Missouri 340--First Year of the race...340 miles in under 100 hours. Kansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO
August 2006
After making new friends, "sacrificing the appendages to save the vitals" in a microburst storm, giving 21 hours a day instruction to fellow racers, and simply smiling at another female racer's confidence that mere youth would put her in the lead, Dawn picks up the trophy for her birthday present to herself. According to her, there are a few tricks of endurance racing that help out with blisters, exhaustion, chafing, and the other inevitables of 100 hours in a boat, but the real secret is just keep paddling.
Coming in to the finish in her Seda Glider (18 feet, kevlar & carbon fiber) outside of St. Louis at 97 hours, the Pirate Queen is welcomed with cheers and laughter as she pulls in with her merry crew of newly initiated endurance racers. Always the Queen, never the lady, the Pirate Queen reveled in the laughter, stories, and excitement of "her guys".
Everglades Challenge--300+ miles of the Florida Everglades in under 7 days
2004 & 2005
After years of solo kayak expeditioning and guiding 30 day expeditions, the Pirate Queen decided to try on expedition racing for size. Gruelling hours, insane weather hazards, sleep deprivation, pushing far beyond when the body pleads for you to stop...she loved it.
Maine's Coast--yup, all the way up
2001
Breaking her tendancy to head south and preference for 90 degrees and up, Dawn's exploration of the trecherous coast spans the continuum from a close call in 16 foot waves which pitchpoled her kayak (just a small jaw fracture, really) to waking up sleeping (and snoring) seals.
The thousands of stories will gradually get added...as soon as the Pirate Queen
slows down long enough to record them!
Until then, come visit her in Atlantic Beach or Morehead City or join her on a trip to the Everglades