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Seven-time defending champs Jeff Kolka [coal-kah],
44, of Grayling, Michigan, and Serge Corbin [surge core-bin], 46, of
St-Boniface de-Shawinigan, Quebec, held off a stiff challenge to take an
unprecedented eighth consecutive victory Sunday, July 27 at North America’s
richest, toughest non-stop canoe race: the Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe
Marathon. The pair claimed the $5000
first place prize from a total purse of $50,000, the richest in North American
canoe racing.
The race started with a bang at
Corbin and Kolka did not get a clean start; Corbin fell
face first into his canoe at the start and several teams sprinted away from the
defending champs and pre-race favorites.
At
Kolka and Corbin pressed hard and another hour into the
race, at the third timing location -
However, Triebold and Lajoie were not done challenging the
reigning champs yet! After portaging
Alcona Dam at dawn, 9 hours into the race, they poured it on and by the Cooke
Dam portage, 12 hours into the race, had caught Kolka & Corbin and vaulted
into first place. The champs and
challengers remained locked in a back & forth, then side-by-side battle
over the last portage, at Foote Dam, and on toward the Oscoda finish line.
Just 20 minutes above the finish line, Kolka and Corbin
sprinted and were able to pull away from Triebold & Lajoie, crossing the
finish line in 14:55:03 [14 hours, 55 minutes, 3 seconds] to take their eighth
consecutive Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon win. Triebold and Lajoie crossed the finish line 1
minute, 48 seconds later, with an
elapsed time of 14:56:51, to take second place.
The 1:48 margin of victory was the closest in 11 years,
since the 1992 race when Serge Corbin and Brett Stockton beat Bruce Barton and
Tim Triebold by 1 minute, 24 seconds.
Tim Triebold, the 1992 second place finisher, is 2003 second-place
finisher Andy Triebold’s father.
This year’s winning time of 14:55:03 is the first
time that the 15-hour barrier has been broken since the 2000 race. Though water levels were slightly higher than
in 2001 and 2002, the winning pace for the race was relatively slow. Kolka and Corbin’s elapsed time of 14:55:03
was the third slowest Weyerhaeuser AuSable Marathon winning time since
1978. In 1994, Corbin, with partner Solomon Carriere of
Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, set the AuSable Marathon record with a winning
time of 13:58:08.
Tony Short, 39, of Indian River,
Michigan, and Denis Berthiaume [bear-tee-oom], 38, of Pre’vost, Quebec,
finished third, with an elapsed time of 15:02:45. The pair finished 2nd in the 2001
Marathon. Fourth were Rick Joy, 44, of
Silverwood, Michigan and Ted Kolka, 37, of Grayling, Michigan, completing the
Marathon in 15:13:16. Ted Kolka is
eight-time Marathon champ Jeff Kolka’s brother.
Rounding out the top five were the 2002 second place finishers, Matt
Rimer [rhymer], 19, of Horton, Michigan and Mo Harwood, 24, of Grayling,
Michigan.
The first Mixed Team to finish was
a father-daughter team from Grayling, Michigan, Tom Trudgeon [trudge-on],
44, and Mandy Trudgeon, 22. They
completed the course in 16:06:03, good for 17th place overall. Finishing in 18th pace overall and
the second place Mixed Team were Dwayne Barnes, 41, of Copemish, Michigan and
Amy Solak, 38, of Traverse City, Michigan.
The third place Mixed Team finishers and finishing 41st
overall were another father-daughter team, Jon Webb, 43, and Cassie Webb, 16,of
Hubbard Lake, Michigan
The first place Amateur finishers
were the youngest paddlers entered in this year’s Weyerhaeuser AuSable River
Canoe Marathon, Donald Starks, 17, and Brian Borchers, 16, both of Grayling,
Michigan. They finished 47th
overall with an elapsed time of 18:16:
A favorite among Weyerhaeuser
AuSable River Marathon fans – Amazing Al Widing, Sr., 78, of Mio,
Michigan, and partner Don Brooks, 34, of Midland, Michigan, finished 29th
out of 49 finishers, in 16:40:58. Widing
has competed in the Marathon during six (6) decades, entering and finishing
over thirty of these grueling contests during that time span and finishing as
high as 2nd on several occasions.
At the finish of this year’s race, Widing commented that he hopes to
compete in two more AuSable Marathons so that can finish the race in the year
when he turns 80 years old.
Rejean Huard, the Executive
Director of Quebecs’ La Classique de Canots, the final jewel of the Triple
Crown of Canoe Racing, was making his 5th attempt to successfully
complete the AuSable River Canoe Marathon.
