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 New for 2010...Superior Kayak & Small-Boat Race!

Saturday September 4th is the new date for the first run of what will become an annual event on the north shore of Lake Superior.

This races race will be a smaller, more informal event, somewhat a trial run for what will likely be a 2-day Stage Race for 2011.

The course will start near the Canada/US border crossing at Pigeon River and will continue into Thunder Bay, a distance of roughly 55-60 kilometers depending on the exact route used.

 This years race will be an invitational event only! If interested in taking part, email me directly expressing your interest and skill level. Rough water paddling skills and solid self rescue skills are 100% mandatory!

Click below for some footage from the 2009 Yukon River Quest, the longest annual canoe & kayak race in the world at 740 kilometers! I'm itching to get back up there!

    Another race on the radar screen for 2010 is the Saskatchewan Canoe Quest, a 570 kilometer Voyageur Canoe Race on the beautiful Churchill River and the Sturgeon Weir River. They are projecting up to $90,000 of prize money for this one folk! Voyageur Canoes only, maximum of 40 teams. Check it out.

 WASH RIDING by Bob Putnam 

   To read up on some racing skills, Wash Riding in particular (think of drafting inprofessional bicylce racing but done on the water), see the writeup by Bob Putnam from Deep cove Outdoors in British Columbia. Bob hosts the largest weekly race series in all of North America for paddlesports. One thing I really like about Bob is his writing style. Go to his website and read some of the race reports. He is very good at making things sound like a lot of fun! He's an awesome paddler, a good writer and does a ton of good for the sport! Check it out.

 VI Pro Marathon Racing Canoe:

An example of a full blown racing canoe is shown below. This canoe is a V1 Pro, built by Clipper Canoes in Abbotsford British Columbia Canada. 18'6" long, 27" wide at the 3" waterline and 33" wide at the gunnels. This canoe comes in at just 32 lbs!

  Click on the photo to go direct to the Clipper website. 

 CI Marathon Racing Canoe:

Here is an example of a solo marathon racing canoe, a Diller C1 by Savage. I have a similar C1 right now, the J200 from Clipper Canoes.  

     In 2008, I decided to put together an informal, recreational series of short races on Tuesday evenings, suitable for both kayaks and canoes. These races were generally 5.5 kilometers in length and were held on the MacIntyre River.

    2009 will mark the 2nd season for these informal but fun "Race Series". It is aimed at giving local paddlers an excuse to push themselves a little harder than normal and to improve their skills as paddlers through a more effiecient stroke and better turning abilities when negotiating the many "Buoy Turns" around select bridge piers used as turn around points on the course. Racing will start up again this year in early June. Check back for exact details later in the spring. For anyone planning to do this year's Grand Kam Canoe & Kayak Race, on August 22nd, the Tuesday Night Series is the perfect training tool so come on out!

Yukon 1000 Canoe and Kayak Race 

Ontario Marathon Canoe Racing Association 

 La Classique de canots de la Mauricie

The final race in the "Triple Crown" of pro canoe racing, this 3 day race is considered to be THE premiere event annulay in the world of marathon canoe racing and features $45000 in prize money!