Lake Crabtree County Park kayaker Abel Hastings has earned a spot on the U.S. team and will soon compete in the world championships.
The Durham resident recently competed at the 2007 U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team Trials in Stone Mountain, Ga., where he earned a position on the U.S. Marathon Kayak Team. Hastings, along with seven teammates, will travel to Györ, Hungary, in September to compete in the 15th Annual ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships. He will race in both the solo kayak and tandem kayak events.
Lake Crabtree County Park is Hastings' primary training venue. He has paddled there almost daily during the past three years he has lived in the area.
"Lake Crabtree County Park is the perfect training location, and the park has been very supportive," said Hastings.
In addition to training for kayaking competitions, Hastings has worked with other area athletes to create a kayaking club that emphasizes paddling long distances. The Triangle Paddle Racing Club has regular club workouts at Lake Crabtree County Park every Thursday at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.trianglepaddlers.com.
Marathon kayak racing is a rapidly growing international sport, which takes place on lakes or calm rivers. World-class athletes typically complete the competition distance of 35 km (21.7 miles) in 2.5 hours. Races are a test of fitness and strategy. They begin with a mass start, and athletes quickly form packs to draft off one another. Athletes are also required to complete portages, where they must exit the water, run with their boats and re-enter the water. The winner is the first athlete across the finish line.
Lake Crabtree County Park Water Recreation Programs
Lake Crabtree County Park rents kayaks and canoes, and offers sailing lessons and nature programs during the summer months.
Children over 12 and adults can get involved in the Lake Crabtree watershed through "Canoeing for Water Quality" the last Friday of each month during the summer. Lake Crabtree staff and water quality volunteers teach canoers how to test the water in Lake Crabtree. Registration is required for this free program.
The park also offers beginning and intermediate sailing classes for adults, Sunfish lessons for teens (12 and older), as well as camps for sailors ages 8 and older in Optimists, a beginner boat made available through a partnership with Carolina Sailing Foundation. All sessions are taught by U.S. sailing certified instructors. For more information, visit www.wakegov.com/parks or call 919-460-2723.