Venture Crew

Paddle champs rock the competition

By Jeannie Stone

LITTLE ROCK — For the fifth year in a row, Venture Crew 300 of Russellville won the overall championship at the 42nd Annual White River Canoe Race, which concluded in Batesville.

Several members continued to strut their skills later in the summer at the U.S. Canoe Association 2008 Nationals in Bristol, Ind.

The Arkansas event was a challenging three-day, eightleg, 120-mile race which started at Bull Shoals dam. The local team members endured the unusually high water and unexpected dense fog during the lengthy ordeal but persevered to a victorious finish just six minutes ahead of their closest competitors, Crew 313 out of Bogalusa, La.

The winning team included Cody Brown of Dardanelle, Aaron Vidusek, Kevin Williams and Thomas Sayger of Russellville. Their official time was 11 hours, 41 minutes and six seconds. Their accomplishment awarded them another claim in the record books as they broke the long-standing (23 years) course record held by Fairbault, Minn.

Crew members Christopher Williams and Jared King, both from Russellville, won the beginner class and teammates Michael Butler and Zack Barefield, also of Russellville, placed fifth. Chris Campbell, Brian Sullins, Michael Norris and David Norris, all of Russellville, represented Crew 300 in the boys aluminum class where they placed second. More than 35 teams from several states participated in the event.

Qualifying members of Crew300 traveled to Indiana in August for the Nationals and met with favorable results in numerous contests. Joshua Sayger, 10, placed third in the C2 Fledgling II class; Mark Sayger, 13, placed second in the C1 Bantam class and his brother Thomas Sayger, 17, placed third in the C1 Man Junior class and won the C2 Bantam class.

The advisers also performed well in the race with Don Walls teaming up with Thomas Sayger to win the C2 Man/Junior class and Mark Sayger to win the C2 Man/Bantam class. Walls also placed third in the C1 Man Master class.

"Our Scouts are really serious," adviser Stephen Lynn said proudly. "Our adults have a lot of experience. We try to teach them the basics. The training and the endurance comes later."

Venture Crew is looking to expand its paddling field to include Oklahoma.

"We're kind of looking at possibly branching off into Olympic paddling, because they have built a really nice course in Oklahoma City with stadium lightsand seating. That's close enough for us to use," Lynn said.

Venture Crews are similar to Scout troops and the Russellville Crew is affiliated with the WestArk Area Boy Scout Council. Venturing is a co-educational program for young men and women ages 14 through 20 and is designed to allow a group of youth to pursue interests that are relevant to them and do it within a supervised atmosphere.

The club meets twice weekly during the warm months at the Russellville Ski area on Lake Dardanelle to work out the muscles used in paddling and develop new techniques. During the off-season membersand advisers break into small groups to hike, bike and lift weights.

For more information on Venture Crew 300 contact Stephen Lynn at (479) 885-1037. For complete results or information about the White River Canoe Race visit www.white rivercanoerace.com. For information and complete results from the US Canoe Association 2008 Nationals visit www.uscanoe.com.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 143 on 09/28/2008