69 Canoe NewsCanoe News, August 2005, August 2005

Race Results ~ Race Results ~ Race Results ~ Race ResultsRace Results ~ Race Results ~ Race Results ~ Race ResultsJuly 17 (Sun): USCA National Stock Aluminum Canoe Marathon ChampionshipsThe turnout of just six boats was, frankly, very disappointing. The race was listed in Canoe News for nearly a year, and the Spring Green Chamber of Commerce kindly mailed the race brochure with a Spring Green Area Guide to 450 USCA members in early April. The race organizers arranged for a full page ad in Silent Sports (a Þ ve-state area sports magazine), and a quarter page ad in the 5500 brochures distributed in April for the Des Plaines Canoe Marathon in northern Illinois � a race with over 50 aluminum canoes in it. Current Paddler, the PACK newsletter, ran a full page ad to help publicize the event, for which we thank Ken Gerg, its editor. The USCA ad in the 5000 copies of the Run of the Charles race brochure promoted both the Aluminum Nationals and the Warren Canoe and Kayak Nationals. Race directors in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin distributed our brochures at their races earlier in the year. The USCA web site and the WCRA web site both carried race information and a downloadable registration form.And on the day, twelve paddlers turned up to support the race.Worst of all, I lost a dinner bet with Larry Liquori that we would get at least 30 teams to Aluminum Nationals �and probably more.�All that having been said, it was an exciting race, generating many vivid memories! Positions changed numerous times, and the fastest four boats Þ nished within 55 seconds of each other over what turned out to be a 3 hour+ race down the 21 river miles from Spring Green to Muscoda.. The Wisconsin River presented a unique set of challenges with its tricky channels through endless sandbars. The river was, this year, at one of its lowest levels in the 40-year history of the Wisconsin River Race, the host event for this year�s Aluminum Nationals. Very hot, humid weather added to the challenge, with temperatures in the low 90s.Traveling the furthest, Patricia Bayers and Jeanine Shaffer from Florida, retained their Women�s Champions titles. Cody Rickey and Casey Rickey, from Arkansas, became the new USCA Men�s Champions. Special congratulations are due to the 14 year olds Josh Quintel and GrifÞ n Williams from Kalamazoo, MI, who competed here in their second ever canoe race. We were all most impressed with the 3:26:43 time they turned in, and we look forward to seeing them again at the Warren, PA Nationals!Local paddler Gareth Stevens with nearly-local paddler Tave Lamperez Þ nished Þ rst in the Men Master class.In 2004, the Aluminum Nationals in Virginia also attracted just six teams. If the USCA�s Aluminum National Championships are to survive, they need a whole lot more support than USCA members have given them in the last two years. Or they do not deserve to survive.Big thanks to the twelve paddlers who made the effort this year.Next year the Aluminum Nationals will be hosted by the St Charles Canoe Club, and held in St Charles, IL on the Þ rst Saturday in May*, the same weekend as the Current Buster.If anyone else out there still cares to race Aluminum, come to St Charles next year and show it. [Special note of encouragement to Texans: St Charles, IL is three hours closer to Texas than Spring Green, WI.] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gareth Stevens* Note: The exact date of next year�s 15 mile Aluminum Nationals is Saturday, May 6, 2006 with the option to race the next day in C2 Men or Women (USCA cruising 4x32 and 3x27 together) : a 10 mile race; plus a 6 mile recreation race (also stock aluminum), on Sunday, May 7, 2005 in St Charles, IL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tave Lamperez, Director of USCA Aluminum Nationals 2006.C2 Aluminum Men1 Casey Rickey (AR) / Cody Rickey (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:07:092 Josh Quintel (MI) / Griffin Williams (MI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:26:43

C2 Aluminum Women1 Patricia Bayers (FL) / Jeanine Shaffer (FL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:52:30

C2 Aluminum Master Men1 Gareth Stevens (WI) / Tave Lamperez (IL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:06:592 Jim Short (MO) / Clifton Rickey (AR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:07:343 Doug Berg (MN) / Greg Zophy (MN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:07:54

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All photos on this page courtesy of, and © 2005 by Kristine Fisher. For more, see www.shutterfly.com/pro/kristinefisher/BigFiveChallenge05

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