The Nation's Top Multisport Paddling Races
By Tom Bie

At the 1997 Eco-Challenge in North Queensland, Australia, two U.S. Navy SEALS and a U.S. Navy diver had to be rescued when Team Odyssey's boat capsized during the 79-km sea kayak leg.

On day two of the 1997 Raid, paddling inflatable canoes down the Senqu River in Lesotho, South Africa, Corran Addison and Philippe Lepoul led Team South Africa past 21 teams in eight hours, moving from 33rd place to 12th. The next water leg proved less fortunate. In the rafting portion, they passed seven boats in the first hour before a slow leak forced them to shore, where they waited for six hours while a helicopter fetched them a pump

They started as small community get-togethers, celebrations of spring, or, in some cases, simply an enjoyable, active fundraising event. And in many places, that's what they remain. But the explosion of multi-sport, multi-dimensional, adventure races around the globe has grown to include everything from leisurely two-mile canoeing contests to multi-day death marches designed for those looking to map out new parameters in discomfort.

Survival-type competitions entered further into public consciousness after television started broadcasting them, allowing channel-surfing couch sloths to click on ESPN and see live coverage of a Navy SEAL team dropping out of the ECO-Challenge because they could no longer hang with Team Dockers. In many of these events, the water leg--or water legs--are the deciding factor, forcing those without paddling skills to either obtain them in a hurry or suffer the consequences.

Whether you're looking for an ironman event with a solo sea kayaking leg or a team-oriented race involving canoeing with the kids and family pooch, following is a rundown of some of the nation's finer multi-sport, paddling races.

The Big Three

The Raid Gauloises
King of adventure races, this mega-marathon takes place annually--or close to annually--in some exotic locale, testing the skills of over 40 five-person teams (each of which must include at least one woman) while they endure 10-12 days of grueling, near-sleepless competition. While the exploratory aspects may have softened some over the years, the "Raid" still serves as one of the most brutal survival races on earth.

Founded in 1989 in New Zealand by French journalist Gerard Fusil, the Raid was originally intended less as an athletic challenge than as a historic re-enactment. "The whole idea was to re-create that expedition feel," says Marty Dugard, who has competed in the past three Raids, held in Patagonia in 1995, South Africa in 1997 and Ecuador in 1998. "But it's definitely become more competitive over the years. A lot of that has to do with the Americans. There was only one American team in 1994 and last year there were seven."

The paddling portion of the race has always been an enormous factor where both skills and a good amount of luck are necessary. On day two of the 1997 race, paddling inflatable canoes down the Senqu River in Lesotho, South Africa, Corran Addison and Philippe Lepoul led Team South Africa past 21 teams in eight hours, moving from 33rd place to 12th. But the next water leg proved less fortunate. After a two-day pony ride and an excruciating mountain leg, Team South Africa hit the rafting portion of the route. They passed seven boats in the first hour before a slow leak forced them to shore, where they waited for six hours while a helicopter fetched them a pump.

Dugard adds that while the whitewater portions of the event can be the most hair-raising, it's often the flatwater stretches that enable teams to advance. "If you have a good whitewater guide you're not going to lose or gain ground," he says. "It's usually the endurance paddling that makes a difference." The importance of endurance took on a whole new meaning during the 1993 race in Oman, when paddlers kayaking across the Arabian Sea were forced to outrun an approaching storm bringing powerful winds and six-foot swells. Then there was the 1991 event in Borneo, where competitors shared the waterways of the Tutoh and Kubaan rivers with resident crocodiles and cobras.

Dugard calls last year's race in Ecuador "probably the toughest one yet," due largely to the event taking place at over 13,500 feet. Apparently, organizers were simply preparing competitors for the next Raid, scheduled for the year 2000 in the friendly, high-altitude confines of the Himalayas. Contact information: Nelly Susil-Martin, (310) 271-8335.

