Keystone Canoe Regatta Race Report
13 miles of Class I whitewater the first Saturday in May. Where else would I be but on the Schuylkill River careening wildly in an ICF K1 while screaming for my mommy? Ok, so it wasn’t that bad, but there were spots where I might have said a cussword or two as I laid down a brace.
Another of my favorite races for the scenery, the Keystone Race is a great family event. Many Girl Scouts compete here and, as always, I end up passing some of them while coming under any of the six historic bridges that dominate this course. Scores of cheering fans scream as you go by. I say “you” because they don’t cheer for me. They cheer wildly for the Girl Scouts. One of these times times I’m going to have to remember to bring my own fans to this race.
Generally I make the fans laugh as I go by, because they’re screaming “Go Molly” or “Go Melissa” or some other girl’s name, and I yell, “I’m not Melissa, I’m Susan!” This race brings out a lot of colorful recreational boats, and it’s a beautiful sight as you round the soft bends and see them all before you, the paddlers enjoying the day and the extraordinary Schuylkill River as it was meant to be enjoyed.
Oh, and for your western PA paddlers, “Schuylkill” is pronounced like “School-kill,” “Kill” means waterway, creek, or stream in Dutch. My favorite Dutch named river? The Murderkill in Delaware of course.
It was a good day.