Together with his partner Jason Snell, 32, of Gaylord, Michigan, Huard,
60, of Shawinigan, Quebec, were the last team to successfully complete the
race, finishing 49th with an elapsed time of 18:55:09, just 4:51
before the mandatory 19-hour official end of the AuSable Marathon.
Of the 65 teams that started the
56th Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon, 49 teams completed
the race within the qualifying time of 19 hours. Sixteen teams withdrew from the race due to
illness, injury, damage to the canoe or due to missing mandatory cut-offs at
timing stations.
The Weyerhaeuser AuSable River
Canoe Marathon, the middle jewel of prestigious Triple Crown of Canoe Racing,
is considered to be one of North America’s most extreme endurance events. The two-person teams must paddle 120 miles
and over 50,000 paddle strokes non-stop through darkness, inclement weather,
and portage six hydroelectric dams while battling the sheer mental and physical
torture of up to 19 hours paddling at 50 to 80 paddle strokes per minute.
Not only are the eight-time
champs, Kolka and Corbin, on a roll at the AuSable Marathon, they also won the
Triple Crown of Canoe Racing championship in both 2000, 2001 and 2002. The General Clinton Canoe Regatta, staged
Memorial Day on New York’s Susquehanna River is the first jewel of canoe
racing’s Triple Crown. La Classique de
Canots, a three-day race on the St. Maurice River, from LaTuque to Trois
Riviere in Quebec over Labor Day weekend, is the final jewel of the three-race
championship. Cash and prizes awarded
at the three races in the series total over $100,000.
Extensive information including
complete race results of and photographs for the Weyerhaeuser AuSable River
Canoe Marathon is available on the at: http://www.AusableCanoeMarathon.org
|
WEYERHAEUSER AUSABLE
RIVER CANOE MARATHON |
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2003 FINISH LIST 7/27/03 |
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Finish Place |
Finish Time |
Canoe # |
Name |
Age |
City |
State/
Province |
Comments |
|
1 |
14:55:03 |
16 |
Jeff Kolka |
44 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
8th Consecutive
AuSable Win and |
|
1 |
|
16 |
Serge Corbin |
46 |
St. Boniface |
Quebec |
1st Place
Masters Team |
|
2 |
14:56:51 |
1 |
Andrew Triebold |
27 |
Homer |
Michigan |
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
Steve Lajoie |
27 |
Mirabel |
Quebec |
|
|
3 |
15:02:45 |
81 |
Tony Short |
39 |
Indian River |
Michigan |
|
|
3 |
|
81 |
Denis Berthiaume |
38 |
St. Jerome |
Quebec |
|
|
4 |
15:13:16 |
11 |
Rick Joy |
44 |
Silverwood |
Michigan |
|
|
4 |
|
11 |
Ted Kolka |
37 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
5 |
15:16:50 |
3 |
Matt Rimer |
19 |
Horton |
Michigan |
|
|
5 |
|
3 |
Mo Harwood |
24 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
6 |
15:19:14 |
2 |
Jim Harwood |
38 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
6 |
|
2 |
Matt Streib |
39 |
Bristol |
Indiana |
|
|
7 |
15:22:22 |
82 |
Clark Kent |
43 |
Lapeer |
Michigan |
2nd place masters team |
|
7 |
|
82 |
Louis Berthiaume |
44 |
Berthierville |
Quebec |
|
|
8 |
15:42:56 |
50 |
Tim Valko |
34 |
Pickney |
Michigan |
|
|
8 |
|
50 |
Erich Podjaske |
21 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
9 |
15:43:03 |
28 |
Steven Landick |
50 |
Marquette |
Michigan |
|
|
9 |
|
28 |
Armin Lopez |
30 |
San Ignacio |
Belize |
|
|
10 |
15:50:58 |
14 |
Bill Torongo |
41 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
3rd place masters team |
|
10 |
|
14 |
Bruce Barton |
46 |
Homer |
Michigan |
|
|
11 |
15:53:48 |
74 |
Tim Sheldon |
38 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
11 |
|
74 |
