Kansas River race fills void after Missouri River's rise

Cannon shots fired, racers began paddling furiously, and the first Kawnivore 100 began. This was the scene Friday evening at the US 24/Blue River Linear Trial head. The women and all tandem boats departed promptly at 5:30 p.m. with the men in pursuit 30 minutes later.

Scott Mansker, race director, was the mastermind behind the Kawnivore 100. He said the name Kawnivore came from a combination of the Kansas or 'Kaw' river and the fact that "it's a beast." The Kaw river winds 100 miles between the K-State area and the KU area. He thought that it would make a great race format with a little bit of college rivalry at each end.

The race ended in Lawrence on Saturday evening, with checkpoints in Wamego, Topeka and Tecumseh. One of the challenges of the race was the portage around the Tecumseh dam. The Topeka Fire Department acted as the safety crew on the dam to ensure paddlers got around it in one piece. The dam has killed three paddlers in the past four years.

"We started the race later in the evening so most paddlers would clear Topeka in daylight," Mansker said. "We're now launching an effort to get this dam fixed so paddling on the Kaw will be safer."

Mansker teamed up with Marcia Rozell, Tourism Sales Manager for the Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau, to organize the race. The idea for Kawnivore came about when the sixth annual Missouri River 340 race, the world's longest non-stop river race, was postponed due to high water levels.

The MR340 is a 340-mile race between Kansas City and St. Charles, Mo., down the Missouri River. The Kawnivore was scheduled during the time originally allotted for the MR340, giving Mansker and Rozell only 30 days to plan and implement the event.

"The Kawnivore 100 was a beautiful combination of nature and man," Rozell said. "I loved seeing the people enjoying, utilizing and excersing on the Kaw River."

Many of the inaugural year participants were scheduled to be racing in the MR340, including Columbia, Mo., resident Steve Kullman. Kullman first participated in the MR340 in 2009; it took him 77 hours to complete. He noted that the two biggest differences for this year were the heat and that the Kaw is a slower river.

"I hate to say it, but I'm not sure I'm gonna finish," Kullman said. "Heat tomorrow will be a big factor."

In the end, Kullman finished 25th out of the 53 men's solo boats. His strategy was to not camp. Ground crews at the various checkpoints were equiped with food and water for participants, but Kullman believed in being prepared.

"I might stop to bum some water if I need to," Kullman said. "I like to go unsupported, which to me is part of the adventure."

Many racers, like Kullman, were dropped off in Manhattan to begin the race and had to call a ride to pick them up afterward.

"(I would) love to see more Manhattanites or K-Staters come out to cheer at the start of the race or participate in the race," Rozell said.

Mansker was very pleased with the overall outcome of the race and has been urged to put it on the annual schedule by both participants and the townspeople who hosted. He is hoping to schedule during a full moon in June next year.

"It's always good to see the veterans and to make new friends too," Mansker said. "And that night out on the water was beautiful. Bright stars and a nice breeze. The Kaw River is a great place to paddle and people are now starting to notice."