Peshtigo River to host national championships

Sixty-year-old Joe Johnson, of Menominee, Michigan, was taking his morning run with his dog, Tracker, over the Bagley snowmobile trails near the Potato Rapids Dam on the outskirts of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. When their March 3 run was over, they headed to the boat landing just downstream from Peshtigo's dam and the old train trestle.

Johnson, a national and international champion canoe racer, pulled an ice chipper out of his truck and worked his way through the piles of corn snow that packed the riverbank. He found what he was hoping for: a patch of shore ice below the riverbank that only reached 4 to 6 feet out on the water. He started to chip away. In time, he carved out a spot next to the shoreline big enough to fit his two-man Crozier racing canoe.

That same morning, 57-year-old Jim Larson, another chiseled national champion, was making his daily commute from Escanaba, Michigan, to Marinette, Wisconsin, for work. His shift would end at 3 p.m.

By 3:30 p.m. Larson was helping Johnson carry his canoe down the riverbank to place it into the cubby hole that Joe had carved out. It was only 40 degrees but an exciting moment; a first for the year. They hadn't paddled since early December, after all.

Moments later, Johnson and Larson were out in the middle of the stream, charcoal black against the white of the riverbank and carpet of ice that spread out from each shore. They bumped aside icebergs, some the size of their canoe, floating downstream with them. They negotiated their way paddling in perfect unison, like they hadn't missed a beat since last year. An occasional "Hut!" from Larson signaled switching sides with their paddles.

A week after Johnson and Larson had their maiden voyage for the year, they put-in on a blustery day when the temperature struggled to reach 38 degrees. Rich Oja, another nationally ranked paddler from Menominee, in his one-man canoe joined them. A half-hour of paddling downstream brought them company - rain. The droplets increased until they bounced off the surface to form thousands of 3-inch pillars as thick as an insect hatch in late July. The paddlers' woolen hats were soaked and water streamed down their jackets. The wind chill was a bone-chilling 28 degrees.

These late winter workouts were no hardships for these guys, however. Paddling in early March is a staple of their training. After all, elite paddlers all over North America were keeping pace. Weather can't be an obstacle.

At about 5 p.m., their workout complete, Larson says so long to Johnson, gets in his truck and drives an hour and a half home to Escanaba for supper.

Elite paddlers from Maine to Minnesota and Texas to Florida are preparing for the race season that will culminate with the U.S. Canoe Association National Canoe and Kayak Championships. This year they will be competing for honors on the mystical river known as the Peshtigo.

Yes, the national championships will be held in little Peshtigo, Wisconsin, August 10-15. Paddlers, including some Olympians, will direct muscle, brains, experience and dedication into their crafts and toward the finish line at Badger Park in downtown Peshtigo. They'll be in two-person (C-2) and one-person (C-1) canoes, two-person and one-person kayaks, and outriggers. Age categories range from 5-year-old kids to 90-year-old kids. Distances from 250-meter youth sprints to 15-mile courses will be contested. Special events, including paddle orienteering and a biathlon (running and paddling), will also take place.

A complete list of events can be found on www.uscanoe.com. They include races for solo and tandem canoes, solo and tandem kayaks, touring kayaks, sea kayaks, downriver kayaks and unlimited kayaks. Divisions will include men's, women's, mixed, youth and youth-adult categories. Even in the open categories, most boat classes will have age divisions.

One main objective of the U.S. Canoe Association is to encourage the growth of paddling as a competitive sport as well as a beneficial recreational activity. So the organizers of the event will also provide opportunities for more casual paddlers. A citizen's division will will appeal to those upper Midwest paddlers with nonracing-style canoes and kayaks.

Two new events will be staged on the Peshtigo River this August. The first will be sprints in solo kayaks and solo Va'a outriggers for paddlers with physical disabilities. Boats and paddles will be adapted to individual athletes. The second new event will be stand-up paddleboard racing in sprint, orienteering, biathlon and marathon categories. Paddleboard racing, which is growing in popularity, is essentially done on a surfboard with a long paddle.

All events will finish at Badger Park in Peshtigo where camping, ample parking, grandstands, a pavilion and concessions will be available. There will be free admission for spectators at the finish, staging area and various viewing spots along the racing route. The campground is only 100 yards from the finish, is quiet and ideal for biking, jogging and inline skating. Additional camping is available in both Marinette and Menominee. Local restaurants and motels are also bracing for the more than 1,000 paddlers and family members.

In the meantime, paddlers from all over the U.S. will be battling through rain, hail, wind and heat preparing themselves to match strength, wits and experience. And you're welcome to join them.

For more information, go to www.uscanoe.com, www.peshtigoriverpaddlers.com, www.mandmchamber.com, www.peshtigochamber.com and www.therealnorth.com.