Montalba man says he has paddled his last Texas Water Safari (2024)

Joe Hunt, 72, of Montalba, just finished his 20th and what he says is his last Texas Water Safari competition.

The Texas Water Safari is a 260-mile race to Seadrift from the headwaters of the San Marcos River held annually since 1963. It is billed as the “World’s Toughest Boat Race.” Competitors have four days and four hours to paddle the San Marcos River, the Guadalupe River and the Gulf of Mexico coastline.

Hunt’s team, “Current Obsession” was made up of three - John Wooldridge, 28, of Dallas (his son-in-law); James Hunt, 29, of Tomball (his son); and Joe Roppolo, 56, of Dallas.

Montalba man says he has paddled his last Texas Water Safari (1)

Hunt said there were several other East Texans who participated, including Steve Watson and his son, Michael, of Jacksonville, and Luke Parker out of Tyler.

“The worst thing about the race is every section is worse than the one before,” Hunt said. “The first part of the river is clear and beautiful, little rapids and tight turns, small river, thousands of people on the banks. Feels good. Then you get to the lower part of the San Marcos and there are log jams, lots of little dams you have to portage and the boats are heavy and it’s awkward. Then you get in the Guadalupe and the water is very slow water … hot, bakes you. Then you get down to the lower rapids in the Guadalupe and they are kind of fun and refreshing but they don’t last very long. Then you get into the swamps. The swamps go from mile 200 to mile 255 and the last 10 miles is bay front.”

Hunt said the swamps have alligators.

“The bay can be like glass or it can be like it was this past weekend,” Hunt said. “It took us about eight hours to go eight miles. Too choppy to cross. We tried twice and kept flipping.”

Montalba man says he has paddled his last Texas Water Safari (2)

Hunt said they see all kinds of wildlife, including bald eagles, wild hogs, deer, coyotes and a variety of birds.

“I got hit in the face by a frog this year,” Hunt said. “I’ve never had that happen. We pulled the boat into the bank and there was this big bullfrog and he just jumped up at me and hit me right in the face. Strange things happen sometimes.”

Racers must take all equipment with them, and can only receive water, ice and food from their Team Captains on the shore.

There is no prize money, only bragging rights.

This year, for the Safari’s 61st race, there were 159 boats competing June 8-12. Only 109 of those boats finished the race. Hunt said the fastest boat at this year’s race finished in 44 hours.

Hunt said he began canoeing and kayaking with the race in 1973 and did it for seven years.

He said he stopped racing for a while after he got married and had children.

“I was in a bar, wearing a Texas Water Safari T-shirt, when a guy walked over to me and said,‘You done that?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve done that.’ He said, ‘You ever done it solo?’ And I said, ‘No.” And he said, ‘Well, you really haven’t done it.’”

Hunt said he went back and did it solo and got hooked again.

“I wanted to get 10 finishes, and I got 10, and thought, well, I’m still young enough, I can get 10 more,” he said. “I’m retired now, that was it. I’m done.”

Hunt said it took his team 83 hours this year to finish.

“We were in a four-man boat, we try to sleep somebody for 45 minutes when we can,” Hunt said. “I think I got a total of two-and-a-half-hours of sleep over three nights.”

Montalba man says he has paddled his last Texas Water Safari (3)

In order to train for this race, Hunt said he walked a mile or a mile and quarter every day, lifted weights every other day and watched what he ate to stay lean.

“And we paddled a lot,” he said. “We did four training weekends, paddling both days. We do about 40 miles on Saturday and 20 on Sunday.”

To understand the endurance it takes to finish this race, Hunt shared some math.

“We take an average of 45 strokes a minute, over an hour that works out to 2,700 strokes,” Hunt said. “In over 83 hours, that’s 224,000 strokes, at an average lift of 12 pounds, which is what machines tell you you are lifting per stroke, that amounts to the lifting of 2,689,000 pounds per paddler over three days.”

His legs and ankles still featured his race scars on June 14 from what he described as a mixture of chiggers and mosquito bites, along with “grit that gets in your socks and rubs.”

They only stop to get around log jams and to portage the nine dams on the race course.

Hunt said they do everything they can to make the trip comfortable and get into a good mindset, but the reality is the race is brutal.

“You have to look at it as a challenge,” Hunt said. “Something that’s going to be unique, something that is going to be fun. Something that is going to test you. You know it’s going to be miserable. Your hands are going to hurt. Your feet are going to swell. Your back is going to ache. Your muscles are going to hurt everywhere. Your seat is going to hurt, just from sitting and torquing everywhere. We do what we can. We pad the seats. We try to stay hydrated. Cover up in sunscreen and wear hats. But you take a lot of body blows, too.”

Montalba man says he has paddled his last Texas Water Safari (4)

Hunt said he may still do smaller races like the Neches Wilderness Race.

