We decided at the last minute to drive down to Port Perry and participate in the 42nd running of the 'Canoe the Nonquon' and we're really glad that we did.
The race turned out to be one of the best organized and challenging races of the season thus far. The weather was beautiful and the village of Port Perry laid out the welcome mat for all of the paddlers who converged on Port Perry for the week-end.
We registered at the Latcham Center before proceeding to the departure point which was only about ten minutes away. We departed at 7:50 am and paddled our little hearts out for a little over three hours to finish the race in second place in the 40 and over division. We were looking to finish in under three hours but soon realized that the excessive amount of weeds both on the river and the lake coupled with the high winds were going to make this impossible. We were very pleased with our results and with the race on the whole.
We arrived to a cheering crowd at the Port Perry waterfront and were met with a ribbon and some fresh fruit and bottled water by one of the numerous volunteers. We walked the town for awhile and indulged in some Halibut and fries at a seafood restaurant just up the street.
We then showed up for the awards presentation and were pleased when we were each presented with a second place medal for our efforts.
All in all, the 'Canoe the Nonquon' annual race is well worth the drive to Port Perry and we are both looking forward to returning next year.
