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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 9:00 PM  7/24/03 Grayling, Michigan    www.ausablecanoemarathon.org

 

 

 

AFTER FIRST DAY OF QUALIFYING SPRINTS 

 

DEFENDING CHAMPS HOLD “POLE POSITION” FOR SATURDAY’S START OF

$50,000 WEYERHAEUSER AuSABLE RIVER CANOE MARATHON

 

After the first day of qualifying sprints for the Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon, the seven-time reigning champs, Jeff Kolka, 44, Grayling, Michigan and Serge Corbin, 46, St. Boniface de-Shawinigan, Quebec hold the pole position in the line-up to start this weekend’s main event --- the Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon.

 

Signaled by a canon blast Saturday night at 9:00 P.M. the AuSable Canoe Marathon -- North America’s toughest, richest non-stop canoe race  -- will get underway as the two-person teams make a thrilling LeMans-style run with their canoes several blocks through the streets to the river at Ray’s Canoe Livery in Grayling, Michigan. 

 

On Thursday and Friday the 65 two-person teams entered in the Marathon compete in the Sprints for Position.   Much like NASCAR qualifying, the teams sprint a short looped course to determine their starting row position for the three-block run with their canoes to the river for Saturday night’s 9 PM start of the 56th Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon.  The team with the quickest sprint time is awarded the Pole Position in the line-up for Saturday’s running start.

 

The powerful Kolka-Corbin duo, paddling in canoe #16, completed the sprint course in 5:34 [5 minutes, 34 seconds], the quickest time posted during the first day of the Sprints for Starting Position and six seconds faster than last year’s quickest sprint time, also posted by Kolka & Corbin. 

 

Second in today’s sprints was one several teams that Marathon observers have picked as likely to challenge the reigning champs in the main event.  Finishing less than 3 seconds behind the leaders, in canoe #1, were Andy Triebold, 27, of Homer, Michigan and Steve Lajoie, 27, of Mirabel, Quebec.

 

Third was the team in canoe #14, Bill Torongo, 41, Roscommon, Michigan and partner Bruce Barton, 46, of Homer, Michigan, both past second place finishers in the AuSable Marathon, finished the sprint course in 5:50 [5 minutes, 50 seconds]. 

 

Finishing 4th in the first day of sprints, just nine-one-hundredths [9/100] of a second slower were the 2001 AuSable Marathon second-place finishers in canoe #81, Tony Short, 39, of Indian River, Michigan and Denis Berthiaume, 38, of St. Jerome, Quebec.  Rounding out the top row, in canoe #11 were two paddlers who have 3^rd place AuSable Marathon finishers to their credit, Rick Joy, 44, of Silverwood, Michigan and Ted Kolka, 37, of Grayling, Michigan.

 

There likely will be a shake-up to the starting row at the second day of the AuSable Marathon Sprints for Starting Position.  Thirty-nine (39) teams sprinted Thursday and the remaining 26 teams entered in the Marathon will sprint Friday afternoon from 2 PM – 6:00 PM at Penrod’s Resort on the AuSable River in Grayling.  Several of the teams who sprint on Friday will make a bid to break into the front row for Saturday evening’s start of the Marathon.

 

The $50,000 Weyerhaeuser AuSable Canoe Marathon is the middle leg of the prestigious Triple Crown of Canoe Racing.   New York’s General Clinton Canoe Regatta and Quebec’s La Classic de Canots make up the other two legs of the Triple Crown.  In 1999, cash and prizes awarded at the three races in the series will total nearly $100,000.

 

The Marathon starts with the teams making a spine-tingling LeMans-style run several blocks through the streets of Grayling to the river at Ray's Canoeing at 9:00 P.M., Saturday, July 26.  The pre-race program begins at 5:30 P.M. at Ray’s. Thousands of fans will view all or part of the race, driving to public access sites, bridges, dam portages and other viewing locations along the AuSable River race course to cheer on the teams through Saturday night and on to the finish line at The AuSable Inn in Oscoda between 11 A.M. and noon on Sunday, July 27.

 

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 Festivals recognize 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   (989) 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 are available on the world-wide web at:  http://www.AuSableCanoeMarathon.org