South Dakota Kayak Challenge – Kayak Races
by admin on Mar.18, 2011, under Articles
The second annual South Dakota Kayak Challenge will take place May 28, 2011, and is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. The challenge features several race categories that will match racers against Midwestern winds as well as their own mental and physical limitations.
During its inaugural year in 2010, the South Dakota Kayak Challenge boasted 87 racers, ranging from racing veterans to rookies in rental boats.
According to Jarett Bies, co-founder of the event, “The once-wild Missouri River is still mostly undomesticated on this route, and those who ran it in 2010 found it formidable. But first-time racers finished, and we hope more newcomers join the Challenge, along with returning racers from 2010.”
The 2011 Challenge will begin at Riverside Park in Yankton, S.D., and continue through four checkpoints to Bev’s on the River, a hotel, bar, and marina in Sioux City, Iowa. Racers have until 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 29, to complete the race.
Steven Dahlmeier, co-founder of the Challenge, said that while the South Dakota Kayak Challenge may not offer the mileage of other marathon-endurance races in North America, it lives up to its moniker.
“The river is wild in an open and unforgiving way if the winds are strong, and it poses navigation challenges unlike any other stretch of the Missouri,” Dahlmeier said. “Racers from 2010 reported that once they cleared the wide, sand-bar laden stretches, they still faced the tests of recreational boat traffic, waves, fatigue, and of course, more wind.”
Registration is for singles and 0 for tandem teams. Over 100 racers registered or expressed interest in the 2010 event, and Dahlmeier said that number should climb.
“We offer a safe, well-organized event and our volunteers made the first year a near-perfect race. We welcome more paddlers to come and experience the wind, waves, and sheer strength of the Missouri River in South Dakota,” he said.
“Whether racers use this early season event as a tune-up for other races in 2011 or if they just want to complete it, we’ll be ready to register you, answer your questions, and help you have the best possible South Dakota Kayak Challenge.”
For information on this year’s Challenge, including photos from last year, maps of the route, and registration forms, visit the 2011 South Dakota Kayak Challenge website at this link: http://sdkayakchallenge.org. Or call Dahlmeier at 605-864-9011, or Bies at 605-941-4940.
