Ohio River Paddlefest 25th Anniversary
By Ellison Smith
USA SUP Vice President
The LARGEST PADDLECRAFT PARTY in world history was achieved by Adventure Crew in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 1, 2026. 1440 participants! OFFICIALLY AMAZING!
Paddlefest on the Ohio River is organized by ADVENTURE CREW, a non-profit that connects teens to nature and each other through outdoor activities. Congratulations to all the paddlers in attendance, safety personnel, sponsors and volunteers and who helped make this historic event possible! We did it!
OUTDOORS FOR ALL. Paddlefest is Adventure Crew’s largest public fundraiser. Founded in 2013, they raise more than $100,000 each year, providing 9100 hours of outdoor programming for over 900 junior and senior high school students across 33 schools in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Upon arrival in Cincinnati on Friday, I headed to the Outdoors for All Expo, sponsored by Cincinnati MINI. It's a free party that had something for everyone! Exhibits from local parks, outdoor outfitters, adventure experts and environmentally minded organizations. As well as live music, local beer and food trucks.
On Saturday, everyone convened at Schmidt boat ramp to get on the water. First, race directors Adrian Angell and Gerry Seavo James welcomed the crowd and thanked Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval for his support of the event. Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and all the volunteers were also recognized for making the record breaking day possible. Amanda Szarmack and Jerry Tolstyka Jr. along with the race day crew brought the positive vibes and we can't thank them enough for all their contributions. Racers led the way followed by everyone else of all paddlecraft in a mass procession on the river. It was truly a sight to behold. What a time to be alive and serve witness to this day that won't soon be forgotten.
Included in the Paddlefest activities was a SUP race on the Ohio River directed by USA SUP Regional Representative Co-Director and Community Committee member Adrian Angell. Entrants could choose a 15K or celebratory 25K course, commerative to the 25th anniversary.
Originating from the Schmidt boat ramp and terminating at the the Riverside boat ramp, paddlers navigated the river in a west-southwest direction, all while alternating between the cities of Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. I always love paddling in two states during a race and this was the fourth occurrence.
The flow, albeit relatively slow, carried us for a fast and fun ride but not before a brief charge up and around a buoy to get the heart rate up. Soon after the start, Eri Tenório took off well in front and I decided to draft the second closest paddler, Tony Galang, for a short period of time. As things progressed, I then found myself in a battle with Joe Suvak for several kilometers. Under bridges and enduring train bridge alarms, we never gave or took any quarter. Pushing ourselves to the limit, I managed a hard earned place on the podium. Not sure when or if I'll ever have the opportunity to share honors with Eri or Tony again, so I'll savor this one until the next race. USA SUP President Linda McCoy also received a medal for her efforts on the women's podium! Never before had we shared a race day until now.
