Spokane River Classic makes waves

With a “3,2,1…GO,” over 130 boats took off from the Don Kardong Bridge last Saturday for the Spokane River Classic. By all accounts, the family-oriented race was a resounding success.

All variations of self-powered watercrafts adorned the river as participants spanning generations hit the water. After the race, McKinstry opened up its campus for the event. Participants enjoyed food trucks, a beer garden courtesy of River City Brewing and fish printing for children sponsored by the Spokane River Forum.

The event proved the viability of opening up our urban watershed to recreation. Our region’s enthusiasm for this resource was on full display. Countless walkers, runners and cyclists passing by on the Don Kardong Bridge inquired about how they could learn to paddle board, kayak and canoe on this stretch of the river. With improved access, the sky’s the limit.

To make this event come to fruition, volunteers from Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club devoted countless hours of work. Eleven generous sponsors contributed the event, and Mountain Gear offered one thousand dollars’ worth of raffle prizes. The Spokane River Forum was pleased to provide a social media surge to help registrations exceed all expectations.

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