The Illinois Paddling Council and Rutabaga Paddlesports are creating a Midwest Paddling Club Archive which will be available to potential club members looking for a local club to join.  We ask that each club fill out and submit the attached form to Jeff Mazanec at <jmmazanec@gmail.com>.  Once it is done, you will be able to access the site by   Clicking here

Thanks to Dave McGovern for these notes:

A short while back, Erik Sprenne invited me to join him, Tom Lindblade, and Gary Mechanic to attend a meeting in Springfield with the staff of the DNR concerning the Vermilion closure. While Gary was unable to attend, here's  what we learned Friday afternoon.

Arriving at the DNR building, we were greeted by a number of the Office of Water Resources (OWR) staff including Arlan Juhl, Director of OWR and Bob Mool, the DNR lawyer who negotiated the lease with Buzzi Unicem.

To give you a quick summary before getting into the details, it seems possible to get the river open this spring. The DNR has several criteria that must be met first,some of which has been completed. Three items must be completed before the river is opened:

1.  The DNR has not yet assessed the changes to the hydraulic at enough levels. They have viewed it and showed us pictures at low levels and very high levels, but they haven't been there at medium levels
2. The DNR must successfully implement the proposed rule on the NO ENTRY zone near the dam. The DNR and Buzzi are unwavering in demanding that the specified area around the dam be entirely off limits at all times, even when the dam poses no threat (i.e. washes out). The chute on river right will be the only legal place to go. We will be contacting those who commented with a request to withdraw their comments. While we are opposed to the rule in general, the river will remain closed until it is enacted.
3. A sign needs to be placed at the put in showing the area that is off limits, and indicating that parts of the river are private property. This sign has been printed, but installing it is LaSalle County's job, and the DNR has not been ! able to get them to mount it yet. This seems like a petty task, but the river will not open until it is done. Consider contacting LaSalle County officials and encourage them to get the sign installed.According to the DNR, it has already been made, and delivered to the county. I'll post a sample of what the sign may look like in the file section of Paddle,Party, and Play, and attach it to other postings.

Now the nitty gritty. Bob Mool explained that the lease between the DNR and Buzzi Unicem is delicate, and Buzzi can give notice to cancel it at any time. The lease exists primarily because DNR Director Marc Miller pushed for it. Buzzi has little to gain by the lease, and this may be the reason Bob Mool is reluctant to re-open negotiations about the terms of the lease.

There are three phases of improvements specified in the lease: signage, short term dam improvements, and long term dam improvements. The signage, except for the put in sign is complete, as is the short term dam fix. Engineers are working on long term solutions to make the dam safer while maintaining the water storage capacity that Buzzi needs, and once the dam is permanently fixed, there will be no need for the restricted area. The timeline for this is several years, although Arlan did state that funding had been set aside.

There is another aspect of the lease that could be a problem, especially for ACA insured beginner trips. The lease does NOT allow for scouting or portage of either the dam or Wildcat. A huge portion of the land along the river is owned by Buzzi, and all of it isoff limits. The lease only covers land actually submerged in the water, not up to a fixed point such as a normal high water mark. Scrambling over mid river rocks is permissible, but obviously difficult at any flow that would warrant scouting.

Significant discussion of this topic ensued, and after some give and take, DNR staff began to understand the value of scouting and,! if necessary, portaging. In the end, Bob Mool agreed to discuss it within the DNR, but he would not commit to talking to Buzzi about amending the lease to allow scouting or portaging.

It was also stressed to us that to protect the lease, conservation officers will be heavy handed in enforcing the restricted areas. If Buzzi Unichem sees someone where they don't belong, the DNR will respond. We as paddlers must be self policing prevent any issues. This specifically means that we must not surf the dam if it looks good, and that we must talk to anyone including rafters who look like they might be heading into the restricted area. Please remember, the offices of Buzzi overlook the dam, we will be quite visible to them. What we get in return is to get the river open sooner than the end of phase three.

