Whitewater for Mother’s Day

The Mother’s Day White Water Races, one of the nation’s oldest white water race events, was held between Friday and Sunday (May 12-14). In its 65th year, the event is only second to Selida’s FIBArk festival, which is approaching its 75th year.

With over 60 entries in the races, competitors raced from the Quartzite put in to the county line in a variety of water sports categories: slalom races in long kayak, stand-up paddle board and canoes at Albert’s Falls; a freestyle surf competition at Sleeping Beauty, a standing wave on the racecourse; a family race and the downriver raft races that were broken into groups of two, four or six rafters.

Local raft trip outfitters Far

Flung Adventures and New Wave Rafting were able to claim two of the major rafting categories. New Wave Rafting took home first place in the group of four raft and the fastest time overall, with a time of 29:54.

“They were the only sub30-minute raft, and it went quickly because of the high water,” said Britt Runyon, owner and photographer at New Wave Rafting. “If you compare it to last summer, it was way-fast, because last summer, the water was lower — therefore, it’s moving slower, so you’re not going to do as good a time.”

As a comparison, the fastest time in 2019 was achieved by New Mexico River Adventure with a time of 31:07.

In the heavier group-of-six raft category, Far Flung Adventures took first place with a time of 30:21.