2025 River Rat Paddle Challenge
The Bayou Chapter had a great time at the River Rat Paddle Challenge this year. Barbie found us a Bayou Bandit fight song and we entertained ourselves as much as the crowd at packet pickup in Alley Park. We then gathered at Flying Heart to carb up on some pizza. Some members then got adventurous and paddled Bayou DeSiard in almost total darkness.
Saturday brought the famous race but only Mark Robinson and Thomas Chapple tackled the 8-mile challenge. The other 11 Bayou Bandits gamely took on the 3-mile Mini Mouse meander. Roy O’Neal continued his streak as oldest paddler and along with his son Ted did not finish last this year. Mark Robinson was our only team member who had a podium finish
Thanks go to Melissa Leporati for her lodging and culinary services and her willingness to help anyone she sees in need. Thanks to Mark Robinson for his sponsorship generosity and for striving to always bring home a podium finish for the Bayou Bandits Special thanks go to BCOS members Stephanie Herrmann and Steve Birmingham for their commitment to the organization, preparation and execution of this project.
Extra special thanks go to Stephanie for procuring and pulling together a poster signing session for BCOS member and River Rat Hall of Famer Dick Maxwell who couldn’t attend this year.
As always it was a great event with great people for a great cause.
