Battle of the Paddles Kicks Off 18th Annual Maritime Festival
Kayaks and canoes wait to begin their heat of the 5th Annual Battle of the Paddles.
Alpena — With the paddles splashing in the water, the sounds signaled the beginning of the 18th annual Maritime Festival at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.
People from all over the country traveled to Alpena to reunite with family members and compete in this fun competition.
“We heard about this [event] in the news a few years ago and we’re like let’s do this and so, it’s always been super fun,” said Paddleboarder Luke Borowski.
The turn out was smaller than last year, drawing under 100 hundred competitors. Despite the low turn out, the spirits felt high as competitors made their way underneath the bridge on the Thunder Bay River. Two heats made up the race. The first heat saw paddleboarders test their strengths on the Thunder Bay River.
“It’s Northern Michigan, it’s a river, it’s local,” said Maribeth Borowski. “I love paddleboarding so anything to do with paddleboarding.”
The second heat featured canoes and kayaks racing to get done with the 3K race.
After the race, folks enjoyed the sounds of the ‘Wild Sullys,’ Austin Brothers Beer, and a beautiful evening on the river. The event was put on by the Dork Brothers Racing Team.
