Bridge to Bridge Race 6.24.23
Saturday started as a pretty nice day – and all the nicer going to a race that starts at noon (makes the drive much easier after a decent night’s sleep!). I did go to the wrong side of the river (the traditional start location on the south side), not having carefully read the flyer that told us to go to the park on the north side. But it wasn’t long until I figured out something was amiss and gave Brent a call. So Brent stood on the bank on the opposite side, waving and talking to me by phone until I was squared up on where to go.
3 people turned out for the morning races. I wasn’t there to witness the event, but it looks like the times were extremely competitive between Margaret Easton and Ossian Duckworth, and those two weren’t that far behind Peter Duckworth!
The afternoon races saw 8 of us show up. Water levels were shallow, but certainly passable – at least if you went to the correct side of the top island. We had a bit of confusion on that level, as Brent put out a buoy on the right side of the island (in the deep water) so paddlers wouldn’t have to try to get around the island. Unfortunately, in the confusion of the morning, some of us were told to keep the islands on our right (as we traditionally do), and that made for a biathlon with a running segment. But more on that in a moment.
Once again Brent had a trophy for the first person to cross the starting line on the return trip (going downstream a short distance to the first bridge, before turning and heading back upstream a few miles to the island. Last year Matt Conrad won the trophy, and he was striving mightily for it this year as well, but it just wasn’t to be. Matt, Jon, and I all charged out rapidly for the bridge when the noon siren sounded. I had a small lead, but Matt pulled along my left side and blocked me in the bridge turn. Jon meanwhile was in the fastest boat, but he was still lagging a bit at this point and had a fairly slow turn. Jon quickly made up for it on the return and passed us both shortly before we crossed back over the start line. Matt was pushing hard, but then he had some cramping and told me “Steve, this is all I’ve got!” as I passed him. Now on our way up to the Island, Jon was in the lead and I was holding second, but Paul Kane was making his C1 move, gradually catching up to me. As we neared the island, Paul pulled ahead a short distance. Watching both Paul and Jon, I saw that Jon kept to the left side (keeping the island on his right), while Paul, who wasn’t certain this was the correct island stayed to the right. I made the unfortunate decision to follow Jon, and both of us ended up having to portage near the top of the island, while Paul had deeper water to the buoy and back. As I exited my kayak, Andy Weeks and Patty Thornburg passed me, running their C1’s a little further into the shallows before they exited. Being experience Au Sable racers, they quickly exited their canoes, ran to the other side, and got back in well ahead of me. From there we established our positions that held to the end of the race: Jon stayed ahead, Paul in second, with Andy and Patty next, then me, followed by the others. I held my position, but I couldn’t close the gap on Andy and Patty. Patty pulled ahead of Andy at the upstream bridge turn when she cut between the pylons and Andy went around the set. She was able to hold him off from there.
Meanwhile, as we headed upstream and just past the start line, Brent was having some comfort issues, moved his bum a bit, and managed to find the only deep part of the whole river. Everywhere else you could literally wade across the river, but Brent ended up going in over his head, and had to swim his downriver boat to the side where he could empty it. So he got in his own version of a biathlon. From there Brent, Matt, and Roger stayed kind of close, with Matt eventually pulling ahead, followed by Brent, and then Roger. Roger may have been last, but he definitely wasn’t slow, being only 3 minutes behind Brent. That’s a heck of a good showing for an 82 year old paddler!
All in all it was a very fun race, and while it wasn’t that long at 6.5 miles, lots of suck water made it a pretty decent workout. Naturally we followed up the race with some great food and fellowship at the Jaywalker Restaurant across the border in Mottville, MI. Many thanks to Brent for hosting this race, and for his family and Julie Birge taking care of timing duties and photos! Julie Birge has posted the photos on her Facebook page. And yes, that is formerly Deb Kanost’s S18Sx that I am paddling…
Recreational results (Klondike Challenge)
K1 men
1st – Peter Duckworth 57:24
2nd – Ossian Duckworth 1:00:11
K1 women
1st – Margaret Easton 1:00:08
USCA Noon Stampede results
C1 Men
1st- Paul Kane 1:03:29
2nd- Andy Weeks 1:07:17
C1 Women
1st- Patty Thornburg 1:07:02
Sea Kayak Men
1st- Matt Conrad 1:14:03
2nd- Roger Crisp 1:18:30
K1 Open
1st – Jon Henderson 1:01:22
2nd- Steve Horney 1:08:04
Downriver Kayak
1st- Brent Ernsberger 1:15:34
Winner of fastest Bridge turn trophy is Jon Henderson
Thanks to our timing, starting and judging crew: Tim, Victoria, and Jack Taylor, Michele Ernsberger, and Julie Birge. For more photos, see Julie Birge, our Paddler of the Year’s, FB page for June 24th.
