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2004 Cheat Race

Individual Results     Class Winners     Team Results

Cheat Race Summary 2004 Article by Rick Gusic with photos by Chris Herring Just when you thought a race couldn’t get any bigger, the Cheat Canyon Downriver Race surpassed all expectations again this year. By the time things were all said and done, 101 racers would be lining up for the infamous ‘mass start’ race. This year’s race would also see a slight ‘bump’ in the water level too. By the time the race started, the Cheat River was flowing slightly above the 3.0 mark, as measured by the route 26 bridge gauge. A definite tough level, as the Cheat river’s hydraulics are starting to get sticky and form once the levels get into the 3 and up range. The last time the levels got this high, action broke out at Big Nasty and this year would be no different. The first casualty would be long time place-winner Rick Gusic, who would take an early pounding in the hole and end up swimming out. With over a hundred racers in the race, Rick quickly fell quite a ways back in the pack by the time he got back in his boat. Others weren’t so lucky, including Scott Dobson who also took an early swim. Scott decided to hike out though and thus began his post race drinking a little early. Sometimes it’s not who wins the race, but who gets to the keg first!

Once past the excitement at Big Nasty, the pack would move downstream towards some of the other big rapids. Pulling out in front of everyone would be a newcomer. DC native Geoff Calhoun (59:52) racing in his first ever Cheat Race. Geoff, racing a glass wildwater boat, would slowly pull away and surprise past champions Jess Whittemore (1:01:09 – 2000 champ) and Steve Kauffman (1:05:15 – 2001 & 2003 champ) Geoff shocked the crowd and quickly established himself up with other legends from the race. Congratulations Geoff! Hot on the heels of the above three racers would next be a group of boaters all racing in the ‘B’ division. Coming in at 1:05:15 would be slalom racer Jason Beakes, finishing 1st in the division and 4th overall. Right behind Jason would be Steve Geissler and Rodney Rice.

In the ‘C’ boat division (boats between 10’ and 12’6”), fireworks would be going off. Two time B division medalist Nate Ober decided to drop down to the C class, going against last year’s Champion David Knox and previous C boat medalists Bob Gedokoh and Rocky Rockwell. In the end, Nate Ober would take the title, finishing in a time of 1:09:08. Knox would finish in second, with a time of 1:11:07. Coming out of no- where would be Travis Cowles for the 3rd spot. In the women’s classes, 2002 Champ Heather Rau would return to form and claim the women’s overall title and B class title, with a time of 1:14:33. Ashely Nee would win the women’s C class title and Audrey Grafou winning the D title. Other class winners would include the unstoppage team of Pete and Tim Daly in the K2 division, their fifth title. Steve Frazier, winning his sixth consecutive open canoe title. Warren Wick would take home the C1 title. Last but certainly not least amongst individual award winners was the men’s ‘D’ class. In kind of a surprise, two newcomers would knock out last years Champ, paddler Dave Shannon, pushing him all the way to third. Winning this division would be Steven Greybill, paddling a Dagger Piedra, with a time of 1:15:14. Right behind Steve, only 14 seconds behind, would be Jonathan Fishbein, also paddling a Dagger Piedra.

The last set of awards, presented at the post race party, would go out to the winning teams, who were competing in the team competitions. 17 teams would enter the race this year, setting a new record. Three divisions were used as in two of them, it was the past repeating itself. In the pro division (teams that had any wildwater boats), the Little Falls Wildwater Club would win. In the Company division, Team Mountain Streams would win (again), beating four other groups. The most heated division would again be the Club competition. 11 teams would be formed, from six different clubs. Yet again, it was the Kent State Kayaking Club edging out the Three Rivers Paddling club., 60 to 94 (low score wins) Many thanks to all for making the 9th annual Cheat Canyon Race a resounding success. Special thanks go out to Rocky Mountain Kayak, Mountain Streams, and the Friends of the Cheat for all their continuing support that they provide each and every year. See you next year! year when the race will be shooting for 100 contestants!