Well, it’s that time

again to start thinking about

the race, and judging by the

number of visits to our

website, it appears that many

of you already have. Our

website which has been

on-line for about a year, is

approaching nearly 15,000

hits! Of course we are

hoping that it translates into

many new teams for the 2008

race. It is our goal to reach

50 teams by 2010, but of

achieve that a bit early. If you

are a new team this year,

please let us know you are

coming in order to help us

plan. Pre-registration is now

open and you can save $5

per entrant if you register by

July 1, 2008. The fee this

year includes a race T-shirt.

By registering early, it will

enable us to have the correct

numbers and sizes of T-shirts

and to plan our meals. A brief

email from each of you would

be a great!

The 2008 race will

return to the full 120 mile

course. For those of you that

have never competed in the

full 120 mile race, please

keep in mind that the final

third day is long! The river

current normally slows on the

last day and the sixth leg

Saturday morning covers

nearly 21 miles from

Sylamore to Dam No. 3. This

will be the longest leg of the

race and may take slower

aluminum teams over 3

hours. The seventh leg is 12

miles between Dam No. 3

and Dam No. 2. This leg has

been skipped in the last few

years due to construction of

hydroelectric generators at

the dams. The eighth leg is

the final 8 miles from Dam

No. 2 to Batesville. The point

of all of this is to remind you

that you have the option of

adding a fifth or sixth paddler

to your teams. My experience

has been that four person

teams (particularly novice

teams) tire considerably

when the 21 mile paddlers

have to return and paddle

again on the last 8 mile leg.

Fresh paddlers could help

your team’s placing in the

race considerably. This would

also apply to the first day

when there are also 3 legs.

As George Latus, the

Race Host from Crew 320,

discussed earlier, we have

several new awards for this

year’s race. Traveling

trophies will be awarded for

all Cruising and Aluminum

class winner ’s except

Beginner’s. Novice teams in

the Aluminum classes are

eligible for the traveling

trophies if they have the

shortest accumulative time

for their class (example,

Boy’s Aluminum Novice

winners can win the Boy’s

Aluminum Traveling Trophy if

their time beats the winning

Boy’s Aluminum team). A

Traveling Trophy is kept by

the winning team for one

year. They are responsible

for engraving the trophy with

their team’s name and the

winning year and returning it

to the race. If they are

unable to attend the following

year, it is their responsibility

to ship the trophy to the Race

Director or Race Host prior to

the race.

We will also add an

award for the winner of the

Talent Show on Friday night,

so plan ahead! We should

have the performing stage

back this year at Sylamore

Creek Camp.

If you have any

questions about the race,

please don’t hesitate to

contact me.

Letter From The Race Director By Stephen Lynn ~ Crew 300

Scouting and Venturing

March 15, 2008

Volume 08, Issue 1

The Day the Sky Cracked Open

2

Memories From Arkansas

2

Practice, Practice, Practice 3

From the Eyes of Paul. D 3

Batesville Practice Race 4

Race Schedule 5

2008 Pre-Registration Form

6

Cross Word 6

Inside this issue:

List of Important

Registration Forms

Pre-Registration

Local Tour Permit

National Tour Permit

Medical Form

For more information please visit: http://www.whiterivercanoerace.com/

Memories From Arkansas

Page 2 White River Canoe Race Volume 08, Issue 1

By Ashley P - Crew 320

Russellville AR

I woke up at sunrise on

the second day of the 120 mile

White River canoe race. The

morning air was thick with mist

and the lingering wet scent of

fire from the night before. I

peered through the mesh

window of the tent out toward

the river. The water was

completely covered with a

blanket of fog, save the two or

three inches of suspended air

between them. It was flowing at

a steady pace against the rocky

bank and with little interruption

of the glassy surface. Every once

in a while, I would see a stick

cruise by barely floating above

the surface, faintly outlined in

the shape of the fabled Loch

Ness monster. I let the crisp

morning air fill my lungs as I laid

my head back down on my Lum-

berjack camping pillow and tried

to go back to sleep, while the far

off sound of thunder made low

grumbling noises like that of an

angry dog.

