Here are more from my collection of boater portraits from Friday, the day before the start of the Texas Water Safari.
For more info about why and how I did this and more (even better) examples, please visit Friday’s post!
The cut-off time to finish the 260-mile race is 1 p.m. today. The Victoria Advocate reported that as of late yesterday, 79 of the 103 boats had still not crossed the finish line.
Here we go…
Team mates and fellow Union Pacific Railraod train engineers Chris “Goose” Juarez, 37, (left) and Kc. Boren, 49, both of Victoria, TX, pose with their boat on Friday at Aquarena Center. (The top photo portrays how they’re feeling about this year’s Texas Water Safari.) They call themselves the Choo Choo Rivermen.
“I’ve been talking about it for 10 years,” said Juarez, who will be attempting the race for the first time. “I’m just excited to do it.”
“It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong,” said Boren, who has raced in one other Safari.
Geoff Waters, 43, of Austin stares straight ahead to convey his feelings about this year’s Texas Water Safari. His team captain, David Froelich, also of Austin, joins him in the photo. This is Waters’ fourth attempt at the race, his third attempt in the men’s solo division, and he hasn’t yet finished. “I’m trying to avoid thinking of it as a race,” said Waters. “I just want to finish. I don’t want to go 0 and 4.”
John Bugge, 60, of College Station, shows his thoughts about this year’s Safari with a look of angst as his team, the Geezers, prepare their boat for the Texas Water Safari. The five-man team is made up of men in their 60’s, with Bugge being the youngest, but most experienced as he has finished 32 Safaris and started 34.
“All of us are over 60. I’m the baby,” said Bugge. “We’re looking at coming in in the top five, even though the youngsters are pretty serious.”
Amy Boyd, 39, of San Marcos (left) and Debbie Carpenter, 41, of Grapevine pose for a photo with their boat on Friday at Aquarena Center while prepping for the Texas Water Safari. This is their first attempt at the Safari and they call themselves the Pitchpole Pirates. The term pitchpole refers to a boat when it’s stern pitches forward over it’s bow, much like what happened during their training, said Carpenter.
“We prepared as much as we could have and the rest is in someone else’s hands,” said Boyd. “I feel like I did my homework. I feel like an A student.”