Twelve to fifteen knots, NNW winds and enough chill in the air to feel the bite made for typical Snow Row conditions. This short, 3+ mile race is a perennial indicator that winter won’t long be with us and the race season is nearing. A record 81 boats of all kinds of human powered craft ranging from 6 person 30′ gigs and whaleboats to 12′ kayaks showed up saying in effect, hell with winter, we’re going out on the water.
For the big boat rowers, the exciting Le Mans start had waves of crews running down the beach to their whaleboats and gigs, bows on the beach, hopping in and turning around to start the race. You can imagine the friendly mayhem that ensues when these craft, with six 9′ oars on each side working in unison try to turn amid shouts of “port rowers pull!” and “heave away!” with the long oars hitting harmlessly.
The surfskis and kayakers were mixed in with single and double rowers and started a few minutes later. Far too quickly we caught up to mid pack of whaleboats now wielding their long oars ominously and cutting an 18’+ wide path along the race course. The 2′ short chop and cross wind gave us all a case of the “wobblies” and all craft were working hard to keep a straight line. Now with kayaks, surfskis and all the rowers in close proximity, the mayhem wasn’t friendly at all. Those once harmless oars now swung menacingly with every stroke, sending paddlers scurrying away, especially at all the turns. I negotiated my way thru these hazards like Pacman thru the maze to avoid being knocked down and gobbled up.
Wesley and I got a good start on the downwind first leg, making good speed with the wind assist and staying out of the fray for the most part. Some small waves had built up as we neared the Island and there were some occasional runs to be had. We were together at the first Island turn amid thrashing oars and unruly steering on the rowers part. I was about to get on Wesley’s stern on the leeward side of the Island when an out of control double rowing craft bore down suddenly on us. The double’s bow was about 2 feet from Wesley’s port quarter and Wesley was looking like he’s be the first victim of the big rowing craft. The oars repeatedly swung over his boat dangerously close to his back. I was about to get an oar blade to the face but I steered hard right into shallow water and lost several boat lengths. Wesley sped up to avoid these guys who were rowing like drunken sailors and got away. But it wasn’t just ski paddlers getting roughed up. One single rower made an effort to squeeze between a whaleboat and me at the last turn on a daymarker piling. The whaleboat suddenly turned tighter and accelerated rapidly shrinking the gap and with an ugly clash of oars the single rower was run down and I made the turn and luckily squeezed out of that train wreck. Wesley had already made a nice rounding and continued to maintain his fast pace and lead.
Wesley built on his lead to about 10 boat lengths and carried on stroke after stroke into the strong wind and tide. With a first place finish in his grasp he kept up the pace and finished hard first out of six skis. Being first across the line is a rare event for most of us mid-pack paddlers and Wesley, always so modest, should enjoy the experience. The winter on water training time this winter paid off. All that time working on the new website, with Chris Chappell as webmaster, has not diminished his paddling efforts. This also was his first race in his new carbon Think Legend.
I finished about 30 seconds back and was happy with a good effort. Rob Flanagan and Bill Baker, among the few paddlers at last years event, took the next two spots. Comments were overheard about “shameless drafting” boats in another class. Sean Milano and Chris Chappell in their first Snow Row, each found a way to make the event more interesting. Sean, by dragging his broken and completely dislodged rudder behind him for a good part of the race and making it back–all in typical good humor. Chris Chappell, who in his second race, managed conditions far more challenging than he is used to. Look for this new ski paddler, who just just did an impressive 6:47 2K at the Crash-B’s, to gain experience and success. Josh Ormsby was the first sea kayaker and heard the siren song allure of the surfski by hearing us sing their praises.
Fish chowder, baked potato, brownies were a sampling of the array of “recovery” food and several of us chatted with Rich Klajnscek, one of the Blackburn Challenge organizers over lunch. Rich also finish a strong 2nd in the single shells. He was open to listening to several issues from a surfski paddling perspective regarding the Blackburn and lines of communication are open for the future.
The only change I’d make is next year I’d recommend having the surfski paddlers and kayakers go off first to avoid the swinging oars of doom. Bring the family next year, they’ll have an image of you they can laugh at for years to come. Weird clothes–goofy but warm hats, big boots, drysuits, pogies and mismatched colors, cold water windy and wavy–maybe it’s our version of Mardi Gras! ~Tim
