Photo: Chuck Ryan (father) (CI)
Photo: Chuck Ryan II (me) (CII)
Photo: CI
Photo: CII
Photo: CIIJuly 5, 2008
Crystal Lake (Ice Lake), Grand Rapids, MN
Al Rudquist's Round Robin race wasn’t going to start until 9 am, but I planned to get there early. I was up at 0530 am so I could eat my normal breakfast and have some coffee.
I arrived at the location on the lake a little before 8 am. This is where we would gather prior to the start of all the heats. Kirski Hakala was already there after driving from Duluth and Al Rudquist was out on the lake in an aluminum canoe putting the buoys out.
Crystal Lake (Ice Lake), Grand Rapids, MN
Al Rudquist's Round Robin race wasn’t going to start until 9 am, but I planned to get there early. I was up at 0530 am so I could eat my normal breakfast and have some coffee.
I arrived at the location on the lake a little before 8 am. This is where we would gather prior to the start of all the heats. Kirski Hakala was already there after driving from Duluth and Al Rudquist was out on the lake in an aluminum canoe putting the buoys out.
Photo: CIIThis race is different than most of the other canoe races. The name board showed that there were going to be seventeen heats and it appeared there was a bye or as we call the bye in this race, a Lee Jarpey. Also, each paddler if they didn't want to complete all the heats could split up the heats with another person. This year there would be two paddlers who wanted to split the heats in half. Each heat would last approximately nine or ten minutes. Since there were only going to be 17 heats we were going to do them all in one day. When I did this race in 2003 we had 32 people so we did 20 heats the first day and the remaining heats were completed the next day.
Photo: CIIEach paddler, unless they were splitting up the heats with someone, would race with each of the other sixteen paddlers and they would also get a Lee Jarpey or bye. Lee Jarpey was signed up to do this race in 2003 when there were 32 paddlers signed up. The schedule was already printed up with each paddler paired up with Lee. Lee Jarpey was a no-show so this made an odd number of paddlers so when each paddler was scheduled to race with Lee they would have to sit out the heat and given a time of ten minutes for the bye. This is how Lee Jarpey's name became associated with the term bye.
Photo: CIIThere would be five buoys placed about the lake. The majority of the time we would go around the course a certain way starting at the first buoy going counter clockwise, but there would be some surprises in this race where we would be told to do the course in reverse after we were lined up to start a heat.
The racers began showing up for what appeared was going to be a nice, but warm day. Everyone got ready for the race and those would had a canoe prepared it before Al Rudquist called all the paddlers together before the 9 am start.
Al made a couple of announcements. One was that Dan Hassel hasn’t been feeling well lately and as most everyone knows he has cancer. Al wanted to call him prior to the start of the race to let him know we were all thinking of him and then Al pointed the phone toward all of us and we all yelled, Hut for Dan!
The racers began showing up for what appeared was going to be a nice, but warm day. Everyone got ready for the race and those would had a canoe prepared it before Al Rudquist called all the paddlers together before the 9 am start.
Al made a couple of announcements. One was that Dan Hassel hasn’t been feeling well lately and as most everyone knows he has cancer. Al wanted to call him prior to the start of the race to let him know we were all thinking of him and then Al pointed the phone toward all of us and we all yelled, Hut for Dan!
Photo: CII
Photo: CIIThe second announcement was that next week would be Al’s parent's 50th wedding anniversary. They were both present for the start of the race. Al brought out a cake and offered everyone a piece, but most of us thought it was a little too early to eat cake especially before the start of some hard paddling.
Al described the race course to us and he pointed out where all the buoys were located on the lake. The normal course would have us going around the first four buoys counter clockwise and then clockwise around the last buoy. One of a few different twists in this race that we would find out about later would have us doing the course in reverse. We now would have go around the first buoy counter clockwise then the next four clockwise. Depending where one was lined up this could give you a slight advantage.
Al described the race course to us and he pointed out where all the buoys were located on the lake. The normal course would have us going around the first four buoys counter clockwise and then clockwise around the last buoy. One of a few different twists in this race that we would find out about later would have us doing the course in reverse. We now would have go around the first buoy counter clockwise then the next four clockwise. Depending where one was lined up this could give you a slight advantage.
