Tyler Backus made the trip from Port Dover with two friends to be among the first to enter in the Mattawa River Canoe Race's new category, stand up paddleboard.
"We had competed at Muskoka River X before, we thought this would be a great one, we had seen that there had been no stand up before, and we'd never paddled the (Mattawa) river before," expained Backus when asked about coming to North Bay.
Regarding the challenges of racing a paddleboard as opposed to a canoe, Backus said, "The biggest challenge is the large fin. We have to deal with clearance issues underneath the water. We've got to watch it when we get into the swifts. We will be switching to different lengths of fins" as we progress down the course.
Backus indicated that his group were packing minimal equipment to keep portages from becoming too strenuous.
On strategy and a paddleboard's top speed, Backus said, "We can keep up with the rec canoes, we (the paddleboarders) are going to draft each other on the lake, too, that's helps a little."
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) hosts the race, and the festivities kicked off Friday with a hike at the Eau Claire Gorge, led by Algonquin First Nations' Jane Lagassie. Fifty people were in attendance as Lagassie guided the tour and educated about the use of traditional plants and medicines. The Eau Claire Gorge is part of the historical Voyageur route.
Nearly one hundred canoeing enthusiasts entered the race, paddling in multiple disciplines across competitive and recreational categories. The 64 km Historical Voyageur Route race launched from Olmsted Beach in North Bay early Saturday morning, while the junior and family versions (13 km) saw paddlers depart from Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park at noon. The gruelling race finishes at Mattawa Island Conservation Area.
An always well-attended social and awards banquet is held at the Mike Rodden Community Centre in Mattawa Saturday night.
On the traditional canoe side of the race, the youngest participants in the 64 km trek were Elizabeth Edington and Maria Cortez. Edington is a four-year veteran of the race, and previous winner of the Youngest Paddler Award.
Cortez, a rookie race participant said she would be looking to her seasoned partner for guidance.
Said Edington about the determination it takes to reach the finish, "You just keep paddling, the last 2 km, I see my parents and when you see the finish line, you get a burst of energy."
On the treacherous portages along the course, Edington added "there are are tall, slippery rocks, so you have to be careful. It gives you a break from the water, gives your legs a chance to move."
The Canadian Armed Forces brought a sixteen-man contingent to the event. Sgt. Andy Carr, a race veteran said he started organizing the military crew when he returned from Germany. I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful place that we have here in North Bay and area. I heard an ad for the race on the radio, and figured that I wasn't the only military interested in this. And, I was right."
"We have support from the base, we have some race veterans, we're not experts, mostly intermediate, and a few novice paddlers. Hopefully, we'll have even more next year," said Carr.
"We mostly race amongst ourselves. We learned from last year, we don't try to keep up with those fast guys. Last year it was just a matter of finishing it, but for those coming back we'd like to improve our times."
