Every Wednesday night, from start to end of Daylight Saving’s Time, dozens of kayakers and canoers gather at Bloedel Donovan Park on Lake Whatcom to socialize and RACE!

The race follows a 3.5-mile course around the edge of the lake in “Basin 1″ as it’s called. If you’re new, it’ll take you a time or two to really learn the turns (there are 7 of them) but it’s easy to follow the pack of sometimes 60+ boaters.

Most people get there about 5 p.m. and unload, then get a warm-up paddle before the race starts. At 6 p.m. the first boats take off, with faster racers leaving later and later — the idea being that there will be a convergence at the finish line, back in front of the park.

Heather and I have been racing Wednesday Nighter’s since 2004, and consider it some of the best fitness and race-strategy learning opportunities out there. Even if you’ve never raced a kayak or canoe before, bring your boat, come on out and meet the gang. It’s a bunch of great, outdoor loving people and I highly recommend it!

Here’s a video just posted on Experience NW with Deb Slater, featuring Heather and Hayden a good handful of our other friends out there at the races:

Wednesday Night Paddle from ENW Community Update on Vimeo.