Canoe News Vol 39 Issue 3 Fall-Winter 2006

CANOE NEWS Sep/Oct 2002 Vol 35/5

September/October

Volume 35 Issue 5

CANOE NEWS -EXCERPT Aluminum Nationals Palestine, Texas September 28, 2002

Cover photo: Line up for the Masters’ race at the Texas Aluminum Nationals, September 28, 2002: From furthest on the line to nearest, bow paddler first: Fred Zeien (IL) and John Stockwell (TX), Richard Steppe (TX) and Jerry Brown (TX), Bob Spain (TX) and Bill Gardner (FL), Kirk Young (FL) and Laverne Young (FL), Dick Plumlee (KS) and Jim Short (MO), Grady Hicks (TX) and Frank Gray (TX), Gareth Stevens (WI) and Tave Lamperez (IL), John Maika (TX) and Pete Binion (TX). Not pictured are Marvin Parker (TX) and Charles Parker (TX), who Photo by Danny Andrews. started behind the line.

USCA National Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon Championships, 9/28/2002

Paddling Aluminum in Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ginger Turner Paddling an aluminum boat and Texas seem to go hand in hand. Maybe that’s because my first experiences of competitive aluminum paddling took place on a gnarly section of the Neches River in Palestine full of turns, downed logs, shallow water, and mud. An aluminum boat can handle that type of abuse. When we started holding our state aluminum championships on the less technical and wide open Colorado River, I realized part of the challenges of paddling aluminum included getting that mass of a boat down the river. You have to be tough to paddle aluminum. Texas is the place to do it.

On September 28, the East Texas River Runners, the Palestine Chamber of Commerce, and the Texas Canoe Racing Association hosted the 2002 USCA Aluminum Nationals. Sixty-four racers from Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Illinois, and Wisconsin got a taste of Texas mud, dust, and heat.

Ages 10 to 62 were on the water participating in the largest Aluminum Nationals.

Racers were treated to a spaghetti dinner Friday night at the Express Inn in Palestine. Registration was held in a hospitality suite where racers mingled and shared stories. A noon start put smiles on people’s faces as they anticipated sleeping in and eating a hearty breakfast.

After the long, dusty ride to the put-in (it still amazes me how large Texas ranches are), boats were inspected and tagged, numbers supplied and applied, and a race briefing held. It was time for the race start. There were to be three starts, five minutes apart; women, masters and men’s open. Starting with a two-buoy loop on a fairly narrow river ensured an interesting first couple of miles with 32 boats on the river. Paddling up-river after the mile1 buoy turn without running into boats coming down (Grady Hicks reports an “awesome smash” with Jerry Brown and Richard Steppe, right there) or boats trying to pass you, or boats you are trying to pass, all the while trying to get on someone’s wake and dodge the occasional dead tree limb sticking up and

Above left: The start of the first Women’s Stock National Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon Championship. Above: Seconds after the Photos courtesy of Danny Andrews, © 2002 Gareth Stevens Men’s start.

Men 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Rocky Caldwell (MO) / Stephen Lynn (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:10:50 Colin Grimshaw (TX) / Tim Rask (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:14:10 Terry Acker (TX) / Wade Binion (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:16:11 Dave Bartell (TX) / Steve Daniel (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:17:55 Mark Simmons (TX) / Gary Robinson (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:17:56 Lee Deviney (TX) / Kevin Vanoort (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:19:28 Henry Dornak (TX) / Casey Rickey (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:22:09 Cody Rickey (AR) / Clifton Rickey (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:22:55 Paul Guenther (TX) / Michael Guenther (CO) . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:26:00 Alan Lamb (TX) / Ben Koopferstock (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:34:50 Jimmy Doran (TX) / Ty Wilson (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:34:57 Vardy Vincent (TX) / Wade Vincent (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:51:35 David Jans (TX) / Luke Amelang (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No Time

Men Masters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Jim Short (MO) / Dick Plumlee (KS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:11:25 Richard Steppe (TX) / Jerry Brown (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:11:51 Laverne Young (FL) / Kirk Young (FL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:13:09 Tave Lamperez (IL) / Gareth Stevens (WI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:16:18 Bob Spain (TX) / Bill Gardner (FL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:18:18 John Maika (TX) / Pete Binion (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:21:41 John Stockwell (TX) / Fred Zeien (IL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:23:51 Grady Hicks (TX) / Frank Gray (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:27:03 Marvin Parker (TX) / Charles Parker (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:45:58

Women 1 2 3 4 5 6

Cindy Meurer (TX) / Julia Morgan (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:29:22 Teddy Gray (TX) / Jenny Andrews (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:32:03 Pat Bayers (FL) / Nadalyn Riggins (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:35:58 Colleen Frosch (TX) / Ginsie Stauss (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:38:00 Ginger Turner (TX) / Mary Robinson (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:43:28 Laura Fatter (TX) / Chris Gross (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:48:11

Junior Girls 1

Rachael Lamb (TX) / Lennika Johnson (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . .3:06:37

Junior Boys 1

Nicolous Simmons (TX) / Jonathan Simmons (TX) . . . . . . . .3:01:55

Youth / Adult 1 2

Noel Dominy (10) (TX) / Noel Kirkwood (TX) . . . . . . . . . . .2:48:37 Jarrett Constant (TX) / David Lamb (TX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .No Time

Special thanks to Alumacraft Boat Co. for donating canoes for prizes, and making other special arrangements to provide racers with rentals for racing in USCA’s Stock Aluminum Nationals.