At the race, the sky was

almost as black as dusk and the

mist on the water was still thick.

The dark clouds were packed

tightly like stones, ready to fall at

any moment. Bolts of lightning

would occasionally illuminate

our faces as we stared up while

our stomachs would nervously

voice our concern. “We will have

the race,” one of the officials

announced. “If the thunder

comes less than five seconds

apart pull your boat over and

wait.” With clenched fingers, we

cautiously eased our boat into

the ice cold water. We both

stood up to our knees with the

White filling ever crevice of our

shoes, staring out at what we

could see of the river before us,

until we could no longer feel.

The water seemed more brisk

and there was a new wind out of

the east that chapped our lips

and found its way easily through

the fabric of our T-shirts. Rain

drops began to fall lightly around

us. I watched them land on the

gunwales of the boat and race

each other to the pool forming

in the bottom around my red

Teva sandals.

“Paddlers ready? 5, 4,

3, 2, 1, BANG!” The starter

pistol went off, muffling the

shouts of the thunder for a

moment. The flow of the river

was disrupted by the sharp

blades of our graphite paddles

cutting just above the pebbled

bottom. The smooth shaft of the

paddle became slick in my grasp

and rubbed blisters on my palms.

As we turned the bend, the

clouds cracked and expelled a

torrent of freezing rain. I could

feel the drops as they landed on

the top of my head and trickled

their way down between my

strands of hair onto my scalp.

The water flooded my eyes until

everything was a misshapen blur.

My throat was raw from

shouting, and felt as if I had just

swallowed sand paper. The

paddle grew heavier and heavier

with each stroke and made my

muscles cry for relief. My arms

were on fire, but my body was

cold. An arctic breeze off the

river shook me until my bones

hurt. “We’re sinking,” Ruth

yelled through the unce asing

din. I stared through miasma

eyes at where my feet had been

resting in the bottom of the

boat. The frigid water had been

slowly inching up my legs and

was now level with me knees

making the sides of the boat

almost level with the water. The

river began to invade our boat

over the gunwales like the Huns

into China. Tornado sirens

stabbed at our ears like the

aggravated groan of fighting cats.

Then the sky began to stone us

with hail as if we were biblical

criminals. Each hit felt like

bullets on my skin. I kept my

head tucked low. The sky

bellowed again as we rounded a

swift turn.

Finally we spotted the

iron bridge, a mere phantom in

the mist. The world grew quiet,

all I could hear was the violent

pounding of my heart inside my

The Day the Sky Cracked Open

By Kirsti H. Crew 2117, Duluth MN. The Minnesota boy’s team was extremely excited for some real competition at the Arkansas Canoe Race this past summer. Throughout the first few legs of the race, the Russellville boys team and the Minnesota boys team were neck and neck in overall time. However, the Minnesota team fell far behind when they gouged a hole in the bottom of their boat and had to paddle/bail their boat for the last few miles on the

second day of the race. When it came to the last day of the race, the Minnesota team wanted to finish strong. Despite knowing they couldn’t win the overall race, they were determined to work their hardest till the end. As a fellow paddler, my partner and I were about 1/3 of the way through the last leg when we heard the boys teams coming up behind us. Since the Russell-ville team was favored to win, it was a surprise to us when we saw the Minnesota team speeding past us. They were breathing

hard and extremely focused. They had passed the Russellville team by finding some deeper water. They paddled 7 strokes each side and were sprinting the entire 7 mile course. When my partner and I crossed the finish line, we found out one of the Minnesota boys was in the am-bulance. They had sprinted 7 miles in extreme heat and when they crossed the finish line in 1st place, they jumped into the ice cold water. After a few moments in the cold water one of the boys went into a minor state of shock. Both the Minnesota and

Russellville team waited outside the ambulance for about half and hour. Despite all the competition, the Russellville t e a m w a s e x t r e m e l y sportsmanlike and when he recovered everyone was there to greet him. For the Minnesota team, the best memories from Arkansas include not only paddling the race against some great competition but also spending time with the amazing people we met and competed with during the race.

