Logjam Classic canoe race showcases Rouge River improvements

One of the big highlights of the Rouge-A-Palooza festival this Saturday (Oct. 10) in Wayne is the annual Logjam Classic canoe race.

The three-mile canoe sprint that ends at Goudy Park in downtown Wayne cuts through the heart of the Lower Rouge Parkway – undeveloped Wayne County parkland that is starting to show off its beautiful fall colors.

Rich Lauth and Mike Garon, last year’s winners, finished in an impressive 27 minutes, 55 seconds, shaving nearly 10 minutes off the winning time from 2013. They beat 2013 champs Steve Landfair and Westland’s Michael Parsons, who finished in second place, by about five minutes.

According to organizer Kurt Kuban, a dozen teams competed in the race last year.

“I’m hoping we can get a few more teams involved this year,” said Kuban,” who has been helping clean up the Rouge River for more than a decade. “It’s a pretty challenging course, with lots of twists and turns, and a few duck-unders – as we like to call them.

“I know there are a lot of canoeing enthusiasts living in the area. If they’re looking for a challenge, this is it. I’ve canoed the route many times, and I can say the Rouge River is full of surprises.”

Winners will take home a cash prize, as well as trophies made of wood cut from an actual Rouge River logjam. In addition, the winning team will have their names engraved on the Logjam Classic “log.”

Despite the name of the race, however, there are currently no logjams that will cause contestants to get out of their canoes or portage around obstacles, Kuban said.

“We’ve had volunteer crews out there opening up all of the obstacles,” he said.

Rouge-A-Palooza, which focuses on the ecology and recreational aspects of the Rouge River, features live music, food trucks, kids activities and paddling on the Rouge.

The cost to enter is $30 per team. Each contestant will get a Rouge-A-Palooza T-shirt as part of the registration cost. Some of the proceeds will help restoration efforts on the Rouge River.

If you don’t have a canoe, but would still like to participate, Heavner Canoe & Kayak Rental will be renting canoes for the race, as well as during the Rouge-A-Palooza festival which takes place from noon to 10 p.m. at Goudy Park. Contact Heavner Canoe & Kayak Rental at 248-685-2379 to reserve a canoe.

Will you be this year’s champ?

To register your team for the race, or for more information visit https://rougeapalooza.wordpress.com/logjamclassic or call Kurt Kuban at 734-716-0783.