A number of times during the meeting, DNR staff talked about wanting to partner with the paddling community to achieve mutually desirable goals. While I certainly have a healthy bit of  skepticism, I think right now we should take the comment at face value and do what is necessary to get the Vermilion open to paddling as soon as possible.

I have put a sample copy of the put in sign in the files section of Paddle, Party, and Play, and we hope to get it posted to the CWA website as well. Here's a link:

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/cFIMTxInakDqqwHvt1hk06L4_nZ3YK-36OaOWVJ6QEax7E1_CID6ayr08oAQijWnm-gklaOFgBsaHpG75BJ2KYJJYDvUYQ/Vermilion%20Information/Information%20Sign%208%20with%20DRAFT%20stamp.pdf

Dave McGovern

  

2011 Illinois State Racing Champions

Illinois State Racing Championship awards were announced for twelve recipients at the 2011 IPC Banquet. To qualify, each champion had to compete in the same class in five of the eight IPC sanctioned races from early May to mid-September, regardless of who their partners may have been, and finish highest most often among their peers in that class. Click on the names of the underscored winners for an award presentation photo!

C2 Recreational – 1^st Place John and Liga Kropp

C2 Mixed - !st Place Debra Wesolowski and Brian Ellison

C1 Men’s – 1^st Place Jody Runyon

2^nd Place Mike Kies

C2 Men’s – 1st Place Wally Werderich

2^nd Place Ben Josefik

3^rd Place Dave Buckley

C2 Men’s Masters – First Place Don Mueggenborg

C2 Standard – First Place Pat Faul and Steve Conlon

There were no 2011 awardees in C2 Juniors, C2 Adult-Youth, C2 Women, K1 Sea Kayak or K1 Open. Compete in the same class in five of the eight IPC sanctioned 2012 races and you too could become an awardee next year!

The Illinois Paddling Council has received the American Canoe Association's

"Stroke of Achievement Award"

Presented each year to one or more ACA Clubs for "Superior Performance and Program Development. The award was presented at the ACA's annual Banquet  On Oct. 1st in Louisville Kentucky

THE FIFTH ANNUAL CHICAGO SHORELINE MARATHON AUGUST 20, 2011

Sigrid Pilgrim, Sponsorship Coordinator

Preceded by a week of near perfect weather, the carefully planned Saturday schedule was forcibly changed by the prediction of a fast moving thunder and lightning storm with 50 m/hr winds that sent competitors, volunteers, vendors and spectators to the safety of the beach house. Racers found a new way of warming up their muscles by playing ball, or relaxing next to a painted Chicago skyline instead of paddling past it.

Following the nearly three hour delay, visitors were finally able to watch the 38 marathon competitors start, followed shortly thereafter by the large group of 60 more 2Beach Course paddlers. New to this year’s event was the participation of several outrigger canoe teams, a paddling discipline that seems to be growing rapidly in the Midwest.

After only 2 hours, 8 minutes and 20 seconds, Dawid Mocke from South Africa finished, winning his fourth Chicago Shoreline Marathon, beating his countryman Sean Rice by only 39 seconds. U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist, Greg Barton, completed the course in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 14 seconds, placing third. Last in, but an amazing accomplishment for my personal friend Ken S, for his first completed marathon at his own personal best time!

For a full list of marathon times, boats paddled and great photos by Scott Fincher and Rich Hodgkins, point your browser CLICK HERE

For a great write-up of the elite event by Rob Mously, CLICK HERE

The Chicago Shoreline Marathon would not be possible without the support of the many volunteers, sponsors and supporters. 18 skilled paddlers provided on-water safety and 20 more worked registration, timing, provided running services and spent the day at the T-shirt and raffle tables.

And speaking of raffles, the CSM extends a most grateful THANK YOU to the many businesses who donated product and services, especially Champion C9/Target for the great shirts, to LL Bean for the kayak, to Chiro One staff massaging aching muscles on site, and Powerade Zero for quenching thirsty throats.

