The Geographe Outriggers Club hosted the Great Sandgroper Adventure Race on February 20, 2021.
This event was generously sponsored by the Busselton Vet Hospital and welcomed more than 70 junior paddlers from WA to compete in a jam packed day full of fun on the water.
Geographe Outriggers, 'Great Sandgroper Adventure Race' is for all divisions from Minnows to under 16 and 19 with different length courses to suit the ability of all age groups using all outrigger canoes including OC6 (6 seater), OC2 (2 seater) plus our singles the OC1 and V1.
The races incorporated paddling, capsizing, swimming, running, and even jetty jumping.
The Adventure Race is designed to be challenging and incorporates a lot of team work for our junior paddlers.
The Minnows OC6 Adventure Race involves paddling west to the drain, negotiating the canoe across the sand bar, paddling into the drain and around the buoy and then back out again all while trying to avoid the marauding pirate attacks (flour and water pistols).
Next our youngest paddlers headed back to the finish line where teams needed to find and dig for a buried treasure chest.
The under 12 and 14's and 16 and under 19 Adventure Race also had teams paddling west to the drain and back where they are then required to complete a compulsory Huli (capsize drill) before bailing out and continuing east to the Busselton Jetty.
This is always an exciting part of the race especially for spectators on the beach.
The younger age division paddled straight to the jetty, with the older division paddling out to the end of the jetty before making their way back down towards the beach.
Canoes passed through the jetty to a safe zone marshalled by volunteers, swam to the jetty ladder to perform the next part of their race, a jetty jump from any platform.
Teams then re-entered their canoes and paddled around the swimming area to the beach west of the shark net.
Once competitors beached their canoes, they needed to run to the small jetty to complete their 150 metre swim around the inside of the small box jetty.
Finally paddled the 1.5km back to the finish line on the beach with all six competitors crossing the line together.
As always the conditions on Saturday were perfect and all competitors and their families enjoyed a great day in Geograhpe Bay.
The Geographe Outrigger Club would like to thank their volunteers who helped keep the juniors safe throughout the weekend. Without you all, days like this would not be possible.
This coming Saturday, February 27, 2021 will see the Geographe Outriggers travel to Bunbury for the Monkeys 20km relay.