David Teddy |
29 |
Littleton |
Colorado |
|
|
12 |
15:55:50 |
8 |
Nick D'Amour |
19 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
12 |
|
8 |
Matthew Ashton |
24 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
13 |
16:00:51 |
65 |
Pierre Lapointe |
61 |
Shawinigan |
Quebec |
|
|
13 |
|
65 |
Eric Gagnon |
24 |
Shawinigan |
Quebec |
|
|
14 |
16:02:16 |
17 |
Nicholas Bauer |
42 |
Spokane |
Washington |
|
|
14 |
|
17 |
Brad Bauer |
29 |
Seattle |
Washington |
|
|
15 |
16:03:32 |
98 |
Sean Jennings |
35 |
Stockbridge |
Massachusettes |
|
|
15 |
|
98 |
Joe Shaw |
48 |
Worthington |
Massachusettes |
|
|
16 |
16:04:02 |
38 |
Wade Binion |
24 |
College Station |
Texas |
|
|
16 |
|
38 |
Alex Lisbey |
|
Belmopan |
Belize |
|
|
17 |
16:06:03 |
62 |
Thomas Trudgeon |
44 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
1st place mixed team |
|
17 |
|
62 |
Mandy Trudgeon |
22 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
18 |
16:08:14 |
80 |
Dwayne Barnes |
41 |
Copemish |
Michigan |
2nd place mixed team |
|
18 |
|
80 |
Amy Solak |
38 |
Traverse City |
Michigan |
|
|
19 |
16:13:02 |
87 |
Rodney Halstead |
18 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
19 |
|
87 |
Ryan Halstead |
16 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
20 |
16:17:11 |
45 |
Sylvain Greffard |
37 |
LaTuque |
Quebec |
|
|
20 |
|
45 |
Yves Greffard |
45 |
LaTuque |
Quebec |
|
|
21 |
16:18:52 |
36 |
Michael Garon |
45 |
Washington Twp |
Michigan |
|
|
21 |
|
36 |
Doug Gillin |
44 |
Adrian |
Michigan |
|
|
22 |
16:21:15 |
90 |
Robert Smith |
29 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
22 |
|
90 |
Doug Moggo |
41 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
23 |
16:22:49 |
22 |
Pete Mead |
22 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
23 |
|
22 |
Colin Hunter |
22 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
24 |
16:25:46 |
34 |
Mike Packard |
39 |
Otego |
New York |
|
|
24 |
|
34 |
Carrie Montgomery |
33 |
Oscoda |
Michigan |
|
|
25 |
16:28:55 |
27 |
Dick Plumlee |
50 |
Lawrence |
Kansas |
|
|
25 |
|
27 |
Dwight Walker |
49 |
Hastings |
Michigan |
|
|
26 |
16:29:53 |
64 |
Blaise St. Pierre |
63 |
Lac St. Charles |
Quebec |
|
|
26 |
|
64 |
Serge Page' |
26 |
Shawinigan |
Quebec |
|
|
27 |
16:31:51 |
40 |
Fred Mills |
49 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
27 |
|
40 |
Joseph Seifert |
51 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
28 |
16:40:38 |
69 |
Matt Smith |
26 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
28 |
|
69 |
Robert Stockton II |
19 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
29 |
16:40:58 |
9 |
Don Brooks |
34 |
Midland |
Michigan |
|
|
29 |
|
9 |
Al Widing, Sr. |
78 |
Mio |
Michigan |
|
|
30 |
16:41:27 |
18 |
Bruce Byrnes |
51 |
Lapeer |
Michigan |
|
|
30 |
|
18 |
Russ Reker |
39 |
Lapeer |
Michigan |
|
|
31 |
16:49:12 |
61 |
Chuck Hewitt |
44 |
Bay City |
Michigan |
|
|
31 |
|
61 |
Ray Quick |
48 |
Millington |
Michigan |
|
|
32 |
16:56:03 |
85 |
Kevin LeRoy |
35 |
Fitchburg |
Wisconsin |
|
|
32 |
|
85 |
Neil Hanks |
44 |
Mequon |
Wisconsin |
|
|
33 |
16:56:26 |
83 |
Ray Bauer |
46 |
Cincinnati |
Ohio |
|
|
33 |
|
83 |
Tom Ackemyer |
38 |
Cincinnati |
Ohio |
|
|
34 |
16:56:33 |
10 |
Jeff DeFeo |
48 |
Chester |
Massachutes |
|
|
34 |
|
10 |
Karen Levitt |
35 |
Keene |
New Hampshire |
|
|
35 |
16:59:03 |
54 |
Debbie Perry |
45 |
Traverse City |
Michigan |
1st place womens team |
|
35 |
|
54 |
Lynne Witte |
49 |
Mt. Clemens |
Michigan |
|
|
36 |
17:14:23 |
56 |
Todd VanDeVen |
31 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
36 |
|
56 |
Chris Kucharek |
25 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
37 |
17:22:48 |
73 |
