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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAYLING, MICHIGAN * JULY 20, 2003

 

 

 

 

MICHIGAN-QUEBEC TEAM WIN “THE SPIKE’S CHALLENGE”

 

 FINAL WARM-UP RACE BEFORE WEYERHAEUSER AuSABLE RIVER CANOE MARATHON

 

Fifty-nine of North America’s top marathon canoe racing teams competed Sunday in the Spike’s Challenge Race, the final warm up before next weekend’s $50,000 Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon.  Water levels were low on the upper AuSable River for the Spike’s Challenge, sponsored by Spike’s Keg O’Nails Tavern in Grayling, widely known as “the meeting place of the north”. 

 

Next weekend’s AuSable Canoe Marathon covers the full distance of the AuSable River, widely recognized as one the finest canoeing and trout streams in the U.S., from Grayling, near the river’s headwaters, to Oscoda, on the shores of Lake Huron.  During the AuSable Marathon the upper shallow, twisting portion of the 120 mile non-stop course will be paddled in twilight and then in darkness following the 9:00 P.M. start of the Marathon on Saturday, July 26.  The Spike’s Challenge race offers many teams entered in the AuSable Marathon the opportunity to compete on this most difficult part of the upper AuSable River course in the daylight. 

 

Andy Triebold, 27, of Homer, Michgan and Steve Lajoie [lah-zwah], 27, of Mirabel, Quebec, took a several minute lead over the rest of the pack early in the race.  The pair fought off a challenge late in the race to take first place by just 19 seconds, completing the approx. 30-mile course from Grayling to McMasters Bridge in 2:40:20 [2 hours, 40 minutes, 20 seconds].   Triebold & Lajoie are among the teams expected to challenge for the crown at next weekend’s Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Marathon.

 

Defending AuSable Marathon & Triple Crown of Canoe Racing Champ Jeff Kolka [coal-kah], 42, of Grayling, and his partner for the Spike’s Challenge, Ken Kolonich [kol-a-nich], of East Lansing, Michigan, were several minutes behind the leaders early in the race, but made an impressive effort to significantly close the gap between themselves and the eventual winners.  Kolka and Kolonich closed to within 19 seconds of the leaders and finished second in 2:40:39 [2 hours, 40 minutes, 39 seconds].

 

For next weekend’s AuSable Marathon, Kolka will team with his regular partner, defending Marathon Co-Champ, Serge Corbin [surge core-bin], 46, of St. Boniface de Shawinigan, Quebec.  Kolka and Corbin, who have won the Triple Crown of Canoe Racing each of the past three years will be gunning for an unprecedented eighth straight victory on the grueling AuSable Marathon course.  Corbin is widely acclaimed as the top marathon canoe racer in the world.  His record is astounding, rising well above the level achieved by dominant athletes in other sports.  During his 25 years in marathon canoe racing, with a variety of partners, Serge Corbin has won more than 90% of the major canoe races he has entered.

 

Finishing third at the Spike’s Challenge was a pair of young Michigan paddlers, Mo Harwood, 24, of Grayling and Matt Rimer [rhymer], 19, of Horton, Michigan, who completed the course nearly four minutes behind the second place finishers, in 2:44:38 [2 hours, 44 minutes, 38 seconds].  Harwood and Rimer made a statement at last year’s AuSable Marathon, taking an impressive second place finish in 2002, and are expected to challenge the reigning champs in the 2003 edition of the AuSable Marathon.

Finishing fourth at the Spike’s Challenge, in 2:45:06, was a team that pair finished sixth in last year’s AuSable Marathon, Ted Kolka, 37, of Grayling, Michigan, and Rick Joy, 44, of Silverwood, Michigan.  Fifth place, in 2:48:28, went to Tim Valko, 34, of Pinckney, Michigan and Erich Podjaske [poe-jass-key], 21, of Grayling, Michigan. The sixth place finishers, in 2:48:41, were the 2001 AuSable Marathon second place team, Tony Short, 39, of Indian River, Michigan and Denis Berthiaume [dennie bear-tee-oom], 38 of Pre’vost, Quebec.

 

Many of these teams will be among a field of more than 65 teams battling at the $50,000 Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon, which starts at Ray’s Canoe Livery in Grayling at 9:00 P.M. this coming Saturday night, July 26.  The winners will reach the finish line at the AuSable Inn in Oscoda – 120 miles, 50,000 paddle strokes and over 14 hours later – between 11 A.M. and noon on Sunday, July 27.   The pre-race program gets underway at Ray’s Canoe Livery, on the I-75 Business Loop in Grayling, at 5:30 P.M. Saturday.  

 

Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon competitive action kicks off with the Sprints for Position, on the AuSable at Penrod’s Resort in Grayling on Thursday and Friday afternoon, July 24-25.  The sprints are much like “Indy 500” pole-position qualifying: Each team paddles a short looped course, their lap time determines their starting row position for the spine-tingling LeMans style run to the river that starts the Marathon on Saturday night.

 

The Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon is held in conjunction with Grayling's "AuSable River Festival" and Oscoda’s “AuSable River Days” featuring a host of events throughout Marathon week.  The celebrations recognizes the unique importance of the AuSable River to these northern Michigan communities.   For more information about the Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon and festivals, or for information about tourism and recreational opportunities in the AuSable River valley area, contact:

    Grayling Area Visitors Council    (989) 348-2921  (800) 937-8837      http://www.grayling-mi.com

    Oscoda-AuSable Chamber of Commerce   (517) 739-7322   (800) 235-4625       http://www.oscoda.com

 

Extensive information, photographs, course maps and frequently updated race results for the Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon is\will also available on the world-wide web at:  http://www.AusableCanoeMarathon.org                

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