The Texas Water Safari, billed as the "World's Toughest Boat Race", is a trek down waterways from San Marcos, Texas to Seadrift, Texas. The primary requirement is a boat powered only by human muscle. It was first held in 1963, and is run annually.
History
History holds that in 1962 Frank Brown and Bill "Big Willie" George decided to navigate from San Marcos to Corpus Christi, Texas without a motor. They wanted to share the joy of this monthlong journey with others, so in 1963 they held the first Texas Water Safari.
Details
The race is scheduled to begin on the second Saturday of June of each year, unless extremely inclement weather prevents it from being held safely. A testament to the dedication of the racers, the Safari has been postponed only two years (twice in 2004, for a total of three postponements).
Course
The Safari course includes natural rivers like the San Marcos, with rapids and dams. Most boats destroyed on the course are lost in the upper river. The San Marcos River converges with the Guadalupe River and becomes wider and slower. The main dangers in the middle river are dams and forks. Near the end of the course there are lakes and swamps, and it ends with a crossing of the San Antonio Bay.
Checkpoints
There are many popular and private checkpoints along the course. Experienced support crews may jealously guard their secret checkpoints. There are eleven official checkpoints, including the finish line. Their locations are published and they are staffed with race officials. The Team Captain of each team must be present and sign off the team's time as the team leaves (teams are allowed one missed checkpoint).
Official Checkpoints:
Classes
The Unlimited class is one of the best known among spectators. This class is restricted only to watercraft powered by only human muscle. Attempts have been made to win in craft of unconventional form, but the records show that the best results are given by a well-trained team in one of the impressive multiman canoes (the records for largest team and fastest finish time are held by nine- and six-person canoes, respectively).
Other classes include Tandem Unlimited (similar to unlimited, but only two entrants per boat), Solo Unlimited (one entrant), and other type defined by standard or convention.
Lore
Volumes could be written of personal experiences and expectations of the racers, support crews, and spectators. Popular stories include frequent hallucinations in the lower river (as most boats take almost forty hours to finish, and many racers do not stop to sleep, delusions are often unavoidable), aggressive alligator gar, and attempts to repair boats in the field, with varying amounts of success. The Safari is attended in part by a core group of followers, and names and stories quickly become common knowledge. The best way to learn the culture is, of course, to experience it firsthand.
External Links
