Top kayak races of 2018 – #1; The Youghness Monster 25

At the finish line of the Youghness Monster 25 with mom and dad

My favorite kayak race in 2018 was the Youghness Monster 25 (read my write-up of it), sponsored once again by Performance Kayak and Hansel Lucas & Stellar Kayaks.

I really liked the fact that it was a long’ish race early in the season so it served as a preparedness check, but I knew my parents would be at the finish line and this was the first kayak race of mine they’ve ever seen or attended, so it was a thrill!

Hansel did a tremendous job organizing this race in its first year and I would be willing to bet it becomes a very popular race on the East Coast in years to come.  Coming May 4 in 2019, it was very well organized with a great finish line celebration, and the 25 mile paddle was a good warm-up with enough rapids to keep it interesting and competitive.