MaCKRO News PADDLE HARD!!!!!!!! Message from the President JULY 2014

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1 MaCKRO News Publisher Mike Sproul: (207) , 468 Old Portland Rd, Brunswick, ME Editor John Cangelosi: Message from the President Just a little over 3 months ago I was still skiing in the Caribou Bog and now we are already well into the summer racing season. Even though the white water point series has long been completed and we are well into the flatwater series that is still a lot of paddling and racing yet to come this year. The flatwater series has been expanded this year to include any of the weekend races as well as the Thursday evening races. So there are lots of opportunities to score points in the flatwater series. A summary of the whitewater series and details of the flatwater series are included in this newsletter. New for this year is an attempt to introduce (or reintroduce) the 50 mile triple crown of racing specifically on the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot rivers. More details for the 50 mile triple crown are included in this newsletter. Also new for this year is the 1 st annual (and hopefully first of many annual) Penobscot River Bashabe s Run downriver race from Indian Island to Brewer. This race will run through all of the great whitewater that now exists as a result of the recent removal of the Veazie and Great Works dams. More details are included in this newsletter. Jeff Owen is working on a busy summer youth activity schedule including developing a Junior Wildwater Team and conducting a youth paddle clinic. More details are included in this newsletter. Once again Maine was well represented at the General Clinton Canoe Regatta in New York and the White Water Nationals in North Carolina. Separate reports from these two events are included in this newsletter. The first half of the racing season has been busy with much more to come in the second half. Still to come is something for everyone weather class II, III+ white water, marathon flatwater events, or Thursday evening sprint races. Keep checking the MaCKRO website for updates on any of the events mentioned in this newsletter and any other races scheduled for As always feel free to contact me or any of the other MaCKRO leadership for any questions or suggestions on racing/paddling events in Maine. Hope to see you on the water soon and remember... PADDLE HARD!!!!!!!! Dan Baumert! PAGE 1

2 2014 Whitewater Take-out It took awhile, but eventually the brutal (or maybe "old normal") Maine winter of turned to spring, the ice melted, and we had what turned out to be a steamin' good whitewater season. The influence of ice and high water were felt, particularly in the early races. The St. George race was delayed 8 days due to ice, and the Passy race had to be cancelled, the first time in recent years that a series race has not been held. (Alas, all those fun turns! Let's make the 2015 Passy race the biggest ever!) The Kenduskeag Stream race, the biggest in New England, had to be shortened by a mile due to high water and the timing of the tides causing a lack of headroom under downtown bridges. (Personally, I didn't miss those annoying portages, but I did miss Shopping Cart!) Marsh Stream Race, Gearing up in the Snow! 2014 Downriver Point Series Recap The 2014 Point Series schedule and rules were similar to 2012 and The plan was for 10 events held on 9 rivers spread over 7 weekends, but the St George delay and Passy cancellation made it even more hectic. A brand new event, the Kenduskeag Sprint, was added, and despite a date change the new race was well attended. There were a total of 8 classes for age, gender and boat type, and we gave awards for the top three positions in each class. Normally 5 races would have been required to qualify, but with the shortened season we decided to allow qualification with 4 or more finishes. All told, 45 paddlers qualified, up from 32 last year and 41 in Here are the 2014 champions, big congrats to all of them! Class 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Canoe Men Dale Har, Jeff Owen (2e for 1st) Charlie Smith* Canoe Women Kailey Schmidt* Ander Thebaud Sammi Nadeau Canoe Senior Terry Wesco,* Bob Mar2n Paul Brown Kayak Men Emmanuel Boss Ben Randall Ray Wirth/Bruce Weik (2e) Kayak Women Leslie Gregory - - Kayak Senior John Carter Dan Baumert - Rookie Keith Manaker - - Youth Jackson Winslow Cal Hamilton Harriet Manaker *Competed in all 9 events.! Thanks to Epic Sports for sponsorship, and to everyone who participated. PAGE 2

