the alseseca race

In 2008, Aventurec and Liquid Adventures joined together to create Mexico’s premier extreme whitewater kayaking event, The Alseseca Race.   The race was formed to bring attention to the Alseseca River, growing environmental problems and the building of dams in the surrounding Veracruz region.  The race continues to bring in a strong environmental awareness to the region but also has become a yearly stop for many professional world-class kayakers.  The race is divided into two main categories; a short race (1 km) and the long race (just over 2.2 km)

January 14, 2017 marked the 9th annual Alseseca Race.  This year’s race featured fifty-five racers from ten different countries gather on the start line of the Alseseca River.  What made this year so unique was the number of local homegrown Mexican kayakers who were in the list of competitors, but what was truly special was seeing the final results of the local contingency.  They had 8 finishers in the top 10 of the short race and 5 of the top ten in the long race.  Two local siblings, Antonio Reinoso Diaz Barriga and Sofia Reinoso Diaz Barriga swept the long boat category winning both the men’s and women’s category.

Team Calleva had a strong showing with 18 racers competing across the two categories.  20-year-old Beau Burns won the short race for the men, and 16-year-old Alexandra Markoff won the short race for the women.   It wasn’t just about the results on team Calleva this year, but also a multi-generational gathering.  Calleva had the youngest racer in history, George Markoff (10), father Alex Markoff (46), and great uncle Tom McEwan (70) all competing side by side.

The day finishes up with a beautiful closing ceremony in the town center of Tlapacoyan.  All of the racers, volunteers, spectators, and town locals are invited to participate in the celebration.

The vibe was much more electric than in years past with a Ranchera Band, folk dancing, and machete throwers.  The highlight of the night is the presentation of awards and prizes to the winners of each category.  “The Alseseca Race is the perfect clash between celebration and culture,” Alex Markoff.

This year’s race was one for the books.  It continued to help raise environmental awareness for the Veracruz region and brought the local and world kayaking community closer together.  The 10th anniversary of the Alseseca Race is only 353 days away, training starts today!