It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend on the West River in Jamaica,
VT. Sunday was sunny and 80 degrees for the debut of the Wild West
River Stampede. Paddlers got two runs at the 3.5 mile course, and most
paddlers who did both runs chose to try a different class or mix it up
with a different partner for their second run. Because
of the lack of rain, the release got a later than usual start. As a
result, there was significantly higher and faster water for the second
run. Nevertheless, the two fastest times of the day were turned in by
wildwater kayakers during the first run—Gus Madore edging out Mark
Wendolowski by 11 seconds to claim the coveted Fastest (Cowboy) on the
West hat. The two finished in the same order for NECKRA points purposes,
keeping Keith Duggan from catching Adam Beyer for the second race in a
row. The second run was wilder than the
first with bigger waves providing a wetter ride. Kayaker Dave Nowak took
the only swim of the day, which allowed him to take home the (less)
coveted Carnage Cactus award. Meanwhile, Jerry Madore achieved the only
sub 20-minute canoe time of the day beating out his son Gus (now
paddling with a single blade) by just over 20 seconds. Trailing Gus by
just seven seconds were Christine Spring & Eric Jones. Their time of
20:19 was the best tandem time of the day and earned Christine a
Fastest (Cowgirl) on the West hat. Even
though Gus didn't manage to catch his dad, his run had enormous
implications for the Downriver canoe series. When the handicaps were
calculated, Gus edged out Phoebe Jones by a whisker-thin 4 seconds for
50 points—ensuring that whatever happens at Rainbow Run this coming
weekend, Jerry Madore will be the 2019 Downriver canoe champion. It's
Jerry's second consecutive championship and third in four
years.Congratulations Jerry!!!! Thanks to everyone who helped organize the race, and especially to April Jones for timing and to
Paul Fraser
and the entire Town of Jamaica for their incredible support. |