The third-annual Citizens Race, a competition for amateur paddlers on a calm section of the Tuckasegee River, is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10.

Participants are timed as they paddle canoes, kayaks or stand-up paddle boards through nine slalom gales, which are plastic poles hung over the water about three feet apart, on a flat section of the river off Old Cullowhee Road. Canoes, life jackets and paddles will be provided for participants who do not have their own equipment.

Entrants may get a feel for the water and boats from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, as they practice the course.

“This event is to show that the downtown area of Cullowhee can be used for river recreation, and is a fundraiser for the planned park between the dam and the bridge,” said Maurice Phipps, a parks and recreation management professor and member of the Cullowhee Revitalization Endeavor, or CuRvE. “It is designed to be a community event — a citizens race for families, individuals, kids and students.”

The race is sponsored by WCU’s Parks and Recreation Management program and Parks and Recreation Management Club and Base Camp Cullowhee. Registration is $5 per person, and registration forms (one per boat) are available at Base Camp Cullowhee.

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