For more information please visit: http://www.whiterivercanoerace.com/

Page 3 White River Canoe Race Volume 08, Issue 1

Practice, Practice, Practice Emile F.

Explorer Post 313–Bogulusa, LA

Last year was my sixth

year to participate in the

Explorer/Venturer White River

Canoe Race. Many things have

changed over those years, from

the people participating in the

race to the race course itself. At

the same time, some things have

never changed; competition has

always been fierce, participation

has steadily increased, and the

water has always been freezing

cold. Born and raised in

Louisiana, my perspective of the

race is much different than that

of say a person from Arkansas;

differences in geology, climate,

and culture make this event a

pleasant change from Louisiana

for the week of the race. Over

my six years, this race has given

me many great memories that

will never be forgotten.

Looking back to my

first year as an Explorer, there is

one thing that really sticks out:

the anticipation of a trip the

older members referred to as

“Arkansas.” Being from Louisi-

ana, we have never called the

event the “White River Canoe

Race,” instead, we have always

referred to the race as just

“Arkansas.” I’d hear story after

story about how the water was

so cold and clear, to stories

about how we’d be camping for

eight days straight and even

something about a talent show.

In retrospect, none of these

stories did the race its justice.

As we have attended

numerous different races, I’ve

heard paddlers say things like,

“My favorite part of the race is

the beginning and the end.” I

agree, that is, if I’m referring to

my experiences at other canoe

races. The White River Canoe

Race is unique in that the

conditions are ideal for canoeing;

the current is swift (at least on

the first day of the race), the air

is cool, and the sights are

amazing. Growing up in

Louisiana, these paddling

conditions are unheard of. In

Louis iana , the water i s

moving…that is moving slowly,

the air is definitely not cool, and

the sights are nowhere near as

spectacular as the Ozark

Mountains. Besides the great

paddling conditions, the race has

always brought in great

competition.

Each year, my team has

a motivational quote. One year,

our quote was “He is best who

trains under the severest

conditions.” Even before that

year, our universally understood

quote was “Practice, practice,

practice.” Rain or shine, we have

always practiced five days a

week. All of this hard work is

done in preparation for the trip

to Arkansas. Although we have

other races throughout the

summer and even have our own

110-mile marathon race in

Louisiana, nothing has ever

tested our skills learned in

practice better than the White

River Canoe Race. Paddlers

from around the country, who

have also been training all

summer, come to the race to

give you a run for your money.

While registering canoes the

evening before the race, teams

scope each other out, trying to

figure out the winner before the

race even starts. The reality is

that the winner is undecided

until the race is over. Penalties,

damaged canoes, and flipped

canoes all affect the outcome of

the race and can even determine

the winner of the race. After the

race is over, and the trophies are

handed out, it’s back to

Louisiana to show our home

towns what we have accom-

plished. Year after year, I have

competed in this marathon and

it has never grown old; every

year has its ups and downs that

make it unique from any other

year. As I grow older, I have

come to realize how much this

race means to me.

As a college student in

the field of Engineering, there is

much pressure to get a summer

internship to better the chances

of getting a desirable job later.

This past summer, I had an offer

to work a summer internship in

Austin, Texas. This decision was

one of the hardest I’ve made in

my life; I could either give up my

canoeing team and take the

internship, or stay at home and

paddle another summer. After

talking with family and friends, I

came to my final verdict; I was

going to paddle and make the

trip to Arkansas again. I could

just have easily taken the

internship and worked all

summer to improve my resume,

but something told me that

being there for my team was

more important to my life at the

time. We have our whole lives to

work; experiences such as the

White River Canoe Race are

once in a lifetime chances to

compete and have a tremendous

amount of fun at the same time.

