Created by Hall of Fame Historian, John B. Cook, the Iron Paddler Award is given to paddlers who have finished 10 or more AuSable River Canoe Marathons in the Professional Division. To put 10 finishes into perspective, it is 1,200 miles of intense hardcore paddling; it is a minimum of 500,000 relentless paddle strokes; it is a minimum of 140 hours of grueling canoe racing. As of 2019, 104 paddlers have received the Iron Paddler Award.
Click here for a full list of all Iron Paddler Award Recipients.
The Steel Paddler Award is given to paddlers who have finished 20 or more AuSable River Canoe Marathons in the Professional Division. As of 2019, 12 paddlers have received the Steel Paddler Award. The recipients include:
- Al Widing, Sr.
- Rick Joy
- Serge Corbin
- Jeff Kolka
- Lynne Witte
- Tony Short
- Ken Kolonich
- Bill Torongo
- Michael Garon
- Jon Webb
- Dwight Walker
- Fred Mills
The Titanium Paddler Award is given to paddlers who have finished 30 or more AuSable River Canoe Marathons in the Professional Division. As of 2019, 3 paddlers have received the Titanium Paddler Award. The recipients include:
- Al Widing, Sr.
- Rick Joy
- Lynne Witte
