Race Results Out Soon

The nice folks over at Bangor Parks & Recreation have informed me that the 2006 race results will be available online within a week from today. That's good news.

Here are some preliminary results which were made available just after the race:

Top Times

Jeff Sands-Kenny Cushman 2 hour, 8 minutes, 34 sec., Trevor MacLean 2:16:38, Jeff Owen-Steve Woodard 2:23:42, Fred Ludwig 2:30:50, Jamie Hannon-Chip Loring 2:31:22, Mabee-Kell-Lee-Theb-Hess-Cang 2:31:41, Justin Wardwell-Clayton Cole 2:31:41, Dan Wagner- Charlie Bradat 2:37:01, McGrath-Levy-Gray-Scarda 2:39:25; Brad Krog-Del Cummings 2:39:32, Matt Dingle-Greg Dorr 2:39:48, John Alsop 2:42:52, A. Paradise-P. Reomertsem 2:43:54, Bob Martin-Richy Bartlett 2:44:34, T. Kenyon-M. Cyr 2:45:04, Aaron & Dale Cross 2:45:48, Douglas Depew 2:48:45, Peter Blood-Clint Cushman 2:49:33, William & Nicholas Lunt 2:49:36, Chip & Lani Cochrane 2:49:55, G. Warnica-A. Billard 2:50:33, Eric Taylor-John Eames 2:51:00, Dick & Brian Kelley 2:51:11, Bill & Patrick Deighan 2:51:40, Barry & Eve Dana 2:52:51, Reinhard & Brenda Zollitsch 2:53:46, Guy Flately 2:54:30, Bucky Owen-Dick Storch 2:54:34, Mark Ranco 2:56:21, Tommy Perkins 2:57:21, Dawn Krog-Vicki Cummings 2:58:48, Jon Wescott 2:59:51, D. Conley-H. Brittain 3:01:36, John Carter 3:01:57, Bret & Travis Vicary 3:03:18, Michael Sproul-Mark West 3:04:17, River & Ralph Robertson 3:04:23, Larry Merrill 3:04:25, Brant Winsor-Randy Dixon 3:04:35, Gary & Dustin Brooks 3:04:40, Marc Rohde-Brent Gibson 3:05:05, B. Coffey-J. Wahlstrom, 3:05:55, Earl Baldwin Jr. 3:06:06, B. Merrill-B. Hatt 3:06:45, Ben & Dan Burke 3:07:24, N. Hawes-G. Stellpflug 3:08:05, Sandra Kudrak-Terry Wescott 3:08:45, Bob Mitchell-Bob Miller 3:08:47, Boying-Pellitier-Doucette-Day 3:10:09, Bronwen & Ted Pierson 3:10:38, Randy, Jackie & Juliet Cobb 3:11:41, Benson-Albert-Eaton-Eaton 3:12:00, Steve Markwith-Phil Gagnon 3:12:02, K. Fullarton-A. MacNeill 3:12:42, D. Rosborough-A. Mace 3:13:26

Category Winners

Open Class: Jeff Sands-Kenny Cushman 2:08:34; C2 Long: Peter Blood-Clint Cushman 2:49:33; C2 Medium Experienced: Jeff Owen-Steve Woodard 2:33:42; C2 Short Experienced: Martin Fitch-Andrew Magiera 3:14:32; C1 Experienced: John Alsop 2:42:52; C2 Mixed Experienced: Reinhard & Brenda Zollitsch 2:53:46; K1 Long: Trevor MacLean 2:16:38; K1 Short: John Carter 3:01:57; K1 Short Women: Maggie Sutherland 3:21:34; K1 Recreational: Douglas Depew 2:48:45; Century Class: A. Paradise-P. Reinertsen 2:43:53; Golden Age Class: Bucky Owen-Dick Storch 2:54:34; Junior/Senior: Gary & Dustin Brooks 3:04:40; C2 Women: Laurie Stearns-Susannah Owen 3:40:41; C2 Women Recreational: Dawn Krog-Vicki Cummings 2:58:48; Junior/Senior Recreational: Dick & Brian Kelley 2:51:11; C2 Mixed Recreational: T. Kenyon-M. Cyr 2:45:04; C2 Medium Recreation: Dan Wagner-Charlie Bradat 2:37:01; C2 Short Recreational: Brad Krog-Del Cummings 2:39:32; C1 Recreational: Guy Flately 2:54:30; C1 Women Recreational: Sarah Quaintance 4:34:49; C2 Medium Beginner: T. Lowell-H. Thompson 3:29:33; C2 Short Beginner: Greg Vail-Andrew Warnica 3:20:38; C2 Mixed Beginner: Lance Davis-Karen Roy 3:23:03

Bangor Daily News Race Article

In case you missed it:

Cushman, Sands Take Kenduskeag

Kenduskeag Is A Go

The race is on!

