We are pleased to announce that the 5th Annual Short’s to Short’s Paddle will take place on Saturday, May 18th, 2013. As this event has grown, we have continued to make adjustments to keep it safe and enjoyable for all participants. Registration for this year’s event will be housed on our new event website: www.shorts2shorts.com. To ensure that we can continue to present this event into the future, we are announcing some big changes for this year.
New Date: Saturday May 18, 2013
Previously linked with our Anniversary party at the end of April, this event now stands on its own. We chose Saturday, May 18th because it is the last Saturday before Memorial Day Weekend. Having the event a few weeks later than in the past will mean warmer air and water temperatures, longer daylight hours, easier recruitment of safety boat volunteers, and more time for our paddlers to get in shape for this epic adventure. We still wanted to have the event before Memorial Day weekend because there will be significantly less boat traffic on the water, and fewer docks along the shorelines.
Event Fee & Registration Deadlines
This year, we are charging a fee to participate in this event. Along with event entry, your payment gets you an event t-shirt, a custom pint glass, a custom event logo sticker, course maps, and other swag from our sponsors. This will help us cover some of our growing costs associated with this event. All remaining proceeds will be donated to the non-profit groups that devote their time to care for the lakes and natural areas that the Short’s to Short’s Paddle traverses. Learn more about the Three Lakes Association or the Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association. We also feel that having a fee associated with participation will weed out people who are not serious about the event. To this end, we are also cutting off registration weeks before the event date. This will give us time to prepare for the volume of participants who sign up. Note: should the event be completely cancelled due to weather, we will refund half of your entry fee.
Upgrades To The Max
Other upgrades to this year’s event will include a secure kayak and gear drop off area the night before the event. We’re also aiming for smoother event-day check-in, thanks to the elimination of same-day registration. We’re adding a carpeted laun ch area for launch efficiency and the protection of high-end boats. You may also register for independently operated livery shuttle services from Shel-Haven Canoe Rentals of Grayling, Michigan in advance or on event day.
We are hard at work planning for this event to make it the best and safest that it can possibly be. Continue to monitor www.shorts2shorts.com for updates. We look forward to seeing you in May!
– SBC Event Staff