Finally, the CSM also provided a great opportunity to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Henry, the CSM Chairs’ son, who already is taking well to water! We’ll certainly see him in a kayak soon!

We hope to see everyone back paddling the 2012 Chicago Shoreline Marathon.

To our sponsors and supporters, another sincere THANK YOU.

Please contact me if you can consider supporting us again in2012.

For a great write-up of the elite event by Rob Mously, see: http://www.surfski.info/races/usa/item/1336-chicago-shoreline-marathon-rice-v-mocke-smackdown-again.html

Please contact me if you can consider supporting us again in2012.

 The Illinois Paddling Council (IPC) Board recently discussed the need to help promote paddling at the Marge Cline Whitewater Course in Yorkville, IL by providing a boat cart for paddlers to use to wheel their boats back to the top of the course.

Rather than commission a builder to construct such a demo cart, it was decided to tap into the creative genius of local builders by holding a contest for the best boat cart design.

This is how it works:

Design builders are to draft plans for a boat-carrying cart, and submit the plans to the IPC no later than the IPC’s Sept. 27 Board meeting, and all contest entrants are urged to attend this board meeting to present their designs to the Board (meeting at Schaumburg Public Library, 130 South Roselle Road – map at http://schaumburglibrary.org/about/).

The boat cart is to be built in compliance with as many of the below-listed specifications as possible - the winning design will be chosen by the IPC Board at the 9/27 meeting. The winning design/builder will have until November 19^th to construct and deliver the boat cart to Yorkville, and on verification of the design criteria, the builder will be presented with the award check in the amount of $175. After delivery, the cart will be securely stored by Geneva Kayak, and made available for public use whenever the store is open.

Boat Cart Specifications:

1. Wheeled boat cart is to be capable of carrying two open canoes at least 17 feet in length, or at least four whitewater kayaks as short as 66 inches in length.

2. Cart is to be easily moved by human power (pushing or pulling) when loaded with boats

3. Cart is to be constructed such that exposure to rain and sun will not cause significant degradation of the cart.  If constructed of wood or fiberglass, it shall be primed and painted with exterior grade paint or varnished with a marine-grade varnish.  If constructed of metal, it shall either be constructed of a metal that does not oxidize/degrade (aluminum or stainless steel), or shall be primed and painted with exterior-grade paint.

4. Surfaces that contact boats shall be smooth and have no sharp edges that could scratch or gouge the boat(s) being carried (or the people moving the cart).

5. The cart shall have some means of preventing it from rolling down a slope when unattended.

6. The cart shall have positive buoyancy, should it end up in the water.

7. Cart is to have at least two flat surfaces on opposite sides of the cart at least 8 x 10” in size in order to allow IPC’s and/or Geneva Kayak’s and/or design/builder’s logo to be displayed.

8. The winning design/builder shall deliver the completed cart to Geneva Kayak (at the Marge Cline Whitewater Course) no later than November 19.

How to Enter:

1. Send an entry to Tom Lindblade (lindbladet@sbcglobal.net) no later than Sept 26^th

2. The entry is to contain detailed drawings showing how the boat cart is to be constructed, and a description of construction features and how the cart meets as many of the building specifications as possible

3. Entrants are welcome to attend the 9/27 IPC Board meeting to describe their designs and answer any questions about their designs. Bringing a model of the cart to the meeting is not necessary, but may help illustrate the features of the design.

In order to encourage Instructors to become certified at advanced levels and also to become certified as instructor Trainers The IPC has set up a special fund which offers honorariums of $500 for certification as an IT at any level and $150 for anyone certifying as an Instructor at level III or above

The  midwest's newest whitewater park just opened in Petosky Michigan. Petosky is located on Lake Michigan a few miles south of the Mackinac Straits.   The following descriptiion was received from Paul Knorr