The 50th annual Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
The first race to travel the 16 miles from Kenduskeag Village to just above the confluence the Penobscot River in downtown Bangor took place in May 1967 with 34 participants. Over its half century the race has gotten quite a bit bigger.
“It has grown to be as big as 800 or 900 boats with 1,500 participants. Last few years we’ve been in the range of 700 or 800 participants and 500 to 600 boats,” says Tim Baude, recreation programmer with Bangor Parks and Recreation, which has organized the race since the beginning.
Baude says there’s a lot of flat water along the course, but some spots can get pretty interesting.
“The most popular spot is Six Mile Falls, which is on your way out to Kenduskeag. It’s just before you get into Glenburn, heading out Route 15, or Broadway, as most people know it,” he says. “And that’s where we get a lot of people stay and watch. There’s a lot of boats that get dumped there and it’s a little bit of whitewater that people really enjoy.”
Baude says there are 24 different race categories, most involving canoes and kayaks, that vary depending on the number, age and gender of the racers in each craft.
