2004-05-25 – Larsen's Crozier V1 Racing Canoe

Lee Jarpey and Keith Canny, Eric Canny and Todd Johnson, Ed Arenz and Jason Larsen, and Rick Lorenzen and Stephanie Larsen met at 5pm under cloudy skies and the threat of yet more rain. The Rum River banks were fully cloaked in deep green now.  There were no longer any signs of the dozen or so dark grey volleyball-sized hornet nests hidden high in the tree branches above the shorelines that had been so obvious before the leaves were out.  Luckily they were far enough above us that we didn’t disturb them as we crashed through the lower branches below on our way upstream. The water level was high and the current was running fast from several days of rain.  The temperature was in the 60’s and I was overdressed with a dark blue long sleeve polyester undershirt from Fleet Farm and a black wind-block polar fleece jacket.  My $4.72 bright yellow sole water shoes offered a strong contrast to my black wind pants. Color coordination was never my strong suit, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Stephanie and I put our water bottles and life jackets into the Larsen’s new Crozier V1 racing canoe.  The thirty-five pound black carbon fiber canoe was the canoe version of a stealth bomber.   Devon said he wouldn’t paddle in a boat that didn’t have some color so he painted two colorful paintings on the bright purple canoe cover.  One of the paintings was the symbol resembling a question mark which meant Good Luck in Crossing Water.  The other was a picture of a native fertility mask with a long pink tongue hanging out.  Only time will tell if the symbols painted on their canoe would have any effect on the Larsen’s lives.

This canoe was set up for long distance racing. The stern paddler’s foot brace was attached to the sliding seat so the stern paddler could adjust the trim of the canoe by sliding forward and still having a foot brace the right distance.  There were holes to hold the 2 liter water jugs with plastic tubes for drinking without missing a paddle stroke.  The heavy duty bailer handle looked exactly like an emergency brake in the bottom of the canoe, but it didn’t slow the canoe much to have the bailer open and sucking water out.  It was even accessorized with a sliding drawer under the padded front seat with a plastic food bowl with drain holes drilled in it so any splashed water would drain off the food.  Things can get a little hectic in a race while trying to hang onto a wake ride between two other canoes.   

Stephanie and I put in the water first with the other 3 teams not far behind.  A family of ducklings scrambled from the swirling water into the tall green grass herded by their mom and dad.  We slowed down as we passed under the County 116 Bridge and the others finally caught up.   Then, we had a hard time keeping up with them on the rest of the way up to the island sandbar.  A while later, as we sprinted under the branches, one tore my baseball cap off, but it landed on the canoe cover and Stephanie brushed it into the bottom of the canoe.  It was too dark to wear my sunglasses that added a bit more protection for my eyes. 

On the way back, all 4 canoes paddled side by side within a few feet of each other and told stories of times past.  That is, at least until we came to a backwater shortcut and the right hand 3 canoes took the turn.  Lee and Keith decided to take off down the main channel to get ahead of us before the backchannel joined back up with the main channel.  It worked and they were half a block ahead when we came out of the slower backwater.  Ed and Jason decided to try and run them down before they got back to the County 116 Bridge, but Eric and Todd and Stephanie and I gave up the idea of catching them and just concentrated on staying on each other’s wakes.  Lee and Keith were able to keep ahead all the way past the bridge and then stopped to gloat.  As 64 year old Keith put it later, they had “laid another whuppin” on us “young’uns”.  

Once we had caught up with them, they didn’t give us time to drink or even get my baseball cap back on right before they took off again.  We just caught their tail wake and held on for a while.  Then we jumped a wave and took the inside of the last curve to make them work.  We beat them around the corner, but the other 3 canoes pulled ahead again in the deep water of the last straightaway to the Anoka Fairgrounds landing.  We didn’t fall back more than a wave though.  Then we all decided to paddle down to the dam and back upstream.  The current wasn’t as strong in the dam pool, but it was more difficult when we were tired.  It was another good workout on the Rum.  It was cold enough that a hot shower felt especially good when I got home.

Stephanie and her husband Jason were leaving for the General Clinton Canoe Race in Cooperstown, New York the next day.  Stephanie was paddling stern with Devon Arenz in the bow for the 70 mile canoe race.  Jason had not been training for a long canoe race so he was going to be their bank runner for this race.  Most bank runners would be standing in waste deep water handing fresh water jugs and zip lock baggies full of food to their racing team, but Jason would use a C1 racing canoe to make the transfers while paddling alongside Devon and Stephanie at the feeding station. 

They would need 2 or 3 of these feedings over the course of the 7 hour race.  They would pick feeding spots below the two portages so they would be empty jugs on the portages and then fresh food and water after the portages.  Some teams started out empty and didn’t get a feeding until after the first hour for less weight and more speed.  It also was better in case they tipped during the mad crowded rush and big waves at the race start and narrow winding creek after that.  Other teams didn’t want to risk missing the feeding and decided to carry the extra weight at the start anyway.