In temperatures over ninety, forty-seven people on twenty-seven teams attacked four courses in twenty-nine boats.

Canoe-orienteering is plenty popular when we hold it with canoe rentals on-site such as this time on the Charles River at the Norumbega lakes district. We had a number of people arrive by public transportation or bicycle and one pair portaged directly from home with wheels on their boat.

This was the 19th New England Canoe-O Championships and much has changed since those early days. Maps are now OCAD color inkjet as opposed to photocopier creations. Kayaks have surged in popularity, now almost 40% of the entries, and this year accounted for half of the medalists.

But, what's changed the most is the intensity of competition. Canoe-O has developed it's own following. Not long ago the Expert course often went uncontested. A couple of hacks in a racing canoe could show up and dominate. Not so anymore. Not only did seventeen boats contest the Expert and Advanced courses, the spread was tight. Any of the top four or five could have won the New England Championship only a few years ago. And even Medium has felt the surge. While the Medium course continues to attract families and less competitive paddlers, the top spots are taken by people who get seriously sweaty.

Congratulations to all of our New England Champions. Stephen Miller, who with his brother Seth has been winning almost every canoe-o meet in C-2 including the 2005 Nationals in Pennsylvania, paddled alone in Expert this time and managed the biggest lead on any course, 9% over the Polivka's strong K-2. Mark Webb & Pia Kivisauk in a K-2 narrowly edged faster K-1 Bill Pullman on the Advanced employing a splitting strategy. Pia ran to onshore controls while Mark advanced the boat upstream. On Medium Gary Gallagher and Helen Demakes were flying in their recently acquired Wenonah canoe, besting by four minutes prior champions Peter Frykman and Kate O'Brien in their antique folding kayak. On Short, a mighty four-person, two canoe team of Spitz, Spitz, Gazen, and Gazen took it all, scaring off all challengers and earning the traditional New England Canoe-O Champion t-shirts.

Many thanks to Jeff Schapiro and Sam Levitin who came early and helped set up. Thanks also to Jeff and Max who came back to pick up controls. And, most of all, thanks to Charles River Canoe and Kayak who hosted our meet.

Respectfully submitted, Aims Coney, Event Director