2025 Grand River Madhatters Canoe And Kayak Race Review

It was a busy river this morning with 354 paddlers taking on the Madhatters Canoe And Kayak Race. The Grand River was low and the flow was slow making for some challenging conditions. The start was held about 25 minutes while a nasty storm cell passed through the area. I paddled my Liquidlogic Kayaks Intuit 13.5 in the 14’ and under class. To borrow a phrase from NASCAR “Rubbing Is Racing was a theme today. The rain, wind, and murky water made reading the river difficult. Rocks and shallow water were popping up everywhere. I scraped more than a few rocks.

The 8.5 miles of the Grand River course always impresses with stunning scenery of rocky cliffs high above the banks. I even managed to get a close look at two adult bald eagles.  The race concludes with paddlers exiting their boats, running through the finish shoot, across the timing mats, and the ringing of a bell.  Unfortunately the button snap on my spray skirt would not release and I lost close to a full minute of time trying to exit my kayak.  That mistake probably cost me 2 spots in the overall standings but did not impact the standing in my age division.

I finished in a time of 1:28:52 which was good enough for 6th place overall for the 14’ and under race and 1st place in my age division.

There was no awards ceremony this year so all awards will be picked up or mailed to winners.
All racers received custom finisher medals and well designed t-shirts.

Thank you to Lake Metroparks for putting on another great race and to all the volunteers and safety crews out on the water.