05/22/2010 - Dog Paddle Races

Launch: Dog River Park (Formerly Luscher Park)

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1) Taken on the way back to Dog River Park after setting out race buoys.

2) Around 20 racers participated in the Dog Paddle 4 mile race. It is sad to see so little participation in a local kayaking event on such a beautiful day. It would not surprise me at all if the organizers decided to quit putting this event together. (Update: The Dog Paddle organizers did decide to stop putting on the annual Dog Paddle Races.)

3) It didn't matter if you were a serious racers or a recreational kayaker, fun was had by all. Here were some kayakers getting ready for the 1/2 mile Fun race.

4) The boat and kayak launch area.

5) After the kayak races were over, a group of local black kids ransacked the pavilion area wasting at least a case of the event's good water bottles by throwing them at each other - FULL, and opening them up and slinging the water out at each other, too. 

6) I asked one of the hoodlums, "Y'all are going to clean up your mess, right?" The answer was, "Yes" as they proceeded to disappear. They must feel like a million bucks knowing they are free and can do whatever they want to piss off the white people.

There are a lot of people who have spent significant time and effort to make Dog River Park a nicer and cleaner park and the park gets trashed before the event is even over? Can't blame this trash on a rain event. Dog River Park doesn't stand a chance against the uncaring people who trash it with pride. My deepest sympathy goes to the Parks department and City employees whose job it is to clean Pig Park. I think Pig Park aka Dog River Park aka Luscher Park aka Navco Park should be abandoned as a lost cause. Let the locals wallow in their sty. Precious city resources should be spent elsewhere. The alternative would be to fence it in, have armed on-site security personnel to keep the riffraff out and enforce the park rules, and lock it up at night.