Well folks, of the 88 teams that officially signed up for the Texas Water Safari, 80 left Spring Lake for Seadrift while eight teams opted for a full refund due to the high water. As of 9:30 this morning 26 teams had dropped out, were rescued or pulled out by race officials for an inability to control their craft. Racers must complete the almost 90 mile length of the San Marcos for the first leg of the 265 mile race to the coast. The tight hairpin turns, swift currents and numerous obstacles associated with the San Marcos naturally thin out the herd before the long desolate stretches of the lower Guadalupe through the Coastal Bend.

Officials were posted at more hazards than usual due to the record high water. Many of the volunteers were called upon to rescue several novice paddlers who had been swept under low water bridges and into log jams after they were unable to maintain control of their canoes, once again asserting that the Safari, and paddling in general, should not be attempted without proper instruction and training. Every year a handful of inexperienced paddlers, hungry for adventure, sign their name on the dotted line to take on the Safari, only to be slapped back into reality when they find they're no longer in Kansas anymore.

For those who trained hard and took all necessary precautions reaped the rewards as evidenced by several broken records. Right of the bat, the team composed of Brian Mynar, Fred Mynar, John Dunn, Solomon Carriere, Steve Landick and Jerry Cochran in a revolutionary 39 foot 6 man river rocket blew the old Unlimited Class and Overall records of 31:04 with a finish in 29:46. Unlimited Class boats have made the Safari famous worldwide by their length, toughness and ability turn tight corners at high speeds. The previously held record for the longest boat was 36 feet with a 5 man team. Only the most experienced paddlers can manage such a boat, requiring months of intensive training and coordination.

The team composed of Ginsie Dunn, Teddy Gray and Cindy Meurer made it look easy when they shattered the Women's Class record in 47:35. The previous record held since the early 80's at 50:43. They women report almost losing their 24 foot canoe in a cut on the lower Guadalupe, when it was swamped in rushing water. After a lengthy drift downstream, they recovered their gear and continued to a glorious finish.

Mark Simmons spent most of the race without company, paddling his USCA C-1 (solo) to a new record of 40:13, breaking the old record eight hours. Simmons met up with the father and son team of Joe and Kyle Mynar in Guadalupe Bay, where they were resting on the eastern shore. The two teams paddled into Seadrift together against the rough waves in San Antonio Bay, making Kyle the youngest racer to ever finish the Safari at age 12. This is quite an impressive feat, after having seen Kyle develop his paddling skills alongside his dad over the past few years.

Brothers, Donald and Daniel Baumbach joined once again for a strong Aluminum Class effort, surprising many of the faster race boats. The two muscled up siblings pushed hard the entire time to a new record of 38:55, breaking the previous record by exactly an hour. Aluminum canoes are the most versatile crafts used in the Safari. Their tough enough to take the abuse of rocks, log jams and long portages. Plus, they are easier to maneuver and more stable than the faster racing canoes. The downside is their low top end speed. This is a small price to pay looking at all the potential hazards along the Safari route.

After having set a new Mixed Class record in 1995, Robert Youens wasn't satisfied and simply had to break his own record. So, he pulled together a six person team composed of California outrigger racer, Steve Ayers, Susan Cowan and Rob Rojas, with Safari veteran Grady Hicks. The solid crew held steady and pulled off a new record in 36:41. My partner, Allen Spelce, and I leap frogged with this Mixed team throughout the entire distance, relying on their light system at night after our batteries failed. Eventually, we were able to pull away from them to edge them out and set a new USCA C-2 record at 36:27. The old record held for 18 years at 38:16.

Many boats are still on the course and have until the 100 hour limit to reach Seadrift (1 p.m. Wednesday).

Other than the numerous obstacles on the San Marcos river, the salt water leg was the most hazardous portion, with five foot breakers slamming racers in the face and swamping canoes within sight of the finish line. One four man boat, with two paddlers having dropped out, were plucked from the water by a Coast Guard helicopter, after having set off flares for assistance. They were only two miles from the finish line.

John Bugge's five man team accomplished a second place finish, but not without their own adversity; team member Jack Kraus was slammed in the leg by a raging armadillo while portaging the long boat into Alligator Lake. After figuring that he couldn't run through Jack, the berserk armadillo made a bee line for John at the back of the boat. John leapt at the last second, allowing the rampaging national varmint of Texas to pass. The creature took a swan dive into the river and swam to the other side. At this writing the dillo had yet to be sighted crossing the bay, but our eyes are peeled.

A complete list of finishers will be posted on Thursday after the mandatory finish time.