Durango tourism industry teams will face off May 28 in the 13th annual Battle of the Animas paddle-rafting competition on the Animas River.
Teams of six to eight paddlers race from the 29th Street or 32nd Street put-in to Santa Rita Park just below Smelter Rapid. The race starts at 11 a.m. At the end, a shuttle will take participants to Steamworks Brewing Co. for a complimentary lunch and trophy presentation.
The competition, sponsored by Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Trail Tours, brings teams from rafting companies, restaurants and businesses that cater to tourists.
Entries are limited and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We usually have 16 to 18 teams,” said Molly Mickel, who, with husband, Alex Mickel, owns Mild to Wild Rafting. “Some are hard-core competitors, but there are others who tend not to strain themselves.”
Teams leave from the shore at the same time, and that results in a lot of jostling for position on the river, Mickel said.
The top three teams are awarded gold, silver and bronze. There is a losers bracket, too.
Serious Texas Bar-B-Q is the defending champion. Ore House won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Carver Brewing Co. was the champion in 2010, and Zia Taqueria won in 2009.
daler@durangoherald.com
