1st Annual LA River Boat Race
(originally published 9/1/2014)
I have been a part of and participated in many events on the LA River, but covering the 1st Annual LA River Boat Race this last Saturday was pretty special. It was historic, it was also loads of fun - the broad grins and/or determined looks on the competitor’s faces as they splashed and shot through the small whitewater rapids and would attest to that.
The 3/4 mile course was located along a stretch of the river along the Glendale Narrows in the Elysian Valley. Almost a 100 participants competed in a variety of classifications that included Men’s and Women’s Advanced, Intermediate and Beginners as well as Youth, Tandem and Stand-Up Paddle boat.
Council member Tom LaBonge acted as MC and official race starter and Ed Begley Jr. kicked off the race as the first participant, which had racers going down the course solo and racing against the clock. The race was organized by L.A. River Expeditions which was founded by George Wolfe who led the 2008 LA River Expedition that led to the river being classified as a navigable river by the EPA and consequently protected under the clean water Act...
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