Friends of the River-Kansas City and Riverfest are proud to announce the 1st annual Kansas City Sprint Championships on the Missouri River.  This event will be held at 3pm on July 4th, 2010.

Divisions will include the usual suspects:
 
Women's Solo
Women's Tandem
Mixed Tandem
Men's Solo
Men's Tandem
 
There will be prize money awarded for the top 3 boats in each division.
1st $150.00
2nd $100.00
3rd $50.00
 
Additionally, there will be medals for 1st -3rd.
 
Every entrant receives 2 passes to the Riverfest Celebration at Berkely Riverfront Park as well as a parking pass.  Also, everyone receives a Riverfest T-shirt.  And the chance to say you were there for the start of a great Kansas City tradition.  
 
Riverfest draws several thousand people down to the river... and they want something to watch out there.  While the race is happening, the lives bands will stop and the announcer will be calling the race from the main stage with information fed to him via spotter boats.  This will be paddle racing at its most exciting.  A first for Kansas City as she starts to embrace her riverfront once again.
 
Entry will open the first week of May.  Stay tuned to this forum for the sign up link.  
 
 
Scott

The race will be about 3.5 miles.  That's a sprint around these parts.

Anything you want.  Paddle only.

 Hey Scott  -  Any more info on this 'ultra' race? Sounds like fun, assuming that you can land at the Berkley park from the Mo. river.  
                                                    Thanks - Kirk

There will be a "finish" line at Berkely Park.  But paddlers will take out at the boat ramp.  So, you'll have a good cooldown after the sprint as you drift to the takeout.  We're trying to work a van to drive paddlers back to Kaw Point to retrieve their cars.
 
Age 12 should be fine.  We'll have safety boat coverage.  And PFDs.
 
Scott

the folks sponsoring it, "RiverFest" are only going to award the divisions listed.  Can you guys draw straws to see who sits out or goes solo?

This is the first KC RiverFest Missouri River Race Championships series.  The race length will be in the 3-4 mile range; racers will begin the race at Kaw Point with the finish line set at the east end of Berkley Park.  The race will take place from 3-4 p.m. and will include five heats: Men’s Solo, Women’s Solo, Men’s Tandem, Women’s Tandem and a Mixed Tandem.  There is a $20 entrance fee and an entry deadline of June 15 will be posted.  
 
The registration form is on this forum, on the other list on this page.
 
The KC Riverfest organizers need to know soon who will be participating, so they can mail out parking passes and event tickets.  Everyone who enters gets into the event at no cost.  A shuttle will be available, so this is EASY.  
 
  The 4th of July celebration at the park is a big party, with music, food, and a fantastic fireworks show in the evening.
 
Give it a go!
 

Don,
 
I'll have your tickets and parking pass when you get to Kaw Point.  I can give it to you then or at Riverfront Park boat ramp where we take out.
 
The races will actually start at 4pm.  Riverfest changed this to accommodate viewing.
 
We'd love for racers to show up by 3pm, ready to unload boats and get ready!
 
Russ and I will start the heats from the Lewis.  Karin will be recording finishes down at Berkley.  It's only about 2.5 miles.  Then you do your "cool down" for about a mile to the boat ramp.  We'll help everyone get back to their cars at Kaw Point.  Either by boat ride or car.  Might take a couple trips, but we'll work it all out.
 
Should be fun.
 
Still room for entrants.
 
Scott

For planning purposes, we'd prefer you enter no later than Saturday via the online registration.  Hope that's enough time!

Welcome Shannon!  Got you on the roster.  Your best bet would be to borrow one from one of the folks already racing... that way they could meet you at Kaw Point that afternoon with it.  Let's give them a chance to read this today and see what comes of it.  Do you need a paddle too?
 
Races begin at 4pm.  We'd like all the racers to get there by 3pm and start unloading, warming up and we'll have a little meeting before the heats begin.
 
Scott