The Eco Challenge
A spin-off of the Raid Gauloises, the Discovery Channel Eco-Challenge is a 300-mile, seven- to 10-day grind founded in April 1995 in Southern Utah, when former British Special Forces Red Beret Mark Burnett decided the U.S. needed its own version of a multi-sport adventure race. Burnett was captain of the first U.S. team to compete in the Raid in 1989, and the idea was to hold the Eco-Challenge event annually on American soil. That idea faded quickly, however, when U.S. liability concerns and TV viewing audiences got factored into the equation. "They're similar, but the Raid and the Eco-Challenge are definitely different races," says Dugard, who covered the Eco-Challenge for three years as a journalist. "The Raid is French and the Eco-Challenge has much more of an American feel to it--probably a third of the teams are from the U.S. and it's much more of a made-for-TV event."

A second Eco-Challenge was held later that year, in June, when an adventure race in Maine was used as part of 1995's ESPN Extreme games. And it was strong ratings during the broadcasting of those games that first get television executives interested in adventure racing. The 1996 Eco-Challenge was held near Whistler, British Columbia, and the 1997 event took place in North Queensland, Australia--where two U.S. Navy SEALS and a U.S. Navy diver were among those who had to be rescued when Team Odyssey's boat capsized during the 79-km sea kayak leg. At last year's race in Morocco, North Africa, competitors were introduced to an entirely new twist on travel: crossing desert sand dunes on a Dromedary Camel. Strong winds and pounding surf aided in the disqualification of six teams during the sea-kayaking leg along the Moroccan coast.

The 1999 Discovery Channel Eco-Challenge is planned for December in Patagonia. Founder Burnett promises it will be "the most ambitious race course yet." Competitors can expect to ride Criollo horses across South American pampas, navigate the Andes with a map and compass, sea kayak fjord-like lakes, and use inflatable canoes to negotiate Class IV rapids. Contact information: www.ecochallenge.com .

The Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series
This isn't one race, but a series of races that take place throughout the country. What began as two sold-out events in 1996 grew to four in 1997 and nine in 1998--including one race in British Columbia and a heated contest in Dallas that saw 239 teams competing on a 115-degree day. Now in its fourth year, the series will include 10 different venues. Company spokeswoman Shari Arakelian says she thinks 10 is a good number of events for now. "We had a really good response last year so we just want to let our current venues grow," she says.

These one-day competitions are made up of three-member teams that combine outdoor activities such as running/hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and teamwork. One of the significant differences between this race and others like it is the existence of special "mystery events" intended to make teams work together in solving a particular problem. "We call them the great equalizer," Arakelian says. "That's what sets our race apart, because no matter how strong a runner or a paddler you are, you must work as a team to put together a puzzle, get over a wall, whatever."

The events remain a mystery until competitors encounter them on the course, and Arakelian says they've found this often creates a nice balance between serious competitors and weekend warriors. Like the Raid and Eco-Challenge, teams must start and finish together. Each race includes five to eight miles of trail running, 10-15 miles of mountain biking, and one hour of kayaking--though the term "kayaking" is used loosely, since many competitors are clambering into Sevylor inflatables for the first time. "It's paddling in the sense that you have a paddle," says Joe Glickman, who competed in The Bronx race at Orchard Beach Park in 1998. "But a lot of the people are just doing 360s." Contact information: Michael Epstein Sports, (818) 707-8867; www.mesp.com

1999 Hi-Tec Adventure Racing Series sites:

May 23, Phoenix, AZ; Lake Pleasant

June 6, Miami, FL; Oleta River Recreation Area

June 27, Atlanta, GA; Fort Yargo State Park

July 11, Dallas, TX; Cedar Hill State Park

Aug. 8, Portland, OR; Hagg Lake

Aug. 29, Sacramento, CA; Folsom Lake

Sept. 12, Hartford, CT; Winding Trails (Farmington)

Oct. 3, Pittsburgh, PA; Moraine State Park

Oct. 17, New York, NY; Orchard Beach Park

Oct. 30, Los Angeles, CA; Lake Castaic Recreation Area

Five Northwest Relays

Ridge-to-River, Wenatchee, Wash., April 18, 1999
Ridge to River is an annual, hugely popular relay race consisting of a cross country ski leg, an alpine ski leg, a run leg, a bicycle leg, a canoe/kayak leg and a portage/sprint leg. Now in its 19th year, Ridge to River was started as a fundraiser for the Chelan County Mountain Rescue and the Wenatchee Outdoor Club. Seventy-one teams and one ironman competed in that first event in April of 1981, and the race now regularly includes more than 2,000 participants, making it the largest multi-sport event in the state of Washington. "It's become very popular with the serious Northwest multiracers," says race director Sue Frese. "But there are 38 divisions so there are plenty of recreational participants as well."

