “first” to any of the card stops. Paddling experience is required. This activity allows all intermediate and advanced paddlers to experience the dynamic water of the Hudson River in the NY Harbor. Put in where you want and get to all five stops before 3:00pm. The best route is to get to 79th St. Boat Basin by 10am and paddle south with the current to NCM. North Cove Marina has to be your last stop between 2:00pm and 3:00pm. Check the tides and currents web page for more information. Feel free to call Johnny at 518-424-3986 if you need help.

Time: 10:00am to 3:00PM

Game: Five Card Draw with a $750 cash pot.

Cost: $50, Two for One Special, Includes T-shirt and Gourmet lunch at North Cove Marina.

Card Stops on the Hudson River:

1. 79th Street Boat Basin - start at 10am
2. Pier 96 - Downtown Boathouse
3. Pier 66 - New York River Sports
4. Pier 40 - New York Kayak Company
5. North Cove Marina, last stop between 2:00pm and 3:00pm

How to Play:

* Check the tides and currents and then put in and take out where it is convenient for you. The easiest thing to do is put in either at North Cove Marina or Pier 40 early in the morning and paddle north with current to 79th St. Boat Basin.
* Paddle to 79th St Boat Basin to pick up your bib and draw your first card starting after 10:00am.
* Paddle south to Pier 96, Pier 66, Pier 40 and NCM.
* Draw your last card at North Cove Marina between 2:00pm & 3:00pm.
* High Hands will be ranked in the following order:
o Royal Flush
o Straight Flush
o Four of a Kind
o Full House
o Flush
o Straight
o Three of a Kind
o Two Pair
o One Pair
o High Card

* Low Hand Rules: Straights and Flushes do not count as combinations. Aces count as low, below the twos.

Floating Meditation

Let the dynamic energy of the Hudson River guide you. While meditation normally happens with the body on to the solid ground. Floating Meditationâ„¢ allows the energy of the mind, body and soul to be suspended on water, which covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface. You will not be bounded by the inability to move.  Floating - your intention may guide you in new directions, the energy in the water will move as does the energy through out the world, through out your body.

Allow your spirit to soar while floating on life’s natural moving energy - water.  This program will offer a chance to open your chi in a constant flowing environment.  Join the creator of Floating Mediation in shared meditation as he brings this special journey to NYC. The two hour program includes world class paddling instruction, safety briefing, history of it’s conception and then a simple deep guided meditation. Beginner experience needed.

Recreational kayaks, paddles and life jackets, sponsored by EMS, will be available for those participants that need them.

Location: Hudson River, Pier 40

Times:

* Experienced Paddlers - 8:00am to 10:00am
* Beginner Paddlers - 11:00am to 1:00pm

Distance: 2 miles

Fee: $50 per person. TWO FOR ONE SPECIAL. Includes T-shirt and Gourmet lunch at North Cove Marina. Additional $25 to rent a kayak.

Walk Up Kayaking

Enjoy a free 20-minute sit-on-top kayaking program, provided by the Downtown Boathouse from 9am - 6pm at their Pier 40 or Pier 96 locations. No experience required. The only requirement is that you know how to swim. Registration not required.

Beginner Kayak Lesson

Fundamentals I is designed for the beginner and novice seeking a quick introduction to the foundations of safe and efficient sea paddling. Introduction to the marine environment. Sea kayak safety and design. Basic equipment and use. Kayak fitting and wet exits. Paddling basics of forward, stopping and reversing, sweep strokes, stern rudder, effective bracing. The class is from 9:30am to 12:30pm at Pier 40. Please contact New York Kayak Company for more details and to register for this activity. 800-529-2599

Big Apple Splash!

The Big Apple Splash is a 5-mile raft flotilla down the Hudson River from Pier 96 to Water City, event headquarters at North Cove Marina. Each raft can hold 10-12 paddlers and will be equipped with a certified professional guide. You will only be able to experience this one of a kind rafting adventure in NYC at Water Fest.

Location: Hudson River, Pier 96 to North Cove Marina

Time: 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Distance: 5 miles

Fee: $75 per person. Includes equipment, lunch at North Cover Marina and T-shirt.

And don’t forget to visit:  WATER CITY

Featuring live music, great food, wellness and relaxation tents and New York’s leading clean water advocates ready to answer your water questions and challenge you to Take Back the Tap. Located at Battery Park City, New York’s premier waterfront event venue in lower Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River. At North Cove Marina, open 12 - 5pm. This location is also the take out for the Big Apple Splash and the Paddle Rally Poker Run.

There will be a Wellness Tent featuring holistic and well-being education and mini service demonstrations of methods and practices. It is our goal to create an open environment to educate through experience. Take the Tap Water Challenge is an activity that challenges you to taste test NYC’s drinking water vs. all the rest.

Click here for more information or to register for Riverkeepers New York Waterfest.

If you go, let us know!

As always, if you attend any kayak or canoe event, we want to hear from you! Click here to send us a race or event report.

Happy Paddling!