3 Looking Ahead to the 2015 Whitewater Season As the faster folk will tell you, whitewater races are won in the flat (if they're not lost in the froth), so working on your stroke and conditioning in flatwater events is a good recipe for success both this summer and next spring. Going canoe camping and portaging heavy cases of beer may also help. Whatever the event, get out there on the water! We're always keen to increase participation in the series, so feel free to send me suggestions (cdalton@syncopation.com, or at a FW race, I'm the guy in the C1 with a big band-aid in the stern). We had a lot of youth near-qualifiers this year, so for next year we'll be thinking of ways to get those kids over the hump. Also, we continue to be a bit light in the kayak department, despite there being plenty of them on local cars and local waters, so if anyone knows what bait those K1's are biting, send a can our way. SUPs are on the radar, and if race directors start adding SUP classes we may follow suit. The official 2015 downriver racing schedule is months away, but you don't need a dumb flyer to know when the Fourth of July is, and similarly, we can pretty well guess that next season is going to start like this: River Place Likely 2015 Date** Saint George Searsmont Saturday, March 28 Passagassawakeag Waldo Saturday, April 4 Souadabscook Hampden Saturday, April 11 Marsh Frankfort Sunday, April 12 Kenduskeag Kenduskeag Saturday, April 18 **Preliminary/unofficial/not confirmed/not investment advice, but mark your calendar anyway! See you on the FW and in Searsmont next year, and paddle hard! Chris Dalton! PAGE 3

4 2014 MaCKRO FLATWATER RACING SERIES We well into summer and the flatwater racing series! However, there are still a lot of races remaining in the 2014 flatwater series. The major change in the rules for 2014 is including any weekend flatwater races listed on the race schedule in additional to the Thursday evening races. The weekend races have been added since in the past several years some weekend race directors have stated they would like to be part of the series. It also gives the weekend warriors a chance to accumulate some points. The Rules: #1: You must be a current MaCKRO member in order to accumulate points. #2: One point for each flatwater race series race attended. #3: Eligible races are any flatwater race held in Maine from the Baskahegan Stream Race through the last Stillwater race. The race and the results must be posted on the MaCKRO website. #4: One point to members participating in New England, National, or World Championship events which happen during a scheduled flatwater race in Maine. These out of state races can be white water races. #5; A minimum of 6 races is required to be eligible. #6: A maximum of 12 points can be earned. #7: An additional point for each of the Stillwater champion (bragging rights) races can be earned. #8: Lifejackets must be present per Maine Law, or worn if under age 14, per Maine Law. Consult the race schedule on the MaCKRO website for any flatwater Thursday evening or weekend races. Please check with Bob Miller if you re uncertain about membership status. We look forward to seeing you all on the water. Paddle hard, paddle SAFELY! Bruce Weik, Flatwater Chairman! PAGE 4

5 First Trip to Nationals By Liza Gallandt My first two years of middle school I ran track, and while track is a great sport for some people, it was not for me. Despite being a fairly proficient long distance runner I never really enjoyed practices and I dreaded the track meets. This year the high school s GoActive! canoe racing team was opened to 8 th graders and I decided to join that group instead of doing track again. I quickly grew fond of the sport and so when the opportunity arose to attend the downriver canoeing nationals, I jumped at the chance to go on such an exciting trip (and miss the last week of school.) The car ride to Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina took two days but once we arrived I definitely felt that it was worth it. The river was beautiful and the people participating in and running the event were very friendly and enthusiastic, creating an encouraging and stress free atmosphere. Over the three days of racing I participated in the C2 women's race and the C2 mixed race, as well as the youth races that took place in the afternoon. By the end of the week I noticed that I was a completely different paddler. I had arrived as a somewhat timid paddler with minimal whitewater canoeing experience, but over the three days of racing my confidence grew and my gunnel-grabs were few and far between. I also noticed that ours was the only high school team in attendance, which made me feel very fortunate to have such great canoeing opportunities in Maine. Editor s Note: Liza got a gold (Sprint) and a silver (Downriver) paddling with Fiona Sorensen in the C2 Women races, as well as a fourth place finish with her dad, Eric, racing Jr/Sr (Downriver). Congratulations Liza!! PAGE 5

