Midwest Performance Paddlers
New group rebuilds, refocuses & renames 'The Brigade'
By John Abrahams Ever hear of a group of Midwestern canoe racers who, back in the 80s, went to Hawaii to compete in the outrigger canoeing world championship? They not only made a respectable showing, they stunned race organizers, veteran outrigger teams and the paddle-savvy residents of Hawaii by winning the race.
Hawaiians revere canoe racing much as the French revere bike racing. So how could a group of paddlers from the
Heartland with no ocean to paddle within 1,500 miles possibly compete with Hawaiians, not to mention Tahitians and Australians, on their turf and in their medium? The Midwesterners' feat is on par with the Jamaican bobsled team winning the Olympics or a group of Hayward residents besting the Italian squad at the Birkie.
Don't get me wrong. These guys "The Illinois Brigade," as they referred to themselves were an all-star, who's who of Midwest paddlers. The team was comprised
of Al Rudquist, Tim Triebold, Everett Crozier, Joe Johnson, Bruce Barton, Curt Doberstein, Serge Corbin, Jay Mittman and Mike Freis.
These nine paddlers, complete unknowns in Hawaii and open ocean outrigger racing, showed up and pitted themselves against the Molokai Channel and the mighty Pacific Ocean in a grueling 41-mile race. And they returned home after making history.
Twenty years later, with racing kayaks, surf skis, outrigger canoes and dragon boat festivals
proliferating, it only seems logical that a new paddling organization form to promote and develop these variations on the paddling theme that is part of our upper Midwestern heritage.
Midwest Performance Paddlers, or MiPP, was conceived this past spring by a group of enthusiastic racing kayak and surf ski paddlers who met on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Despite snowflake sightings that weekend, more than 30 racing boats the likes of which I doubt have ever been assembled in
the Midwest lined the shore at Menominee Park.
Paddlers from Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin gathered once again and discussed the situation. It was acknowledged that vibrant water racing scenes have long existed in New England, Florida, California and Washington state. Around the world, open ocean racing is hugely popular, most notably in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Why should folks in those places have all the fun, the crowd in Oshkosh asked themselves. Especially
when we, here in the upper Midwest, are blessed with such varied and wonderful waterways, most notably the Great Lakes.
MiPP's mission is to promote and develop fitness and competitive kayak and surf ski paddling in rivers and lakes, including open water, in the Midwestern states adjacent to lakes Superior and Michigan and to be the primary resource for information and guidance on such paddling to people in those states.
While we wish to focus on double-bladed paddling, we
welcome all human-powered sea-worthy boats, including outrigger canoes. We plan to offer clinics on training, fitness and racing and will hold races in our four state areas.
MiPP includes a varied group of paddlers from Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Our members are male and female, range in experience from beginner to expert and presently are between the ages of 16 and 65 years old.
Canoeists, sea kayakers and whitewater enthusiasts are frequent racing converts,
as are non-paddlers who enjoy cross-country ski racing, bike racing and triathlons. There is a great equalizing effect on the water. The differences between young and old, male and female, big or small are not nearly as noticeable or important a factor as in other sports.
Performance paddling, like swimming, bicycling and cross-country skiing, is a fantastic low -impact aerobic sport. It is a lifetime sport. It offers great cross training for competitive skiers in the off season or
during the season for marathon runners or triatheletes. Balance and core strength are at the very heart of the sport and translate into all athletic endeavors.
To fully enjoy the challenge, speed and exhilaration of performance paddling, a person needs a high-performance hull, something vastly different than a standard sea kayak. These boats are generally 17- to 21-feet long and anywhere from 17- to 21-inches wide. They are relatively unstable at first but can be mastered by anyone
with moderate balance and a desire to learn.
The big payoff for the lack of roominess and stability is the speed 7 to 8 mph are well within reach of the fit paddler on flat water compared to 4 to 5 mph in a typical sea kayak. Speeds of 15-20 mph are attainable with wind- and wave-assisted runs. This is adrenaline-fueled paddling, offering superb aerobic conditioning and great core strengthening. On optimal days, a paddler can do a downwind run, continuously chasing the waves in front
of them, and surfing from put-in to take-out.
We are a new group with many opportunities for participation. Whether you are just looking to try the sport or someone with specialized skills in coaching, training, writing, graphic/Web design, we welcome your involvement.
To learn more about MiPP go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mipp or e-mail us at mipp@yahoogroups.com. We hope to hear
from you with questions or suggestions. But mostly we look forward to seeing you on the water.
John Abrahams is a co-founder, with Gary Simon from Milwaukee, of Midwest Performance Paddlers. Abrahams began paddling as a youngster at a YMCA summer camp in Eveleth, Minnesota, and eventually went out West to become a river guide and whitewater kayak instructor. Four years ago, back in Minnesota, he began sea kayaking on Lake Superior in high performance hulls. Abrahams' biggest open water
race to date was the U.S. Surf Ski Championships last |
