Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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Switching rowing partners at one of the checkpoints, Michael Miller, senior in mechanical engineering, and Shawna Shaver, freshman in business administration, come ashore as quickly as possible. (Photo by Brian W. Kratzer) The first pack of canoeists head into the sunrise on the Kaw River. Neither race officials nor knew the first leg was almost twice as long as estimated. (Photo by Brian W. Kratzer) 10 CANOE RACE

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STUDENT LIFE 9

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A LONG PADDLE Construction on the Kaw tacks extra miles to the first leg of the ARH canoe race, startling both paddlers and teammates. BY ERIN PERRY Chanting, cheering and starting guns cracked the September morning silence at Rocky Ford Fishing Area. Canoeists in the first heat of the 20th Annual Canoe Race shoved off into the chilly Kaw River, nothing more adverse than sore muscles and wet clothes. They also expected to be rowing for less than an hour. But surprises like an underestimated distance on the first leg, shallow water and a number of disqualifications were waiting downstream for the 28 teams. Sponsored by the Kansas State University Association of Residence Halls, the race was divided into eight legs of varying lengths for a total of 60 miles. Checkpoints marked the end of every leg, where teammates switched off tag-team style. Sam Robinson, junior in political science and event said teams could have only on e male and one female per leg. They also had to keep their lifejackets fastened when in the boat, and only one person could hold the canoe steady when changing rowers. Low water levels on the Kaw created sandbars, some impossible to row across. In this case, canoeists could not carry the boat over the obstacle. Construction on the Kaw River access ramp, the original starting point, forced the race upstream. A state park employee assured Robinson the move added just six miles to the race; race officials didn ' t bother to check it out. I thought they ' d gotten lost, that they ' d gone up a tributary somewhere we didn ' t know about, Robinson said when canoeists failed to appear on time at checkpoint one. She estimated the first leg was actually 13-15 miles. Putnam Hall teammates Thomas Annis and Tess Forge pulled into checkpoint one ahead of the pack. Annis, junior in computer engineering, said he began to wonder if they were on the right river because he raced last year and knew 10 miles shouldn ' t take more than an hour. When I saw the people (at the checkpoint), I thought, `They ' re just standing here to clap us on, ' and there was still another five miles, said Forge, freshman in animal science. Brian Springer, freshman in (Continued on page 12) Sean O ' Connor, senior in mechanical sprays water into the mouth of Linda Good, sophomore in pre-physical therapy, after winning the race. They rowed lastfor the Smith Smurthwaite team, finishing in 7:17:36. (Photo by Brian W. Kratzer) CANOE RACE 11