Since 2019, when he earned a medal as a novice in the Missouri Whitewater Championships, Mason Gagnon, 16, of Hillsboro, has been eager to get his kayak back in the St. Francis River to compete in the expert division.
That chance finally arrives this weekend after two years of COVID-19 hiatus. The 55th annual championships organized by the Missouri Whitewater Association will be held at Millstream Gardens Conservation Area March 18-20, featuring local and national competitors from ages 12 through 70.
“There are two different races, downriver and slalom,” Mason said. “In the downriver you go as fast as you can paddle. The course can be pretty long, from three to four miles. You get one shot at your best time.”
Racers will meet at 4:30 p.m. Friday to get their bib numbers and assigned take-off time. At 5 p.m. boats begin launching from the Millstream Gardens access and run three full miles of river to the Highway D bridge at the Silver Mines Recreation Area.
A Paddler's Guide to Missouri, from the state Department of Conservation, describes the stretch of the St. Francis that will host the race.
“A mile of continuous rapids with sharp drops. The steepest drop on the river is four to six feet depending on the water stage, but the chute has a difficult S-curve approach. Rocky rapids continue to Silver Mine Dam. A breech blown in the left side of the dam is runnable, but in high water produces a wave at the bottom which would swamp an open canoe. A ‘rock garden’ run from here to the bridge.”
Mason will be racing in the men’s 18-and-under expert short-boat division. In addition to male and female categories, entrants in the downriver competition can choose to race by boat length. Boats more than 10 feet long are in a long-boat division. For slalom races, the difference between short or long boats falls at 7.6 feet.
“For the downriver races, the longer boats normally run faster. In the slalom races, a shorter kayak is more maneuverable,” Mason said. “In the slalom races, you get two runs to make your best time.”
Slalom races are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. A press release from the MWA describes the set-up as “20 or so downstream and upstream gates that course designers never fail to place in the most diabolical parts of the river. Touching a gate with boat, paddle or person brings a five-second time penalty; missing one costs 50 seconds. Avoiding penalties is crucial because a fast run with no penalties usually falls in the range of 3.5 minutes, and winners can be decided by tenths of a second.”
The slalom course is in an area of Millstream Gardens known as Tiemann Shut-ins, which provides a natural amphitheater for spectators. Steep banks of pink, pre-Cambrian granite squeeze the river to form challenging rapids and give the audience unique scenery and perches to watch the races.
Slalom races begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Another event called “boatercross” begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. Dozens of paddlers will all launch at the same time. In addition to navigating rocks and rapids, they’ll be ramming and attempting to swamp each other before the first boat crosses the finish line.
Attendance is free for the event and spectators are welcome to bring their own food and drink. Concessions will be available in the park, including burgers, bratwurst, burritos and beverages.
The MWA recommends dressing for the weather and especially recommends shoes that are appropriate for the slick rocks lining the river.
Mason is hopeful that this year’s championship launches him to more kayak racing opportunities.
“There are some pretty big whitewater races throughout the country. I'd really like to be able to do some of those,” he said. “Some of them you have to qualify for by winning other races, and others look at your experience or record before they let you register.”
Millstream Gardens is south of Highway 72 in Madison County, about 11 miles west of Fredericktown and 11 miles east of Ironton.
John Winkelman is Marketing Director for Liguori Publications near Barnhart, Mo., and Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine. If you have story ideas to share for the Leader outdoor news page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.