Race Info

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Pick up your registration packet and bib at the Barnes Town Hall NO RACE DAY REGISTRATIONS. 

10 Mile Start line bib pick up between 8:15 am - 8:45 am. 

5 Mile Start line bib pick up between  9:15 am - 9:45 am. 

Bring a canned food donation to bib pick up at Barnes Town Hall and receive a free Vatten Paddlar sticker! All food donations will be delivered to the The Barnes Community Church Food Shelf. Items To Bring: canned meat, peanut butter, soups, canned vegetables, cereal, canned fruit. 

• Friday bib pickup:  Barnes Town Hall 
• Saturday morning shuttle pickup:  Clearwater Resort
• 5-mile start:  Middle Eau Claire Lake Boat Landing
• 10-mile start:  Robinson Lake Resort
• Finish line for both races:  Clearwater Resort
• Course Map: 5 and 10 Mile

If needed, shuttle service will be available for participants prior to race start from.  Please contact us ahead of time to make your reservation.  

10 mile race shuttles between 7:40-8:10am. 10 Mile race starts at 9am. 

5 Mile race shuttles between 8:50- 9:20am. 5 Mile race starts at 10am. 

Drop your boat and gear off at your start area and drive back to the finish at Clearwater Resort, 13933 South Resort Road, Gordon, WI. You may need to park on Fowler's Circle, which leads into the resort.  Volunteers will drive you to your respective start line.  

The race finish is located in the channel to Mooney Bay. Take out for the race finishers’ canoes, kayaks and SUPs is at Clearwater Resort.  Please be respectful of the hosts and other participants, load your gear quickly and move your vehicle to designated non-loading parking areas along Fowler's Circle.

10 Mile Race - starts at 9 a.m. at Robinson Lake Resort to Clearwater Resort on Lower Eau Claire Lake.  

​Divisions  

• Pro-Boat Tandem Canoe - Male, Female and Coed 
• Citizen Tandem Canoe - Male, Female and Coed 
• Solo Canoe, Male, Female 
• Sea Kayak/Surfski (over 14ft) - Male, Female
• Kayak/Surfski (14ft and under) - Male, Female 

5 Mile Race - starts at 10 a.m. at Middle Eau Claire Lake Boat Landing to Clearwater Resort on Lower Eau Claire Lake.  

Divisions  

• Kayak/Surfski (14ft and under)- Male and Female Single (note: kayaks/surfskis must be 14' or shorter to be considered for awards in 5 mile race).  
• Citizen Tandem Canoe - Male, Female and Coed 
• Solo Canoe, Male, Female  
• Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) - male and female

$25 Gift Certificate Awards

Best Dressed Award - Paddlers with spirited fashion; costume, outfit, shirt, hat. 

Mighty Masters Award - Top 3 most senior finishing paddlers. 

Vatten Paddlar Spirit Award - Paddlers that support our community event, and mission to have a darn good time.

We invite any vessel that is paddled, if you have a unique vessel we may not have an award category established for you. However, you're more than welcome in the race. Please reach out to us at infovattenpaddlar@gmail.com if you're not sure what division your vessel belongs in, so we can enter you in the proper category. 

VATTEN PADDLAR CANOE / KAYAK / SURFSKI / SUP RACE DIVISIONS

Awards are awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each division. No age divisions.

To be consider for awards canoes most use a single blade paddle. Kayak and surfski divisions are the only divisions with double blade paddles (kayak paddles). 

PRO-BOAT
Pro-Boat Tandem Canoe Male 

Pro-Boat Tandem Canoe Female 

Pro-Boat Tandem Canoe Coed 

*Canoe vessel designed for racing, no pro-boat division in 5-mile race.

CITIZEN TANDEM CANOE 

Tandem Canoe Male 

Tandem Canoe Female 

Tandem Canoe Coed 

*Canoe vessel designed for recreation, most canoes.

SOLO CANOE 

Solo Canoe Male 

Solo Canoe Female 

*All solo canoes, solo pro-boats and solo recreational canoes.

OPEN RACING CLASS

Sea Kayak over 14ft/ Surfski Male 

Sea Kayak over 14ft/ Surfski Female 

*No open racing class for kayak/surfski over 14ft in 5 mile race.

KAYAK/SURFSKI KAYAK UNDER 14FT

Kayak/Surfski 14ft and under Male 

Kayak/Surfski 14ft and under Female 

STAND UP PADDLEBOARD 

SUP Male 

SUP Female 

*No SUP division in 10 mile race.

Watch and cheer Vatten Paddlar participants as they finish at Clearwater Resort in the Mooney Bay channel of Lower Eau Claire Lake. Bring the family and friends to this family friendly post-race gathering.  Free water, fresh fruit and cookies will be available for the race participants on the outdoor patio overlooking the lake.  Please do not bring your own beverages and food as lodge amenities include Beer, Wine Coolers, Pop, Tom & Mel's Famous Rootbeer Floats, Pizza's and Pizza Fries.  Bar is CASH only. 

This year, we are finishing at Clearwater Resort. Thanks so much to the generosity of Tom and Melanie Ruud.

Results will be posted on the Results tab.  You can also review the results archive from prior years there in the results tab of our website. 

All paddlers will need to portage around the lock and dam between Middle & Lower Eau Claire Lakes.  Our amazing portage helpers are back for 2024! The Solon Springs Northwoods Cross Country team will be helping paddlers portage around the dam between Middle & Lower Eau Claire Lakes.

The 10-mile paddlers will encounter some navigation challenges, including fallen trees and shallow water, in the section between Upper Eau Claire Lake and Middle Eau Claire Lake.  There will be signage identifying where to portage.  

Looking for a place to stay?  Barnes and Gordon have several options, including hotels and resorts, short-term rentals, and Mooney Dam County Park and The Enchanted Inn camprounds on Lower Eau Claire Lake.  If you are feeling extra adventurous, you can paddle to the primitive, first-come first-served campsite on Upper Eau Claire Lake's state-owned island.  Make a weekend of it; you won't be disappointed.

We take your safety and that of our volunteers, business partners, and planners seriously. Please review our race rule and severe weather policy to better understand expectations for participants and specific weather situations that may result in cancellation.  If the event is cancelled due to severe weather, your registration will be carried over to the next year (i.e. no refunds).