E41: Jeff Kay - Co-Founder of the California River Quest

In this episode, Chris Thomas sits down with Jeff Kay out of California, ultramarathon paddler and co-founder/race director of the California River Quest. We cover so much in this episode from getting into paddling by invitation, the transition from short paddle races to ultramarathons, the history of the California 100 and his journey in founding the California River Quest, race safety precautions as well as hazards of the Sacramento River, challenges of starting and maintaining a paddling race, ground support, what sets the CRQ apart from other ultras, and his take on the 2023 Guinness Book of World Records dragon boat record setting attempt in the 2023 MR340. As a disclaimer, I moved this episode up from a previously recorded episode to coincide with the upcoming California River Quest in just a couple months. This will be made clear when Jeff talks about his book recommendations late in the episode. There’s so much more to this episode, but I’ll let you hear it from Jeff himself on this 41st episode of the Dabbling in Paddleism Podcast… Jeff’s book recommendations: - [ ] Intro to Ultra Endurance Paddle Racing, by Carter Johnson: https://www.californiariverquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Intro-to-Ultra-Distance-Paddle-Racing-by-Carter-Johnson.pdf - [ ] Racing to the Yukon, by Rod Price: If you’d like a 2-for-1 deal, email Rod Price at [email protected]. - [ ] Other books by Rod Price: Racing Around Florida, Have Paddle Will Travel, and Chasing History on the Mississippi River Socials: -IG: @j.j.kay -FB: facebook.com/jjkay California River Quest Website: https://www.californiariverquest.com/