Regatta offers cool competition, hot racing in Medicine Park

MEDICINE PARK — It was cool competition Saturday in the hottest race of the year as eight boats battled for bragging rights in this year’s Medicine Park Regatta.

Eight vessels made of cardboard and duct tape duked it out in Medicine Creek for the annual tradition. Racers started at Hitchin’ Post Park and made their way to the finish line at the crossing bridge farther north.

Two vessels battled it out for the Titanic epic sinking award.

Team Viking and a boat called Dragon took two tumbles into the drink while getting ready to race. Finally loaded up and ready to race, a third time into the water took them out of competition just feet from where they started. It was good enough for first in the category.

The day’s youngest competitor, 8-year-old Garrett Ryswyk, did his best to keep his Duck Commander vessel balanced while racing, but fell over soon after launch. While not winning the race, he did receive a second place medal for the Titanic wipeout competition.

“You get a medal for sinking in the drink,” said emcee Scott Pinion.

You see some cool vessels with themes entered in the regatta. Daniel Treadwell was in his craft that looked like an open-mouthed shark. He said he began working on it at 5 p.m. Friday and got it ready for the race by 3 a.m. Saturday.

The work paid off with a third-place finish in the Speed Boat race and, even better, the Best Design top prize. From his first race to the end of competition, Jaws stayed in the water with Treadwell atop, never going under.

After winning their first race, The Healthy Hippie team of Darrell and Kelli Myott brought their boat out of the water. With a papier-mache fish at the tail end and a pinwheel on the bow, joined by the couple’s synchronized paddle technique, they flew down Medicine Creek.

“It’s our trademark,” she said. “Every year we have a pinwheel.”

Was it the pinwheel power? Perhaps. The team won the 2022 edition of the race and came in second in 2023. It would be a repeat runner-up this year as well as they fell to Josh Passi and Max Reed from the Nice Ice Baby team for first.

Passi said their streamlined boat was built with about $100 expense. There were 65 yards of white duct tape over five rolls of the regular stuff. Reed said they got done “pretty quick, like four hours.”

After the end of the championship race where they held onto the Speed Boat crown, Passi channeled his inner Ricky Bobby when asked about the race.

“There was no doubt in my mind,” he said. “The car ran great … hahaha.”

Reed did give credit to The Healthy Hippie Team for a good race.

“They are really great competitors,” he said.

As spectators of all ages lined the Medicine Creek walk during the regatta, shouts of encouragement were joined with voices of those wishing they’d make their own craft. Pinion said they should do it.

“If you’ve been inspired by today’s event, you can build one,” he said.