6 Maine Paddlers at the General Clinton Canoe Regatta Once again Maine was well represented at the General Clinton Canoe Regatta held on the Susquehanna River in New York. River conditions were higher than normal and temperatures were moderate which made for fast times. Results of the Maine finishers are shown below. Congratulations to all the Maine paddlers at the Clinton this year! Monday 70 mile race Open Under 50 C st 8:26:06 JEFF OWEN ORONO, ME Open C1-70 ABM Stock Endurance 4 th 9:42:56 ERIC GALLANDT ORONO, ME Mixed - CC Endurance 9 th 8:22:12 ANDER THEBAUD MOUNT DESERT, ME BOB HESSLER ELLSWORTH, ME Open Kayak Endurance 4 th 10:12:34 DAN BAUMERT LEVANT, ME Open 50 and over C th 12:00:46 ROBERT MITCHELL SACO, ME Mens 50 & Over CC Endurance 6 th 8:39:09 MARK MCANDREW EAST HARDWICK, VT WILLIAM ANDERSON MORRILL, ME Mixed Stock Aluminum Relay Sunday 13 th 4:12:53 NECKRA/Birch Hill BOB MILLER HARMONY, ME DEBBIE JACKMAN MANCHESTER, CT JIM MILLER BLOOMFIELD, CT LAURA CROSBY ORANGE, MA MICHELE CREED HAVERTON, PA RON HAMLETT ATHOL, MA SANDRA MITCHELL BUXTON, ME SUE HIGGINS HOLLAND, MA TERRY WESTCOTT THORNDIKE, ME TOM CAREY ATHOL, MA Jeff Owen and Eric Gallandt at the Clinton! PAGE 6

7 Triple Crown of Maine Marathon Canoe Racing The Triple Crown of Maine Marathon Canoe Racing is being introduced (or reintroduced) this year. Specifically the Triple Crown consists of 50 mile races on the Androscoggin, Kennebec, and Penobscot Rivers. This year the races are scheduled one per month in June, July, and August. The Androscoggin event is already past as it was scheduled on June 22 nd. The turnout was low but hopefully next year the event will attract more participants from what we learned this year. For 2015 the Androscoggin 50 will probably be held in June on a stretch of the river basically west of Rumford. This section of the river provides an opportunity for nearly 50 miles of continuous paddling without any portages! The other two marathon races are still to come for The Kennebec 50 miler is scheduled for Sunday July 27 th. The course for this race will run from the boat launch on Wyman Lake approximately 2 miles downstream from Caratunk and end at the boat launch in Norridgewock. This is the course that was run years ago when the race was previously done. There will be 3 pretty significant portages around Wyman Dam in Moscow, Caratunk Falls Dam in Solon, and the dam on Main Street in Madison. Specific details of the course and portages will be provided on the MaCKRO web site and will be sent to the MaCKRO member list. If you plan on participating in the Kennebec 50 please contact Bill Anderson ( banderson1948@gmail.com ) or Dan Baumert (dan.baumert@me.usda.gov or ). This will not necessarily be a race but more of an organized group paddle (although racing is not discouraged) so we would like to know who plans on participating beforehand and know who to expect. The Penobscot 50 miler is scheduled for Sunday August 31 st. This will be the same 50 mile course that has been run in the past. Similar to the Kennebec 50 this will also be more of group paddle as oppose an actual race. The specific details of the course (start, finish, portages, etc.) are still being finalized and will be posted on the MaCKRO website and sent to the MaCKRO member list. Contact Dan Baumert (dan.baumert@me.usda.gov or ) if you are interested in participating in the Penobscot 50.! PAGE 7