Hunt said the challenges of the river and nature is what made it all worthwhile all these years.

“It’s a great way to test yourself every now and then,” he said.

“Back when I was young, I finished fifth, six, seventh, usually, somewhere in there,” Hunt said. “As I’ve gotten older, it’s gotten much more competitive, more professional. I’ve gotten much, much older and so I can’t really compete with these 20 and 30 year olds. We still beat a few of them.”

Montalba man says he has paddled his last Texas Water Safari (2024)

FAQs

How hard is the Texas Water Safari? ›

“They don't call the Texas Water Safari The World's Toughest Canoe Race' for nothing. In addition to the length, the challenges include whitewater rapids, multiple portages, and the relentless, soul-sapping Texas heat.

How long does it take to complete the Texas Water Safari? ›

About 32 hours

How many miles is Texas Water Safari? ›

The Texas Water Safari is a boat race down waterways from San Marcos, Texas, to Seadrift, Texas. The total distance traveled is 262 miles. Racers must take all equipment needed with them, receiving only medical supplies, food, water, and ice along the way.

What is the hardest canoe race in the world? ›

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – It's referred to as “The World's Toughest Canoe Race,” but its official name is “The Texas Water Safari,” a 260-mile canoe race that starts in San Marcos and ends on the Texas coast. On Saturday, dozens of canoes gathered in Spring Lake for the start of the race.

How much does the Texas Water Safari cost? ›

Entry fee $35 per paddler (race day registration only). Registration begins at 8 a.m. at San Marcos City Park. Cut-off deadline for reaching Hwy 1979 Martindale Bridge is 12 noon.

How deep is the aquifer in Texas? ›

The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and is a major aquifer of Texas underlying much of the High Plains region. The aquifer consists of sand, gravel, clay, and silt and has a maximum thickness of 800 feet.

How many people participate in the Texas Water Safari? ›

The serenity of Spring Lake will get its annual jolt of competitive churn on June 10 when more than 300 racers in 155 canoes line up in the spring-fed waters for the start of the Texas Water Safari, “the world's toughest canoe race.”

Who won the Texas Water Safari? ›

2022 Texas River Marathon Results
FinishBoat #Name
19018Nick Walton Kyle Issendorf Chris Issendorf Tommy Yonley Tim Rask William Russell
22Andrew Condie Ian Rolls Clay Wyatt Gaston Jones Logan Mynar Weston Willoughby
33931Jason Cade Shannon Issendorf Virginia Parker Dodd Yeager
41337Brian Jones Nathan Tart
77 more rows

How do I prepare for the Texas Water Safari? ›

  1. Ask for an appropriate canoe and ZRE paddle for Christmas.
  2. Paddle and practice when convenient (at least 4 times). ...
  3. Prepare your family on the time commitment it will take to race.
  4. Follow up lesson – Depending on your skill will determine if you need a private lesson or a down river course.

How big is Texas water? ›

Texas has a land area of 261,193.9 square miles and a water area of 7,330.9 square miles.

Is San Marcos part of Austin? ›

editorial. San Marcos is a suburb of Austin with a population of 67,143. San Marcos is in Hays County.

How many miles of river are in Texas? ›

Texas has 191,000 miles of rivers and streams. These waters and their associated riparian ecosystems support a rich variety of plants and wildlife. They offer fine fishing and breathtaking scenery.

Is kayaking or canoeing harder? ›

If you're a new paddler, the short answer is: yes, canoeing is harder than kayaking. In no way does that mean you shouldn't give canoeing a try, though…and learn to kayak, too! But if you must choose between the two, most beginners find kayaking easier to learn.

What is the longest canoe trip in history? ›

In 1986, the names of Don Starkell and his son Dana were entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for having completed the longest canoe journey ever, 19,603 kilometres (12,181 mi).

How fast can you canoe down a river? ›

Paddle speed is usually 2 to 3 mph for most people on average over time, on a leisurely non-racing trip. So, river speed of 3 mph + paddle speed of 2 mph = 5 mph total.

How hard is Texas water? ›

Texas is 6th in the nation for statewide average water hardness, and although this varies across the state, our water hardness average is over 200 parts per million. On the hard water scale, a measurement of 200 ppm falls within the very hard water category.

Do safaris have water? ›

Safari camps in remote areas draw their water from boreholes, and then use state-of-the-art filtration systems for further purification. Bottled water is also available.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Arielle Torp

Last Updated:

Views: 5947

Rating: 4 / 5 (41 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arielle Torp

Birthday: 1997-09-20

Address: 87313 Erdman Vista, North Dustinborough, WA 37563

Phone: +97216742823598

Job: Central Technology Officer

Hobby: Taekwondo, Macrame, Foreign language learning, Kite flying, Cooking, Skiing, Computer programming

Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.