Paddlers challenge whitewater this weekend

The Daily Inter Lake

Bigfork festival features two days of river fun

Paddlers will converge on Bigfork this weekend for the 34th annual Whitewater Festival.

The two-day event features a variety of races on the "Wild Mile" section of the Swan River just east of Bigfork, and it usually attracts 80 to 100 competitors.

There also will be a triathlon, along with entertainment at local pubs and eateries throughout the weekend.

Registration for kayak races is from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Garden Bar on Electric Avenue.

The beginner slalom event is at 11 a.m. and the expert slalom race is at 2 p.m.

Registration for the triathlon - an event combining running, paddling and pedaling - is from 8 to 9 a.m. Sunday. The race starts at 9:30 a.m.

At noon Sunday, paddlers will compete in the Downriver Race, a timed event that starts at the top of the Wild Mile and ends at the single-lane bridge in Bigfork.

The Boaters Cross race starts at 1 p.m., with paddlers going head-to-head with simultaneous starts on the Wild Mile.

The festival concludes with a 4 p.m. awards ceremony Sunday at the Garden Bar.