PaddlePower 2009 End of Season Report
At the start of the 2009 kayak season Dave K, with a little input from me, created a sign-in sheet for PaddlePower events - something like what PedalPower uses.

For my 2009 report:
Number of HSC paddles: A bunch.
Number of unique paddlers: More than last year.
OK, I had the sign-in sheets but paperwork has never been my forte. I'm a "Big Picture" kind of guy and details often slip. Just as Toni. Did you attend the EOS in September? Fun wasn't it! I guess I mostly enjoyed the "show and tell" aspect. Paul T. wins for longest and lightest boats all in one boat. Most expensive too but that's another story.

Mike and Linda got to show off their new boats and they and a few others had a nice paddle on the creek. I personally helped push some people in the water. Cold, cold!

Some highlights are the Bay Creek Race Night and the Great Great Huggers Regatta. On a number of occasions the Race Night had record attendance, often because of the large number of Huggers joining in. 27 was the largest Huggers contestants in a single night. The Huggers Regatta had 19. There were some complaints about the format and results of the Regatta, which I ran. My suggestion: run it yourself next year. And that's the great thing about the Regatta and any other PaddlePower or Huggers event in general. Got a better idea? Well, we welcome it and will help you jump in.

1880 House summer weekend saw all 20 attendees on the water on Saturday. This started as mostly a bike event but has morphed into a predominately paddle weekend with some biking. Next year we are looking at adding whitewater! But it will always have biking as long as Iris is in attendance.

We started having a cooler at some events and we are working to make paddles a well-rounded social with some success. How many people bought kayaks in 2009? More than a few. PaddlePower is growing.

At the Bay Creek Races the $8.00 admission gets you a race number, a boat if you want one and all the hots and beer you want after the race. Got to replenish the body after all and beer and hots contain most of the body's essential nutrients. Bill H. brought his hot sauce to the race. Have you tried it? Dave, one of the people at Bay Creek, liked it so much on a hot dog that he stopped adding the dog and just ate hot sauce on a roll.

Lots of good memories of paddling the summer of 2009. Way too many to list here, but I would like to thank a few people and please, if I skip you just blame advancing age.
Thanks to Toni for being so detail oriented and paddling "sweeper" on many events. Iris for yet again beating me at the races. Thanks? Wendy for her assistance with the Regatta. To the many people who organized events and especially to the great folks who opened up their lake front cottages to PaddlePower, thanks for making a really great 2009
- Rob

Kayak Challenge Race, Wednesday, August 5th.
Attention Kayak Race Fans.
Here's the results from the 2009 Great Great Huggers Regatta.

First off.
Generally on a Wednesday Night Race there are around 20-30 racers. I think a record was set on July 15 where there were 48 racers. Well, the night of the Huggers Cup there were 68 racers, 68! Understand that this is a normal race night at Bay Creek with the Huggers Regatta as a side race. But still, 68 racers. Paddlers had to wait in line to get to the Start Line. It was great fun. Bay Creek had to send out for more beer and Hots. Did you like the hot sauce? Thank Bill H. Last year 15 Huggers competed in the Huggers Regatta, this year 22 of the 68 were Huggers. Kayaking is really growing.

To put our times in perspective Jason Q., a K1 specialist who'd recently qualified to represent the U.S. at the upcoming World Marathon Champs, had a time of 14.04 minutes. How do I shave 11 minutes off my time? Evinrude?

Ladies First.
Fast Huggers Women.

Third Place with a time of 25.97 minutes Joyce H.

Last year Joyce had a time of 26.50 and was not in the top 3. Nice improvement young lady. By the way third place last year was won by Barb G. with a time of 26.45 minutes. The competition is getting tougher.

Second Place with a time of 25.83 minutes Wendy R.

Last year Wendy had a time of 27.75. Major improvement Wendy. You shaved almost 2 minutes and that's a lot.

First Place with a time of 24.85 minutes Iris R.

Last year Iris had a time of 25.07 minutes and won first place. Not a big improvement but this year Iris held her paddle the right way but hated the boat she borrowed. Yet she pulled through. Get it, pulled though? Never mind.

Fast Huggers Men.

Third Place with a time of 24.20 minutes Richard H.

Last year Richard also came in Third but with a time of 25.17 minutes. Slipping .03 minutes. Richard, ya gotta want it!

Second Place with a time of 23.53 Don G. This is Don's first appearance in the Huggers Regatta and a spectacular showing it was.

First Place with a time of 22.45 minutes George M. In a stunning upset to the veterans of the race this was George's first appearance too. Last year the winning time in the Men's division was 23.52 minutes. George just blasted through that time and shows just how tough the competition is getting.

A few notes.

1) Paul T's time was 19.05 minutes and he finished in First Place in the Touring Kayak Division for the whole race, not just Huggers. But Paul is a member of the Bay Creek Racing Team. Last year Paul's time was in the 24.00 minute range. Good coaching and practice, practice, practice and a strong will has turned Paul into the kayak animal he is. But he's a PRO and we are just amateurs. Whine, whine, whine. Other Huggers not Paul who was actually very understanding.

2) Bill H. came in Fourth Place at 25.05 minutes. A very good time but just out of the money. Bill has a new Carbon Kevlar kayak, very light and very fast that he cleaned and waxed to make it as fast as possible. As a very fine gesture of sportsmanship he let Don G. use his prepared boat rather than one of Bay Creek's pool of loaners. If Don had used a regular boat maybe his time would not have been quite so good? Could Bill's generosity have knocked him out of Third Place? If only we had a Sportsmanship Award...

3) A few people said I should have had more classes of racers based on boat length. George and Richard both were in the Touring Kayak Class while most everyone else was in Rec. Kayak. To my critics I can only reply "Well then, next year YOU run the Regatta and YOU can have whatever classes and awards YOU want".

4) Where did your Humble Scribner place in all this? Lets just say that too many people came to me personally to gloat. My quick has been cut! I missed a PR by .13 minutes. I think Jason Q. was in my way.

Thanks to all who attended, you know who you are. A big thanks to Ken and all the Bay Creek Staff for putting on a fine race and putting up with the Huggers.
- Rob