Damiana Gonzalez of Westfield splashes into the Hill and Dale section of the Westfield River during the 2025 Wildwater Classic Race.
Reminder Publishing photos by Marc St. Onge
Harry Rock, race director for the 70th running of the Westfield River Wildwater Races on April 19 said he believed the final head count was 293 paddlers on the river.
“It was a phenomenal day because of the great weather which led to many smiles and happy faces as people exited the river following their runs,” Rock said.
“As I drove both courses in the morning and afternoon I was struck by how much it reminded me of the old days when we had huge crowds coming out to line the river. There were large groups of people all along the river gathered at the various viewing spots and lining the bridges to watch the paddlers go underneath. There were family picnics taking place in backyards that bordered the water. What was really fun was to hear the clanking of all the cowbells we had sold so that spectators would have them along the river to cheer the racers going by,” Rock continued.
He said his focus this year as race director was on safety, to ensure a quick response to any emergency if it was called in. They had the Westfield Police cadets lining the river, the safety kayakers positioned at each zone of the river, rescue kayaks and Russell police with throw bags to help pull in paddlers who had capsized. There was a command center at Russell Police headquarters to quickly respond to any calls that might come in. “Both the expert and classic races went off with no events and no medical emergencies,” Rock said.
He said the level of cooperation from both the towns of Russell and Huntington was “amazing,” and credited the Police and Fire departments and board of selectmen from both towns.
“The Hilltown Ambulance had dedicated an ambulance to be on duty for the race and there were times when I saw two in place ready to respond if necessary. Fortunately, there was no need for any significant response but the preparation was in place to ensure that we could respond if necessary,” Rock said.
He also thanked the Army Corps of Engineers for the use of the Knightville Dam and the scheduled water release, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for the use of their Route 112 maintenance yard as a staging area and starting line and the use of the Route 20 pull off for the Expert Race finish line, the Hilltown Community Health Center for the use of their parking lot for racers and spectators, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
The committee also had a sweep kayak on the course who was following the last boater so they knew when the river was clear after everyone reached the finish line. This allowed them to quickly tabulate the results and give out awards, which was done in a much more timely manner than in past years, Rock said.
“The large number of volunteers enabled us to manage all of the details for this major event in a very efficient manner. My thanks as the race director to everyone who were willing to volunteer and help because they cared about their community and they cared about creating a positive experience on the river without looking for any reward or recognition.
“All in all, the 70th Westfield River Wildwater Races were a complete success and we will look forward to next year for another opportunity to keep the Hilltown tradition alive,” Rock said.
Results
Top 10 Classic Race:
Jeff Parker 57:14
Eric Jones 57:41
Del Cummings 59:12
Carl Lafreniere 59:45
Ethan Gamble 1:00 41
Bryan Gore 1:01:59
Keith Duggan 1:02:30
Joseph Green 1:02:47
Elisha Jameson 1:02:48
Michael Payne 1:02:57
Top 10 Expert Race:
Jeff Parker 32:23
Carl Lafreniere 34:33
Jeffrey Defeo 35:36
Eric Jones 37:08
Edward Hamel 37:11
Colin Pagnoni 37:16
Rick Howard 37:37
Christopher Burke 38:22
Julie Marcoulier 39:12
Patrick Melnik 39:32
