From the USA to Oberstrogn: great paddling fun on the Strogen

There was a fun paddle boat race with many participants at the Bockhorn holiday program on the Strogen.

Emling - Normally, the Strogen flows with a rather sluggish flow under the bridge from Emling in the direction of the weir at the Oberstrogner mill.

But where usually a pair of ducks quietly swims their lengths, the water was bubbling early on Sunday afternoon: Because Bernhard Molocher had once again invited to the paddle boat race and more than a dozen participants of all ages and boat classes had come.

"I got to know this idea of ​​paddle boat races during a longer stay in the USA," says organizer Molocher from Grünbach, "however, canoes are used there".

Some time ago he brought this fun to his home river, much to the delight of many boating enthusiasts.

After a mandatory break due to Corona and the weather, things started up again this year: the participants came to the Emlinger Bridge, mostly in inflatable watercraft, to compete with others in the wet element race.

Many families were there too, after all this event had also been included in the Bockhorn holiday programme.

"The racing rules are very simple," Molocher explained to the participants, "you start here under the bridge to the weir at the mill.

That's about 1.6 kilometers.

A packet of gummy bears is waiting for each of you on the jetty.

As soon as you have fetched that, the journey goes back to the bridge here and here my helper Christophe Claude then takes the driven time”.

So, mostly fathers had to help inflate the SUPs (stand-up paddles) or rubber boats, while mothers took care of properly put on life jackets and final warnings for their eager-to-drive offspring.

Finally, the various watercraft were placed on the Strogen at a jetty, and small and large sailors were allowed to board them.

Let's go - started in five categories.

"I'm going with my son Julian, who just turned five, we live in said mill right on the water," said Alexander Klar, 38, a little nervous before the tour together.

Ten-year-old Sebastian Kaiser from Grünbach took things more calmly: "This is the second time I've been here with my Crane 290 boat".

And Patrick Steinberger from Oberstrogn made himself comfortable on the blanket he had brought with him: "I prefer to watch when my wife Cäcilia tries her hand at being a captain".

A group of ten from the youth fire brigade Bockhorn with youth warden Björn Landau, who revealed: "We are taking part with a total of four boats, but also made provisions for the celebration afterwards at the grill, with two cases of drinks and 20 sausages", even showed up.

Landau himself has already taken part in the Strogen race three times and finds this idea "really cool".

Of course, like other mothers, fathers, uncles and grandmothers, he cheered on the respective participants, not all of whom seemed familiar with the basics of boating: some struggled with the correct direction of stroke of their oars, others could not agree with the partner in the boat, how they could find their way to gummy bears together and ultimately to their goal.

These ambiguities amused the spectators on the bridge and along the Strogen,

After all, Maria Irl and Vroni Adelsperger, both 15, were the fastest with a time of 19.22 minutes and were able to be celebrated as boat winners.

Only the 41-year-old Matthias Schumacher on his blue SUP (smooth 16 minutes) and the father-son team Klar in the only kayak (14.42 minutes) plowed through the home waters faster.

But they were all winners: they had some unusual fun, perhaps learned something about correct rowing and navigation, had been out and about at a sporty pace in the fresh, not too hot air.

And in the evening the pair of ducks were happy again – a lot of rest, see you next summer.