An opportunity to test yourself against other paddlers without taking home a tacky t-shirt is offered by Mountain Wayfarer’s virtual kayak race. The virtual race invites you to post your (GPS or other measured time) over a 5 or 10 mile course online and see how it compares with others who have done the same thing. About 40 paddlers posted times in the 2004 race. The “winning” time from last year was posted by Mark Webber of Sag Harbor, NY who completed a 5 mile course in 43:39 in a wooden Struer K1.
For some tips for going fast, check out the forward stroke article at USAWildwater.com