USCA National Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon Championships, 9/28/2002 find the best line through the current was challenging indeed.

After the second buoy turn and settling in to making the fastest trip possible down the river, the well-anticipated noon start was beginning to show its downside: heat and sun. Temperatures in the 90s and little to no shade added to the difficulty of getting our 60-pound tanks down the river.

In 2 hours, 10 minutes and 50 seconds, the first team crossed the finish line. Within an hour all 32 boats were in. Under the shade of an East Texas forest, a delicious meal of fried fish, hush puppies, fries, and coleslaw was provided by Mike Riley and his crew of volunteers. Then the time we were all waiting for: the boat give-away.

A drawing was held for all out-of-state participants for a free Alumacraft canoe. The lucky winner was Clifton Rickey from Arkansas. Free boats were also presented to the winners of each class, followed by the 10-deep medal awards.

Above: State Senator Todd Staples, supporter of the race since its conception, with Women’s Aluminum Nationals Champions Cindy Meurer (TX) and Julie Morgan (TX and Wales). Photo courtesy, and © 2002 by, Leisa Walling

Gazing over the sea of aluminum boats glistening in the sun where they had been carried up the steep bank, I was reminded why this race is so much fun. Everyone is in the same type of boat. They’re all even the same color! It’s the Stock Aluminum Races. Even the name is compelling. There are no advantages due to equipment. It’s all in the training, technique, skill, and maybe a little luck. And of course, in how tough you are.

“The Palestine Aluminum Nationals set a new record for number of boats racing in USCA Aluminum Championship classes. I challenge the Pennsylvania folks to get even more paddlers competing in each of the three Championship classes. Go for another new record in 2003!”

— Bob Spain, USCA Conservation Chair and 2001 Aluminum Nationals Champion.

Above: Gareth Stevens and Tave Lamperez follow Colleen Frosch and Ginsie Stauss round the upstream buoy, while Bob Spain and Bill Gardner give chase. Below: Dick Plumlee turns to Jim Short, “You can stop paddling now, Shorty, we’ve won.”

Photos courtesy Danny Andrews, © 2002 by Gareth Stevens.

USCA National Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon Championships, 9/28/2002 I heard the splash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by “Alligator Gar”-eth Stevens — and felt the jar as something rammed our boat.

Above: Ava Harmon (left) dispenses raffle and meal tickets, while Mike Jett and Bettie Furman help paddlers Alan Lamb, Lennika Johnson and Rachael Lamb check in for their races. Photo © 2002 by Gareth Stevens

“Hey, an alligator — no, a fish!” blurted Tave Lamperez, as we scouted the Trinity River, Friday. Tave had seen (but I had only heard and felt) an alligator gar, a survivor of the ancient world.

Reaching more than eight feet long, the fish that still swims in Texan rivers today (and those of Louisiana, Mississippi and a handful of other states) closely resembles gars recorded in fossils from 75 million years ago. Two rows of sharp teeth help them satisfy their fondness for meat.

Floating like a piece of driftwood in the current, they charge unsuspecting fish, waterfowl, turtles, small mammals — and an occasional Aluminum canoe.

So, keep your appendages aboard. Those teeth can cause some damage!

Left: A 6ft 9in, 164lb alligator gar found in an overflowing ditch in the Louisiana State Pen. at Angola.

Courtesy of Mike Guerin. Below: A 10ft long specimen from Moon Lake, Mississippi, 1910. Fun, huh?

Courtesy of the Dept. of Library Services, American Museum of Natural History.

Thanks go to so many people who helped make the Aluminum Nationals possible and run so well. Above: Mike Riley cooks the post race meal on site. Below left, Pat and Ray Sustaita’s kindness allowed the set up and launch of the races onto the Trinity River from their land, and Danny Andrews (below right) took a many great photos with Gareth Stevens’ camera, some of which appear in this issue. Photos courtesy, and © 2002, below left by Leisa Walling and below right and above by Gareth Stevens.

At the Aluminum Nationals in Texas temperatures blazed at 90º.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Rick Lorenzen was sending e-mail advice to his training buddies for the week ahead . . .

Bring Cold Weather Paddling Clothes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rick Lorenzen “Tonight (September 30) may have been the last warm weather paddle so do what Keith Canny and Al Dubois taught me to do. Buy polypro underwear tops and longjohns at Fleet Farm, buy wool pants and suspenders at the army surplus store, buy soft flexible overshoes and woolen boot liners, buy polar fleece gloves and a warm stocking cap. Keep these in your car and you'll be able to paddle a lot longer into the winter and a lot earlier in the spring. Also good is to have a dry bag or garbage bag to keep warm clothes, cell phones, candy bars, whistles, and matches to light a fire. I'll never forget last winter, paddling with Deighen Blakely, Al Dubois, and Tom Gardner on the Mississippi River by Champlin, with frost on the tree branches, ice on the banks, hundreds of geese in the air. The river was shallow, but the memories are deep.”