Starting near the top of Mission Ridge Ski Area, racers cross country ski three miles before handing off to an alpine skier who must first hike 75 yards uphill, with skis, before starting the descent. The downhill is followed by a 4.5-mile run, which leads to a 19-mile bike ride, which leads to the river leg--an eight-mile paddle to Riverfront Park on the Columbia River. Boaters paddle their way through five miles of Class I and II water on the Wenatchee River, before finishing with a three-mile flatwater sprint to Riverfront.

The original five-member Ridge to River organizing committee has grown to become a 40-member race committee with a 14-member board of directors. Though it remains a fundraiser for local groups, the list of beneficiaries has risen from two to 30 and in 1998 the organizing committee doled out over $8,500. Contact information: Sue Frese, Race Director, (509) 662-8799; sue@r2r.org; www.r2r.org

Pole, Pedal, Paddle, Bend, Ore., May 15, 1999
Another Northwest gem, the U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle (PPP) preceded its Ridge to River brethren by four years, and is just two years shy of its silver anniversary. The race shares its name with another PPP, held annually in Jackson Hole, Wyo.--but the Rocky Mountain venue was first, founded one year prior to Central Oregon's largest sporting event.

Put on by the Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (MBSEF), the PPP begins with an alpine ski leg down the slopes of Mt. Bachelor, followed by an 8-km cross country ski, a 22-mile bike ride into the town of Bend, an 8-km run along the Deschutes River and a mellow, two-mile river leg. An added obstacle in this year's race will be a portage required at the beginning of the boat leg. "They're replacing some grass in the park and things will be pretty muddy down there," says organizer Lea Hart.

Boise, Idaho's Brad Page is reigning champ of the event, but as MBSEF Director Kevin Burnett points out, the overall mellowness of the contest gives everyone a chance. "None of the legs are overwhelming, so that makes it more competitive for more people," Burnett says. "We have winning times of an hour and a half and I think that's why it continues to grow."

The 1998 PPP involved 2,700 competitors, 6,000 spectators and 600 volunteers. The day of the race, the Drake Park area of Bend transforms into a festival of food, music, suds in the Bud Light Beer Garden and sponsor booths. Contact information: Lea Hart, race director, (541) 388-0002; mbsef@bendnet.com; www.bendnet.com/ppp

Ski to Sea, Bellingham, Wash., May 30, 1999
The Mother of all marathon races in the Pacific Northwest, the Sea to Ski is an eight-stage, 82.5-mile endurance-fest that includes legs cross country and downhill skiing legs, running, road bike racing, canoeing, mountain biking and sea kayaking--from the top of Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay. This race doesn't allow solo, "ironman" entrants.

The event is based on the Mt. Baker Marathon, which used to take place in the early part of the century. "It began in 1911 but ended in 1913 when a guy fell in a crevasse up on the mountain," says race organizer Jeanette Brennan. "But we still maintain the spirit of that marathon by making racers climb up the north face of Mt. Baker before skiing the alpine leg."

The race re-started in 1973 and has been going strong ever since. "We have a team come every year from our sister city in Japan," Brennan says. "And we had a team come one year from our sister city in Russia." The race always takes place over Memorial weekend and Brennan says wind figures prominently into the outcome. "The road bike leg is 36 miles, the canoe stretch is 18 miles and the sea kayaking leg is five miles," she says. "If it's windy, those three legs can be brutal." Contact information: Jeanette Brennan, race director,(360) 734-1330; www.bellingham.com/seatoski

STOKER Relay, Omak, Wash., March 21, 1999
In the upper left-hand corner of the country, you'll find the state of Washington. In the upper left-hand corner of Washington, you'll find North Cascades National Park. Head east from there, on Hwy. 20, and you'll eventually reach Omak, site of the 56-mile Summit to Omak Kinetic Euphoria Relay (STOKER) race, another five-leg, Northwest-torture-type multi-sport competition.

