Grand River Canoe & Kayak Race 2016 Geneva Ohio.

I finished 10th out of 106 in the 14′ and under solo kayak division. I placed 3rd in the 40-49 age division. I would have finished first or second in my age division but I missed my line on the final bend of the river and got hung up on the rocks. I missed second by nine seconds and first by about a minute and a half. My finish time was 1:40:44.

Race Review For Grand River Canoe and Kayak Race

347 participants competed in tough conditions to take on the 8.5 mile canoe and kayak race. It was a cold 39 degrees, a little windy and the water was very shallow making this year’s race very challenging. The water depth was listed at 2′-2.5′ but many areas were even lower. The 8.5 mile course was a maze of exposed and hidden rocks. You were either on your line, or hung up on a rock. The course conditions benefited local paddlers and skilled technical paddlers with the ability to read the river. To find safe passage paddlers assessed current breaks, ground slopes, exposed rock, water flow, up river boats, and even wading fly fishermen. Very few competitors dared risking the hulls of their composite racing boats. Must chose heavier molded plastic boats that were slower but more suitable for the conditions. The finish times were all much slower than last year when the river was a foot higher and running much faster. Lake Metro Parks does a very nice job organizing races and events. The race was chip timed with live results that were available on mobile devices and from a computer results station set up at the finish