Photo: CI
Photo: CIThe name board had our names and our number that would correspond to the number on our shirts. I would be # 12.
Photo: CIThe people who showed up to paddle today were Al Limberg, Al Rudquist, Joe Manns, Brett Arenz, Devin Arenz, Chuck Ryan, Corey Meyer, Kate Ellis, Dennis Leneveau, Io Harberts, Joe Dunaisky, Mike Davis, George Stickler, John Mundahl and Kirsti Hakala. Krista Matison would split up the heats with Maren Hagen and Steph Larson would do the same with Lilly Manns.
Photo: CI
Photo: CIThe earlier heats were faster than the later heats due to everyone getting tired and the wind became more of a factor. The temperature rose to the mid 80's. If it wasn't for the strong breeze it really would have been a hot day.
When Al was done speaking everyone checked the board to see who they were paddling with for the first heat. I was going to be paddling with George Stichler.
When Al was done speaking everyone checked the board to see who they were paddling with for the first heat. I was going to be paddling with George Stichler.
Photo: CIGeorge and I were in 6th place behind Kate Ellis and Joe Dunaisky coming down the home stretch. It appeared George eased up on his paddling and then stopped paddling a few yards from the finish line.
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CII told him we needed to paddle hard the whole time and George told me he knew that we couldn't catch the canoe in front of us. I told him that the times are added up for the 17 heats and George told me he thought it was done by position.
There were a few different twists to some of the heats. We would only find out about them after we were lined up for the start.
There were a few different twists to some of the heats. We would only find out about them after we were lined up for the start.
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CIBesides going around the course in reverse the first twist was when Krista Matison and I were paired up in heat # 5. Krista was in the bow and I was in the stern. We then lined up for the start when Ann Manns told us that we all needed to switch ends. Now Krista was in the stern and I was in the bow. This actually worked out for us and we finished in 5th place for that heat and we were the first mixed team.
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CII believe it was in heat #6 where Al Limberg who was the race leader at the time had to paddle with a heavy wooden paddle. I didn't see Al thrown the paddle to the side before the second to last buoy but we ended up hitting the paddle while it was in the water.
Another twist was in heat #8 when Io Harberts and I were paddling together. We were told that one of the paddlers had to be in the water. We took the canoe back to shore and Io who was in the stern stood in the water prior to the horn to start. There were a couple canoes that elected to do a deep water start at the start line. These two paddlers who were in the deep water were Joe Manns in his canoe and Brett Arenz in his canoe.
Heat #11 had us lined up facing backwards toward the shore. Both Joe Manns and I thought Ann Manns say we had to paddle to shore then turn around. We decided that we would paddle to shore and stay in the canoe while making the turn. Well, to out surprise when we turned around we found that Al Rudquist and Kate Ellis were 25 to 30 yards a head of us. They never paddled to shore but instead they just turned the canoe around. Joe and I caught up with them but we could never get passed them at the end. Al and Kate finished 2.7 seconds ahead of us. We complained a little bit, but it didn't help. Everyone else paddled to shore and then turned around, also.
Al Limberg was the overall winner with a time of 2:41:03.4 and Al Rudquist was in second place 6.9 seconds behind. I came in 6th place with a time of 2:46:36.6.
Results: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5GF8iYH0j-JErlCW3mL6IA
Another twist was in heat #8 when Io Harberts and I were paddling together. We were told that one of the paddlers had to be in the water. We took the canoe back to shore and Io who was in the stern stood in the water prior to the horn to start. There were a couple canoes that elected to do a deep water start at the start line. These two paddlers who were in the deep water were Joe Manns in his canoe and Brett Arenz in his canoe.
Heat #11 had us lined up facing backwards toward the shore. Both Joe Manns and I thought Ann Manns say we had to paddle to shore then turn around. We decided that we would paddle to shore and stay in the canoe while making the turn. Well, to out surprise when we turned around we found that Al Rudquist and Kate Ellis were 25 to 30 yards a head of us. They never paddled to shore but instead they just turned the canoe around. Joe and I caught up with them but we could never get passed them at the end. Al and Kate finished 2.7 seconds ahead of us. We complained a little bit, but it didn't help. Everyone else paddled to shore and then turned around, also.
