Texas Water Safari stories have reached the level of urban myth, but most are true.

When you paddle in the Texas heat for up to 100 hours without stopping–except to take on water and get encouragement from your road team–you are tired, dehydrated and probably delusional. When you add paddling an unknown river at night, dodging alligator gars that jump into your boat, surviving attacks by mosquitoes and fire ants, navigating log jams or bypassing them by walking through alligator infested swamps, worrying about nests of water moccasins in the river and stingrays in the bay, you have a classic tale of horror. Read a tale or two of horror here.

Why would anyone canoe over 260 miles, portaging at least 20 obstacles, paddling through numerous rapids, and, finally, fighting the currents and chop across San Antonio Bay? There are many reasons. Extreme sports folk enter the race because it exists. Cancer survivors enter to celebrate life. Teams race competitively, year after year, to keep their edge. Families do it to teach their children survival skills. Women race to compete in a man’s world. What is your reason? Think of one and come to Texas the second weekend in June.

Eileen