Paddlefest 2005 kicks off Friday

By Elizabeth Troutman
Post staff reporter

Monday night Brewster Rhoads stopped paddling his kayak on the Ohio River to
pause and enjoy what he thinks is the best view of Cincinnati.

"It was absolutely serene," he said. "The perfect reflection of the stadium
lights and the skyline downtown, the bridge - it looked like the ultimate
postcard for promoting the area."

It will be a good deal less this serene this weekend when one thousand paddlers,
professional and amateur, take to the water for Ohio River Way Paddlefest 2005.

The two-day event kicks off on Friday night with the Ohio River Festival at Four
Seasons Marina, which includes food, drinks, a wooden boat show, an auction,
live music, free fishing clinics and camping.

Saturday morning, paddlers will take a six-mile cruise down the Ohio River from
Four Seasons to Cincinnati's Public Landing.

More competitive participants may register for Saturday morning races, which
include a 16-person war canoe race, the corporate challenge for businesses, a
six-mile adult and youth pair race, a 9-mile amateur race and a two-person
14-mile professional race.

The Ohio River Way is a nonprofit group that promotes river and resource
education in 18 counties from Maysville, Ky., to Madison, Ind.

Rhoads, an Ohio River Way board member and organizer of the event, said
Paddlefest is meant to educate people about the value and beauty of their
natural resources.

"We are hoping to give birth to stewards of advocacy for the river," he said.

Subaru, Bank One and other local companies sponsor the event, which started four
years ago.

Registration is $20 for adults and $10 for children. The registration fee
includes a wristband and pass for each boat, and entitles participants to
discounts for kayaking lessons and boating demonstrations on Friday. The
festival welcomes boaters who want to sell canoes or kayaks.

Paddlers registering Friday must bring their boats to the marina that evening.

Proceeds will go to the Ohio River Way's long-term effort to create a 150-mile
long "green edge" along the river between Maysville and Madison for hiking and
biking. Rhoads hopes to raise more than $20,000 from the weekend for the
project, which he expects to take 25 years to accomplish.


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