Two dozen people are expected to participate in the competition. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

MILESTONE

Eagle Point Classic returns for 25th year

Aug 22, 2019 | 4:53 PM

Canoeist in the tri-communities are preparing for the 25^th annual Eagle Point Classic on Saturday.

“It’s the end of the season race and it’s the main event that we have,” Pimiskatan Canoe Club President Warren Kelly said. “If people want to see the start of the race, they should come out at 10 a.m. to see the people in the long race go off and then 11 a.m. for the short race. If they come down at around 11:30 a.m., they can see both of the races come in. That’s probably the most exciting time.”

Registration for the event starts at 9 a.m. at the boat house at Eagle Point. The 17-kilometer race, which includes three portages, goes through Downton Lake to Nut Portage and then back to Eagle Point via McGibbon Bay. The seven-kilometer race goes down McGibbon Bay, around a small islet and then back without any portages. Kelly stated the 17-kilometer race is the most popular out of the two and there will be about two dozen people competing overall.

“It’s a fairly long paddle and the winners in the long race will usually come in under two hours,” he said. “On the short race, the winners will come in at about 46 minutes or so.”

Those who enter the classic are also quite competitive as Kelly noted it would take recreational paddlers up to an entire day to complete the longer race. There’s also prize money up for grabs with the winner of the 17-kilometer race receiving $300, as well as $200 for second and $100 for third.

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The Pimiskatan Canoe Club is the only marathon club in northern Saskatchewan and Kelly expects most people who compete in the Eagle Point Classic will be from the tri-communities. He mentioned, however, marathon canoeing is quite competitive throughout Canada and the United States, so the classic also attracts canoeists from Saskatoon, Regina and occasionally from outside the province.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno