May 18 Dan River Relay Race

FSM members Randy Young, Jim Plant and Jay Young volunteered to help with the Dan River Relay race held Saturday May 18. Conceived and organized by Dale Swanson of Nature Play Outdoors and Andrew Jones of Jessups Mill, this first relay race covered 18 miles of the Dan River from Jessups Mill to
the Dan River Company adjacent to Hanging Rock State Park's river access off Flinchum Road. Participants could paddle the entire 18 miles or paddle in teams of three with each participant paddling a 6 mile stretch, then handing the boat off to the next team member. Logistically, this meant registering participants at Jessups Mill early in the morning, then shuttling timers and team members to the two spots designated as the relay points. A couple boats followed everyone as sweepers, helping anyone who might run into difficulty. A
couple of the higher rated rapids had a couple experienced "safety boaters" to offer assistance if needed.
The threat of rain and this being the inaugural race, kept participation lower than expected. The after race festivities planned at Dan River Company also fell short due to the rain. Nevertheless,
the race went on. First place went to Bill Ailes who solo paddled the entire 18 mile course in exactly 3 hours. Other paddlers paddled to the finish over the next hour. Everyone was accounted for and tired but in great spirits despite the foul weather. Hopefully, this event will be held again next year under more
favorable conditions. If you are even just an occasional kayak or canoe paddler, you can participate too. For most, this was not about the time it took to paddle but more about just being out on the beautiful Dan River and having fun. Look for this event next May and come join in.