Rafting, kayaking enthusiasts and people who just plain love the water gathered at Santa Rita Park on Saturday for the third day of the 2022 Animas River Days to watch stand-up paddleboarding and river slaloms featuring canoes, kayaks and rafts.
Chris Johnson, also known as “Paddlebeard,” works for SOL Paddle Boards in Vail and loves traveling to the Four Corners to support Animas River Days.
Paddlebeard said he has been into paddleboarding for eight years. On Saturday, he competed in the downriver SUP race and felt pretty good about his performance.
“I haven’t seen results yet but no swims and felt fast and almost got the guy in front of me,” he said. “The goal in downriver SUP is to go from point A to point B as fast as possible without swimming (falling off the paddleboard),” he said.
Paddlebeard said life happens outside your comfort zone so you should “scare yourself once a day.”
“You’re like Jesus, you walk on water,” he said of paddleboarding. “And it’s the scariest thing I do, but also, it’s super fun because you’re moving with the flow of nature and it’s kind of like riding a controlled avalanche. It’s amazing.”
Max Karlsson of Erie, is a coach for Team Colorado Whitewater Racing, members of which participated in the canoe and kayak slalom on Saturday. This was his second time visiting Durango for Animas River Days.
Karlsson said the team helps set up events like Animas River Days to engage with the community. He has been coaching for Team Colorado Whitewater Racing since October.
He said he’s been kayaking since 2008; after he took a step back from competitive kayaking, he decided coaching felt like “a nice fit.”
“The competitive aspect is probably the main drawing for me,” he said. “But also, just being out on the water is extremely fun. When you’re going on river runs, for example, you get to be in pretty awesome nature that no one usually ever sees.”
He said he wants more kids to get involved in kayaking.
Marcus Smith traveled all the way from Manhattan to party it up in Durango with his brother during the weekend of Animas River Days.
He said he, his brother and friends were planning to attend the River Parade at 4:30 p.m. Saturday dressed as pirates. They rooted for their friends who competed in the R4 raft slalom midday on Saturday.
Emily Haefner and Cory Leamon were also in town to cheer on friends competing in the R4 raft slalom.
“We’ve got an awesome four-person team that is going to crush the raft slalom race,” Haefner said. “And (we’re also) just out to enjoy the river.”
Leamon said they were enjoying being outdoors in good weather. They’re getting used to the late spring heat before an upcoming camping trip to the Grand Canyon.
“It’s just so cool to always be out in the community, hanging with everyone and being by the river and just having a good time on a beautiful weekend,” Haefner said.
Leamon and Haefner were rooting for Durangoan Ben Hall and his three rafting teammates on Saturday, they said.
“I’m in the R4 rafts slalom and we’re here to have a good time today,” Hall said. “(Been rafting) since I was 18 working for Mountain Waters. It’s been a solid decade of fun in the sun out here.”
He said he likes the boating lifestyle and the people who come with it.
“Rivers are life,” he said. “... I’ve been in the raft race a few times. We’ve been volunteers for a bunch of years.”
The River Parade Viewing Party was scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. and last until 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Public parking won’t be available at Santa Rita Park, so residents are encouraged to get a free ride on a shuttle from the Durango Transit Center or ride their bikes to the park.
Animas River Days will conclude on Sunday with the Ska Beer Garden Open and women’s and men’s freestyle kayaking events.
cburney@durangoherald.com
