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Hanmer’s big return

Race is back after 10 years, dedicated to late guideboat builder, racer

John Duprey hefts his guideboat above his head during the Willard Hanmer Guideboat race on Sunday at the start of a 0.2-mile carry through downtown Saranac Lake. Duprey placed first in the one-man guideboat race down the Saranac River with a time of 30 minutes and 43 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

SARANAC LAKE — The Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race returned on Sunday after a decade of absence, in time for the historic race’s 60th anniversary.

Sue and Kathy Dyer, who organized the returning race, have been waiting for this day for a while, and they were encouraged to see such a large crowd turn out on the first-year return of the event. Dozens of racers took to the waters and hundreds lined the shoreline to cheer them on.

Kathy said so many signed up the day of the race, they ran out of numbers — the races were full. In total, 92 racers competed in 56 boats.

The paddlers strained hard, pulling on their oars to send their boats cutting through the water.

When the single guideboat races went down the Saranac River, spectators stood at every bridge and park along their path, cheering them on, ringing bells and whistling.

Tim Hesseltine cranks his guideboat past the finish line of the Willard Hanmer Guideboat race on Sunday on the Saranac River. Hesseltine placed second in the one-man guideboat race down the Saranac River with a time of 31 minutes and 34 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Some families set up picnics and young children shouted, “You can do it!”

This river race featured a 0.2-mile carry. Paddlers hefted their boats over their heads across Main Street, through a parking lot and down a hill to put back in after the dam.

At the finish line, as paddlers were exhausted but close to the end, a giant crowd gathered on the banks, shouting “Pull!” and “Finish strong!”

The races were kicked off with the firing of a miniature cannon by Chris Dyer. Though it was small in size, firing 10-guage shotgun blanks, its sound was so massive it carried through the entire town and left the ears of anyone standing nearby ringing for several minutes.

This historic cannon was lost for nearly as long as the race had been away, but was found just weeks ago. Sam Grimone, of Woods and Waters, cleaned the cannon and got it into working condition again.

Jim Susville, Jennie Susville, Nick Gowens and Chris Burnham dig their paddles in as they approach the finish line of the Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race on Sunday on the Saranac River. This team placed first in the “Rub-a-Dub” class of the race down the Saranac River with a time of 38 minutes and 10 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Dedication

The race was dedicated to Tim Doyle, a man who was dedicated to the race. Doyle spent over three decades racing in, and helping organize the Hanmer. He died 10 years ago, after the last Hanmer race before this one.

Robin Doyle, his wife, said the race meant a lot to him. Not only was it a time for him to share in his guideboat passion with his family and community, but it was also an event that helped him beat addiction.

Lewis Hann, 5, rings a cowbell for racers approaching the finish line at the Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race on Sunday. Hann was shouting loud for everyone, but extra loud for his brother Henry, 9, who as racing in a kayak. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

“He was an alcoholic and he stopped drinking, mainly because he started building guideboats and then he started racing them,” Robin said.

She said Tim took training for the Hanmer seriously, paddling miles up and down the lakes every day in preparation for weeks beforehand. He was an eight-time winner of the one man guideboat race.

Tim first got into guideboats when he decided to fix up his father’s old, run-down boat in their garage.

“A guideboat saved his life,” Sue said.

It kept him away from the bars, Robin said.

Paddlers in a variety of watercraft strike out across Lake Flower during the Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Tim raced in the last Hanmer, even though at the time he had little feeling in his arms and legs because of neuropathy. Over the years, he restored around 100 guideboats and built five, three of which were run in Sunday’s race.

Tim and Robin’s daughter Emily Doyle-Shubert, 32, competed in the guideboat races on Sunday.

Robin said the Hanmer has always been a bit of a family reunion for their family, whose extended family members drive and fly in from all around to visit and cheer.

“If you hear people yelling, that’s us,” Robin said.

She said having the Hanmer back was “bittersweet” but “wonderful.”

Jim Susville, Jennie Susville, Nick Gowens and Chris Burnham clink their paddles after crossing the finish line of the Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race on Sunday on the Saranac River. This team placed first in the “Rub-a-Dub” class of the race down the Saranac River with a time of 38 minutes and 10 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

“It’s been missed,” she said.

Robin said Tim always told her “I’m going to be a legend some day.” Now he is, she said.

Racers old and young

In the two-man guideboat races around Lake Flower, teams got a five-second head start for every year over 100 of their combined age. Jim Frenette, 93, of Tupper Lake was racing with his son Rob Frenette and was the oldest competitor that day.

With their combined 159 years, they got a four-minute head start. Though they were up against much younger teams, when five boats came down the final stretch toward the finish line, they were right in the pack, fighting for podium placement after Curt Reynolds and Jay Dawson took first with a time of 21 minutes and 35 seconds.

The crowd was ecstatic.

The two Frenettes placed fifth, but their time of 23 minutes and 13 seconds was only off the second-place boat by eight seconds.

Rob said he and Jim couldn’t do the typical switch required in the middle of the race. Usually, one paddler goes under the legs of the other to swap sides. They had to turn the boat around and set new oars in place, which Rob said took longer than the other way and cost them a few seconds.

Still, it was the competition that brought them out, not the podium.

Lewis Hann, 5, was cheering loud for everyone, ringing a cowbell on the shore. But he got extra loud for his brother Henry, 9, who was racing in a kayak.

Tim Hesseltine, 61, placed second in the one-man guideboat race down the river. His whole family races and Hesseltine said one member holds the record for the fastest time on the course.

Hesseltine said he’s raced in the Hanmer his whole life and was glad to see it come back. Racing runs in his family.

His father, Ronnie Hesseltine, raced in the Hanmer for eight years. He spent six of those years in second place until he finally won it on his seventh try. Ronnie said he was proud of his granddaughter, who races, too.

Sue and Kathy Dyer said they’re already planning next year’s Hanmer races.

Jay Dawson carries his guideboat on his shoulders during the Willard Hanmer Guideboat race on Sunday at the start of a 0.2-mile carry through downtown Saranac Lake. Dawson placed fourth in the one-man guideboat race down the Saranac River with a time of 34 minutes and 43 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Tim Hesseltine, left, and Curt Reyolds paddle into shore after placing second and third, respectively, during one-man guideboat race down the Saranac River at the Willard Hanmer Guideboat race on Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Amy Connor, Joey Tranking, Dakota Tranking and Dylan Dearborn celebrate after crossing the finish line of the Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race on Sunday on the Saranac River. This team placed second in the “Rub-a-Dub” class of the race down the Saranac River with a time of 40 minutes and 50 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

Amy Connor, Joey Tranking, Dakota Tranking and Dylan Dearborn celebrate after crossing the finish line of the Willard Hanmer Guideboat and Canoe race on Sunday on the Saranac River. This team placed second in the “Rub-a-Dub” class of the race down the Saranac River with a time of 40 minutes and 50 seconds. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

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