Maine Whitewater Championships, Maine, USA, Summer 2021
Each summer, paddlers from all over the East Coast come together in the Maine woods to race the beautiful waters of the Kennebec Gorge and the West Branch of the Penobscot in the Maine Whitewater Championship. This event series, which started in 2012, consists of two events in late June and early August. This year both races had excellent participation and several new racers. On June 19th, 35 racers gathered at Harris Station for a time trial and mass start race through the Kennebec Gorge. This pristine gorge is filled with seemingly endless Class III wave trains, big eddy lines, and rafts to dodge! Top honors for the women went to Alex Horne (12:05), Jessie Sterling (12:12), and Katie Brady (13:07). The top male finishers in the time trial were Beckham Bayreuther (11:37), Raef Gormley (11:41), and Alex Blackie (11:43). The afternoon closed out with a mass start race from Cathedral eddy through Magic Falls, where the skies opened up into a downpour as racers sprinted to the finish line. Ben Schott was first for the men, and Alex Horne took her second win of the day. About a month later, racers came together outside of Millinocket, Maine, to race the West Branch of the Penobscot. With the world championship downtime squirt boat competition going on the same weekend, the river was busy with boaters enjoying some of the best whitewater north of the Gauley. The day started with a time trial, followed by a duo race (new this year) and a Class V slalom race through the Cribworks. Mike Flynn took first in the time trial (8:28), followed by Mike Smith (8:36) and Alex Blackie (8:39). First in the women’s division was Jessie Sterling (09:17), followed by Alex Horne (9:27) and Madeline Lee (9:51). The day closed with Madeline Lee taking first in the slalom race; Beckham Bayreuther took first in the men’s division. Madeline was even more excited when she won a brand-new Antix 2.0 donated by Jackson Kayak. For more information, check @Maine Whitewater Championship on Facebook or Instagram: @mainewhitewaterchamps, or visit www.mainewhitewaterchamps.com.
Words: Alex Horne | Photography: Rapid Shooters Maine
