A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

paddling

Being out on the water can really be therapeutic

I’ve found there’s nothing like a good paddle to sooth the mind and body.

For years, I’ve said I wanted to learn to canoe/kayak.

Many of my friends did it. Whether for fun or for whatever, they did it. Some even went geocaching with the help of these boats. What a way to find a cache, eh?

Last year, I was at GeoWoodstock when it was in western Pennsylvania. This is the biggest gathering event for geocaching in the world. More than 5,000 people were there. I met a lot of fun people while there and a couple of them convinced us we needed to go do a 5-star terrain cache.

Normally, you would need a boat to do it. But the water was low enough where we didn’t need to, so we walked across the river.

Still, I saw many people on the water that day, just out kayaking and enjoying themselves.

On top of it all, I figured it would be a great way to get some exercise and work different muscles.

I had been in normal paddle boats and power boats before. And I recall a canoe at some point or another. There had never been a kayak.

Chilling with some friends while out kayaking.

A few weeks back, I went with my friend Darren. He has several kayaks and got me into one. Let me say that it likely wasn’t the best kayak for me to start with. Within moments of getting out into the river in our town, I flipped and was dunked.

The water felt good, but it still sucked. After all, I figured this was going to be a breeze.

We paddled for a while. I wasn’t having the easiest time with it, but I soon got my balance and was doing OK. We didn’t go too far, though. Maybe a quarter to a half a mile – tops.

The following day, the two of us went again and this time we went about 2 ½ miles. We had to get in and out of the boats a few times because of low water, which kind of made it tough. But I got the hang of it. We went through some light rapids and enjoyed it.

Over that time, Darren had met Brent, a disc golfer and the owner of a local kayak and canoe rental place. I, too, met Brent and I soon realized that the way I was going to learn to get better at this was not just to hop in any old canoe, rather one that fit me both with size and experience.

Two weeks ago, I finally went at it. With another friend, Tavis, and his kids going along (Tavis, like Darren, Is much more experienced on a boat than I am), we went to Brent’s place. (If you are in the Oneonta area and you read this blog, I highly would recommend going to Brent’s place. It’s in Portlandville, his rated are extremely affordable and he has a dock right on the river for you to launch from when you rent a boat).

The main part of the day was spent paddling back and forth near the shop. We’d go up a bit, head back and then wander down river and back up. We did this for an hour or two and it was a nice way to get my feet wet, so to speak.

Just me and the water.

In reality, water only got into the boat once that day – when a motor boat went by and didn’t mind the no-wake rules. We got caught in a wake and rode it out, but some water came up over.

We went again this past Sunday. Darren and his wife, Jodi, joined us. This time, it was a ride a bit longer – about 1 ½ miles up to a railroad trestle. It was an enjoyable paddle and I was a little more daring. So much so that I took a wet sack from Darren and dared to bring my iPhone with me, thus giving me the chance to take photos.

I’m not brave enough to bring the good camera stuff yet. Maybe sometime, but not yet!

We hung out near the trestle for a bit, enjoying the scenery and the peacefulness. As we started to leave, I kind of broke away from the few of us who had settled back for a bit. I didn’t do this to prove a point, but I wanted to see what I felt comfortable doing while being out by myself.

What I found was one hell of a soothing experience.

The serenity of being out on the water in a kayak is really amazing. The sounds – such as the water being cut through by the front of the boat or the sound as you paddle through the water. Then, if you paddle for a few moments and then just coast, it’s so peaceful to hear the water.

No people. No cars. No phone calls.

Nothing.

Just the sound of the water.

It’s freakin’ awesome.

At times, I’d coast and dip my hands in the water. On a day where it was in the high 80s and the heat beat down on you, little things like that are really nice.

Some of the others dangled their feet over the side of the kayak. I’m not quite that brave yet as I still rock the kayak a little bit when I’m in fully and paddling, so I’ll have to work up to that.

Darren floating.

I really think that this is one of the best ways to relax. You can just sit back, relax, listen to nature and enjoy everything around you.

Unfortunately, this won’t be an everyday thing for me.

I can’t afford a kayak of my own right now, so renting is my only option. Even with the affordable prices at the local place, I still have bills to pay and with the current situation, I have to be frugal as possible. I can do it here or there though and I will because I was amazed at how much stress leaves my mind and body when coming down the river.

The best part of this is I know what boat I would like to eventually purchase. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later as I truly think this is something I could have fun doing on a regular basis.

There’s also a lot of room for improvement and having a boat would make that easier to accomplish.

I need to feel stable in the boat. There are times when it kind of leans one way or another and I get a little spooked. I think once I get past that, I’ll be more daring to think about bringing my normal camera – though that would also be easier to do once I can afford a sack for the DSLR. Good ones are out there, but they run about $150. I could also get waterproof housing for the camera, but that would cost me upward of $1,500.

I also need to learn a few things about turning and paddling in general, which will come with time.

In the end, I’m quite happy I finally got out paddling. It’s an amazing way to lose stress and get in touch with nature. And, it’s a great way to get some exercise. In this day and age, who can’t use extra exercise, right?

If you’ve never paddled, I’d encourage you to do it. I just wish I had done it long before now as it’s one heck of a fun time!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! 

The Clinton Canoe Regatta turns 50 and shines again

Serge Corbin returned to the area to try and keep up an unbeaten streak.

Every area seems to have some sort of an event that can help define said area.

My area is no different.

