Texas Water Safari
Encyclopedia
The Texas Water Safari, billed as the "World's Toughest Boat Race", is a trek down waterways from San Marcos, Texas
, to Seadrift, Texas
. The primary requirement is a boat powered only by human muscle. The event was first held in 1963, and is run annually.
In 1962 Frank Brown and Bill "Big Willie" George decided to navigate from San Marcos to Corpus Christi, Texas
, without a motor. They wanted to share this month-long journey with others, so in 1963 they held the first Texas Water Safari.
The race is scheduled to begin on the second Saturday of June of each year, unless extremely inclement weather prevents it from being held safely. The Safari has been postponed in only three years (twice in 2004, making a total of four postponements). The total distance traveled is 262 miles. Racers must take all food and equipment needed with them, receiving only water and ice along the way.
The Safari course includes natural rivers like the San Marcos, with rapids and dams. Most boats destroyed on the course are lost in the upper river. The San Marcos River converges with the Guadalupe River
and becomes wider and slower. The main dangers in the middle river are sweepers, downed trees, logjams and dams. Near the end of the course there are lakes and swamps, and it ends with a crossing of the San Antonio Bay
.
There are many popular and private checkpoints along the course. Experienced support crews may jealously guard their secret checkpoints. There are 12 official checkpoints, including the finish line. Their locations are published and they are staffed with race officials. Each official checkpoint has a cutoff time which the racers must meet or be disqualified. The final cutoff time at the finish is 100 hours. The Team Captain of each team must be present at the checkpoint to sign off the team's time as the team leaves.
Official Checkpoints:
Participants belong to one of a number of classes. The Unlimited class is one of the best known to spectators, and is restricted only to watercraft powered only by human muscle. Attempts have been made to win in craft of unconventional form, but the records show that the best results are achieved by a well-trained team in one of the multi-man canoes (the records for largest team and fastest finish time are held by nine- and six-person canoes respectively). In 2006 the Unlimited class was further restricted to no more than 6 persons on a team. Other classes include Tandem Unlimited (similar to unlimited, but only two entrants per boat), Solo Unlimited (one entrant), and other types defined by conventional canoe racing standards.
Participants tell of frequent hallucination
s in the lower river (because boats take up to one hundred hours to finish, and many racers do not stop to sleep, delusions are often unavoidable). Other challenges include aggressive alligator gar
, alligators, sharks (while crossing the bay), poisonous water moccasin
snakes, fire ants
, and mosquitos. Participants' boats are frequently damaged along the upper river, given the technical nature of this portion of the race course. Attempts to repair boats in the field are met with varying amounts of success.
The Safari is attended, in part, by a core group of followers consisting of former competitors, family and friends. Names and stories quickly become common-knowledge and there is a rich body of lore available to anyone who takes the time to seek it out.
Records current as of 27 July 2009
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
, to Seadrift, Texas
Seadrift, Texas
Seadrift is a city in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The primary requirement is a boat powered only by human muscle. The event was first held in 1963, and is run annually.
In 1962 Frank Brown and Bill "Big Willie" George decided to navigate from San Marcos to Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, without a motor. They wanted to share this month-long journey with others, so in 1963 they held the first Texas Water Safari.
The race is scheduled to begin on the second Saturday of June of each year, unless extremely inclement weather prevents it from being held safely. The Safari has been postponed in only three years (twice in 2004, making a total of four postponements). The total distance traveled is 262 miles. Racers must take all food and equipment needed with them, receiving only water and ice along the way.
The Safari course includes natural rivers like the San Marcos, with rapids and dams. Most boats destroyed on the course are lost in the upper river. The San Marcos River converges with the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
and becomes wider and slower. The main dangers in the middle river are sweepers, downed trees, logjams and dams. Near the end of the course there are lakes and swamps, and it ends with a crossing of the San Antonio Bay
San Antonio Bay
San Antonio Bay is a bay on the Texas Gulf coast situated between Matagorda and Aransas Bay. It consists mainly of the combined waters of the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers, and is located at the mouth of the Guadalupe River, about 55 miles northeast of Corpus Christi and 130 miles southeast...
.
There are many popular and private checkpoints along the course. Experienced support crews may jealously guard their secret checkpoints. There are 12 official checkpoints, including the finish line. Their locations are published and they are staffed with race officials. Each official checkpoint has a cutoff time which the racers must meet or be disqualified. The final cutoff time at the finish is 100 hours. The Team Captain of each team must be present at the checkpoint to sign off the team's time as the team leaves.
Official Checkpoints:
- StaplesStaples, TexasStaples is a city in northeastern Guadalupe County, Texas, United States. In an election held on May 10, 2008, its residents voted to incorporate the community as a city. A total of 125 votes were cast with 87 in favor of incorporation and 38 against...
