Tour Du Teche Canoe Race to bring people from all over the country together for fun in the sun
For the 10th year in a row, participants from all over the country will compete in the Tour Du Teche Canoe Race, bringing them together under the sun on the bayou Friday through Sunday.
Gustave “Tave” Lamperez is this year’s race director as well as a competitor for his 10th race on the Bayou Teche.
Lamperez, who is a computer science teacher, has been canoeing for 40 years and loves the waters so much, he lives on it.
Lamperez spoke to The Daily Iberian about the race, its cultural impact and the most challenging parts of rowing on the bayou.
What is the Tour Du Teche?
The Tour Du Teche Canoe Race and the whole concept was to highlight the Bayou Teche and the Cajun way of life.
Why highlight it?
We think it’s exciting and we have a canoe race that lasts three days. We start at Port Barre and we finish at the Evangeline Oak (on Friday) which is 50 miles, then we start there on Saturday morning and go all the way to Franklin, and that’s 60 miles. Then on our third day, we go from Franklin to Berwick, which is 27 miles. It brings up a total of 137 miles.
What’s its history?
It started as an idea by Mr. Ray Pellerin and Mr. Griffin. And they had the idea of doing a 15- to 20-mile race on the Teche, and that’s what they told me. And they wanted to do something unique and they did the length of the Bayou Teche. So the very first Tour Du Teche started at 7 in the morning and we started in Port Barre and they said to go all the way to Patterson that year, so we went 127 miles. Then we realize we have great participation. We had 50-70 boats, I don’t remember the number. And over half of them completed the event. It took us about 22 hours to finish the event.
Who competes in the race?
I’ve been able to help promote the race with people from Michigan, Indiana and Illinois and Wisconsin and we actually have people coming in this year from Wisconsin and Illinois and a big crowd from Texas and people I hope from Missouri and Arkansas. We’ve had five or six states represented in the last year.
Why do they compete?
I think the experience is exciting. The Bayou Teche is a safe waterway, meaning no rapids and no moving water. It’s a challenge. It’s for the insurance people. They like to see if they can fight the elements, to see you could put up with the heat, put up with the currents, see if you can take the wind. So do you have the endurance to do this three days in a row? It’s a challenge.
Why do you race?
The heat and making sure I’m well-hydrated is the most challenging for be, but I’m slow and steady and I keep going. I’ve got the experience where I know every nook and cranny because I’m done the race before. I just love being on the Bayou and I consider it home and I feel like it gives me a chance to share with anybody else who wants to share the water. The Bayou Teche is almost like a hidden gem to those who don’t know about it.
It’s a wonderful experience and I encourage people to make use of the bayou. We have some of the most beautiful waterways in the country.