The Homeslice Pizza team stayed upright while scooting past the Rochester Hotel team, which flipped Wednesday during the 13th annual Battle of the Animas. Homeslice, which won the race, earned extra points by plucking rafters out of the water.
Rafting guide Phil Howard, center, and the Homeslice Pizza team were one of a dozen or so teams competing Wednesday in the 13th annual Battle of the Animas raft race. The Serious Texas Bar-B-Q team finished first, but the Home Slice Pizza team was designated the winner because it picked up some rafters whose boat flipped during the race.
Homeslice Pizza claimed first place in Wednesday’s 13th annual Battle of the Animas rafting competition. The race, hosted by Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Trail Tours, is a friendly competition between local tourism-based businesses that gets everyone together, said Alex Mickel of Mild to Wild. Fifteen raft teams paddled from the 32nd Street put-in to Santa Rita Park competing for the Battle for the Paddle. After the race, participants gathered at Steamworks Brewing Co. for the closing ceremony and a complimentary barbecue. The river peaked Wednesday at 3,650 cubic feet per second, a 48 percent increase from the day before. Let river season begin.
Taylor Ferraro, Herald Staff Writer
