Bring your Sea Kayak or Canoe to the Dark Mountain Challenge Endurance Festival at the Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir in Wilkesboro, NC on October 3 & 4, 2009.

The Dark Mtn Paddling Triathlon includes a 3+ mile lake paddle, 4+mile run and 7+ mile mountain biking.

If you’re looking to just race your kayak or canoe, then you can enter the Dark Mtn Paddle Only Race, which is a 4+ mile solo race or a 10+ mile solo or team-tandem race.

This is a USAT sanctioned event. You must be a member or buy a one day license.

According to their website, boats will be handicapped according to hull size and make. Boat rentals are available. The festival also includes an Off-Road Duathlon and a Trail Running Race.

Click here to visit our kayak, canoe races and events page to find the link to this website and to find many other races and events that are going on all year all over the U.S.

Do you have a kayak, canoe and paddling event you’d like us to feature on BornToPaddle.com? If so, click here to send us the info using our handy contact form.

Come on out and paddle the first few miles of this year’s Inside Passage Kayak Expedition 2009. The expedition will leave from Gig Harbor, Washington and continue on all the way up the coast of Washington, through the islands of Canada, and into the ports of Alaska! Even if you can’t go the whole way, paddle out and show your support for an event that is sure to be memorable.

A remarkable journey, the organizers of the unique, daring and fantastic kayak trip are paddling for a good cause: To build awareness for the plight of wild salmon and raise funds for the Living Oceans Society.

How can you participate, even if you can’t set off on a four month kayak expedition up the Pacific Coast? Get over to the Launch Event!

The Go Wild Kayak Event is on Saturday, May 2, 2009. Participants with their own boats should meet at the Gig Harbor (Washington) public boat ramp, those who need to rent a boat, please visit Gig Harbor Rent-a-Boat for 20% kayak rentals for the event.

High tide is forecast for 11:40 AM, so plan to meet at 9am to load kayaks as the tide rises and launch promptly at 10am before high tide.  Colvos Passage, where we will paddle during our first day, is unique in having a permanent northbound current, which we will ride to our first camp at Lisabuela on Vashon Island.

The organizers plan to have an orange balloon for each participating paddler for a magnificent unified parade of balloons crossing the harbor!

Show your support of wild salmon by launching with the Go Wild Inside Passage Kayak Expedition!

For more information, please click here to visit our races and events pages, to RSVP to this event or search for kayaking and canoeing events by state or by date.

If you have a great kayaking or canoeing event or race, or would like to share your favorite place to paddle with our readers, please click here to send us all of the info using our handy contact form.