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Hidalgo Falls River Festival
Cornfields and Cottonmouths Canoe and Kayak Race April 12, 2008 Koppe Bridge to Hidalgo Falls, Brazos River Wellborn to near Navasota, Texas |
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The Cornfields and Cottomouths Canoe and Kayak Race will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2008, on the first day of the Hidalgo Falls River Festival on the Brazos River near Navasota. The festival will be held April 12-13 at the TRPA Hidalgo Falls property on the Brazos River near Navasota. It is the year's major fund-raising event to maintain and improve paddlers' access to the rapid, and it typically attracts more than 200 paddlers and spectators. Dealer reps and outfitters will have boats and gear available for demos on moving water, and (based on past years) many boaters will come as early as Friday to enjoy the nice play levels on the river and to camp in the upstream and downstream campgrounds.
The race as scheduled covers 28 miles of the Brazos River, beginning at the Koppe Bridge public access approximately 26 river miles below SH 21 near Bryan, Texas, and finishing just upstream from the rapids at the TRPA property at Hidalgo Falls. This stretch of the Brazos River is a wide, generally tame and easily managed class I river with little or no obstructions along the way. The finish line is located just upstream from the rapids, so they will not be a factor in the race. The race is open to both recreational and competitive marathon paddlers. Competitive paddlers can be expected to finish the race in 3 to 4 hours, while recreational/leisure paddlers may be on the river from 6 to 8 hours. Paddlers should prepare themselves accordingly by having ample supplies of liquids for hydration and food or nourishment to carry you through the race. Race coordinators and emergency personel will have full authority to judge a paddler out of the race if their assessment of his or her condition dictates so. Cut off time will be 8 hours. A personal flotation device is required to be in the boat of and accessible to each paddler. Paddlers under 17 must be accompanied by and adult paddler and have a waiver of consent signed by a parent or guardian. This is fun-oriented event and decisions of the race coordinator are final. The event is USCA sanctioned and TCRA points series participant. Entry fee for the race is included in the $25 festival admission fee.
Many racers will camp at the TRPA Hidalgo Falls property the night before the race. Registration for the race ($25) covers the festival admission fee for the entire weekend (including camping). Information about festival events can be found at the festival website. Race registration will be opened at the put in/starting line area at 8:00 a.m. Sat. April 12. All racers will sign waivers and releases of liability at that time and boats will be assigned numbers. Registration will remain open for recreational class until 8:40, for USCA/competition class until 9:40. A pre-race meeting will be held approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the recreational class and 15 minutes prior to the start of the competition class. The recreational/leisure class will start en masse at 9:00 a.m., and the USCA/competition class at 10:00. Based on their own evaluation of skill level, race objectives, hull design etc., individual racers will be asked to designate their race class and subclass on their registration form.
Participants are asked to be responsible for their own shuttle arrangements. Volunteers will be on hand to assist in shuttling when possible.
The festival admission fee on Saturday for non-racers is $25 (good for the entire weekend), $15 for Sunday only; children under 12 admitted free.
Race Features