8 ACA New England Paddle America Club 1 st Annual Bashabez Run Penobscot River Canoe & Kayak Race Sunday, August 3, 2014 HELMETS REQUIRED Race Director: James Francis, Penobscot Indian Nation, Cultural & Historic Preservation, Start Time: 9am Registration: 8am at Starts above Joe Peas Rips near the north end of Indian Island on Cemetery St. ( , ) Ten classes will be offered for recreational and racing canoes. Finish at the Brewer Riverside Park, Hardy St, off South Main St (south of big Apple store). Mixed flatwater and whitewater mi. Class 2-2+., mostly fast moving smooth water with four-five significant rapids and numerous class 1 sections. One 500 yd. portage at Milford Dam, Old Town side. For intermediate to advanced canoes and kayaks. Historical flow for July is 4,000-6,000 cfs (Eddington Water Gauge: Race times are expected to be 2 to 2-1/2 hours, and will coincide with an outgoing/low tide at the finish. The width of the river will allow paddlers to choose from a number of possible routes rewarding those with good river reading skills. This stretch of the Penobscot is yds wide with four significant, historic rapids and long stretches of shallow, fast moving current. The start highlights the important role played by the Penobscot Nation on the Penobscot River and the River Restoration. The portage will challenge paddlers early in the race and calls attention to the remaining dam and the remarkable change in the river downstream to tidewater in Bangor with the recent demolition and removal of Great Works and Veazie Dams. The finish will highlight the rejuvenation of recreational and entertainment opportunities in Brewer and Bangor as both cities have turned to face this historic stretch of free-flowing river. Awards Ceremony at 1PM Indian Island Community Center in conjunction with Penobscot Pageant Sanctioned by ACA New England Paddle America Club: Clayton Cole , c1cole@roadrunner.com! PAGE 8

9 ACA New England Paddle America Club HELMETS REQUIRED Bashabez Run Course Description The Race starts above Joe Peas Rips near the north end of Indian Island on Cemetery St. ( , ) Water level info: (Eddington Water Gauge: These comments are based on four trips on this stretch of river during June & July, 2014 and are presented for open canoeists and kayakers with intermediate whitewater skills. Less experienced paddlers should not attempt this run without scouting first. Advanced canoeists and kayakers will find the water somewhat less difficult than described, especially at lower flows. o Water levels at the Eddington gauge on these trips ranged from 4.5 ft. to 7.5 ft. (estimated 7,000-17,000 cfs) 0 mi: Put in at the end of Cemetery St and paddle downstream the east side of Indian Island (River left) mi: Joe Peas Rips, a short class 1-2 ledge. Stay near the right shore for an easy, dry line. There is a great looking surf wave on the left here. 1.5 mi: At the end of Indian Island you will see the Milford dam and a line of orange buoys. Head for the right shore for the portage take out near Main St and the parking lot. Carry through the parking lot and down the river walk 500 yds. to the put-in at the stone sculpture in Binette Park. (1.8 MI) Continue downstream in the right channel with French Island on your left. After ¼ mi you will pass under a railroad bridge where a fun 100 yards of class II waves await mi: Another ¼ mi brings you to Matewanikanok (Place for tanning hides) at the south end of French Island. o Stay on the right bank for an easy class II wave train, or on the extreme left for a technical class II rock garden. o In the center is a large ledge- pour over that should be avoided. 3 mi: A.5 mile stretch of fast moving water brings the first significant rapid into view: Class II-III Macewessis Bad little carry at the site of the former Great Works Dam. You will see the Old Town mill on river right and numerous rock and timber cribs in the river as you approach. There are several options here. o River left is shallow, rocky shoals; safe, but scratchy and slow. o The middle is high volume fast water with large waves start near the center and work your way right, be careful not to get wet in the wave train. o The right shore offers another shallow rocky option. After Macewessis is 3.5 mi of fast water to Orono with occasional easy class I rocky stretches that disappear at flows above 10,000 cfs. 6.6 mi: Najemsakehekan Falls where the river forms a channel (Basin) just downstream of the mouth of the Stillwater River. Look for a tall smokestack on the right downstream of the rapid. o o This is another ¼ mi stretch of class II-III with lots of large waves in the center and right and shallower, rocky rips on the left. Avoid a 100 yd. wide ledge/pour-over about 100 yds. off the right shore.! PAGE 9

