Canoe Racing Pictures

[Glenn MacGrady]

Any type of canoe racing. Any type of photo, video, painting or artwork.

Let's start with a historical picture of Crow Indians racing on the Missouri River.

 

[Benson Gray]

Any type of canoe racing.

It is not paddling but how about the Labor Day regatta of the Association of Canoe Clubs of Sheepshead Bay from 1927 as shown below? A cropped version of this image was used on the first page of the 1929 Old Town Canoe Company catalog with a caption that identified it as being from Coney Island, New York. I'm also figuring out what to do with a collection of 40 films that includes many whitewater races from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The link below includes the label (if any) and an early frame.

Benson

Deane Gray's Film Gallery

 

[TexasRiverRacer23]

This is just past the finish line of my best friend’s first race. He’s the one in the front. He was upright and pulled hard the entire race but was gassed at the end.

 

[yknpdlr]

I've got hundreds, of the Adirondack 90 miler, as well as the Yukon River races. I'll post a few when I sort through some of the most interesting.

 

[Clint]

2021 Texas River Marathon 35 miles


2021 Neches Wilderness Race 22 miles


2022 Texas Winter 100K


2022 Texas River Marathon 35 miles


2022 Texas Water Safari - Cottonseed Rapids 260 miles

 

[Murat V]

Here's a Toronto postcard from 1910 showcasing a War Canoe race in the harbour...




Below is a photo of a War Canoe race down the Humber River, Toronto, June 1, 1929. Note all the spectators in smaller watercraft lining the marshy banks. Sometimes dragonboat and/or outrigger canoe races are held in this same stretch today...

 

[TimG]

The Peavine Whitewater Race on the White River of Vermont last spring. The only canoe race I’ve ever been in, and looking forward to it this year.

Patrick says he’s running it solo this year so he doesn’t get yelled at

 

[TexasRiverRacer23]

Texas Water Safari 2018

One is in the first 2 hours of the race. The other is me after paddling for 35 hours without sleep.

 

[TimG]

Wow! 35 hours is more fun than I like to have. But if they’re handing out cheeseburgers…

 

[TexasRiverRacer23]

Wow! 35 hours is more fun than I like to have. But if they’re handing out cheeseburgers…

I was asleep in that picture. One bite and passed out. That was at mile 148. Unfortunately I DNF'd at mile 200. I've since designed a new boat for the race that I hope to build this year.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Flat water sprint canoe

 

[TexasRiverRacer23]

Texas River Marathon (36 miles in 3:56)

I think we got 8th overall but don’t remember for sure. The most fun I’ve had racing.

 

[yknpdlr]

Lots of Yukon 1000 mile photos:



Map of our paddled route Y1K 2009


reconfiguring/preparing the 34' rented voyageur canoe for 7 team paddlers at "Kanoe People" Y1K 2009


Y1K Training Day f2009


A good starting posiiton Y1K 2011


Crossing the start line perfectly timed 2009


View from Takhini overlook, leader of the pack 2009


Passing Policeman's Point


Entering Lake Laberge


Smiles on Lake Laberge



Navigator's station cherry snacks on Lake Laberge


Arrival at Carmacks


Departing Carmacks



Setup to enter Five Finger Rapids


Five Finger Rapids entry


Rink Rapids ahead

Arrival at Dawson City 6:00 AM


Lower Yukon Cruising, Still no competition in sight


Let's do some sprints


Record flood damage 2009



Must stop at Eagle, show passports after U.S. border crossing


Friendly Customs Border Officer Collins - Tragically drowned one year later when his truck rollled into a deep ravine


Calico Bluff - "Life Below Zero" TV show landscape

 

[yknpdlr]

Midnight campsite near the Arctic Circle


Happy in the Yukon Flats



Mandatory race requirement: 20Kg of food/person (2009 first year only) - Yeti and other required gear


Navigator's planned route through the Yukon Flats


Our happy team captain


Brian points the way


Forest fire generated thundercloud


First view of the 1000 mile finish line through heavy forest fire smoke


Crossing the finish line (Dalton Highway bridge) 2009


At the finish line


We did it!


First Y1K finishers 2009




Another year another boat, another Y1K finish 2011

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Yukon 1000 mile photos

YP, you do 1000 miles in 7 days? Who took the photos of the entire boat on the water, some from an elevated position?

 

[yknpdlr]

YP, you do 1000 miles in 7 days? Who took the photos of the entire boat on the water, some from an elevated position?

The Y1K race organizers thought the fastest canoes "might" finish in about a week in the first running of the Y1K in 2009. Estimates were that slower canoes would take up to possibly two weeks. They wanted a reserve of an extra week in case of emergencies, hence the mandated requirement of 20kg of food/person be on board from the start for a full three week supply. (do the math for a crew of 7 paddlers). Dry weight only, could not include water weight to rehydrate. With efficient preplanned navigation to remain in mostly a 6mph current, plus our 6mph+ paddling speed, my voyageur canoe finished the 1000 miles in just 6 days, 6 hours, 52 minutes in 2009, with a load remaining of 3/4 of the food we started with. No crew member went hungry or lost any noticeable weight. That ridiculous food weight mandate rule was dropped for all subsequent Y1K races. We finished the Y1K race in 2011 in roughly the same amount of time carrying a confident starting load of only 10 days worth of food. For both races, I home dehydrated and packaged all main meals (breakfast and dinner, some snacks) for the entire team.

Although this race according, to strict rules is run with no outside support allowed after the start, we still had a pit crew of several family members and friends follow us who could take photos at certain accessible locations where we were visible during our passage. SPOT location transmissions, along with a continuously updated SPOT time and speed estimated spreadsheet calculator I wrote provided our time of arrival estimate to each of the 738 GPS waypoints I had programmed with select locations for my pit crew. Other than for an insurance covered major medical incident recovery, if we had any lesser reason to drop out of the race, our pit crew could meet us at possible First Nation village take out locations that we cold possibly limp along to reach down river. Few and far between when below Dawson City.

Another rule required effective antenna placement and use of continuous 10 minute interval SPOT device transmissions AND to mark mandatory 6 hour "night time" rest camp stops and restart times. Choose any 6 hour period to stop that includes the time between 2300-0200 where ever we wanted to camp. Violation of the rules with no SPOT transmission could result in a 30 minute finish time penalty per incident. Note in one photo my SPOT was properly placed on the bow deck. At least one of the teams accumulated as much as 9 hours of penalties added to their official finish time. My team had zero penalties at the finish.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Still called the "perfect run", this is John Lugbill, the greatest C-1 whitewater slalom paddler ever, at his career best at the Savage River World Championships in 1989—destroying his friend Davey Hearn, who himself destroyed the rest of the world.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Since 1947, the famous Ausable River Canoe Marathon attracts young, old, paraplegic and world class paddlers to race 120 miles from Grayling to Oscoda, Michigan. After time trials determine position order, the paddlers sprint along the road in front of thousands of spectators to plunk their hydroplaning rockets in the water, paddle through the night, portage over six hydroelectric dams, and sometimes culminate in close finishes. This video offers a tasty olla podrida of all of that.

 

[Clint]

Since 1947, the famous Ausable River Canoe Marathon attracts young, old, paraplegic and world class paddlers to race 120 miles from Grayling to Oscoda, Michigan.

And what a beast of a race. That is a different level to be able to compete for the top spots.

 

[Clint]