Red River 200 Overall Fastest Known Paddle: 1D, 4H, 48M

(also 1st Solo Male FKP)

Sean Stoesz, age 48, of Lockport, Manitoba

September 23-24, 2023

Boat: Epic 18X Sport

Supported

Start: Emerson Boat Ramp, Emerson, MB 6am September 23rd.

Finish: Half Moon Boat Ramp, Lockport, MB 10:38am September 24th (Sean finished 1.2 km short of this ramp, in his backyard, so we added 10 minutes to his time; anyone who wishes to break this FKP will need to go all the way to the ramp and beat a time of 1D, 4H, 48M which was set in low/slow water.)

Google Map of the Course

Trip Report from Sean Stoesz:

I’ve made a habit of putting in long days for my birthday in recent years so on September 9th, 2023 I set out to paddle from the Canadian border to Lockport along the Red River.

Total distance is 200kms from the boat launch in Emerson to the boat ramp at Half Moon in Lockport. The beauty of this stretch is that there are no portages required.

I had this particular paddle on my mind for a while but didn’t actually commit to attempting it till the week of. Likely not adequate time to prepare for this length of a paddle but weather conditions looked favourable with slight south winds and zero precipitation in the forecast so I decided to go for it. Despite being at the last minute I was fortunate to convince Brad Friesen to join me for the first 100kms, having someone along for conversation is a huge bonus on ventures like this.

I was also very lucky to have Steven Walker volunteer to drop Brad and myself off at the put-in for 5:00 am. Shuttle drivers are the unsung heroes for ultra paddles!!
We dropped Brad's car off at the boat launch in St Agathe (start of the Red River 100) and made our way to Emerson.

We put on at 6:00 am and made our way downstream. Levels were very low and when the southern portions of the Red get low it creates rapids in a couple of spots. We were familiar with this as we had encountered them in previous excursions but they still provided for some excitement.

Temperatures got unseasonably warm and I experienced some cramping which was likely due to not being adequately hydrated so when we arrived in St Agathe I ran into the gas station and grabbed some extra liquids/ electrolytes.

The sun was setting as I departed St Agathe and I said farewell to Brad . I was welcomed back to the water by a massive flock of Canadian geese who due to the darkness would wait till I was almost on top of them to honk and slap their wings on the water and head downstream. This is something that would continue through the night as I basically kept chasing them to the city of Winnipeg. In the darkness this and beaver tails slapping tend to scare the crap out of you. A little hard on the heart but aids in keeping you awake!!!

The sun was starting to rise as I approached St Vital park (start of the Red River Paddle Challenge) so I stopped at the dock and enjoyed an energy drink. I was really struggling to stay awake at this point as I had now been awake for roughly 28hrs. My pace was taking a big hit as well but the finish line was only 44kms away!!

I had recently moved to a house on River Road and have access to the river. It’s 1km shy of Half Moon but logistically it made sense to take out at my place. My wife Sheri was waiting on the shore as I arrived and she was a sight for sore eyes!! She helped me carry my kayak up the bank and made me an amazing breakfast.

I had been on the water for over 28.5 hours, which was the total trip time from when I put on to when I took out (this includes all breaks/stoppage). I would like to submit this as a FKP for the route described above as I would love to encourage others to get out and experience the joy that comes out of pushing oneself mentally and physically. As well as the moments that come from what the mighty Red River can provide.

Looking forward to seeing someone beat it!!