Paddlers on the Mississippi River! Photo courtesy of Jessie Demster
On Saturday June 18th, the 35th annual Outdoors, Inc. Kayak and Canoe race, a spectacular event, took place in Memphis! Over 200 Kayaks, Canoes, and Paddleboards came to compete against each other in a 5,000 meter (3.1 miles) race on the Mississippi River.
The US Coast Guard stopped all barge traffic during the race, and the entire River belonged to these paddlers for a short time. With the Tennessee State Wildlife Resources Agency, the Memphis Police, and the Harbor Patrol on duty, the River was ready! The starting line was where the Wolf River drains into the Mississippi, and the finsihs line was in front of Mississippi River Park, marked by booths, beer, and food waiting for all to enjoy! Spectators gathered on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River to watch as the paddlers rushed to the finish line.
Watching the River fill with paddlers of all sorts was beautiful! The colors of the kayaks and canoes looked like a rainbow melting into the river. It was impressive to see how fast everyone paddled into the home stretch. The first to cross were Eric Mims and Waylon Willis in a double kayak at 17:19.5 minutes; the solo kayak winner, Mike Herbert, arrived with a time of 17:43.4 minutes! The bulk of the racers finished between 26:00 and 36:00 minutes; you can see a list of all the times here.
Photo courtesy of Jessie Demster
Many competed to just have fun! You can, too, next year. Go to www.outdoorsinc.com to get signed up! They’ll be getting next year’s race geared up soon. 1 Mississippi and the Mississippi River Collaborative – Tennessee will be there again to support all the paddlers. Join us, River Citizens!
Jessie Demster
1 Mississippi Tennessee Outreach Assistant