The race is as big as its acronym. The STOKER begins with a 900-foot climb to the top of the Loup Loup Ski Bowl, on Loup Loup Pass, where competitors put on their skis and race 1,500 feet back down to the Nordic exchange. "It's kind of like a Chinese Downhill," explains race director Scot Stuart, a 13-year ironman veteran of the race. "So the climb helps spread things out a bit."

The Nordic leg isn't your usual 5K, it's an agonizing 16-mile journey, climbing 1,500 feet to Buck Pass in six miles before dropping 2,500 feet back down to Peacock Meadows. "We don't mess around," Stuart says of the lengthy cross country route. "It's the best downhill on Nordic skis you can imagine." After the Nordic jaunt, racers face a 4.2-mile run and a 20-mile bike ride, before finishing up with a 10-mile paddle to Omac down the Okanogan River. "It's only Class I water," Stuart says. "But with a headwind you're bustin' through whitecaps the whole way." Race rules allow only individuals to use kayaks. Teams must go in canoes. Six-year winner Scott Holman, from Wenatchee, is the man to beat. Contact information: Scott Stuart, race director, (509) 422-0800 ext. 123.

Gap to Gap, Yakima, Wash., June 6, 1999
Designed as a way to simultaneously show off and raise funds for the Yakima Greenway, the Gap to Gap has been taking place annually since 1985 and has drawn competitors from as far away as Australia. The race includes two biking legs and two running legs, with one of each taking place on the 10 miles of paved trail that is the pride of the Yakima Greenway. One of the runs is a cross-country race through a field. The paddling leg is the third stage of the race and consists of a 10-mile paddle down the sometimes snag-filled, Class II Yakima River. The day before the big race, always held the first Sunday in June, organizers put on a junior race, for kids aged 8-14. "It's basically a scaled down version of the Gap to Gap," says Cecelia Vogt, Executive Director of the Greenway. "Instead of the field race, they run through an obstacle course, and instead of the Yakima River, they have to paddle a couple times around a pond." Contact information: Al Brown, program director, (509) 453-8280; www.yakimagreenway.net .

Other Contenders

Eppie's Great Race, Sacramento, Calif., July 17, 1999
Sanctioned by the American Canoe Association, Eppie's Great Race proclaims itself the "world's oldest triathlon" and serves as a benefit for Sacramento County Adaptive Leisure Services. Founded in 1973 by avid kayaker and restaurateur Eppie Johnson and local kayak instructor Mike Ewing, the race consists of a 5.8-mile run, 12.5 miles of cycling and a 6.3-mile paddle on the American River. Any paddling device can be used on the river leg, which runs from the lower Sunrise Bridge to Goethe Park and will sometimes see over 1,000 boats on the river come race day. Teams may be made up of one, three or four people and all proceeds go directly to help individuals with mental, physical, developmental, sensory or emotional impairments. Contact information: (916) 875-6441 or (916) 875-6640.

Marshalton Triathlon, Downington, Pa., Oct. 3, 1999
Billed as the largest amateur triathlon in the country, this 10-mile event is broken down evenly into a downhill bike race, a canoeing race and a running race, and serves as a fundraiser for the West Bradford Fire Department. The three-mile water leg is overseen by Zeke Hubbard, owner of West Chester, Pa.'s Northbrook Canoe Company, who is in charge of supplying the canoes for the event. With upwards of 2,500 competitors, this can present quite a challenge, with Hubbard's day spent shuttling dozens of canoes back and forth to the end of the bike trail. "It's the biggest challenge I face," Hubbard says of the logistical nightmare presented by the canoe shuffling. "But luckily we get lots of volunteers." No kayaks are allowed in the water stage of the race, which runs down a section of Brandywine Creek, but C-1s are allowed in the Ironman class. Contact information: Zeke Hubbard (610) 793-2279 or (610) 696-9374.