Our biggest attraction is the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and, of course, the annual Induction Ceremony which draws somewhere between 10,000-20,000 people, depending on who is being inducted. In 2007, when Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were enshrined, more than 75,000 crammed into the tiny village.

One a more local front, Oneonta holds the Pit Run each October. It’s a well-attended race that is run in memory of an off-duty state trooper who was killed in the line of duty when he attempted to stop a robbery at a local grocery store.

But one of the most intriguing and longest-running events in our area is the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, a 70-mile one-day flatwater race that runs the Susquehanna River from Cooperstown to Bainbridge. And though the professional classes are among the ones many people come to watch, there are a lot of amateur classes and other races throughout the weekend of shorter distances. It’s several days of paddling and more paddling.

The Main Event — the 70-mile race — is the longest, single-day flatwater race in the world. This area is one that is good for paddling with many solid rivers and a lot of good lakes and ponds, so the Clinton Regatta is a crowning focal point of that sport around here.

This was the 50th year the race has been held.

When I worked for the local daily, I used to cover the event. I was one of the only ones who enjoyed covering it as there were many different personalities from around the world (mainly the U.S. and Canada) who participate. Alas, in the years that I covered the event, I never had the chance to follow the regatta for most of the day because it would have meant a work day of at least 12 hours or more.

Serge Corbin talking to the media following the race.

Then there’s Serge Corbin.

Corbin is the Babe Ruth of paddling. He’s won pretty much everything in the sport and he has owned the Clinton. He raced in 28 Clinton Regatta’s and never lost — a perfect 28-0.

I had the chance to cover him twice — in 2004 and 2005. The first year I covered the event, it was Corbin’s 20th consecutive victory on the Susquehanna.

That year, Corbin and partner Jeff Kolka beat Andy Triebold and Steve Lajoie. Some interesting comments came from the second-place team.

Said Triebold:

You know there’s the opportunity to beat them. But it’s (Serge’s) race. The odds are against you, but maybe some day.

Lajoie added:

There’s a few ways to see it. Since he’s been winning every single race, at least you are the best of everyone else. I’m not disappointed. You always want to win, but I’m happy with the result.

The 2005 race was something else. It featured a sprint to the finish, with Corbin and Kolka winning by two seconds over Triebold and Matt Rimer. The story garnered me an honorable mention award from the Associated Press Sports Editor’s Association for game stories.

Kolka’s comments after the event made it sound like the dominance could continue beyond 2005:

Everybody talks about Serge, that he might be slipping or something like that. People have been saying that for about 10 years, so let me ask you, where’s he at? He’s still on top, he’s still the best, and nobody’s knocked him off yet — and it might be a while yet before they actually do. It’s remarkable.

But that race was it for Corbin at the Clinton.

Andy Triebold (right) and Steve Lajoie shake hands after becoming the first team to beat Serge Corbin at the Clinton Canoe Regatta.

He battled injuries, had some surgeries and didn’t paddle in the Clinton. Over that course of time, Triebold became the man on the Susquehanna. He won the event twice with Matt Rimer and then four straight with Lajoie.

As each year passed, Corbin’s name came up, but he never returned. It seemed like his unbeaten record at this event — one of the North American Triple Crown — would last. After all, Corbin wasn’t a young pup anymore and as he got into his mid-50s, there was no reason to believe he’d be back to test that record.

This year was the 50th running of the event. The festivities included the first Hall of Fame Class, which included Corbin and his brother as part of the inaugural group.

With Corbin being in the area as it was, could it possibly happen…?

In early May, the announcement came — Corbin would return to the race that he dominated along with 30-something partner Steve Corlew. The 55-year-old Corbin wasn’t coming just to paddle, however. He was coming to win and he relayed those feelings to local media.

But could he do it?

Triebold and Lajoie were back and seeking another championship.

Serge Corbin (rear of front boat) and Steve Corlew paddle near Emmons, NY. At this point in Monday's race, they had already fallen behind too far to attempt to keep Corbin's unbeaten streak alive.

This would be something fun to watch. I hadn’t witnessed a Regatta since 2010, when Triebold and Lajoie beat Rimer and Shane Lynch by more than 17 minutes.

The battle line was set — young vs. old. Could Corbin regain his glory and keep his undefeated streak? Or could Triebold and Lajoie be the team to finally say they beat Corbin on the Susquehanna.

The idea of seeing one of the other was too much for me to pass up. So, the day was spent following the paddlers. From Milford (we didn’t get up to Cooperstown for the 8 a.m. start) to Bainbridge, we made many stops. And the first time we saw Triebold and Lajoie, they had a five- or six-minute lead on Corbin and Corlew.

It didn’t look good.

It seems Corbin broke a paddle early in the race, and that made a mild mark, he told the local radio station that covers the event each year. Triebold and Lajoie were like machines on this hot and sometimes humid Memorial Day, paddling quick as they could and separating themselves from the rest of the pro boats.

In the end, the streak ended.

Andy Triebold has become the new dominant force in the 50-year event.

The “kids” left a lasting mark on this race by winning the 50th year of the race. And they did so by beating Corbin and Corlew — who finished second — by nearly 12 minutes.

Still, the sport’s Babe Ruth returned to his version of Yankee Stadium.

Following the race, Corbin seemed to be all smiles. He spoke with media. He shook hands with fans. He was home. Will he be back? Who knows. But with the streak no longer there, why not? Maybe he can be the person to find a way to dethrone Triebold. It would seem to be fitting for Corbin to be the one to do it, if it’s going to happen.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!