In less than two weeks, a couple hundred paddlers of all kinds will take on one of the country’s oldest whitewater races, found right in western Massachusetts.
But before that, some of them are dusting off their watercraft and hitting the Westfield River early.
One by one Saturday, a small corner of Huntington filled up with lightweight boats and the people who paddle them.
Weather-wise, things had been a bit temperamental in western Mass. Days beforehand, temperatures were hitting the upper-70s. Days later, there’d be a small burst of snow.
But in between was Saturday, April 4, with perfect conditions for hitting the waters in Hampshire and Hampden counties.
“What glorious weather. Whatever connections you have with the Good Guy upstairs, we need this two weeks from now for race day,” said Race Director Harry Rock.
Rock, along with other organizers behind the Westfield River Wildwater Races, oversaw about three dozen kayakers, canoe paddlers and SUP riders over the weekend, all gathered for the race’s preamble: a special clinic to help get racers in shape and newbies up to speed.
It’s also just a good reason to hit the eight-mile course, again, says Jill Rose, a Huntington resident who’s gone down the stream at least eight times.
“I like to call it the practice run to get ready for the races, but it's also a really good day for someone who's been thinking about racing and wants to try it, but it's at a more leisurely pace,” Rose tells WAMC. “You get to go through all of the rapids like you do in the race, but we stop a lot and make sure we collect everybody.”
This year will mark the 71st edition of the race, which dates back to the 1950s. As Rock tells WAMC, the tradition started around 1953, when a group of men at a bar in Russell boasted over who could ride down the Westfield River the fastest.
It would turn into the first race in April of 1954, with the prize supposedly being cold beer. As it turns out, the region itself got a prize out of it: an ongoing, friendly competition that’s spanned generations of locals, says Rebecca Granholm.
“If you see the older people, they're not new: they've been doing this since conception and they get their kids into it, they get their kids into it and because they're all from this area, they do it every year,” the Westfield resident explains. “It's like a family tradition.”
Granholm and Rose came prepared with their kayaks, ready for what Rock calls the “classic race” course.
There’s also the “Expert Race” that starts further upstream, by the Knightville Dam, though that’s designed for its namesake: expert and advanced paddlers “only,” according to the event’s website.
The event is also open to all, not just locals. Rock says the hope is to get at least 300 participants registered and taking part, while also getting as many as possible to the clinics offered ahead of time.
It’s an opportunity for guides to show newcomers what to expect – where the speed of the water picks up, where the rapids are and, if you’re not careful, spots where you can easily take on water or capsize.
Hugo Galvan says while he and his paddle partner didn’t necessarily crash and burn, they were humbled at times.
“Well, with our heavy boat, we went down the middle on the rapids and we took on some water, had to dip out,” he explains. “But for the race, I think we're going to go the smoother route there.”
The other half of his crew, Ryan Gasteyer, says wet or not, it’s good fun. Coincidentally, the two are registered for the main event on Saturday, April 18, as team “Wet & Wreckless.”
“We're actually on our fifth year now - it's a blast. There's nothing like it out there,” he says. “It’s a great event. There's a lot of people coming out here, a good community and you meet a lot of fun people and it's a lot of fun hitting the river
The Wilbraham-area racers spoke with WAMC after spending about three hours on the water, slowly but surely heading down to where the course ends, just shy of the Woronoco Dam in Russell.
After making the trek, once again one by one, the teams and solo paddlers lumbered up a steep hill in the shadow of a former Strathmore Paper mill.
Among them were plenty of newcomers, including Megan Crane of Blandford, who kayaked alongside team member Raquel Gelinas.
“This is definitely a first for both of us. We decided to do it together, just to push ourselves out of our comfort zone - it was so fun. [I was] kind of paralyzed with fear at the beginning, but everybody being there helped so much, so it was great.
Both said they felt a bit out of their league – Gelinas herself added she’s looking to learn whatever else she can before the race they signed up for.
“I don't think I have any tips: I'm still trying to collect them,” Gelinas jokes. “I need them!”
Rock tells WAMC, that’s good to hear, adding that learning experiences like Saturday’s pave the way for what he’s hoping is another race worthy of Hilltown pride – even if it included more than its fair share of capsizing around the midpoint.
“It's all about making them safer and making them a better paddler, so that on race day, we have less issues to deal with and less rescues we have to make,” he says. “It's all about education, training people and getting them excited about being on the river and wanting to come back. As I always say: we want them to start with a smile on their face, we want them to end with a smile on their face and we want them filled with memories, so that they'll want to come back and have great experiences.”
Another instructional clinic is slated for Saturday, April 11. Registration for the races ends on April 15, with the races themselves on Saturday, April 18.
