Photo by Photo submitted
HELPING HANDS AT THE READY 鈥 Tom Simmat of Team 鈥極n the Way to Maine' gets a hand from a volunteer at the dock in Carmacks during last year's Yukon River Quest. There is still time to register for this year's race.
Photo by Photo submitted
HELPING HANDS AT THE READY 鈥 Tom Simmat of Team 鈥極n the Way to Maine' gets a hand from a volunteer at the dock in Carmacks during last year's Yukon River Quest. There is still time to register for this year's race.
Adventurers looking to scratch the world's longest canoe and kayak race off their bucket list have one more week to register for this year's Yukon鈥圧iver Quest.
Adventurers looking to scratch the world's longest canoe and kayak race off their bucket list have one more week to register for this year's Yukon鈥圧iver Quest.
Registration for the marathon paddling race closes May 15 at 11:59 p.m.
To date, 63 teams are registered for the 16th annual River Quest, a race that sees paddlers travel from Whitehorse to Dawson City by way of the Yukon River.
This year's odyssey is set to occur June 25 to 29. The event is open to solo and tandem canoeists, kayakers, and teams in voyageur canoes.
The 715-km wilderness adventure race sees paddlers from across the globe enter the territory to test their endurance.
The 2014 race will see paddlers from Australia, South America and Europe seeking to enter the Klondike the same way gold-hungry prospectors did in Dawson City's heyday.
Also known as the Race to the Midnight Sun, the River Quest sees competitors race around-the-clock under a Yukon sky that never gets dark.
Last year, 62 teams from nine countries started the race. Just 49 made it all the way to the finish line, however.
A tandem canoe team won for the first time since 2004.
Known as Round Side Down, Yukoner Tim Lynch and Dave Lewis of Nova Scotia took the overall title with a time of 45 hours, two minutes.
The course record still belongs to Canadian voyageur Team Kisseynew, who won in 2008 with a time of 39:32:43.
The race purse maxes out at $36,500 based on a full slate of 100 teams, and there are overall cash prizes for the top teams in each class.
Teams must finish the race within 55 hours to receive prize money. However, the race is better-known for its finishing pins than its prize money cheques.
Next month's race will feature some familiar faces with past-president Carl Rumscheidt entering the race with his daughter, Mary Obstfeld, and longtime media liaison Jeff Brady again taking the plunge with a mixed voyageur team.
New race president Harry Kern said the organization is anticipating another fine race.
"Nothing's really different from last year,鈥 Kern told the Star. "We should reach the same goals.鈥
The race is also seeking more bib sponsors and volunteers.
For more information, visit http://www.yukonriverquest.com.
鈥撯赌撯赌
In other paddling news, Yukon 1,000 organizer Peter Coates is heading up a series of weekly canoe and kayak races, beginning next week Tuesday.
The first event will be a 10-km race, five kilometres upriver and then back. It will begin at 6 p.m. at the boat launch on Schwatka race.
The Icebreaker Race from Marsh Lake Dam to Schwatka Lake will be held June 7.
Competitors are invited to assemble at the boat launch at Schwatka for the shuttle that will take boats and paddlers to Marsh Lake. The shuttle will depart the boat launch at 10 a.m.
All are welcome. Contact pcoates@yukon1000.com for details.
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