Greg Nelson |
46 |
Marquette |
Michigan |
|
|
37 |
|
73 |
Amado Cruz |
15 |
San Ignacio |
Belize |
|
|
38 |
17:24:09 |
31 |
Jim Laurent |
34 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
38 |
|
31 |
Sean Casey |
24 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
39 |
17:26:17 |
79 |
Brian Royce |
31 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
39 |
|
79 |
John Funderburg |
|
Amherst |
Ohio |
|
|
40 |
17:29:22 |
19 |
Timothy Feldkamp |
37 |
Ann Arbor |
Michigan |
|
|
40 |
|
19 |
Doug Heady |
45 |
Ann Arbor |
Michigan |
|
|
41 |
17:41:59 |
57 |
Jon Webb |
43 |
Hubbard Lake |
Michigan |
3rd place mixed team |
|
41 |
|
57 |
Cassie Webb |
16 |
Hubbard Lake |
Michigan |
|
|
42 |
17:48:00 |
55 |
Andre Parenteau |
60 |
Asbestos |
Quebec |
|
|
42 |
|
55 |
Luc Parenteau |
31 |
Asbestos |
Quebec |
|
|
43 |
17:56:44 |
43 |
Mike Hartman |
27 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
43 |
|
43 |
Ray Trudgeon |
21 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
44 |
18:03:43 |
46 |
John Lucey |
39 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
4th place mixed team |
|
44 |
|
46 |
Cheryl Lucey |
41 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
45 |
18:06:59 |
37 |
Allan DuBois |
69 |
Cottage Grove |
Minnesota |
5th place mixed team |
|
45 |
|
37 |
Kate Ellis |
47 |
Minneapolis |
Minnesota |
|
|
46 |
18:07:28 |
84 |
Tim Chapple |
29 |
Interlochen |
Michigan |
|
|
46 |
|
84 |
Nate Winkler |
31 |
Interlochen |
Michigan |
|
|
47 |
18:16:53 |
131A |
Donald Starks |
17 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
1st place Amateur team |
|
47 |
|
131A |
Brian Borchers |
16 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
|
|
48 |
18:54:26 |
20 |
Brett Addis |
20 |
Vicksburg |
Michigan |
|
|
48 |
|
20 |
Andrew Addis |
22 |
Ann Arbor |
Michigan |
|
|
49 |
18:55:09 |
99 |
Jason Snell |
32 |
Gaylord |
Michigan |
|
|
49 |
|
99 |
Rejean Huard |
61 |
Shawinigin |
Quebec |
|
|
DNF |
|
6 |
Dragan Olajdzija |
43 |
Toronto |
Ontario |
Shoulder Injury - Loud Dam |
|
DNF |
|
6 |
Doug VanMeter |
34 |
Homer |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
12 |
Chad Brandt |
29 |
Hale |
Michigan |
Fatigue at Cooke Dam |
|
DNF |
|
12 |
Mike Thomsen |
35 |
Hale |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
13 |
Dave Skillman, Jr. |
35 |
Waterford |
Michigan |
Illness at Parmalee Bridge |
|
DNF |
|
13 |
Garth Greenan |
48 |
Traverse City |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
15 |
Tad Hill |
25 |
Grosse Ile |
Michigan |
Unknown reason at 4001
Bridge |
|
DNF |
|
15 |
Bill Schmitz |
49 |
Commerce Twp |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
26 |
Brad Taggett |
36 |
Mayville |
Wisconsin |
Injury - 4001 Bridge |
|
DNF |
|
26 |
David Timmerman |
45 |
Dubuque |
Iowa |
|
|
DNF |
|
42 |
Hank Feldhauser |
49 |
Grayling |
Michigan |
Fatigue at Loud Dam |
|
DNF |
|
42 |
Jon Thompson |
46 |
Lewiston |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
48 |
Mark Church |
31 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
DQ - over time limit at
Mio Dam |
|
DNF |
|
48 |
Gabe Williams |
28 |
Roscommon |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
70 |
Linda Taber |
50 |
Lowell |
Michigan |
DQ - over time limit at
McMasters Bridge |
|
DNF |
|
70 |
Frank Taber |
53 |
Lowell |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
71 |
Jerry Brown |
42 |
Carrollton |
Texas |
Fatigue at Loud Dam |
|
DNF |
|
71 |
Richard Steppe |
45 |
Irving |
Texas |
|
|
DNF |
|
77 |
Chris Scully |
43 |
Lincoln |
Michigan |
Fatigue at Five Channels
Dam |
|
DNF |
|
77 |
Rod Matthews |
48 |
Oscoda |
Michigan |
|
|
DNF |
|
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