In my six years as a member of

Bogalusa Explorer Post 313,

“Arkansas” has never failed to

be a great event with many peo-

ple to meet, sights to see, and

paddlers to race. I choose to live

it while it lasts.

From the Eyes of Paul D. By Paul D.

Explorer Post 313–Bogulusa, LA

It was cold, the sun was

out and I couldn't be more

ready. As I stood almost knee

deep in the cold water of the

White River, I waited for our

team to come around the bend.

It was the first day of the race,

and everyone was watching with

anticipation. In a way I was

nervous, but I knew what I had

to do. I had done it many times

before. I looked at my partner,

wondering if he had the same

feelings. Just when I thought I

was going to die from suspense,

our team had come around the

bend paddling as hard as their

bodies would let them. The

quick-change was successful and

we finished the leg. It's moments

like that we live for. We give up

most of our summer to train for

one race. Five days a week, rain

or shine, we paddle on. We

practice with that race in mind,

and that's what keeps us going.

At the end of the race, we know

we have accomplished some-

thing. We know we did what we

were trained to do and did the

best we could. This race taught

me that hard work pays off, and

that's something I will never

forget.

Special Offer

Pre-registration will begin January 1, 2008 to

July 1, 2008. During this period teams will be

allowed to register and get a $5 discount for

each racer or advisor registered. After July 1,

2008 the discount will expire and you will have to pay the full en-

try fee of $35. The entry fee includes a T-shirt, four evening

meals, and camping. This is quite a bargain these days!"

To register please visit our website at:

www.whiterivercanoerace.com or call Stephen Lynn at (479) 885-1037

$5 Off

Online Registration

registration.whiterivercanoerace.com

Batesville Practice Race April 5th - Hosted by Independence County. This will be an 8 Mile Canoe Race from lock 2 to the Batesville Bridge on the White River. This is the same as the last leg of the National Invitational that we have in July.

Entry Fee: $5.00 per person

Schedule

9:00am Registration at lock 2

(Locust Grove) about 8 miles

west of Batesville.

10:00am Race Begins

12:00pm Lunch and Awards

Ceremony will be at the

Edward House Pavilion. This is

close to where we take out at

the end of the Big Race.

Contact Information

George Latus

Crew 320

Independence County

870.799.3690

arlatus1@yahoo.com

Boat attendant: Come in canoe # 9, your time is up. I repeat: come in canoe # 9, your time is up. Canoe # 9 your time is up. Please come in! For the last time, canoe # 9 will you ... ah ... canoe # 6, do you need assistance?

Canoe Jokes

Chris was walking through the countryside one day when he came to a deep, wide river with a very powerful current. As he looked around wandering how to cross he saw Ray on the other bank. He shouted over "Ray, how do I get to the other side". Ray looked up and down the river and shouted back "But Chris, you are on the other side!"

Page 4 White River Canoe Race Volume 08, Issue 1

"This Photo by Bill Cains recently made the cover of Canoe News which also featured an article about the race. The teams are Minnesota front, Bogalusa left and Russellville middle"

Online Registration: http://registration.whiterivercanoerace.com/

Come and join us in one of the most

unique, challenging, and fun

scouting events in the country. The

National Invitational White River

Canoe Race will take you down

some of the most scenic country in

America. The race is an adventure

of over a hundred miles from the

heart of the Ozark Mountains near

Bull Shoals Lake to the foothills of

Batesville, Arkansas. The event is

more than just a race though. There

are many special activities for

everyone.

Race Director Stephen Lynn P.O. Box 99 London, AR 72847 (479) 885-1037

Crew 300- Russellville, AR Email: ozarksjl@centurytel.net

Race Host George Latus P.O. Box 91 Sulphur Rock, AR 72579 (870) 799-3690

Crew 320 - Batesville, AR Email: arlatus1@yahoo.com

We’re on the Web!

www.whiterivercanoerace.com

If you would like to place an article in one of the upcoming

newsletters. Please contact one of the Race Officials.

White River Canoe Race

Official’s Addresses

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