When in doubt, straighten 'er out and paddle like hell. This is a phrase well known by many a paddler and practiced well by outrigger teams last weekend.
The 10th anniversary of the International Howe Sound Outriggers Race was full of sunshine, enthusiasm and competitors from all over North America.
"The final challenge was a highlight. The sprints were fantastic. The irons were great and the weather was really great," said event co-organizer Lynn Mackay.
Top men, women and mixed iron race teams came from Vancouver, California and Portland, Ore. A Calgary team that is used to practicing on a reservoir left behind from the Calgary Stampede came to compete and held their own against ocean veterans. The true heart of team paddling shone through in the Gibsons Challenge Race where local teams raced in hopes of being able to donate a little money to the charity of their choice. Eight teams competed for top awards: Sunshine Coast Credit Union, District of Sechelt, Prudential Sussex Realty, Sunshine Coast Regional District, Sandfire Scientific Ltd., Town of Gibsons, Coast Reporter and Gibsons Rotary Club.
The final heat came down to the Prudential Kahunas, Townhall Terminators and the Sandfire Paddlers.
From start to finish, the race was close between the Kahunas and the Terminators. The teams pulled hard right across the finish line with a difference of just two hundredths of a second. The Sandfire Paddlers came in a respectable third to a cheering crowd at the dock.
The Prudential Kahunas donated $200 to the Sun-shine Coast Special Olym-pics, Townhall Terminators gave $100 to the local SPCA animal shelter and the Sandfire Paddlers were able to donate $50 to the Sunshine Coast Hospice Society.Challenge Race co-ordinator Kim Tournat said her first time as an organizer was a good one and she felt a closeness to all the teams who have spent the last few weeks learning to paddle and train for the race. All this fun and competition comes at a price, though. Mackay said the four original co-ordinators for the event have tired out, adding that because not enough volunteers are stepping up to help them organize the outrigger races, which takes about 10 months of volunteer hours to do, there will be no race next year.
"We are anticipating running it every other year with 2010 being the next one," Mackay said.
She said if others want to jump in and take it over for 2009, they would love to see it continue, but the core group needs a break.
The Gibsons Paddle Club offers two free drop-in paddling sessions to local residents who are curious about the outriggers and voyageur freighter canoes but do not want to make a commitment of membership without trying it first.
Information can be found on the club's website at www.gibsonspaddleclub.ca.