10 ! If you choose the right side stay near the right shore as you approach, then move to the left yds. as you approach the narrow man-made island to stay in the main channel, but close to the island. After dodging some rocks and waves you will finish the rapid in a fast wave train with a good recovery eddy on the right next to the island.! The far left shore offers a few safe but slower, shallower, rocky routes without the strong current and wave trains.! There are a number of other fast options left of center that may require some strong paddling to maneuver around large rocks and waves. After Najemsakehekan the river continues with mostly easy fast moving water to Veazie. At high flows there can be plenty of pushy, swirly current here. There is one 300 yd. unnamed class I-II rapid about 1.5 mi. upstream of Veazie mi. brings you to the biggest rapid on the trip: Wapanopentek in Eddington/Veazie. Wapanopentek is nearly 1 mile long; a class II-III rapid offering a challenge at any level. You will see the former Veazie hydro-power house on the right in the distance as you approach, a residential Veazie neighborhood and a! mile+ long wood and rock parallel and 50 yds. off the right shore.! There are a number of ways to run this section. Unless you are in a decked or inflatable boat avoid the center where a long stretch of the biggest waves are in the middle just below the former dam site.! Below these waves the river widens and the current slows a bit as you pass the Veazie Salmon Club high on the right bank and paddle over the numerous Atlantic Salmon lies that attracted thousands of salmon -! Perhaps the safest, easiest route is on the right between the right shore and the long wing dam. This is a class II rapid; at the end of the wing dam stay right to avoid the large waves in the middle third of the river.! Another reasonable route is to paddle just to the left of the wing dam where the water is surprisingly smooth. At the end of the wing dam be ready to paddle hard to the right to avoid the big soaking wave trains.! The left shore can be run by staying 5-30 yds. off shore all the way to the Eddington Salmon Club. Be prepared to paddle out around 3-4 protruding ledges. The fast p Eddington Bend on the left. Tidal effects exist from here to Brewer. High tide can flatten out all of the fast water from here downstream. You will encounter another short class II-II+ rapid/wave train! mi. after Eddington bend if the tide is not high mi: The final whitewater stretch is Pemecicewak Where the current tumbles downward Treats Falls). At low tide and high flows this can be an impressive class III stretch of fast powerful waves as much of the river is squeezed toward the left. At high tide or low flow it can be either a pond or easy, rocky quick water. Watch for Bangor Water Works and Eastern Maine Medical Center on the right shore as you approach.! The safest route at high water/low tide is to stay ft. off the left shore and pick your way through the waves.! Watch for the historic Penobscot Salmon Club above a gravel beach on the left where dozens of first-of-the-year Atlantic salmon were hooked and landed before being transported to Washington DC and presented to the President of the US to celebrate the beginning of the annual Penobscot salmon run.! Just downstream is the Penobscot Conservation Club. Continue downstream from Pemecicewak to pass under the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge (15.2 miles). Paddle another 0.3 miles to the finish line and take out at the Brewer Waterfront Park (on Hardy St off South Main St) on river left. (15.5 miles)! The final two miles can be anything from a placid dead calm to a challenging, choppy, upwind push as the tide, current and wind can combine for lots of interesting conditions.! PAGE 10

11 MaCKRO Youth Activities By Jeff Owen Downriver Point Series Once again the St. George race was populated with many kids: there were three C2 teams in the High School division; a high school student won the OC1 Woman division and two of her classmates won the C2 Women's division; and there were 17 entries in the Jr/Sr divisions. It has been great how the combined efforts of the Waldo County YMCA and others have made the St. George and Passy races focus so strongly on getting kids into boats. I would put forth the challenge to all of the experienced racers out there who haven t yet joined this effort to do so in the coming years. There are lots more kids out there who need to be shown how fun it is to experience this sport, and these two races are basically ideal. Please, experienced racers one and all, team up with a kid next year!! The springtime river conditions played havoc with youth participation in most of the other races. The high water of the early season kept most novices safely at home and consequently there were few youth qualifiers in the Downriver Point Series. We will renew our efforts next year to provide high incentive prizes for all youth who qualify as Series Champions! Youth Paddling Camps Week-long youth paddling camps are being hosted again this summer by MaCKRO members. Pete McAlister and Jon Hill are hosting a camp in Waterville and Jeff Owen is hosting one in Orono. Both camps focus on the safety and fun of paddlesports. The kids have opportunities to try out a variety of types of boats, but the primary boat used at the camps are the Youth Boats that were designed and built under Jon Hill s direction. Jon has also built a trailer for the youth boats such that they can be easily moved to locations across Maine for future youth camps!! PAGE 11

