MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It wouldn’t immediately come to mind that firefighting is a good base for becoming a winning canoe racer, but the last two editions of Kayak 4 KidSport in seem to have proven that true.
For the second straight year a team from the Moose Jaw Fire Department took first place in the annual Corporate Challenge at the event, with the Firefighters 2 team of Rob Halsall and Rod Ansell crossing the line first in the championship race on Saturday afternoon on the Moose Jaw River in Wakamow Valley.
It was the second straight win for Halsall, who joined up with Josh Striha to win the race in 2023.
“As far as supporting KidSport, we’ve done it for a couple of years, and the Fire Department likes to support things like this, (helping out kids). And winning back to back, well, we trained for this all year…” Halsall said before breaking into a laugh with Ansell.
“As a firefighter we’re always staying in shape and working out, so that helps with things like this,” Ansell added as an explanation. “We’re on the boat quite a bit during the year, but the biggest part is just staying in shape.”
The Corporate Challenge saw the highest number of entries yet, with a total of 27 teams of two taking part in the races. Paddlers raced through five preliminary heats before all the heat winners gathered for the championship race.
All told, KidSport Moose Jaw chair John Eberl expects between $12,000 and $13,000 to flow into KidSport coffers because of Kayak 4 KidSport as the event continues to grow and thrive.
“We scrimped and scraped to get a little over $5,000 the first year in 2019, and each year afterwards it’s just continued to build,” Eberl said. “It’s all because of the good will of the community and the fun people have when they’re out there.”
While the Corporate Challenge is the highlight of the event, prior to the races families could pay $10 and receive a mini kayaking or canoe lesson before heading out on the water for a paddle around the river.
“People love to get on the water, and that’s part of it,” Eberl said. “We wanted to do something different from a traditional sport and sometimes folks don’t get a chance to do this because of the cost. So this gives them a chance to try it out and have some fun.”
Participants were also treated to a free barbecue lunch thanks to Co-Op and the Moose Jaw Eks, with the support of the organizations deeply appreciated.
“The Co-Op and the free meal has brought people in, so thanks to them,” Eberl said. “The Co-Op provides sponsorship and the food, and the Elks help out with everything, so it’s a good gig.”
For more on KidSport Moose Jaw and their mission of helping every youngster have a chance to get into sports, visit their website at kidsportcanada.ca/saskatchewan/moose-jaw/.
