Whitewater competition held on the St. Francis River at Millstream Gardens Conservation Area near Fredericktown.
http://www.missouriwhitewater.org/
Sarah: Hi Im Sarah, welcome to Just Kiddin Around, an all kids edition of Missouri Outdoors.
One of the best things about Missouri Outdoors is our abundance of water.
Lakes, rivers, streams and springs....everywhere you turn....there are opportunities for great outdoor recreation. Like this place...Millstream Gardens Conservation area.
What happens when a the powerful St. Francis river pushes its way through ancient granite bedrock?
Shut-ins; Beautiful to look at...fun to hop around on....and truly an adventure in a kayak or a canoe.
Millstream Gardens presents one of the Midwests premier white water paddling opportunities. And every spring, The Saint as paddlers call it, becomes the center of the largest gathering of white water enthusiasts in the Midwest...the Missouri Whitewater Championship.
Colleen: Just hoping not to hit the rocks when I go down in this boat.
Sarah: Today were going to follow a couple of young women as they embrace the challenge and the excitement of racing on the Saint
Cindy: Two lucky numbers right here. Perfect numbers.
Sarah: Millstream Gardens is quiet today, but a couple of weeks ago, this was the center of the universe for paddlers from all over the Midwest.
The Missouri Whitewater Championship is a time when a dedicated group of outdoor enthusiasts comes together. Its an exciting time for paddlers.
Jeff Barrow: Spring equinox is a time when all the boaters come down here man, you expect the peeper frogs and the kayakers to show up. You know, it keeps the sun out of my eyes, its kind of big but theres a lot of shade under here.
Sarah: Old friendships are renewed, stories of river adventures are exchanged, and then theirs is the challenge of the race course.
Included in this group are two young women, Colleen Hickey and Cindy Kretzer who have embraced this exciting sport with a passion.
Cindy: Well a long time ago my grandmother started canoeing, and she took me out to North Carolina one summer when I was eleven and I went whitewater rafting and I really liked that. Today Im warming up and getting a feel for the course and what its like, getting used to where the gates are..
Whos my competition, Colleen Hickey, she is the best boater Ive ever seen, to be her age, I think shes sixteen, and shes been in the Junior Olympics, shes phenomenal. Shes a real speed demon.
Colleen: I started when I was twelve, my dad got me into it, cause we always used to go on float trips when I was little and I always stayed interested. Its so exhilarating, its like, some people dont understand how you can kayak and how it can be fun, And its like, once the waves start hitting you, its just amazing.
Sometimes when Im at the big competitions its like the butterfly nervous feeling, because you are trying to do good and youre trying not to worry about what the other people are doing. But at the state races its more just like, an excited feeling.
Cindy: Its just fun to be around people that share your interest in nature and kayaking, and they really support you on the river and help you learn, its just a ..they are so awesome to hang out with too.
Sarah: The safety boaters and race officials are in position, The course is set, The Missouri Whitewater Championship will begin shortly, but first...
Sarah: Back on the St. Francis, Cindy, Colleen and the other contestants are waiting for the beginning of the slalom race.
Before they start, heres a quick primer on whitewater racing. There are two types of races, the slalom, where a boater must maneuver through gates, and the downriver race, just paddling downstream over a longer distance.
In the slalom race, boaters must go directly downstream through the green gates. The red gates must be passed going upstream. No one said this was going to be easy.
There are various classes of boats as well, often bewildering to the uninitiated. You sit in a kayak, and your paddle has two blades. You kneel in a canoe, and maneuver your boat with a single bladed paddle.
One more thing about the whitewater races on the St. Francis. There will be a lot of people watching.
Race Official: Number one can you line up?
(Radio) OK lets let em rip.
Race Official: This is start. Three, two, one start...
Colleen: Im just coming down here to see how everyone runs the gates. See where the rocks are, what ones they sit on, try to avoid those. Thats it, a little nervous, not bad though.
Race Official: Three, two, one start.
Colleen: They always tell you dont think about going fast, dont think about doing good. So I dont think about that. I always am thinking how can I make this move to make it the best I can or, like, how am I going compared to how fast I can go. and just try to push myself and not thinking about like trying to be the best.
Spectator: Alright Colleen, looking good.
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