The Texas Water Safari, an annual event, has been dubbed “The World’s Toughest Boat Race.” Participants have to carry everything they’ll need with them while battling the Texas heat—here’s what it’s like to take it on.
When most people think of Texas, they might imagine the harsh landscapes that they’ve seen in movies—flat deserts pockmarked by cacti, mesas, and buttes. Although certain areas of West Texas look like a scene from a spaghetti Western movie, most of Texas is made up of thousands of hills. natural springsOne competition lets you experience the beauty up close and personal, with a dash of sweat, elbow grease, and danger. One competition lets you experience the beauty up close and personal—with a dash of sweat, elbow grease, and danger.
Since 1963, the annual Texas Water Safari is held every year. It has become an important part of the Texas tourism industry. Central Texas’s outdoor culture. The tour begins in San Marcos, Texas and proceeds 260 miles along a series, coastal town of Seadrift. The race will take place from 13 to 17 June this year. Most racers need several days and nights to prepare for the race.
Ashley Landis/Texas Water Safari
Allen Spelce said that the Texas Water Safari Board has a lot of lore, not only in Central Texas, also nationally and globally. There’s no other experience like it anywhere in the world. We do not offer any prize money. “People do this race to be able to brag about it, and that is a big part of the appeal.”
The race starts in Aquarena Spring, the clear, crystal-clear water of the San Marcos River. This area is normally off-limits for boats and canoes. The springs contain several threatened and endangered species such as Texas wildrice, the Texas blind salamander, and fountain darters. Safari participants are exempted from this rule.
Hundreds of spectators line the banks of the river to witness the beautiful chaos of the first few miles. Paddlecrafts are designed to withstand the shallow, rocky Texas rivers. They can carry up to six people. But the cypress-lined banks of the San Marcos River are a deceivingly serene backdrop for the muddy, brutal miles participants have ahead of them—there’s a reason that the Texas Water Safari has earned its reputation.
Many ultra-endurance boats races in the U.S. are longer than Texas. In terms of distance, the Missouri River 340 and Great Alabama 650 are all longer than the Texas Water Safari. The race is made difficult by a variety of factors. The race takes place in June during the Texas summer when temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Racers have to avoid more rocks and current when Texas is experiencing a drought.
Participants must also carry all the supplies they need, with the exception of food, medical supplies and water. These are provided by team leaders at checkpoints. Paddlers should be on the lookout for wildlife as they paddle under the hot sun. You may see alligators and alligator gars in the Central Texas section of the race. Also, there are poisonous snakes such as water moccasins. The Safari’s last miles will take you near the coast where you can see stingrays as well as bull and tiger sharks. If that wasn’t enough for the racers, they can go as long as three or even four consecutive nights without sleeping.
Ashley Landis/Texas Water Safari
Kaari Gerber has finished the race three time. “When I paddle I enter a world where the outside is turned off,” she says. It allows me to remember I am a human being, using my five senses and alive. “In the normal, busy world, we tend to forget about all of that.”
Safari is addictive, and it can be meditative. People often race the Safari multiple times despite the terror, pain and lack of sleep.
John Harras says that people who are in the river keep returning because they get a part of the river on them every time. Texas Water Safari Hall of Fame. It changes your life.
