Representing the Michigan Canoe Racing Association, Mike Kellogg’s passion for the sport led him all the way to Moama Beach.
A contingent of Australian paddlers visiting Michigan prompted Kellogg to return the favour.
“I had some friends that came to Michigan to race,” he said.
“They’ve been there a few times, we’ve gotten to be pretty good friends, and they invited me out to race.
“I started out at the Hawkesbury (Canoe Classic) with one friend, he’s paddling today here as well, and I’m racing with another friend for this race.
“(I’m) just spreading the wealth.
“They come race with us, so I’m coming over here to race too.”
Kellogg regularly competes around the US as part of the Michigan association, but the Massive Murray Paddle, and the river itself, provided a larger challenge.
“It’s a big river and a lot of work,” he said.
“This is not a little race.”
The five-day format is also unfamiliar; Kellogg’s longest race at home is a one-day non-stop 200km affair, contrasting with the Massive Murray Paddle’s five days and 415km checkpoint-based event.
Event organiser Shannon O’Brien said on Wednesday that Kellogg’s presence could be a big boon for the race in the years to come.
“(Kellogg’s) part of a big racing family, and they specialise in the double canoe type racing, which is really popular here in Echuca,” he said.
“The locals have really embraced that style of racing and have gone over to America a few times to race it, and now they brought Mike over.
“On social media that professional and semi-professional canoeing circuit is following the race right now and so there are hundreds of shares on all of our posts, especially when we put the canoe guys up.
“Hopefully in the next couple of years we’re going to see a lot more of the Americans coming over here for this race because they’re all ultra-distance specialists, so that would be really cool.”
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