Al Limberg was the overall winner with a time of 2:41:03.4 and Al Rudquist was in second place 6.9 seconds behind. I came in 6th place with a time of 2:46:36.6.
Results: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5GF8iYH0j-JErlCW3mL6IA
Here are the results from 2003: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p5GF8iYH0j-Ki4lGbcWYIGg
Here are the results from 2004 to the present: Thanks, Joe!
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CIThe whole race took a little over seven hours to complete.
I want to thank Al Rudquist and his volunteers for putting on this race. This race is a great way to paddle with some other people you would probably not have the opportunity to paddle with.
I took some photos before and after the race. My step-mother and father took some photos of the race when they showed up. My step mother took a few short movies and when I get time I will post a link to them, but it might be a while.
I want to thank Al Rudquist and his volunteers for putting on this race. This race is a great way to paddle with some other people you would probably not have the opportunity to paddle with.
I took some photos before and after the race. My step-mother and father took some photos of the race when they showed up. My step mother took a few short movies and when I get time I will post a link to them, but it might be a while.
Photo: CII
Photo: Joe Manns with CII's cameraAfterwards, everyone was invited over to Al Rudquist's for the cook out.
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CI
Photo: CI Edit: On 07-11-08 I uploaded additional photos from this race to my Photobucket. If you linked to my blog from skinnyski.com it will bring you to this post. You need to type in CIIcanoe.com to see all the post after this one, but I will put a link here to the same photos photos that I posted today. http://photobucket.com/chuckryan
Sunday, 07-06-08
Since we completed Al's Round Robin in one day, most of us decided to go for a paddle on the Mississippi River.
Thirteen of us showed up to paddle from the landing at the Blackberry Bridge. This was the same landing that some of us paddled from last week. He thirteen people were Al Rudquist, Krista Matison, Al Limberg, Kate Ellis, Io Harberts, Joe Dunaisky, Corey Meyer, Steph Larson, Joe Manns, Ann Manns, George Stickler, John Mundahl and me.
I would begin paddling with Ann Manns who was in the bow. Her husband, Joe, would paddle Al Rudquist's C-1.
Al Limberg only wanted to paddle about two hours since he had to drive back to Wausau, Wisconsin. Ann Manns has had problems with one of her arms or shoulder and decided to switch with Joe about a halh hour downstreAM. Ann paddled the C-1 back to the landing while the rest of us paddled further downstream.
After Joe and I began to paddle together several of us took part in several sprints going around the bends in the river. Al Limberg was paddling with Kate Ellis in her Corbin V1 Pro while Al Rudquist and Krista Matison paddled in their V1.
Al Rudquist and Krista wanted to try Kate's Corbin boat so they switched canoes on the way back upstream. Kate likes the Corbin boat for when she is paddling with a heavier bow paddler. The gunwales are tucked in further back in the bow so the bow paddler can sit further back helping to properly trim the canoe when there is a much lighter person in the stern.
We arrived back at the landing after two hours and seven minutes of paddling. I asked a couple people if they wanted to paddle some more since I planned to paddle another two hours. It was the holiday week-end so I knew there was going to be a lot of traffic. I figured I would rather sit in my canoe for another two hours and leave a little later and hopefully traffic will have cleared some.
Al Rudquist invited me back to his place for lunch but I declined since I was going to paddle some more.
I put my C-1 in the river and decided to paddle upstream. Last week I came down this stretch but it was at night when we did our night paddle. I saw an eagle and a couple deer while paddling back upstream toward Grand Rapids.
I finished my paddle back at the landing after two hours and eight minutes. My total paddling time for today was four hours and fifteen minutes. I felt pretty good today after yesterday's seventeen sprints over a seven hour time period.
There is only 3 weeks before te AuSable Canoe Marathon.
Other activities this past week.
