We revived our local Rivanna River Race on Saturday, May 3, 2025. This was the 18th year of the race, which has been a little inconsistent the past few years due to a pandemic and organizational issues.
Paddling Buddy Dave and I were determined to bring it back and support a great cause, Hope Is Everything. This charity primarily supports children who are caught in child protective services situations due to the acts of a parent or parents, due to no fault of their own. These children are often taken away from parents who in some way, shape, or form interact with the criminal justice system. These children have done nothing wrong, yet are forced to start their young lives at a great disadvantage.
I use my kayaking platform at this point to benefit charities, and this charity is definitely worth your consideration.
We had a great day for the race.
While I was in my Prijon Seayak kayak which put me in the Intermediate kayak division, we only had two others in the kayak division, #PaddlingBuddyDave in the Race Kayak division in his Epic V7 surfski, and #PaddlingFriendShelli in her V7. All the rest of the racers were in canoes. The three of us in solo kayaks/surfskis were each in our own division so there was no real sense of competition.
But it was a grand reunion.
With the 3 of us each in our own divisions, we found ourselves paddling together for much of the race in the spirit of friendship and camaraderie, and we had a blast!
Come on out to join us in 2026. It will be bigger and better than ever.
#PaddlingFriendShelli bumping into me on purpose early in the race. #SheDevil
The three of us crossing the finish line together.
My race video with full retaliation on Shelli for bumping me earlier in the race.
Dave The Kayaker | Kayaking & Outdoor Adventures | Health & Fitness 