Race day registration has been scaled down to one hour, from 6:30am to 7:30am.

So if you plan to register at the last moment tomorrow, better get there early.

Here's the latest canoe race article from the Bangor Daily News.

No TV Coverage Of Kenduskeag This Year

WABI-TV, the CBS affiliate which usually broadcasts the action from the bridge overlooking Six Mile Falls, will not be televising the race this year.

A phone call to the sports desk at WABI confirmed this; the low water levels will likely lead to many portages, resulting in dull coverage.

However, this should not be taken to mean that the Kenduskeag will be cancelled. Nor should a television producer's idea of the "excitement factor" of this race be taken as a signal that paddlers won't have an exciting afternoon. I'm betting otherwise.

Said it before, will say it again. Don't let the rumors or news get you down. The race is on!

Stay tuned (so to speak).

Souadabscook Stream Race 2006

The Souadabscook Sprint & Canoe Race was held as planned this weekend in Hampden, ME. Nice to see that it wasn't cancelled.

Here's a news story about the race from the Bangor Daily News.

Congratulations to Jeff Sands!

Last but not least, here's a link to my 2006 Sou photo galleries.

Springtime in Maine (UPDATED)

Rain, sleet & snow today. I couldn't be happier. People in town are giving me strange looks when I tell them how great it is that we're having this weather. We need all the water we can get for April 15th.

UPDATE 4/5/06: I went by Six Mile Falls today. The stream was noticeably higher than it was just a few days ago. The rain and snow seemed to help things a bit. Given a few more days like that, I would think that we'll be good to go!

If you were part of the Gumby race crew last year, you will find your smiling faces...well, not on the cover of the Rolling Stone, but at least in the pages of the April issue of Bangor Metro magazine. It's in stores now.

College Students: Compete For Your School!

(originally posted 3/27/06)


Although it is missing from the 2006 race registration form, there's a new College Division for the 2006 Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race (and this new College Division is applicable to all MaCKRO points races throughout this season.)

College students may compete on behalf of their respective schools for the ultimate prize: The College Cup.

You must be a member of MaCKRO (Maine Canoe & Kayak Racing Association) to compete in the College Division. There are special membership group rates available for colleges. Contact MaCKRO for more information.

Canoe race organizer Matt Dingle relayed this message:

"Only one, Unity College, has contacted me about their club joining. They did make some comment about the other colleges around here not knowing how to paddle, having buggy whip arms and that they would probably float down the stream backwards, puking in fear. But the message wasn't real clear."

A Couple of April Fools Scout The Stream

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge images)

On the morning of April Fools Day, I scouted different parts of the Kenduskeag with my neighbor Chris D'Amico, a seasoned vet of the canoe race. As a paddler, I'm a hopeless novice. I work primarily as a photographer. So it was good to scout some sections of the stream with someone who could actually "interpret" the water. This we did by car and by foot - not by boat.

It doesn't take a seasoned veteran of this canoe race to see that the stream levels are quite a bit lower than in years past. But I felt a need to know just how bad the damage is. Would a seasoned race participant take a look at sections of the stream and abandon all hope? Recent race cancellations in Maine (all due to low water) have some people sitting on pins and needles. Is it possible, they ask me, that the race could be cancelled altogether this year? It is a question which has popped up in the back of my mind as well.

It's important to note that up until now, there has been absolutely no mention of a pending cancellation by the race committee. And today's estimation from Chris was one of cautious optimism: "The stream is low, yes...but it certainly appears to be doable. At least for now. Some sections will be rough going, but it appears to be passable."



I'll have to leave it up to other paddlers to determine whether "passable" is good enough for them. But in any case one thing seems certain: Six Mile Falls looks to be a dicey proposition. With such low water levels, a paddler's options are limited. We walked along both sides of the stream in the area of Six Mile Falls, all the while amazed at how much more exposed the banks of the stream are this year.

Tree stumps, knifelike slices of ledge, spits of grassy land - all of which were submerged under several feet of water last year and in years past - were completely exposed. Stairsteps of rocks and boulders riffled the stream.

Chris lined up some possible approaches to Six Mile Falls and again, he felt that it seemed passable. But tricky. He figured that lining up for a run into the low-level falls may require considerably more technical skill and finesse of paddlers this year. He also wondered if most people might decide to portage the falls altogether to avoid such a problematic obstacle. Then again, there's an outside chance that Six Mile Falls will be designated a mandatory portage.

That about closes it for our April Fools Day stream and race speculation. For whatever it is worth. Stay tuned!

UPDATE 4/5/06: Stream levels have risen in just a few short days thanks to rain, sleet and light snow. Things are looking much better. So, no more hand-wringing! I would be VERY surprised if the race were cancelled at this point. I don't think 2006 will be a year of record race times, but I don't think this race will be cancelled. Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.