MHB is prosing 500-mile canoe race

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Jan. 21, 1999

By Devlyn Brooks

Under a plan proposed by the Mississippi Headwaters Board, Bemidji would become the center of the professional canoe racing world for a day this summer.

MHB Director Jane Van Hunnik said Thursday that to highlight the boards 20th anniversary this year, it is proposing a 500-mile, eight-day canoe race on the Mississippi River that would begin in Bemidji and end in St. Paul.

The race -- a re-creation of an annual race that took place during the 1940s, 50s and 60s -- would attract elite canoe racers worldwide, Van Hunnik said.

"This would be the longest race that would be available to elite canoe racers in the world," she said. "It would be the best around."

Van Hunnik said the race idea originated during the MHB's oral history project, focusing on people who have lived along the Mississippi River and have unique stories to tell about it.

She said interviewees recalled times when they were young and would stand on the banks of the river watching the canoe race. Some even remembered that racers stopped in their communities.

"The race occurred in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and it used to start at the Mississippi Headwaters," she said. "But we haven't found out why the race ended. That's one of the questions we're hoping to find out when we do interviews with some of the old-timers."

In addition to celebrating MHB's 20th anniversary, she said the board could use the race to help promote participating in healthy recreation on the river, maintaining good water quality and protecting wildlife and fish habitats.

Finally, Van Hunnik said communities along the river could use it to promote themselves and their recreational opportunities.

"We could highlight how to be good stewards of the river," she said. "A lot of what we do is education, and this would be a chance to do that in a very unique setting. But this is all very tentative yet."

The race would begin July 8 in Bemidji and end July 15 in St. Paul, the day before The Minneapolis Aquatennial celebration begins.

Van Hunnik said it would begin in Bemidji because MHB doesn't want masses of people stomping around the environmentally sensitive headwaters area of the Mississippi River.

The race would be divided into two categories, one for elite racers and one for novice participants. The MHB is proposing a $100,000 purse for the elite racers, according to Van Hunnik, which probably would draw races nationwide and from England, Australia, Japan, Canada and several Scandinavian countries to the canoeing marathon, which would be the world's longest race in terms of time and distance.

The citizens' race would allow "everyday, ordinary" people to participate on their own schedule, she said. If they wanted to race the entire race, they could. Or they could just race certain segments of it.

"Theoretically, if a family wanted to take a two-week vacation and start at the headwaters and work their way down the river," Van Hunnik said, "they could culminate with the Aquatennial celebration."

But to accomplish setting up the race, Van Hunnik said, the Mississippi Headwaters Board is looking to partner with various entities. First, it would like The Minneapolis Aquatennial to become a partner, with the schedule fitting so nicely into its dates. Second, the board is looking for support from the chambers of commerce and visitor convention bureaus of communities located along the river from Bemidji to St. Paul. Third, sponsors are needed to help raise the projected $150,000 to $200,000 needed to operate the race.

Van Hunnik said the MHB needs to decide by Feb. 15 whether there are enough sponsors and enough communities supporting the race to continue with its plans. If the interest isn't there by then, they will forget the race.

"If we're going to do this race, we're going to do it right," she said.

For those who are members of civic groups, chambers of commerce boards or tourism agencies, and are interested in helping with the race, there is an informational meeting scheduled from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Brainerd Chamber of Commerce.

People interested in volunteering also may call (218) 547-7248 or email the MHB at cass.mhb@co.cass.mn.us.

Van Hunnik said the MHB also would like to hear from individuals who have information about the original races that started at the headwaters. The more information the group gathers, she said, the better this year's race will be.

MHB officials will meet with the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday to discuss the proposed race.