Gaylord friends Tuszynski, Doederlein tackle AuSable Canoe Marathon

GRAYLING — When one thinks of hobbies, it is easy to picture something relaxing. Yet, some hobbies are all about physical activity. One such hobby — canoe racing — was on display full-force at this weekend’s Grayling to Oscoda AuSable River Canoe Marathon.

Bernie Tuszynski, 58, of Gaylord, has been a member of the Michigan Canoe Racing Association for 29 years.

While he likes the way canoe racing keeps him in good physical shape, he says the camaraderie plays a big role in why he continues to race.

Tuszynski has completed a number of races over nearly three decades and even worked with some of the best paddlers in the circuit.

“I paddled with Al Widing, Sr. for a while,” Tuszynski said, laughing. “He wore me right out.”

Widing is a veteran paddler, who at 90 years old this year, has set various records in some 40 marathons.

Tuszynski started canoeing just for pleasure, a recreation which eventually drew him to racing. He typically competes in 12 to 13 races a year. One of his sons now also races.

Tuszynski also passed along his love of the sport to fellow Gaylord resident Scott Doederlein, 40.

A teacher at Gaylord Middle School, Doederlein first met Tuszynski when he taught his sons. The two men then ran across each other while they were paddling on Otsego Lake a few years ago. Tuszynski encouraged Doederlein to enter canoe racing and since then has served as his mentor.

“He took me from terrible to just bad,” Doederlein joked.

Before meeting Tuszynski, Doederlein had done a lot of kayaking. He and his family often took vacations on the AuSable, which usually coincided with canoe race week in Grayling. A couple years ago, they met some paddlers from out of state who were training for the race. The racers allowed his daughters to get inside their racing canoe and try out the paddles.

Soon his daughters were hooked on canoe racing and wanted to follow the racers they had met during the marathon.

The paddlers also touched Doederlein himself. By this time, he had done some smaller races and enjoyed them. Now, he started to consider the possibility of entering the most grueling canoe race in the Triple Crown.

Doederlein has been racing for just three years as Saturday marked his first entry into the Canoe Marathon. He was teamed with Kevin Murphy, 52, of Grayling.

It was the eighth race for Tuszynski, who joined forces with Jim Anderson, 60, of Fort Wayne, Ind.

The race is a 120-mile jaunt from Grayling to Oscoda. It begins with a gunshot at 9 p.m. on Saturday and ends with the playing of the William Tell Overture for each finisher some 14 to 18 hours later. Not every team who enters the race finishes.

Along the route, a support crew chosen by the paddlers brings food, drink, extra equipment and even over-the-counter pain relieving medication. The crew wades into the water. As their team slows down and moves closer to the bank, essentials are dropped into the canoe and the paddlers continue on their way.

Like any sport, canoe racing includes some significant dedication to training. Training for the race includes about eight to 10 hours on the water every week plus weight training, bicycling during warm months and cross-country skiing in winter.

While he enjoys the competition and the opportunity to be in the outdoors, Doederlein says it is really the people involved who have kept him involved.

“They’re a great group of people,” Doederlein said. “The other paddlers and their families were so welcoming to us when we started out. And they continue to be helpful and encouraging when we meet up at races.”

On Saturday night, Tuszynski and Anderson started out among the first 20 canoes of more than 80 teams which entered the race. Unfortunately, they would have to drop out at Mio Dam in the early hours of Sunday morning because of an injury.

Doederlein and Murphy completed the race in Oscoda, coming in at 16 hours and 32 minutes, placing 65th.

“We did well for our first time,” Doederlein said. “We had some fog trouble during the night. But there were people around every corner cheering us on. It just made us want to paddle harder.”