7/25/2026
Ohio State Canoe, Kayak, And Paddleboard Championships
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Scott Orlando
5 Mile Kayak Race
Finish Time: 51:50
Overall Place: 7th Place:
Division Place: 3rd Place Medium Race Boat Class
Race Recap By Scott Orlando:
It was a beautiful morning on the Grand River in Fairport Harbor for the Ohio State Canoe, Kayak, and Paddleboard Championships. I competed in the 5 mile race which was loaded with national champions and state champions from previous years. I chose to race in the medium race boat division using my Stellar Kayaks S18SEXP Multisport from Performance Kayak & Surfski Inc.
From the start I knew this race was going to be a battle. I had a decent start and quickly fell into position among the top 10 kayaks. After about a mile of paddling the top 5 kayaks pulled away from the rest of the field. I was in 6th position with kayaks hot on my stern. At times the other kayaks challenged but I was able to hold them off. My pace was good in the narrow parts of the river and heading downriver. The water really slowed and got heavy on the sections of the river where it widened and the current churned. This is especially true near the turnaround buoy. I was pushing hard through the slow water trying not to give up ground to the kayaks behind me. Once I hit the turnaround buoy my plan was to kick it into high gear to the finish. I could hear the other kayaks close behind me but I was still holding my position. With 100 meters to go a kayak caught me and we were side by side sprinting to the finish. I couldn’t hold the lead any longer and gave up 6th place by 14 seconds. Overall I finished 7th. Surprisingly I finished 3rd in my race division and earned a bronze medal. With such a tough race field today going home with any medal was a huge victory. This was the hardest I have ever paddled at this race to earn a medal. The competition was fierce. There was no resting or time for mistakes. What a race!
All paddlers received nice t-shirts. There were plenty of snacks including donuts and a PB and J station.
Thank you to Race Director Joe Krizman and all the volunteers!
Congratulations to all of today’s winners and everyone the crossed the finish line.