Hi - given that the event has been and gone, we are probably not going to be adding much more to this blog but want it to remain to remind ourselves what we did, and why we did it. For the what we did, this blog works best by starting at the bottom and working your way up. For the "why we did it", we turn it over to Will, as he was the driving force in the planning stages. He recalls:
Over a few pints in early December a couple of us touted the idea of undertaking an endurance event to raise money for charity, the following criteria was set to help decide on the chosen event
1. Uniqueness - needs to be random and preferably pointless
2. Teamwork - or else I'm giving up at the first hurdle.
3. Difficulty - needs to be very challenging and dangerous (somewhat)
4. Travel - needs to be far enough away so friends and family can't come and watch us fail miserably
5. Charity - has to be different from your usual fund raising events and needs a WOW factor with a bonus of improving AK's bar chat.
We spent a few weeks scouring the web and adventure magazines for an event that met the above criteria until came upon this article in Forbes magazine and our challenge was found:
"Texas Water Safari, a three-day, team canoeing adventure that runs 262 miles non-stop along the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers from San Marcos to the Gulf of Mexico near Corpus Christi. Founded in 1963, the palm-blistering race has its share of wet and wild challenges, including steep drop-offs, swirling dam currents, treacherous water moccasins and occasional canoe-crunching log jams.
Legend has it that back around 1962 Frank Brown and Bill “Big Willie” George decided to take their “V” bottom boat, without a motor, from San Marcos to Corpus Christi. They accomplished their mission in about 30 days and decided that other people should have the opportunity to experience the same journey. So in 1963 they set up the first Texas Water Safari. The Safari is a long, tough non-stop, marathon canoe racing adventure, which traverses 260 miles of challenging rivers and bays. Although the rate varies from year to year depending on water conditions, in previous Safaris as few as two teams out of sixty starters managed to reach the finish line. Many participants enter the Safari with no intention of winning, but with aspirations of joining the elite group of finishers and earning the coveted Texas Water Safari patch. Entrants must have all provisions, equipment, and items of repair in their possession at the start of the race. Nothing may be purchased by or delivered to a team during the race except water and/or ice. During the Safari, teams may not receive any assistance of any kind except verbal (or water). Teams must be prepared to travel day and night, non-stop to be competitive, but teams who occasionally stop for sleep have been able to reach mandatory checkpoint cut-off times and cross the finish line by the 100 hour deadline. The drop out ratio can be as high as 95%." - Forbes March 2005
Further research dug up similar articles, including a 1999 Houston article which led with " The Safari tests brains, strength, endurance and the willpower to persevere when you're puking out of your boat. And pissing in it." I hope this blog provides some amusement and tells a good story.
Over a few pints in early December a couple of us touted the idea of undertaking an endurance event to raise money for charity, the following criteria was set to help decide on the chosen event
1. Uniqueness - needs to be random and preferably pointless
2. Teamwork - or else I'm giving up at the first hurdle.
3. Difficulty - needs to be very challenging and dangerous (somewhat)
4. Travel - needs to be far enough away so friends and family can't come and watch us fail miserably
5. Charity - has to be different from your usual fund raising events and needs a WOW factor with a bonus of improving AK's bar chat.
We spent a few weeks scouring the web and adventure magazines for an event that met the above criteria until came upon this article in Forbes magazine and our challenge was found:
"Texas Water Safari, a three-day, team canoeing adventure that runs 262 miles non-stop along the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers from San Marcos to the Gulf of Mexico near Corpus Christi. Founded in 1963, the palm-blistering race has its share of wet and wild challenges, including steep drop-offs, swirling dam currents, treacherous water moccasins and occasional canoe-crunching log jams.
Legend has it that back around 1962 Frank Brown and Bill “Big Willie” George decided to take their “V” bottom boat, without a motor, from San Marcos to Corpus Christi. They accomplished their mission in about 30 days and decided that other people should have the opportunity to experience the same journey. So in 1963 they set up the first Texas Water Safari. The Safari is a long, tough non-stop, marathon canoe racing adventure, which traverses 260 miles of challenging rivers and bays. Although the rate varies from year to year depending on water conditions, in previous Safaris as few as two teams out of sixty starters managed to reach the finish line. Many participants enter the Safari with no intention of winning, but with aspirations of joining the elite group of finishers and earning the coveted Texas Water Safari patch. Entrants must have all provisions, equipment, and items of repair in their possession at the start of the race. Nothing may be purchased by or delivered to a team during the race except water and/or ice. During the Safari, teams may not receive any assistance of any kind except verbal (or water). Teams must be prepared to travel day and night, non-stop to be competitive, but teams who occasionally stop for sleep have been able to reach mandatory checkpoint cut-off times and cross the finish line by the 100 hour deadline. The drop out ratio can be as high as 95%." - Forbes March 2005
Further research dug up similar articles, including a 1999 Houston article which led with " The Safari tests brains, strength, endurance and the willpower to persevere when you're puking out of your boat. And pissing in it." I hope this blog provides some amusement and tells a good story.
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