Winners: WWALS Boomerang 2018-11-03

Here are the winners of the WWALS Boomerang paddle race, from Georgia at State Line Boat Ramp in Lowndes County past Brooks County, into Madison and Hamilton County, Florida and back again. Everybody had fun and wants to do it again next year. We’re thinking of billing it also as a Georgia-Florida contest. Lots more pictures and videos are being posted.

Winners cropped, Winners
WWALS Boomerang Winners, by Jay Blanton of Georgia Photography Fanatic

Thanks to everybody who paddled and who helped, especially to our sponsors and vendors: Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA), Keep Lowndes-Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB), Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, Boy Scouts of South Georgia, NWXpeditions, VSU CORE, South Georgia Photography Fanatic, the YMCA, and The Salty Snapper, and to the UPS Store for making a great race banner for the WWALS Boomerang 2018, as well as to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department for providing a deputy.

at UPS Store, Banner
Photo: John S. Quarterman, of the WWALS Boomerang banner at the UPS Store.

The other pictures in this blog post, except as otherwise noted, are by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS.

Table of Paddlers and Winners

Follow the links for pictures of each winner, as well as many more pictures on the WWALS website. Click on any small picture to see a larger one.

Place Time Name Category Award Watershed WWALS
Watersheds		 City County State
WWALS Results
1. 1:30:39 Tom Potter 1 M Kayak Overall Winner Withlacoochee inside Valdosta Lowndes GA
2. 1:44:26 Peyton McKenzie 1 M Kayak Solo Male Kayak Duck outside Manchester Coffee TN
3. 1:45:38 Dylan Phillips 1 M Kayak Best Teenager Little inside Hahira Lowndes GA
4. 1:53:16 Dan Phillips 1 M Kayak Best Posthole Digger Little inside Hahira Lowndes GA
5. 1:54:41 Chip Battle 1 M Paddleboard Solo Male Paddleboard Flint outside Albany Dougherty GA
6. 1:58:34 Bret Miller 1 M Paddleboard Top Outfitter Little inside Barney Brooks GA
7. 2:20:42 Jaree Bush 1 F Kayak Solo Female Kayak Withlacoochee inside Valdosta Lowndes GA
8. 2:20:58 Dallas Bush 1 M Kayak Top Dad Withlacoochee inside Valdosta Lowndes GA
9. 2:22:07 Myron McKenzie 1 M Kayak Fartherest Obion outside Rutherford Gibson TN
10. 2:22:22 Jessica Gault 1 F Kayak Fartherest Obion outside Rutherford Gibson TN
11. 2:24:53 Eliza McKenzie 1 F Kayak Youngest Girl Age 6 Withlacoochee inside Valdosta Lowndes GA
12. 2:26:55 Zavier McKenzie 1 M Kayak Youngest Age 4 Withlacoochee inside Valdosta Lowndes GA
13. 2:27:17 Bobby McKenzie 1 M Kayak Last Withlacoochee outside Valdosta Lowndes GA
13 Boats 
11 kayaks
 canoes
2 paddleboards 		13 Paddlers
10 male
3 female 		 3 Categories
8 Solo Male Kayak
3 Solo Female Kayak
2 Solo Male Paddleboard 		16 Awards  5 Watersheds
6 Withlacoochee
3 Little
2 Obion
1 Duck
1 Flint 		 2 
8 inside
5 outside 		 5 
8 Lowndes
2 Gibson
1 Brooks
1 Coffee
1 Dougherty 		 6 
6 Valdosta
2 Hahira
2 Rutherford
1 Albany
1 Barney
1 Manchester 		 2 
10 GA
3 TN

All the first adults coming in went the full three miles down and three miles back. The Bushes went part way, and possibly so did some of the other youngest people. We will have people stationed at the turnarounds next year to record who goes how far.

Thanks to the others who helped, including Bret Wagenhorst for bringing the timeclock and the Finish banner: don’t forget the BIG Little River Paddle Race, April 27, 2019, at Reed Bingham State Park, between Adel and Moultrie, Georgia.

Thanks to Sara Jay and Shirley Kokidko for tabulating the results, to Dan Phillips and Scotti Jay for digging the hole, planting the post, and attaching the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) signs to it.


Dan Phillips planting the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) sign post, photo by Scotti Jay

Thanks to Phil Hubbard for printing those signs.


The new Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) signs at State Line Boat Ramp, photo by Bobby McKenzie

Thanks to Ronnie Thomas, the new Chair of the Outings Committee, for assisting final preparations online and on the water.

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman for starting the race, videoing the results, and handing out the awards.

Thanks also to any one I have neglected to mention.

Special thanks to Bobby McKenzie, whose idea it was, and who worked tirelessly to make the WWALS Boomerang happen.

Everybody cropped, Everybody
Everybody still at WWALS Boomerang after the awards, by Jay Blanton of Georgia Photography Fanatic

Other pictures have already been posted, mostly on the facebook event for the WWALS Boomerang. Here are links to those photosets and a few selections from them:

  • Bret Miller


    Gretchen Quarterman and Shirley Kokidko at the WWALS booth


    Loading up afterwards

  • Gretchen Quarterman


    No Worries Expeditions (NWXpeditions)


    NWXpeditions


    Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia


    VSU CORE


    Shirley Kokidko and Sara Jay organizing registration at the WWALS booth


    Boats ready to go.


    Suwannee Riverkeeper aircraft carrier returning

  • Bobby McKenzie


    Mile Marker 1


    Mile Marker 2

    Mile Marker 3: turnaround

  • Scotti Jay


    Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia


    VSU CORE


    NWXpeditions


    Festive on the boat ramp


    Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and the new WWALS trolling boat


    Jay Blanton, the Georgia Photography Fanatic, with a drone on the Suwannee Riverkeeper aircraft carrier


    WWALS Boomerang 2018 banner

More pictures and videos are still to be posted.

For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!