Paddlers persevere through 90-mile Canoe Classic
By MIKE LYNCH, Enterprise Outdoors WriterSARANAC LAKE - Sixteen-year-old J.D. Marona stood in the crowd alongside Lake Flower Sunday, holding an award named after former paddler Richard "Dick" Reynolds.
"Last year, my dad suggested doing the race, and I thought it would be a good challenge to finish," Marona said. "This year I was more into it in to win."
Although he didn't take first, Marona accomplished a lot this weekend. Marona had just finished the 90-mile Adirondack Canoe Classic with his father John.
Paddling in the family class with his father, Marona was honored for exemplifying the family spirit of Reynolds, who died tragically in 2007. Reynolds had paddled for years with his daughter Holly.
"Dick was an incredible paddler. He thoroughly enjoyed the paddling experience and he never cared about how he finished in the race," said Race Director Brian McDonnell. "He was more interested in making sure that Holly had a good time. And I really feel like the winners today exemplified that. John Marona, he was totally in it for his son's experience. And I think that's why the decision came down to where he was selected."
The Maronas, who are from Granby, Conn., took second in the family class, finishing the course in 16 hours, 30 minutes and 46 seconds.
During those 16-plus hours, Marona joined more than 500 paddlers and about 250 boats as they navigated almost 90 miles of Adirondack waterways and more than five miles of portages from Old Forge to Saranac Lake.
"It was kind of a daunting thing to think about, but if you take it step-by-step it works its way out," Marona said.
The top time for the event went to the boat named after the person honored by the award Marona won. The Richard Reynolds Express-Forge Racing voyageur canoe finished in 12:14:34 with Holly Reynolds in the bow. That time was just minutes ahead of a boat led by New York Marathon Canoe Racing Association president Roger Henry. The two boats finished one-two overall.
"We beat them on the first day because of the portages, but we knew they had stronger paddlers," Henry said. "We knew we weren't going to be able to stick with them the next two days. We were happy how close we stayed with them actually."
In addition to the hundreds of paddlers from across North America, there was also plenty of local representation. Paul Smith's College entered boats paddled by students and faculty, including one by Mike Tucker and Sharon Curtis, who took first in the mixed C-2 recreation class with a time of 17:49:44
"It was fun," Curtis said. "Yesterday was a little windy, but we had a good time paddling anyway."
Paddlers, pit crews and spectators took advantage of the various perks at the finish line this year. There was free ice cream provided by Byrne Dairy, hot tub demos offered by Dutch Tubs and the local organization, Green Circle, set up a booth to help with recycling at the event.
During the three days, the state Department Department of Environmental Conservation provided boats and personnel to ensure the safety of paddlers. Amateur Ham radio operators led by Saranac Lake resident Roland Patnode also provided valuable assistance aiding with communication efforts.
Local paddlers were spread throughout the different classes. Lake Placid resident Joe Moore, racing in one of his Placid Boatworks models, finished first in the men's solo recreation class with a time of 14:49:03. He beat Rick Costanza, of Saranac Lake, by about 13 minutes.
In the men's division of the C-4 Stock Class, Paul Smith's resident Mike Rechlin, Jack Burke and Pete McConville joined with Saranac Lake resident George Cook to take second place with a time of 13:34:14.
Saranac Lake resident Donna Walsh teamed with Lake Placid resident Cary Walsh to finish first in women's C-2 Stock class with a time of 15:59:13.
Saranac Lake residents Guy Middleton and Becky Sutter took second in the C-2 Stock mixed with a time of 14:24:40.
Lake Clear resident Chas Billingsley took second in men's C-1 Stock with a time of 15:15:24.
But not every one was in it to win. There were plenty of paddlers, including more than 70 boats in the non-competitive open touring class, just in it for the experience.
"It's impressive to me that of 251 boats, 237 finished and it has a lot to do with the perseverance of the folks that decided to take part in the 90-Miler," McDonnell said.
For complete results from this event, visit
