I've lost count of the number of times I've been just out of the frame of photographs of the Outdoors, Inc., Canoe and Kayak Race that run in our local media.
Here we have a shot taken at the starting line Saturday by Jim Weber of our daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal. That's winner-to-be Mike Herbert in the middle of the photo, as he should be. Just behind Mike in the red-tipped Epic boat is Chris Hipgrave, the eventual runner-up. Over on the left side of the photo (number 8) is Rick Carter, who went on to finish fourth. Obscured by Rick's head is race director Joe Royer, who's paddling in the bow of a tandem boat with his wife Carol Lee handling the stern.
Where am I? I'm just to Rick's right. Out of the photo. Story of my life. I didn't merit a mention in the newspaper article either.
But you know... it's okay. If my main reason for being a canoe and kayak racer were to feed a craving for public adulation, I'd have starved to death decades ago. To be successful in this sport you have to be happy performing in a venue whose only spectators are fish, birds, turtles, and snakes.
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