NEW YORK – Quebec’s Guillaume Blais and Michigan’s Mike Davis kicked off the 2025 Triple Crown of Canoe Racing in dominant fashion, powering to victory at the 63rd General Clinton Canoe Regatta on Sunday, May 25.
In front of a packed and passionate crowd, the defending champions charged through the 70-mile course in 7 hours, 18 minutes, and 6 seconds. Building on their 2024 momentum—where they captured wins in Michigan and Quebec—this latest triumph marks their third straight Triple Crown race victory and cements their status as the team to beat this season. Last year, they finished third in this very race, but this time, they left no doubt.
Finishing just over a minute behind were 2024 General Clinton winners Wesley Dean of Traverse City, Michigan, and Logan Mynar of New Braunfels, Texas, with a time of 7:19:17. Close behind in third place were Weston Willoughby of Traverse City and Travis Mecklenberg of Grayling, Michigan, who finished in 7:19:42—just 25 seconds behind second place. Rounding out the top five were Christophe Proulx of Shawinigan, Quebec, and Chris Issendorf of New Braunfels, Texas, at 7:20:07, and Michigan paddlers Ryan Zaveral and Dane Trudgeon in 7:20:51.
Longtime competitor and race observer Jeff Pedersen noted, “The lead changed several times throughout the day. The competition was intense and the battles for position continued across the field. It was a very fun race to watch.”
In the mixed-team division, Rebecca Davis of Homer, Michigan, and Ryan Stepka of Cantley, Quebec, led the field, finishing 8th overall in 7:30:19. Cecili Bugge and Danny Medina of Roscommon, Michigan, were second in the division and 10th overall. Defending mixed champions Eve Chamberland of Quebec and Michael Schlimmer of New York placed third in the division and 11th overall. They were followed closely by Sarah Lessard of Quebec and Adam Gelinas of Massachusetts.
The top women’s team was Jessica Kozarek of Minneapolis and Emma Kennedy of Brooklyn, New York, who finished 53rd overall in 8:38:02. The first all-New York team to finish—Joseph Allis of Morris and Austin Henchey of Otego—placed 19th.
More than 800 paddlers competed across 17 racing classes. High river levels and cool weather led to significantly faster times than last year.
Next in the Triple Crown series is Michigan’s AuSable River Canoe Marathon on July 26-27, followed by Quebec’s Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie, August 31–September 1.
Learn more at triplecrownofcanoeracing.com.
