We decided to go to Kansas City this year for Thanksgiving. I had seen online that they were doing a 5K paddling race at Shawnee Mission Park and decided to be part of it. So I took a kayak from St. Louis all the way to KC just to paddle a 5K. I’ve been reading about these events online for a while and was quite exited to be able to participate in it as its normally during the week in a distant city.
Like always, I arrived too early. With about an hour to kill, I rode the unicycle some in the parking lot. Hoped the rain would quit (which it did for the whole race) and generally tried to stay warm. Once people started showing up, I felt like the guy that took a scooter to a motorcycle race. All fast performance boats, my boat, and a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP). I knew I wouldn’t be last as SUPs are not known for their speed.
Pre getting in the water, we all aligned for a group photo.
Then we all got into the water for a quick warm up before the race started. Since I had some room in my boat, I brought a camera and grabbed a few photos.
With the race underway, I could watch the field pull away. The wind made me wish for a rudder as I didn’t get to go where I wanted as I was pushed around. Below is me being silly for the camera.
With Thanksgiving being such a traditionally lazy day, this was a fantastic way to start it!
Hogan Haake