Ocean to Ocean paddlers ensure a good news day for Panama
By Dafydd Young
Sunday April 17,was a good news day for Panama. While thousands ot citizens were relaxing on beaches or patios, 392 hardy paddlers of all ages drove 98 cayuco’s (canoes) across the finishing line in Diablo.
They had completed the final 13- mile leg of the three day 41-mile Nissan Ocean to Ocean event that started in Colon on Friday April 15, and ended early afternoon Sunday, after a grueling lap under blazing sun until they neared the end.{jathumbnail off}
Each cayuco was manned by four paddlers who had trained throughout the year and qualified to compete in the world’s only ocean to ocean race, from the Atlantic to the Pacific across the Panama Canal.
In the amateur sporting world there is a saying, “It’s not whether you won or lost, but how you played the game,” and this event was a true example. Participating and finishing was everything and at the docking ramp as competitors hugged each other, bailed out their canoes, and waved to friends and other competitors, there was a bonhomie often absent from the professional sports mantra
“Winning is everything” (or the only thing).
Supporters too were involved, with groups of muscular young men striding into the water to help carry the canoes away from the canal waters they had paddled at high speed for three arduous legs.
It's something Robert Baden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts would have understood, But forward looking as he may have been, it's unlikely he could have ever dreamed that his earlier initiative, launched seven years before the canal was finished, could have led to one of Panama's most celebrated sporting events.
The ocean to ocean paddling tradition began in 1954 when Fred Wonsend of the Panama Canal Company had the idea of taking a group of explorers from the Boy Scouts of America to meet an idigenous community on the Chagres River.. While learning about the culture and traditions of the native Indians, they learned how to use the cayuco, and from that developed races between themselves.. The idea of the cross canal event was born, and over 57 years has become an international competition organized by the Balboa Paddle Club.
The crowd that turned out to wait for the paddlers to appear, was the biggest I
had seen in the last seven years, and the standard back -of-a truck ghetto blaster was replaced by police musicians who blew hard and well.
A stand selling attractive carrying bags made from recycled plastic was well patronized, and one of the sellers told me that they will soon be avaialble at Riba Smith. And of course, as always the Shriners were there cooking and serving hamburgers to a crowd that at times had over a 100 people waiting in line.
Below are the ones who took the honors, but everyone who wielded a paddle, lifted a boat, blue a horn, served the hungry or thirsty or just turned up to cheer was a winner and contributed to a good news day in Panama.
The honor crews
Godspeed,took top honors in the open male category, with a time of 5:07.57, followed by J-Rock and Akua,
Chava was first across in the young men’ (14- 21 years) section with a time of 5:17.17. followed by John Bate and Due Process II.
Deception with a time of 5:45.48. took top honors for women. Second and third place went to Misbehavin and Valkyries,
while in the juvenile section Mischief took first place with a time of 6:08.55 followed by Gato Solo and Diablo.
In the co-ed categories, Misconception was crowned in the open, with a time of 5:20.34 and Mokualii, timed at 5:44.03. won the Juvenile with Fas 2 Basssecond and Golden Frogs third.
