9/15/2024
Blazing Paddles PaddleFest
Cleveland, Ohio
12.2 Mile Paddle Race, 6.1 Mile Paddle Race, 3.75 Mile Paddle Race, And Recreational Paddle Event
6.1 Mile Paddle Race
Scott Orlando
Finish Time: 57:28
Overall Place: 1st Place / 14
Division Place: High Performance Kayak 1st Place / 1
Recreational Paddle
Nancy Wardell
Race Director
Mickey Rzymek
Event Recap by Nancy Wardell:
I participated in the Blazing Paddles event in Cleveland this morning and it was and absolutely beautiful morning to be kayaking! I had my husband along for the driving and loading and unloading of the kayaks which I truly appreciated and loved seeing Scott Orlando blazing by and winning it like always! Congratulations! It was great to see Mickey Rzymek as well and hearing him rocking it on the loud speaker! I really enjoy our group, and proud of how everyone got it done!
Race Recap By Scott Orlando:
This was my 4th time competing in the Blazing Paddles PaddleFest race. The race was postponed from its original date due to extreme heat and safety concerns. Many including me did not think that they you be able to pull off the logistics to reschedule the race but race organizer Jim Ridge and Race Director Mickey Rzymek worked their magic and got it done.
It was a beautiful morning for a paddle event on the Cuyahoga River. The original event date had close to 500 paddlers registered with most being in the recreational event. It appeared that the majority of recreational and race paddlers made it to the rescheduled event date. The logistics of the event were planned well and executed to perfection from the boat drop off, paid parking, registration, and so on. Being that a barge had destroyed the dock previously used for launching the recreation boats I was worried things might be delayed and a mess getting everyone in the river but even that was well managed. The recreation paddlers launched first with the help of plenty of volunteers followed by the racers competing in distances of 3.75 miles, 6.1 miles, and 12.2 miles. The launching process went so smoothly that the races even started 5 minutes early.
I competed in the 6.1 mile race and entered into the high performance kayak division. Still recovering from a shoulder injury I wasn’t sure how I would perform. Being that I was the only person competing in the high performance kayak division my plan was to be conservative and just enjoy the experience. I really enjoy the start of this race. There is great energy with all of the recreational paddlers on the river cheering us on. The course was designed with a short out and back loop taking races again past the cheering recreational paddlers creating a second opportunity through the large zone of energy and excitement. This year a fire fighting barge was stationed just after the turn around buoy. The fire fighting barge had its water cannons blasting which made for a memorable experience. Racers were blasted with water from the cannons cooling us all off. I enjoyed that until my mind started questioning how much river bacteria I jus got showered with. Although I was paddling conservatively I found myself keeping pace with some of the faster kayaks in the race. A few miles in I actually started passing a few. Most of the faster kayakers in the race were paddling 18′ surf skis. I definitely had an advantage paddling my 19′ Stellar SR Multisport especially when heading into the wind. The longer and narrower kayak seemed to gain ground each time the wind gusted. With 2 miles left I found myself just behind two fast paddlers. Once was in the longer race but I still set out to catch them both. I pushed hard the last 2 miles passing both of them and finishing with a time of 57:28.
I knew that I had won my division because I was the only person in it. At the awards presentation my division was skipped. I had to go to the timing table to get things sorted out. For some reason they had no result for me and a few other people. They corrected the issue and presented the awards. What I didn’t realize until I got home was that I was the overall winner of the 6.1 mile race.
I give the race organizer and director a lot of credit of being able to reschedule this massive event which was no easy task. Everything was top notch and ran smooth as could be. All participants received nice t-shirts. Award winners received a print of a previous race and choice of a hat. There were plenty of snacks after the race.
Cleveland was named the top urban kayak destination in the country and for good reason. If you have the opportunity to participate in this event or paddle the area on your own you will understand why. I look forward to competing again next year.