12 Nationals The ACA Whitewater Open Canoe Downriver Nationals were again held on the Nantahala River in North Carolina in June. Of the 48 total participants 18 were MaCKRO members from Maine (and of that 18, 11 were age 18 or under). The Nantahala River is challenging and fun and the venue as a whole is beautiful, but after three consecutive years there the 2015 Nationals should be closer to home! Wildwater Team MaCKRO now has an ICF Junior Wildwater Team!! Using boats borrowed, scrounged, and purchased from all over the country, six youth ages 14 to 16 are spending their summer in Orono with Jeff Owen learning the sport of Wildwater Racing. The kids come and go as dictated by family vacations and other commitments, but their time on the water has focused on technique, boat control, and rolling so far. As a group they ll be into whitewater within a week or so and will continue to train through the summer and fall. Their goal is to try to make it onto the 2015 US Junior Wildwater Team and compete at the 2015 Junior World Championship on the Nantahala River! Thank you, Bruce Weik and H.I. Hasey for loaning us your WaveHoppers. And a huge Thank You goes out to Jon Hill for all the repair work he voluntarily did on many of these used boats. Jon, your work is beautiful and we wouldn t have a team without you. Flatwater Series Finales Thursdays, Aug. 14 th and 21st At both of the Series Finales on the Stillwater River in Orono there will be Family Fun Sprints, a Youth Race, short Community Race option, and War Canoes. Therefore, these Finale events are not meant to just crown Maine s best C1/K1 and C2/K2 paddlers, but are instead designed to provide rich family experiences on this beautiful stretch of water. Bring your family and bring your friends and neighbors, too. The fun starts as early as 5:00 pm with Sprint racing, followed by the Youth race at about 6:10 and the Community, War Canoe, and Championship races beginning at about 6:30. Enjoy food and a sip and dip at the Inn s pool afterward! Details are at MaCKRO.org.! PAGE 12

13 2014 Membership Form For MaCKRO membership, please complete this form and mail it with your donation/fee to the address below. Your membership will help with our work to support racing in Maine. Also, you will receive the MaCKRO newsletters, be eligible for awards in the Downriver and Flatwater racing series, and be able to borrow MaCKRO equipment. 1. Personal Information: a. Name: Date: Renewing members check here and just provide information that has changed from last year b. Address: c. address: d. Phone: e. Circle one: Female Male f. Birth Date: 2. Newsletters will be sent via to most members. Please check here if you prefer to have us send a copy via the US Mail. 3. This is a request for a: a Personal or Family MaCKRO Membership. There is no set fee. A donation is requested. Please be as generous as you see fit. Please use the back of this form to add family members information. b Group Membership (One Fee of $100, submitted by the Group s Advisor) Every member of the Group must submit their own membership form. Group Name Group Advisor s Name c. Personal Lifetime Membership ($350 fee) d. Family Lifetime Membership ($500 fee) Please use the back of the form to list other family members to be included with this membership. Current holders of Personal Lifetime memberships may upgrade to Family Lifetime memberships by submitting an additional $150 fee. Please use the back to list other family members to be included with this membership. Please send completed form and donation/fee to: Bob Miller, PO Box 259, Harmony, ME 04942! PAGE 13

14 2014 Family Memberships cover one or two adults and all of the family s minor children residing at the address listed on the front. Lifetime Family Memberships cover one or two adults for life and the family s minor children residing at the address listed on the front. Family Name Name of Family Members DOB Age Sex Member Name F M New Repeat Name F M New Repeat Name F M New Repeat Name F M New Repeat Name F M New Repeat Name F M New Repeat More information about MaCKRO at PAGE 14

15 MaCKRO News 468 Old Portland Rd, Brunswick, ME 04011! MaCKRO News Thank You! to our sponsors! the World s Finest Oars and Paddles, Handcrafted in Maine, used all over the world. Oars and Paddles Wooden Masts and Spars Bronze Rowing Hardware Adirondack Guide Boat Oars and Hardware Boat Hooks Handmade Brown Ash Pack Baskets and Creels Wooden Flagpoles PO Box 213, Orono, Maine ! PAGE 15