Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race

The first Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race was held on May 21, 1967. Thirty two boats were launched in the inaugural race with fifty one paddlers registered; Sam Stoddard and Jim Robbins finished with the overall best time of 2:52:53 in the 2-Man Canoe class.

Most paddlers bump into submerged rocks, logs or even other canoes. Walter Abbott reported that he and his paddling partner bumped into a different sort of obstacle during the 1972 race: the rotting carcass of a dead cow tangled up in a strainer on the stream somewhere in the vicinity of the Bullseye Bridge. "It was there pretty near all spring." (Editor's question: So where were the actual river vultures in this scenario?)

Concrete canoes, built by University of Maine engineering students, made their debut at the Kenduskeag. Some of the canoes were relatively light, weighing in at a svelte 150 pounds. Personal flotation device required; hernia truss optional!

Tony Trafton, one of the participants of the 1967 inaugural race of the Kenduskeag, attempted to do the race in a bathtub. Yes, a bathtub. As he found the portages "too cumbersome", Tony initiated a clean exit at Six Mile Falls. Mr. Trafton, you see, either threw in the towel or pulled the plug on the 1977 race - depending on which cliché you'd rather swirl down the drain with.

The 13th Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race sees participation top 500 for the first time in its history. (513 to be exact).

With exquisite timing that bordered on the uncanny, two paddlers in a canoe somehow managed to precisely align their arrival at Six Mile Falls with a pizza delivery which they lunched on before continuing down the stream towards Bangor.

Mainers are a hardy lot. While there have been at least four races held during cold and snowy weather since 1967, the Blizzard of 1988 stands apart. Paddlers described the snow-covered trees alongside the stream as "incredibly beautiful" but the conditions caused many problems with frozen limbs, hypothermia, slipping and sliding on portages and complications with timekeeping. "It's hard to time a paddler's finish when you can barely see where they are."

Two paddlers portaged their canoe the entire length of the race, according to Dale Theriault, a former director at Bangor Parks and Recreation. "They didn't put their canoe into the water once." The two hikers who burdened themselves by carrying a canoe between them for an arduous 16.5 miles were awarded a disqualification upon their arrival at the finish line in Bangor.

1994 saw the highest numbers of registered boats and paddlers of any Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race (as of this writing). 745 craft and 1,529 paddlers are registered. This tops the previous record set in 1992 with 745 craft and 1,476 paddlers registered. (See the Race Numbers page for a complete breakdown of race participation since 1967).

Robert Lang of New Brunswick, Canada finished the race in a kayak with a time of 1:50:08 which (as of this writing) remains the fastest time recorded in Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race history.

Testing the strength of the notion held by some that "only kayakers can succeed speed wise in this canoe race", Jeff Owen and Steve Woodard set a new 2-man canoe record with a smashing time of 1:52:30. As of this writing, this is the third fastest time ever recorded on the Kenduskeag. Owen and Woodard were roundly applauded for their showing on the stream by fellow racers, many of whom were kayakers.

William Stearns, paddler, boatbuilder and principle founder of Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Society (1931-2010)

(Also see the entry for Fern & Bill Stearns in Legends of Paddling)

At age 86, he was understandably tired after the race. I helped load and strap down his kayak onto the roof of his car. But that belies his gumption and spirit. Earl whipped many racers who were in their 20s that day, just as he often did at the Kenduskeag! He never quit. Earl was an inspiration. If you are lucky enough to have one of his custom made kayaks, treasure it.

2012 saw some of the lowest water levels ever recorded on the Kenduskeag Stream in spring with just 104 cubic feet per second of water flowing by the gauge at Six Mile Falls on the eve of the race. But "low and slow H2O" failed to dampen the spirits of many paddlers who enjoyed the race even if many described it as "a slog". After all, It's springtime in Maine.

The canoe race was shortened by 1 mile due to high water levels combined with a rising tide which caused clearance problems underneath the bridges in Bangor. The race ended before the Maxfield Mill portage. Paddlers were not able to run any of the rapids closer to Bangor which disappointed some veterans of the race. As one paddler put it, "shame really, looked awful sporty."

For the first time in race history, the Kenduskeag was postponed due to water conditions including ice in the stream. Originally scheduled for April 18, the race was held one week later.

For the first time since it began in 1967, the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race was cancelled. The COVID-19 global pandemic ended the streak of 53 consecutive races.