One pair of experienced racers was Richard J. Boudreau, 47, and his son Nathan A. Boudreau, 19, of Huntington. Nathan Boudreau came home from the Air Force the night before the race and surprised his family.
View full sizeA few canoeists battle the Hill and Dale Rapids on the 58th annual Westfield River Wildwater Races' novice course April 16, 2011.HUNTINGTON – The first day of the 58th annual Westfield River Wildwater Races drew hundreds to the town and reunited a local family.
That’s according to Jeffrey M. DeFeo of Chester, chair of the race organized by the Westfield River Canoe Club. He said 230 people registered for this year’s eight-mile novice race, held today, and 40 for tomorrow's 12-mile expert course.
The races are the oldest consecutively run whitewater races in the country.
Today, DeFeo said the range of racers’ expertise varied widely.
“We have from real raw, never been in a race before, to real experienced,” he said.
One pair of experienced racers was Richard J. Boudreau, 47, and his son Nathan A. Boudreau, 19, of Huntington. Nathan Boudreau came home from the Air Force Friday night and surprised his family.
“We weren’t supposed to see him for another year,” said Richard Boudreau. “That was pretty amazing.”
The pair have been in the race every year since Nathan Boudreau was 13, except last year when Richard Boudreau said his son’s absence and a death in the family left him without “the heart” to do it. In 2007, they placed first in the Male Under 16 and Over 25 class, according to race records.
Richard Boudreau said this year he took two partners down the river several times over the course of a few weeks to prepare for a race that, it turns out, they never intended to be in.
“He was going to race with his boss and one of his buddies, but they were all in on it,” said Nathan Boudreau.
“We did good,” Richard Boudreau said of the day's run. “We passed nine boats and they were a minute part.”
The canoes and kayaks were sent out one at a time with a sixty-second delay between them.
The chilly day and the cold water were safety concerns, but Richard Boudreau said he worked so hard on the river he dumped five buckets over his head to cool off.
“That water’s probably in the forties,” said DeFeo. “You don’t want to get wet today. ... But it’s a hardened bunch.”
To make sure the race was safe, the Canoe Club held educational clinics on the three weekends leading up to it and requires everyone to wear over-the-shoulder life jackets and have a spare paddle in the boat.
In the packed parking lot next to the river, tailgaters were having cook-outs, playing catch and drinking beer, but DeFeo said no alcohol was allowed in the river.
“We make sure when the boat goes in, they’ve got nothing with them,” he said.
Some of the racers wore wild garb. One man dressed in a skin-tight swimming suit and had his body hair shaved into a bikini top.
“You won’t see any of that here (Sunday),” said DeFeo.
Sunday’s race begins at the base of Knightville Dam and ends at Woronoco Dam. Registration is $17 and begins at 9:30 a.m. The race starts at 11 a.m.
This is a developing story. It will be updated with race results when they become available.