The 53rd annual Wisconsin River Canoe & Kayak Race will be held July 15, with races for paddlers with a variety of skill levels. The finish line will be at Victora Riverside Park in Muscoda where the Lions Club will serve food and refreshments from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Races will begin from Spring Green, Lone Rock and Gotham. Event co-sponsors are the Wisconsin Canoe Racing Association and the Avoca-Blue River-Muscoda Lions Club.
In addition to the highly competitive long races, the Muscoda Lions Challenge features a special race for area service club members with aluminum canoes only. New in 2018 is the Wisconsin Riverway Rumble High School Challenge. Both the Lions Challenge and high school races take place on the 8-mile course from Gotham to Muscoda. Pete and Cindy Bremmer are donating use of canoes for paddlers who do not have access to an aluminum canoe. Online pre-registration is recommended. The Gotham race will begin with check-in starting at 10 a.m. and race time at 11. Teams needing to reserve an aluminum canoe should call Mark Cupp at (608) 739-2179 and mention the Lions Challenge.
Another important addition for 2018 is a river safety and canoe technique class for adults and youth ages 10 and up. Janet Perry, a USCA certified canoe instructor, will discuss important safety tips for paddling in a river and then will offer hands on instruction. The session will be held by the boat landing at Victora Riverside Park at 1 p.m. July 14. That evening, special canoe and kayak sprint races will initiate from the park.
To pre-register for the any of the races and other details, go to www.wisconsinriverrace.com and follow the link to registration for your race.