Cypress Creek Regatta
Sept. 19, 2015
by Tom Douglas
Drivers making their way to the Bayou Preservation Association’s second annual Cypress Creek Regatta had to brave some light patches of fog, but these had burned off by launch time. Paddlers gathered up at the pavilion near the canoe launch at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, where they could have a doughnut and meet dignitaries including Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle, former Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay, Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens Director Darrin Duling, and Cypress Creek Greenway Committee Chair Jim Robertson.
Then, it was down the stairs to the boat launch, which had been installed a year ago, just in time for the first Regatta. There were 41 competitors, paddling a very diverse array of 28 watercraft, including solo and tandem kayaks, solo and tandem canoes, and a stand up paddle board. To allow for accurate timekeeping, paddlers were started in groups at 5-minute intervals. Times for the 7.4-mile course ranged from 1 hour 12 minutes up to 3 hours 23 minutes. In addition to the medals based on time, there was also the prestigious Preservation Award for the paddler (in this case, a tandem team) who collected the most trash on their way down the course. Members of the Houston Canoe Club will be interested to know that that our own Kent Walters took the bronze medal in the men’s solo kayak division.
It isn’t too early to put next year’s Cypress Creek Regatta on your calendar. The date will be September 17, 2016. Whatever your paddling interest, there will be a class that’s right for you.
Many thanks to Robert Rayburn, who took these photos of the 2015 Regatta.
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Signing In |
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Judge Lindsay (in
green) and Director
Duling (in white)
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Paddling Partners |
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Commissioner Cagle |
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Chairman Robertson |
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Staging the Boats |
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Our Youngest Paddler |
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On Your Marks! |
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And They're Off! |
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Medalist Kent Walters |
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Quicksilver |
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Nice Technique |
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SUP |
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Winners of the
Preservation Award
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The author,Tom Douglas |