Monday, 06-30-08
Today, I went on the Mississippi River out of Champlin in my C-1 for two hours and thirty –five minutes. Then I decided to do a one hour run before going to the health club for some leg extensions and leg curls. While at the club I did some ab work and stretches. Well, I might as well go for a bike ride. I took the road bike for a one hour and twenty-one minute spin.
Tuesday, 07-01-08
Mississippi River paddle in my C-1 for two hours.
Wednesday, 07-02-08
No workout!
Thursday, 07-03-08
I was back on the Mississippi River out of Champlin in my C-1 for two hours and forty minutes. I came across several others paddling downstream while I was going upstream. I asked if any of them were doing the Round Robin as they paddled by when I heard no one in this group.
Friday, 07-04-08
I drove up to Grand Rapids to my father's place on Pokegama Lake. When I got there we went for a pontoon ride and later that night I took photos of the fireworks that took place off Drumbeater Island. The fireworks lasted twenty-five minutes.
Since we completed Al's Round Robin in one day, most of us decided to go for a paddle on the Mississippi River.
Thirteen of us showed up to paddle from the landing at the Blackberry Bridge. This was the same landing that some of us paddled from last week. He thirteen people were Al Rudquist, Krista Matison, Al Limberg, Kate Ellis, Io Harberts, Joe Dunaisky, Corey Meyer, Steph Larson, Joe Manns, Ann Manns, George Stickler, John Mundahl and me.
I would begin paddling with Ann Manns who was in the bow. Her husband, Joe, would paddle Al Rudquist's C-1.
Al Limberg only wanted to paddle about two hours since he had to drive back to Wausau, Wisconsin. Ann Manns has had problems with one of her arms or shoulder and decided to switch with Joe about a halh hour downstreAM. Ann paddled the C-1 back to the landing while the rest of us paddled further downstream.
After Joe and I began to paddle together several of us took part in several sprints going around the bends in the river. Al Limberg was paddling with Kate Ellis in her Corbin V1 Pro while Al Rudquist and Krista Matison paddled in their V1.
Al Rudquist and Krista wanted to try Kate's Corbin boat so they switched canoes on the way back upstream. Kate likes the Corbin boat for when she is paddling with a heavier bow paddler. The gunwales are tucked in further back in the bow so the bow paddler can sit further back helping to properly trim the canoe when there is a much lighter person in the stern.
We arrived back at the landing after two hours and seven minutes of paddling. I asked a couple people if they wanted to paddle some more since I planned to paddle another two hours. It was the holiday week-end so I knew there was going to be a lot of traffic. I figured I would rather sit in my canoe for another two hours and leave a little later and hopefully traffic will have cleared some.
Al Rudquist invited me back to his place for lunch but I declined since I was going to paddle some more.
I put my C-1 in the river and decided to paddle upstream. Last week I came down this stretch but it was at night when we did our night paddle. I saw an eagle and a couple deer while paddling back upstream toward Grand Rapids.
I finished my paddle back at the landing after two hours and eight minutes. My total paddling time for today was four hours and fifteen minutes. I felt pretty good today after yesterday's seventeen sprints over a seven hour time period.
There is only 3 weeks before te AuSable Canoe Marathon.
Other activities this past week.
Monday, 06-30-08
Today, I went on the Mississippi River out of Champlin in my C-1 for two hours and thirty –five minutes. Then I decided to do a one hour run before going to the health club for some leg extensions and leg curls. While at the club I did some ab work and stretches. Well, I might as well go for a bike ride. I took the road bike for a one hour and twenty-one minute spin.
Tuesday, 07-01-08
Mississippi River paddle in my C-1 for two hours.
Wednesday, 07-02-08
No workout!
Thursday, 07-03-08
I was back on the Mississippi River out of Champlin in my C-1 for two hours and forty minutes. I came across several others paddling downstream while I was going upstream. I asked if any of them were doing the Round Robin as they paddled by when I heard no one in this group.
Friday, 07-04-08
I drove up to Grand Rapids to my father's place on Pokegama Lake. When I got there we went for a pontoon ride and later that night I took photos of the fireworks that took place off Drumbeater Island. The fireworks lasted twenty-five minutes.
Chuck Ryan
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