| July 23, 2008 |
by Sam Adams |
Paddling to Become a Legit Madisonian
In my quest to become a legit Madisonian, I shopped for a Toyota Prius, developed an obsessive yoga routine, rocked a sprint triathlon and figured out what to prepare with the burdock included in my CSA share. I know how to balance the demands of super-involved, multi-generational family life and a ridiculous recreational sports habit. I'm laser-focused on growing the top line during the week, but enjoy discussing the merits of collectivism at my local coffee shop on the weekends. I chowed down with a biodegradable spoon on Willy Street, took multiple laps at the Farmers Market and networked with the hi-tech and professional set. I thought that I had done it all. But this summer I finally realized that Madison's most unique sporting event had passed me by for five consecutive summers. I wasn't truly legit.
My most agile friend and I completed a half marathon in Ashland, WI in 2007 and decided to tackle the 2008 Paddle and Portage in Madison. Of course, this event required a little more equipment than the half marathon. So, our first order of business was securing a canoe. A stable, light craft was surprisingly difficult to secure even a month before the event, but luckily Tyler Leeper rents canoes out of his boat house on the shores of the calm Lake Wingra. Tyler still had aluminum canoes available and he welcomed us to take a practice paddle last Friday. We felt invincible as we paddled leisurely to the Wingra beach and back, but Saturday's trek of 1.5 miles (plus 1.5 miles and yet another 1.5 miles) proved to be much, much more challenging.
Paddle & Portage participants range from awe-struck first timers (like my partner and me), to 60-year-old former camp counselors, to self-described water nuts in solo light boats, to the wicked-aggressive, ultra-efficient paddling ten-year vets with light Kevlar boats in tow and one enthusiastic pair sporting a jockey's uniform and a horse suit.
This year's race was the most heavily attended in history. We kicked off on Lake Mendota with the non-elite group of two-seaters. The group in front of us was crammed together and we saw several teams tip over into the lake in the first few feet of the race, most likely caused either by a poorly-timed t-bone, lack of balance or some other wacky water issue. The first stretch of the race is essentially a large loop back to James Madison Park, followed by a painful portage up a hill and past the Capitol (of course, I couldn't see anything maneuvering like a tortoise under the 100-pound aluminum canoe). We attempted to walk in stride with each other to avoid the dreaded bouncing created with portagers are not in sync with their partners.
Finally, after completing the excruciating portage, we reentered the water and slogged for another 1.5 miles to the shores of Lake Monona. Thankfully, we reached the end of the race at Olin Park and immediately downed a bratwurst, beer and a bit of 50 Cent's Vitamin Water. When we finally found our friends near Paddle & Portage's obligatory folk singer, I (just like a legit Madisonian) wondered: what recreational activity we could top it with next year?
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