Dam - LulingLuling, TexasLuling is a city in Caldwell County, Texas, United States, along the San Marcos River. The population was 5,080 at the 2000 census. There is some debate as to how Luling got its name. Some say it was named for a Chinese railroad worker, others for a judge named Luling, or that it was the maiden...
90 - Zedler Mill-Luling Dam
- Palmetto Park
- GonzalesGonzales, TexasGonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
183 - HochheimHochheim, TexasHochheim is an unincorporated community in DeWitt County, Texas, United States. It was founded as a settlement for German immigrants along the Guadalupe River.-Geography:Hochheim is located at , above sea level...
- CueroCuero, TexasCuero is a city in DeWitt County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County. It is also unofficially known as the "turkey capital of the world"...
766 (Cheapside) - Cuero 236
- VictoriaVictoria, TexasVictoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
City Park - Invista (formerly Dupont)
- Salt Water Barrier
- SeadriftSeadrift, TexasSeadrift is a city in Calhoun County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,352 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Participants belong to one of a number of classes. The Unlimited class is one of the best known to spectators, and is restricted only to watercraft powered only by human muscle. Attempts have been made to win in craft of unconventional form, but the records show that the best results are achieved by a well-trained team in one of the multi-man canoes (the records for largest team and fastest finish time are held by nine- and six-person canoes respectively). In 2006 the Unlimited class was further restricted to no more than 6 persons on a team. Other classes include Tandem Unlimited (similar to unlimited, but only two entrants per boat), Solo Unlimited (one entrant), and other types defined by conventional canoe racing standards.
Participants tell of frequent hallucination
Hallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
s in the lower river (because boats take up to one hundred hours to finish, and many racers do not stop to sleep, delusions are often unavoidable). Other challenges include aggressive alligator gar
Alligator gar
The Alligator Gar , Atractosteus spatula, is a primitive ray-finned fish. Unlike other Gars, the mature Alligator Gar possesses a dual row of large teeth in the upper jaw. Its name derives from the alligator-like appearance of these teeth along with the fish's elongated snout...
, alligators, sharks (while crossing the bay), poisonous water moccasin
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the southeastern United States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When antagonized they will stand their ground by coiling their bodies and displaying their fangs...
snakes, fire ants
Red imported fire ant
See main article Fire ant.The red imported fire ant , or simply RIFA, is one of over 280 species in the widespread genus Solenopsis...
, and mosquitos. Participants' boats are frequently damaged along the upper river, given the technical nature of this portion of the race course. Attempts to repair boats in the field are met with varying amounts of success.
The Safari is attended, in part, by a core group of followers consisting of former competitors, family and friends. Names and stories quickly become common-knowledge and there is a rich body of lore available to anyone who takes the time to seek it out.
Records
- Youngest USCA C-1 Finisher, Female - Courtney Weber, 21 Years, 2011
- Youngest USCA C-1 Finisher, Male - Max Feaster, 18 Years, 2010
- Fastest Time - 29:46, 1997, Bryan Mynar, Fred Mynar, John Dunn, Jerry Cochran, Steve Landick, and Soloman Carriere
- Youngest Finisher - Jessica Bugge, 9 years, 2003
- Youngest Woman Solo Finisher - Rebekah Zeek, 18 years, 2009
- Parent-Child - Fastest Finish: 46:11, 1997, Kyle & Joe Mynar - Youngest Finisher: Jessica Bugge, 9 years, 2003
- Novice - 44:03, 2004, Allen Chellette & George Melder
- Aluminum - 38:55, 1997, Donald and Daniel Baumbach
- Standard - 38:18, 1992, Lynn wilson and Ron Lightfoot of Canada
- Master's - 36:06, 2004, John Maika, Vance Sherrod, Pete Binnion, Jim Pye, and Pat Petrisky
- Women's USCA C1 - 74:47, 2007, Ann Best
- USCA C-1 (Men/Women) - 37:07, 2007, Jerry Rayburn
- USCA C-2 - 36:27, 1997, Allen Spelce and West Hansen
- Mixed - 39:27, 2004, Kathie and Peter Derrick
- Tandem Unlimited - 35:17, 1987, John Bugge & Mike Shively
- Women's Solo Unlimited - 49:26, 2004, Holly Nelson (now Holly Orr)
- Solo Unlimited - 36:03, 2007, Carter Johnson
- Women's Unlimited - 44:51, 2007, Hannah DeGray, Sarah Walliser, Holly Orr
- Unlimited - 29:46, 1997, Bryan Mynar, Fred Mynar, John Dunn, Jerry Cochran, Steve Landick, and Soloman Carriere
Records current as of 27 July 2009