Pole Pedal Paddle, Jackson, Wyo., April 3, 1999
This annual rite of spring, now in its 24th year, includes a 4-mile downhill run at Jackson Hole Ski Resort, a 10-km cross country leg, a 20-mile bike ride and a nine-mile paddle on the Snake River.

Early April is still winter in the Tetons and on more than one occasion, competitors have added snowstorms to their list of event obstacles. The race routinely sees over 500 competitors yet the winner's circle has been dominated in recent years by the husband and wife team of Mike and Jana Freeburn, who make the trek up from Durango, Colo. Like many other multi-sport events around the country, Jackson's PPP offers a multitude of both racing and recreational divisions, including a fun class for those willing to dress up and go for the "having the most fun" award.

The water leg is generally mild, but the temperature of the Snake in April can turn even a short dip into a dreadful experience. Some of the fastest water comes right after the finish line at the Astoria Bridge, and each year at least a few paddlers dump it in front of everyone as they're trying to make it to shore. Contact information: Amy Critz, race director, (307) 733-6433.

Wolf River Triathlon, Langlade County, Wis., August 21, 1999
The Wolfman Triathlon, now in its fifth year, offers Midwesterners the chance for a multi-sport competition without having to head to either coast. The river leg comes right off the bat, a 3.5-mile paddle down the Wolf River, a course that can offer some low water challenges in August. "It's a boulder garden," says race director Patrick McCabe, "with a few Class II rapids as well."

The paddling section is followed by a 12-mile bike ride and a 3.5-mile run, neither of which is as difficult as the transitional stage from boating to biking, when competitors must carry their bikes on a major crossing of the Wolf. "The racers are really toast after that," McCabe says. "That's where everybody gathers to watch." Like many multi-sport get-togethers, a lot of participants come just for the party, which at the Wolfman includes a big pig roast and free microbrew. Contact information: Patrick McCabe, race director, (715) 882-5771.

The Subaru Tsali Challenge, Bryson City, N.C., May 21-23, 1999
Put on by the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), this event is now in its 12th year and starts with a four-mile flatwater race on Fontana Lake. Any and all types of boats are allowed and the NOC, Perception and Dagger provide boats for the boatless. NOC media director Craig Plocica says race organizers try to arrange the boats to give everyone a fair chance. "We handicap them as much as possible," Plocica says. "Sea kayaks in back, sit-on-tops in front, that sort of thing."

The paddling leg leads to a five-mile single track run, and it can be pretty funny watching people try to scramble up the bank in the transition zone after their legs have stiffened up out on the lake. The run leads to a 12-mile bike race, along much the same sort of trail as the run. This race used to include a paddling leg on the Nantahala River, but now it takes place entirely inside the Tsali Recreation Area, about 12 miles southwest of Bryson City, N.C. Contact information: Craig Plocica, (888) 662-1662 ext. 600; www.nocweb.com

The Outdoorsman Triathlon, Bryson City, N.C., Sept. 25-26, 1999
An autumn version of the Tsali Challenge, the Outdoorsman Triathlon always takes place the last full weekend in September and, like the Tsali, also starts on Fontana Lake. Only this time you're swimming. After the one-mile dip in the lake, racers head out on a four-mile run before tackling eight miles of Class II+ paddling down the Little Tennessee River. This leads them back to Fontana and through three to four miles of flatwater--depending on the level of the lake.

Started in 1976 by NOC founder Payson Kennedy, former Olympic paddler John Burton and Russ Callen (a professor at Georgia Tech), the Outdoorsman Triathlon takes place over two days, with the individual racers competing on Saturday and the relay teams racing on Sunday. In addition to the regular race divisions, a cash prize is awarded to the top three college teams, each of which has to include at least one female. Sponsored by the First Citizens Bank, the $300 prize is awarded to the winning team's Outdoor Club. The second and third place college teams receive $200 and $100, respectively, also for their Outdoor Club. The river leg down the Tennessee is limited to canoes only. Contact information: Kirk Havens, (804) 684-7386.