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The swirling, dark current carries with it an opportunity to make their mark on history.
Thurston and Kinziger are hoping to set an all-time speed record for canoeing the 436-mile length of the river.
They began Friday at Lac Vieux Desert in Vilas County and hope to finish when they hit the brown, silt-laden Mississippi River sometime mid-afternoon Thursday.
They’re aiming to complete the journey, 26 portages included, in about six days and 10 hours.
Sounds like an ambitious task for a pair of world-class athletes with a stellar support team. Instead, this journey is the Holy Grail for the senior set.
Thurston is 75 and Kinziger is 60. Their support team consists of Thurston’s wife, Diana, who will pull a camper they can sleep in when they’re not paddling or portaging.
“The Wisconsin is an awe-inspiring river, and there are a lot of factors that play into actually being able to set a record,” said Thurston, a former school administrator in La Crosse who retired in Viroqua. “When you look at what it actually means doing, I don’t know if it can be done. This will prove something to me and a lot of other 75-year-olds if we can complete this task.
“It is probably impossible to do this trip, physically,” said Thurston. “Mentally you have to convince yourself that you can do it.”
Thurston and Kinziger are no strangers to the picturesque and mysterious Wisconsin River.
In 1983, the two set the record for speed, canoeing the Wisconsin in eight days, three hours and 13 minutes. That eclipsed the previous record Thurston had set in 1958 with then partner Gary Kitzman. They had canoed the river’s length in 12 days.
In 1958, an aluminum canoe was used. In 1983, a Kevlar canoe was used. During both of those trips, the canoeists camped out in tents they took with them. This time around, they are fixed on straight speed. They’ll carry with them just the necessities of food and water each day in a new carbon-fiber canoe each day. Their schedule calls for 16 hours of canoeing each day of the trip, with Kinziger setting the pace.
Kinziger, who has a doctorate degree in philosophy, is the coordinator of the University of Idaho’s outdoor leadership program and an instructor in the university’s school of health, physical education and recreation. He teaches courses in canoeing at the school located in Moscow, Idaho.
“When I think about college students paddling 5 minutes around a pond and being winded I just have to laugh,” Kinziger said. “We’re 135 years combined and planning on paddling 16 hours a day.”
Kinziger was on the staff at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 17 years ago when he moved to join the staff at the University of Idaho. When he left, he and Thurston promised to come together on the 25th anniversary of their record-setting trip and do it again.
“We both love to be on the water,” Kinziger said. “We’re both hooked on the sport of canoeing. It’s been a big part of our lives.
“Although we’re doing this for us and I know the record means a lot to Jay,” Kinziger continued. “More than that, for both of us, is the future of the sport. Getting kids interested and giving them the same opportunities we’ve had — Maybe putting a spotlight on what can be done.”
Matt Johnson is managing editor at the Vernon County Broadcaster. For updates on the pair’s journey, check the Quick Links section of www.lacrossetribune.com.
