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Canoe and kayak race brings families, students down the Sandy River

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The first wave of kayakers take off down the Sandy River.

STRONG – Paddlers of all levels gathered on the banks of the Sandy River Sunday afternoon to prepare for the University of Maine at Farmington’s Mainely Outdoors 10 mile race.

This year marked the event’s seventh anniversary and drew more than 40 participants out onto the high, chilly waters. The stretch, which runs from Strong to Farmington along route 4, is identified as a Class I to Class II by the Whitewater Classification System.

“It’s a pretty easy run that requires a little bit of reading the water and some maneuvering. It’s a great section to practice on,” Race participant Karen Cyr said.

Cyr helps facilitate Mt. Blue High School’s outdoor club- Youth Expeditions To Ignite. Members of YETI joined the race to prepare for an upcoming paddle on Lobster Lake and the Penobscot River.

Other boats filled with a variety of paddlers ranging from entire families equipped with coolers of snacks, to competitive kayakers hoping for first place. Racers were placed into one of six categories including high school students, college students, men and women age 18-49, century racers age 50 and over and a mixed category.

Last year’s best time for a solo kayak came in at 1:10:14 while the best canoe time was 1:24:18.

Mainely Outdoors provides an opportunity for individuals and groups to participate in all types of outdoor adventure activities, clinics, workshops and excursions through organized trips and by providing rental equipment for use to promote fitness, to get people active, to expose people to new recreation opportunities, and to take advantage of the abundant natural resources in our area. Programs are open to members of the UMF campus and local community members.

Mt. Blue Senior YETI members get ready to paddle. From left to right: Cole Dorman, Hannah LeClair, Emiliano Flores and Makao Thompson.
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1 Comment

  1. I wish I knew about this ahead of time … we love to kayak and it would have been fun.

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